George Barnabas - 04 - Fourth Attempt Read Online Free Page B

sense. If one man can live so long with such symptoms, why can’t another? And is it possible to delay the onset of symptoms once the disease process starts? And can the effects of the nerve damage be reversed? And —’
    ‘Sounds like you’ve set yourself a major research programme,’ she said, trying not to smile.
    He shook his head at her. ‘Don’t you laugh at me! Sure, it’s a big project, but big projects are the sort most likely to win through. My dad used to say “Aim for the sky and you’ll hit the top of the tree. Aim for the top of the tree and you’ll never get off the ground.”’
    She had been struck by that and hadn’t been ashamed to say so, and they had settled to a long talk about the possibilities of the work he was doing with an ease that had made her feel she’d known him for a long time and not just for anhour or two. But he made it extra easy by doing most of the talking. She knew as much about neurology as she had to, and perhaps a little more, but it didn’t match his expertise so she listened, fascinated, as he outlined some of his plans.
    Since then, they had shared tables in the canteen on several occasions. He always seemed to choose the same time to go to lunch as she did; after a while she had begun to make a point of going at a set time, to make it easier for him, even lingering at the end of the line-up for food until he arrived, if she got there before him. Over the months they’d developed a comfortable bantering friendship that she valued more and more. Especially when she was annoyed with Gus, which seemed to happen rather more often lately.
    But now, she reminded herself, was not the time to think about Gus. She concentrated on watching Zack come towards her across the Board Room, and felt a frisson of pleasure. This evening’s clambake would be, she had told herself as she tidied herself to come to it, a real buttock-clenching bore, but now she felt much more cheerful about it, even glad she was here; and also glad, at a deeper level, that she’d put on her deep red silk dress this morning, with the matching tights and shoes. It was a racy outfit that looked good on her; and though that shouldn’t matter, for after all she wasn’t meeting Gus, somehow it pleased her. And hadn’t she promised herself not to think about Gus? Dammit.
    ‘Hi,’ he said and smiled until his eyes disappeared. Smiling back was a real pleasure.
    ‘Hi,’ she replied.
    ‘This feels like a funeral rather than a celebration.’ He looked over his shoulder. ‘Look at those locusts, will you? If they lick his ass any harder they’ll wear their tongues to points.’
    ‘Hey, come on!’ she said. ‘You were up there with the thick of ’em when I came in. Pots and kettles, isn’t it?’
    ‘Ah, hell,’ he said. ‘I didn’t think you’d notice. Care for some white wine? It’s actually chilled tonight, or it was whenI got here. It’s probably pretty warm by now, but it’s not too bad. The old boy’s really pushed the boat out.’
    He was right. The drink he brought her from the long table in the far corner was cold and tasted good. She relaxed as she drank and happily let him fetch her another, sopping it up with a handful of potato crisps taken from one of the tables. Even they were better than they usually were at these events. Zack’s right, she thought. Old Hunnisett really is making an effort. I wonder who will get his job? And will it make a lot of difference to us at Old East? How much will it matter to the researchers? It was somehow important to her that Zack should be safe in his little niche in the offices and little labs of the Institute, which had been carved out of the old medical school building for them; it was none of her concern, of course, but it would be a pity to lose the edge Old East got from having its own research set-up. And she smiled at Zack as she took her drink from him and blinked a little owlishly round the room over the rim of the glass. Yes, it would