Free The God Particle by Daniel Danser

physicist, CERN would probably
not exist and we wouldn’t be here, enjoying this delicious meal. So, I’d like
to propose a toast…’ Frederick raised his glass. ‘To Satyendra Bose.’
    Tom clinked his glass against Frederick’s. ‘Satyendra Bose,’
he repeated.
    Frederick noticed that his plate was almost untouched,
whilst Tom had nearly finished his meal. ‘I’ve been doing all the talking and
neglecting Chef Michelle’s culinary masterpiece. I will be in trouble.’
    They finished their meals in relative silence, but it didn’t
feel uncomfortable. They made small talk, but neither man felt obliged to fill
the pauses between conversations. To Tom, it felt like he’d known Frederick for
years; the stately man had a certain way of making him feel relaxed in his
presence.
    ‘And how do you like your accommodation?’ Frederick asked,
as he finished his last mouthful of lobster.
    ‘I’ve lived in worse.’ Tom thought about his student flat
back at MIT.
    ‘It’s as temporary as you make it,’ Frederick replied. ‘Some
people prefer to stay on campus because they are closer to their work. Erik was
one of them. Others move out to the suburbs of Geneva, so they can have a
distinct work-life balance. I am a strong advocate of the latter, and I’d
recommend you do the same. I have a little place overlooking the lake. Why
don’t you come round for dinner? My wife makes a wonderful Schweinshaxe mit
Sauerkraut. Mrs Volker is always scolding me for not bringing my work
colleagues home.’
    Mrs Volker. Up until now, Tom had regarded Frederick
as either a widower or confirmed bachelor.
    ‘Sounds delicious,’ Tom said, not having a clue what the
dish was. ‘I’d love to.’
    Pierre was hovering in the background and saw his
opportunity to clear the table.
    ‘Give Chef Michelle my compliments,’ said Frederick. ‘That
certainly was the best lobster I’ve ever tasted.’
    ‘And mine. The steak was superb,’ Tom echoed the sentiment.
    ‘Could I interest you in the dessert menu?’ Pierre asked,
looking from one diner to the other.
    Tom was the first to answer. ‘Not for me, thank you. I
couldn’t eat another morsel.’
    ‘Could we just have the bill when you’re ready, Pierre?’
said Frederick. ‘I would think my colleague is exhausted, it’s been a long day
for him.’ He turned his attention back to Tom. ‘I understand, from Deiter, that
there will be a full operational trial tomorrow.’
    ‘Yes, it should give me an insight into just what I’ve let
myself in for.’
     
    ***
     
    Louis was waiting for them, by the car, at the entrance to
the hotel. He quickly extinguished his cigarette when he saw them coming.
    ‘They’ll be the death of you,’ Frederick told him,
reproachfully.
    The return journey to CERN was even quicker, due to the lack
of traffic. Louis pulled up outside the accommodation block; it was just after
midnight. Frederick wished Tom goodnight and Tom thanked Frederick for a most
enjoyable evening. Then he watched as the car left the compound.
     
     
     

CHAPTER 7
     
     
    ‘I think we’ve found our man.’ Frederick sat at the head of
the large, polished mahogany table, addressing the five men and one woman that
occupied the other seats to his right and left.
    He had dropped Tom off at his quarters. However, instead of
going directly home, he had instructed his driver to take him to an underground
car park on the far side of the compound, where there were very few buildings
and even fewer people to see him enter the lift, wait for the doors to close,
insert a key into the control panel and press the ‘alarm’ button. Instead of
the lift ascending to one of the three marked floors, the arrow indicated that
he was going down.
    After descending for almost a minute, the doors opened to
reveal a brightly-lit, sterile, white corridor, at the end of which were two
anonymous doors. The one on the right led into a windowless room where the
meetings were convened; the one on the