The Zul Enigma (54 page)

‘Don’t try and change
the subject, woman. Did you girls have something to do with this?’

Erika
pulled a face. ‘Joseph suggested I talk to Rebecca and the more I thought about
it, the more I thought it was a good idea. So when she asked me what Elena was
like, I told her. Everything. I wanted her to know it wasn’t you who initiated
it. I wanted her to know how that woman used you.’

‘I don’t know if she
did…’

Erika lifted her hand to
stroke the side of Drew’s face and her eyes softened. ‘Oh honey, you have no
idea what a manipulating bitch Elena could be.’

He sighed. ‘She was
spoiled all right. She liked to get her own way. But I loved her back then.’

‘I know you did. You
cried on my shoulder, remember?’

Drew smiled. ‘Well, it
doesn’t matter any more. It was a long time ago and I’m over it.’ He leaned
down and kissed her on the nose.

‘I hoped Rebecca would
pass some of what I said back to Carlos.’

‘And it looks like she
did.’

‘You know what else
might have helped?’

‘What?’

‘The meditation. It
mellows people out. I think it’s changed Carlos. And the fact you and I are
together now – he knows you’re not hung up on Elena any more. And
something else – it looks like he’s ready to move on too.'

‘About
time! You know he told me he really likes Rebecca. Problem is he’s worried
she’s too young. And he’s not sure she fancies him.’

‘Oh ho!’ Erika laughed.
‘Is that what he said? Well she finds him attractive all right. And I told her
if he doesn’t make a move soon, she should.’

 
‘Carlos,’ Drew said, shaking his head,
‘he can be such a bloody idiot at times.’

Erika smiled.

‘Anyhow, all I can say
is thank you for getting my best mate back, because that old bugger would never
have made peace if you girls hadn’t got involved.’

CHAPTER 15

Having set up her laptop on the dining table, Rebecca was trying to work on her
book but she kept getting side-tracked thinking about Carlos.

In spite of what Erika
said just over a week ago, she’d been too wary to push her relationship with
him any further. She didn’t want to put him on the spot. She had, however,
continued to stay at his place and he made her very welcome and seemed to enjoy
her company. On her side it was perfect using his penthouse as her writing
base. It was convenient having Carlos close by in case she needed to check any
details about Zul’s story. The only problem was, she didn’t know how much
longer she’d be able to hide her feelings for him.

A couple of hours
earlier Carlos had called to check if she’d be around at lunch time and when he
burst through the front door singing “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction” and walked
straight to where she was sitting in the dining room with a mischievous look on
his face, she wondered what he was up to.

‘You look very pleased
with yourself,’ she said.

He laughed. ‘Perhaps I
am.’

‘Why’s that?’

He grabbed two pieces of
paper sticking out of his jacket pocket and unfolded one in front of her.

‘An e-ticket?’

‘Yes,’ he replied,
‘look.’

‘Oh! You’re going to
Bali?’

‘Yes.’

‘It’s supposed to be one
of the most romantic places in the world. Not the kind of place you go alone,’
she said dropping her eyes. ‘Who’s the lucky lady?’

He spread the second
piece of paper in front of her.

‘Me?’ she gasped.

‘
Sí
, sweet Beccy,
you. Do you want to come?’

She laughed. ‘Of course
I do! When do we leave?’

‘Look,’ he said, jabbing
at the date on the ticket with his finger.

‘Tonight? You’ve got to
be joking. I can’t be ready by tonight.’

‘Hey – why not?’

‘Well… I don’t know. I
need to go shopping. I need a new bikini. New clothes.’

‘Buy them there.’

‘But… I… oh,’ she shook
her head and frowned, ‘and why Bali? This is such a surprise.’

‘I booked a beautiful
villa. It’s huge,’ he said flinging his arms in the air, ‘then we’ll spend the
last couple of nights…’

‘A villa? Is someone
else coming?’

A look of bewilderment
crossed his face. ‘No. It’s just us.’ He took her hand. ‘The villa’s got the
biggest bed I’ve ever…’

‘So you mean…’ she
whispered.

‘Yes,’ he said leaning
down to kiss her, ‘if it’s okay with you, that’s exactly what I mean.’

***

Carlos and Rebecca rode the early morning speedboat to a small island off the
east coast of Bali, where they would spend the last two nights of their
holiday. Late in the afternoon, after a day spent lazing around their private
plunge pool, they showered and strolled along the walkway to the little
resort’s restaurant. Sipping Margaritas at the bar they stared out, transfixed
as wave after wave rolled in against the darkening sky.

A golden-haired teenager
strolled up. ‘Ketut, have you seen Mum and Dad?’ she asked.

‘They left five minutes
ago,’ the barman replied.

‘You’re English?’
Rebecca asked.

The girl smiled and
nodded.

‘Perhaps you can help
us. We want to eat at Scallywags tonight. Do you know where it is?’

‘Follow the little road
and you’ll see it right on the beach. I was just there. The band’s setting up
and later there’ll be a DJ. There’s a party tonight. It’ll be fun.’

‘You’ve got a lot of
local knowledge,’ Carlos said.

The girl smiled again
and the rays of the setting sun reflected in her eyes, tinting them the same
golden colour as her hair. ‘My mum and dad have got a house here,’ she said.

‘Wow!’ Rebecca
exclaimed. ‘Lucky you.’

‘Actually…’ she tilted
her head to one side, ‘the party’s mine. It’s my birthday.’

Rebecca laughed.
‘Congratulations! How old are you?’

‘Fifteen.’

‘Fifteen! How lovely.
Happy birthday…?’

‘… Grace,’ the girl
said.

‘I still can’t get over how quickly the sun sets in the tropics.’ Rebecca took
off her sunglasses and smiled at Carlos, who took her hand and kissed it.

‘Beccy, I’ve never been
this happy before.’

She looked at him, eyes
brimming with love. ‘Me too. I just wish I’d met you a long time ago. And I
wish I could stop myself thinking about E-Day. Lately, I can’t put it out of my
mind.’

‘Don’t worry about that
querida
.
Not now. Not on holiday.’

‘I’m trying not to. But
I find it so hard to believe what Zul
says
is going to happen
will
happen. And if it does? Well… it terrifies me just thinking about it.’

Carlos touched her
cheek. ‘Nobody knows for sure. Even NASA hasn’t reached a conclusion. We just
have to wait and see.’

‘You believe it. But why
are you so sure you won’t evolve to fourth density? After everything you’ve
done, everything you’ve fought for. I don’t get it.’

‘Because that’s what Zul
said.’

‘But it doesn’t make sense.
You’re doing more than anyone…’

‘Maybe it’s because I
was too selfish for too long before. Maybe I haven’t worked out all that
badness yet.’

Rebecca shook her head.
‘I can’t believe that.’

‘Look, I don’t know,
okay? But there was something Astraea said. She talked like I could be a leader
on the new planet – help make sure we don’t repeat the same terrible
mistakes we made before. And that’s what I’m drawn to. That’s what I want to
do. Set it up so we get it right next time. And I know I can do it. Perhaps
that’s why I’m still entrenched in third density.’

Rebecca shrugged. ‘All I
know is whatever does happen, I hope it happens to both of us. I don’t want you
disappearing on me. And I don’t want to disappear on you. Not now we’ve found
each other.’

‘And that’s what’s
killing me. You’re such a sweet, good person. You think the best of everyone.
You only ever want to help people.’

‘Oh Carlos…’

‘Volunteering like you
did. And as for that old boyfriend. You suffered because you wanted to help
him.’

Rebecca bowed her head.

‘Beccy, you
are
a
good person and that’s what’s killing me. I’m scared that while I stay at third
density, you’re going to evolve to the fourth.’

A nearly full moon lit their way as they strolled down the road to the
restaurant. A big U-shaped table had been rigged up for party guests but the
manager found Carlos and Rebecca a table for two, which looked out onto the bay
where the waves tumbled over each other, churning up the golden sand.

‘This spot is paradise,’ Rebecca sighed, ‘and the food is delicious. I wish we
could stay longer.’

‘I’m sorry
querida
.
I shouldn’t be on holiday at all… I’ve still got so much to do.’

‘I know,’ she said
touching Carlos’s hand. ‘And I need to get on with my book, if I’m going to
finish it in time.’

‘Did you get the flight
you wanted to the UK in December?’

‘Yes. On the 19th
– the day before the airports close. But now I’m having second thoughts.
After this perfect holiday, I don’t want to leave you. Not then. Not ever.’

‘What about your
parents?’

‘I know,’ she shrugged.
‘Thing is though, they’re not bothered. And my sister and her husband will be
there. They all love the way the Evolution Revolution has got the planet
wrapping itself up in this big web of harmony – but for them to believe
in the process itself? It’s a big leap of faith.’

‘That a lot of people
are making.’

‘True. But what about
the panic – when the real reason behind the Clean Up Plan came out?’

‘That was never meant to
happen.’ Carlos shook his head. ‘If Zul hadn’t appeared on TV, most people
wouldn’t know about the theory of evolution. But now they do and they’ve had
time to think about it, it’s a logical question. What
will
happen to the
bodies of the people who evolve to the next density? I asked it myself.’

‘There are hundreds of
websites talking about E-Day and all kinds of different explanations about what
will or won’t happen. Some people think the bodies will transmute – just
turn into ash. And some say the UN knows something it’s not telling.’

‘That’s news to me,’
Carlos smiled. ‘But it’s not a bad thing. I mean people thinking through the
possibilities. Preparing themselves. And I swear everyone in the media must
have been meditating twenty-four hours a day…’

 
‘… because their reporting’s so
positive?’ Rebecca said laughing.

‘
¡Exacto!
’

‘It’s what you believe,
though, isn’t it? What Zul says?’

‘
Sí
, but I didn’t
expect it to turn out like this,’ Carlos threw his arms open wide. ‘I never
wanted people worrying about it. That’s what I did at first, and it was
horrible.’

‘But if it’s true, it
is
a big thing. It’s huge. And it
is
horrific – that the planet will
be strewn with dead bodies. Really, Carlos, it doesn’t bear thinking about.’

‘Some of our best
physicists are working on proving or disproving the theory of evolution, but
that will take time. Even if there’s only the smallest chance it will happen,
we
have
to be prepared.’

‘I know you’re right,’
she looked up. ‘It’s just… well I don’t want to think about it. I don’t want to
picture it. So... what are your plans? When do you fly to Madrid?

‘On the 19th too. Of
course our place is with our families, but I worry about you going to England
on your own. And don’t forget, I want to read your book before you go.’

Rebecca smiled. ‘And I
want you to. I didn’t tell you, I’m going back to Washington to talk to Anita
Goodwin again.’

‘How
did
you get
to see her last time?’

Rebecca laughed. ‘I told
her I was researching a book about Zul.’

‘But that was before
you…’

‘I know. Then the more I
thought about it, the more I realised what a good idea it was. I also want to
see Barbara Lord again and talk to Anderson’s secretary. After everything you
told me, I’ve got a lot of questions.’

‘Have you got hold of
Joseph?’

‘No. He seems to spend
his whole life on planes.’

Their waitress, a pretty
Balinese girl with long black hair clipped up on her head and fresh frangipani
blooms tucked behind her ears, cleared the lobster and prawn shells and brought
them another bottle of wine.

‘I didn’t expect live
music on this little island,’ Carlos said, ‘and I certainly didn’t expect it to
be so good.’