Read Nano for Free Online

nothing.’
    â€˜Come now, we’ve just seen the news on TV.’
    â€˜I’m not “sad”, Cesare,’ War snapped. ‘I’m fucking furious.’ His voice rose 20 decibels on the final word and he wobbled to his feet a little unsteadily, catching the back of the chaise longue as he rose.
    The two siblings stepped back watching their uncle warily, like tigers ready to pounce if threatened further.
    Then Lucrezia stepped forwards and stroked a finger down her uncle’s enormous arm, from shoulder to elbow. ‘Remember . . . revenge is a dish best served cold.’
    War looked at the young woman’s face, his own expression unreadable. Then suddenly he giggled. It was a sound the twins were familiar with. War leaned forwards and pressed his lips against his niece’s before slipping his tongue between her teeth. She returned the urgency of his kiss.
    â€˜And I shall exact a revenge that will be served up very nicely,’ he said, pulling away. ‘Would you help me?’ War glared at the young woman with the full force of his crushing personality before turning to his nephew. ‘Cesare?’
    â€˜We would consider it an honour, uncle,’ the young man replied flashing his sister a proud look. ‘Do you agree, sister?’
    Lucrezia grinned at the two men. ‘When do we start?’

9
    Souk District, Dubai, present day, 11 December
    Abu Al-Rashid considered his eleventh birthday the best . . . ever. This was not because of the party his parents had organised, which had actually been really dull – the living-room filled with old uncles and smelly aunts. It was because his favourite uncle, Jahib, had given him an ancient, barely functioning laptop.
    Abu was a natural with computers. He had learned to program machines when he was six and would have had a computer of his own long ago but for two things. First, his parents were struggling to put food on the table and second, his father, Heydar, hated the very notion of his only son messing around with what he called ‘machines of the devil’.
    Abu had begun to despair but on the afternoon of his birthday, his uncle Jahib had turned up with a strange parcel and when Abu’s father was not paying attention, Jahib had taken the boy to one side.
    â€˜I have a special gift for you,’ the man had said. ‘I’ve been watching you, Abu. You are a very clever boy. You love computers, don’t you?’
    The boy nodded.
    â€˜Your father is a fine man, a good brother to me. But he is wrong about the modern world. We should embrace technology, not reject it.’ He handed Abu the parcel. ‘Open it.’
    Abu tore the paper away with impatient fingers and gasped when he saw what was inside. ‘Uncle!’
    Jahib beamed and put a finger to his lips. ‘Ssh . . .’ he said. ‘It is old and may not work for long, but I know that you will make something of it. But . . .’ And he drew close to his nephew. ‘Abu, take care. Don’t let your father see it. Keep it our little secret, yes?’
    Abu looked doubtful. He loved his parents and for all the man’s failings, admired his father. He did not want to lie.
    Seeing the boy’s face, Jahib added, ‘There are times when we have to be economical with the truth, Abu. For the good of all. This is one of those times. What your father does not know will not hurt him.’
    After that there was no stopping the youngster. Two hours after the uncles and aunts had departed, he had the laptop working better than it had done for at least three years and he had got the thing online by hacking into a neighbour’s broadband connection. He knew this was not the most moral thing to do but he also believed there was no harm in it. He was friendly with the family next door and had long been envious of the fact that they not only had a computer but that they used about 10 per cent of their