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from the satellites for unbalancing the Arctic ecology and causing the floods that had destroyed farmlands farther to
the South.
He touched a button on the small keyboard at his side
COLONY " 133
and the viewscreen showed him the media coverage of the Scandinavian fiasco. He laughed aloud.
"Why must they always refer to every ecology as 'delicate'?" he asked his visitor, who sat silently on cushions facing
the sheikh.
The visitor wore the dark uniform and checkered turban of an al-Hashimi chauffeur. He nodded but said nothing. He
knew a rhetorical question when he heard one.
"Now they prattle of the 'delicate ecology' of the northern tundra and glacier fields. When we were building the
rectenna farms here, it was the 'delicate ecology' of the desert. Hah!"
The young man stirred slightly.
"Look at it," al-Hashimi commanded, gesturing toward the cruiser windows and the antennas blurring past them.
"What ecology? The desert is empty. It holds nothing in it that any sane man would want. We have been using this
rectenna farm for five years now, and what has been hurt? A few snakes killed. A few vultures singed because they
were too stupid to fly out of the beam."
"But the radiation can be dangerous," the young man said, "if you remain in it long enougji."
Al-Hashimi arched an eyebrow at him. "Afraid, Ha-moud? You?"
"No."A Kurd can be as brave as any Arab, thought Hamoud.
With a thin smile, al-Hashimi said, ' 'There is nothing to fear. Even though some of the beam might leak slightly off the
edges of the rectenna farm, this van is very well shielded. We ride in perfect safety."
"And comfort," Hamoud added, to show what he thought of the sheikh's luxury.
"You are an ascetic," said al-Hashimi.
Hamoud shook his head. "I am not accustomed to such delights. For a chauffeur, life is ... less comfortable."
Laughing, al-Hashimi said, "You mean the head of the PRU does not have his little luxuries?"
"Revolutions are not made by luxuries," Hamoud said dourly.
BEN BOVA " 134
"I suppose a revolutionary should suffer for his cause. It's part of his image."
Hamoud said nothing.
"And this woman among you ... this Scheherazade ... is she an ascetic, also?"
His face impassive, Hamoud replied, "She is a symbol, little else. I am the leader of the PRU in this part of the world."
"Of course," al-Hashimi said
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 "My followers in the PRU are afraid of you," Hamoud said. "They fear that by taking your money and your help, we
are putting ourselves into a trap."
Al-Hashimi's voice went brittle. "Your followers think that a Hashimite sheikh, a descendant of the son of the Prophet,
would break his sworn word? Would befoul the sacredness of hospitality?"
"They are young and uneducated," Hamoud said, "and hungry."
"And frightened?"
"Yes, often. But they do what I tell them to, in spite of their fear."
"Then they are brave."
Hamoud nodded gravely.
"Why do they fight against the World Government?" al-Hashimi asked.
"Because they do not wish to be ruled by foreigners. For myself, I want an independent Kurdistan, free from all
foreign rule."
"And why did you try to murder the architect who is building the Caliph's palace?"
"As a symbol of our resistance to the World Government, of course."
' 'No other reason?''
"No."
"You are not angered by the construction of the palace?' '
' 'It makes no difference. But by killing the foreigner who directs the construction, we tell the World Government that
we will resist their dictatorship."
"You are a fool," al-Hashimi snapped.
COLONY " 135
Hamoud swallowed the anger that rose hot in his throat and asked calmly, "How so?"
"Acts of political terrorism are foolish," said the sheikh. "They accomplish nothing, except to bring a team of World
Police flying in from Messina."
"They are symbolic."
"Symbolic!" Al-Hashimi looked as if he were going to spit. "If you must strike, strike where it does some good!"
Hamoud gave him a surly stare.
"I have kept the foreigner in my own house and told the World Police that our local police have the situation in hand.
You will leave the architect alone. If you do not, the World Government will descend on you despite my protection,
and you and your followers will be crushed utterly. Your ashes will be scattered to the winds."
"But why do you keep the architect? Surely his wound has healed enough ..."
"My daughter is infatuated with him, and I want him where I can watch them both carefully."
Hamoud nodded.Not carefully enough, he knew.Bahjat is clever enough to get her way.
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 Al-Hashimi was asking, "I still do not understand what she was doing in thesuq at that time of the evening."
"I am only her chauffeur," Hamoud said. "She told me to drive into thesuq, and I did as I was told."She had the same
reaction as you did, he added silently,when she heard we were going to assassinate the architect. Even before she met
him, she was concerned about his safety.
The sheikh muttered, ' 'I must get her to Island One. That is the only way to save her."
"And my people must strike against the World Government in some manner. A revolutionary movement either strides
forward or it collapses."
"Then strike somewhere else, not in Baghdad."
"We will need transport. And guns. And explosives."
Al-Hashimi nodded curtly. "Very well. I will see that you get them. But leave Baghdad in peace."
Leave your daughter, you mean,Hamoud thought. He laughed to himself.But she will leave you, O Sheikh, and follow
me. She will leave the architect for me, as well.
BEN BOVA " 136
"Go now." Al-Hashimi waved at the door. "My assistant will make the arrangements for the things you need."
Slowly, just deliberately enough to avoid making it an obvious insult, Hamoud got to his feet. He bowed slightly, then
went to door that led out of the compartment. He swayed slightly as the cruiser rounded a curve in the road, but the
knowing smile on his lips stayed in place.
/will get the transport and the arms we need, he said to himself.And Bahjat will come with me.
Once Hamoud had shut the compartment door behind him, al-Hashimi touched his keyboard.
The face of his latest blonde secretary filled the screen. "Sir," she said with a curious smile on her face, "we have a
report from the surveillance helicopter."
He closed his eyes. "What is it?"
"Your daughter did leave the house with the Canadian architect."
"I see."
The secretary read the pilot's full report, including his carefully phrased statement about the length of time Bahjat and
McCormick had stayed out of sight beneath the tree in the solitude of the ruins. When al-Hashimi opened his eyes, he
saw that his secretary looked amused. /shall enjoy wiping that smirk from your face, he thought.
"That is the complete report?" he asked.
"Yes," she said.
He nodded. "Send the chauffeur, Hamoud, back in here to me."
The screen went blank. Almost instantly, Hamoud stepped back into the compartment and sank into a cross-legged
squat before the sheikh.
"I have had a change of plan," said al-Hashimi.
"Yes?"
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 "You will assassinate the architect. It must be made to look accidental... perhaps like a robbery attempt, as you first
tried. There is to be no hint of political significance in his death."
Hamoud nodded and suppressed a smile. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]