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nuclear weapons. The bomb could have originated from any of them.”
    President Kamil’s eyes drifted shut then came open. He sipped the drink and his voice took on the hint of a tremor. “Just how quickly can this all be done?”
    “It took us two years to plan and carry out the strike on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon. This is much simpler, and more direct. Only a handful of people will be required. From the time you turn over the device to us until we detonate it over an American city, we have timed it out to be thirty days.”
    “So quickly.” He frowned. “That doesn’t give us much time to strengthen our defenses, to get in better radar, to post ships at sea as an early warning network.”
    “Believe me, Mr. President. You will have no need for defenses other than your normal routines. America will not attack. Did they attack anyone after the Twin Towers? Yes, they did go into Afghanistan, but that was a slowly developingcampaign. There they had many leads pointing to bin Laden.”
    “Thirty days.” The president shook his head. “This seems like a dream, that we can deliver one of our weapons on the hated Americans, and have it accomplished in only thirty days.” He took a long pull at the drink and waved his hand. The same woman as before, in long robes, came in at once, replaced the drink with a new one that was already sweating on the glass, took the empty one away, and hurried out of the room.
    “Mr. Fouad. I’ve been battling with this decision for the past two weeks. I’ve talked to about half of our generals, our defense minister, all of the top people in my government. The consensus is that we go ahead with the plan. The generals, to a man, recommended that we do not give you a bomb. They counseled that we keep them for use to forward our own goals. Just the threat of the use of a nuclear bomb can have a great effect on a small country nearby. That was their suggestion.”
    “The military leaders make a good point, Mr. President. But you said your other advisors, the civilians, were in favor of the plan?”
    “Yes. The final decision is mine. No one else’s. No one to blame but me if it goes wrong.” He stood and walked with slow steps to one wall where there hung a bright painting, carefully lighted, that showed a luxurious green garden brimming with a rainbow of blooming flowers, and trees, and a small waterfall in a shallow stream. He studied the painting for what seemed to Fouad for five minutes. When he turned he smiled.
    “Yes, you shall have your bomb. Our facility is in the desert, out where a mistake would not be so tragic. I’ll have it crated and concealed as best as we can. Where will you fly it from?”
    “Assuming the bomb is in the desert west of here, we will transport it by truck to Jordan. We should have no trouble crossing the border. We will proceed to the northern city of Irbid. From there we will charter an airfreight craft and fly it away toward the Atlantic Ocean. That’s all I should tell you right now. You’ll have no trouble pleading that youdon’t know how this happened, because you really won’t know. The plan I sent you is a practical one, but not the exact one that we’ll use. Our final plan is much better, slicker and with more chances to succeed. Mr. President. It’s an honor and a pleasure doing business with you.”
    The ex-general smiled and held out his hand. “I hope it will bring pleasure to all of Islam. Now, I realize that your group is usually short on cash. Would you accept a gift from Iraq of fifty thousand U.S. dollars, to help along the project?”
    “Mr. President, I’m overwhelmed. Yes, the U.S. dollars will come in handy as we move across the globe. Now, the timetable. We’ll need a tractor and an enclosed trailer, to get the package into Jordan and then north. We have contacts there that will cooperate with us with no questions asked. We already have made tentative arrangements with the airfreight company in Irbid.”
    “I’ve