“Why are you always the one to complain?” the Jizanian leader remarked. “You whine as if you were a woman.” The Emir from Aden glared at the Emir from Jizan, clearly having taken offense.
“Yes, they seek Jerusalem,” the Emir of Massawa ignored the squabbling as he answered the Emir from Aden, “but they also seek to steal our resources. They believe that there is black gold—oil—under our land, and they want it. They want our sulfur, bauxite, copper, gold and much more,” he explained. “We cannot battle them man-to-man. They have large well-equipped armies. They have factories that build tanks, trucks, planes and bombs. We have none of these things.”
“Their tanks will be swallowed by the desert,” stated the Emir of Oman, who was dressed in robes of black, red and white. “Just as the Germans were, so will the British and the Americans.”
“The lesson was there for all to learn, and I am sure that the British and Americans both learned from the Germans’ mistakes. We would be fools to believe otherwise. No, the infidels are too strong for us to confront, and yet, we cannot ignore them. We are warriors of the horse, while they are warriors of the machine, and we have all seen the terrible death and destruction that can be wrought by those machines. We need to find another way,” the Emir’s voice carried an almost a conciliatory tone, knowing he had embraced the British for their help in confronting the Germans.
“We can use the tactics they taught us to attack them. We need only to call for a Jihad and we will drive them out, just as we did the Germans,” the Emir of Yemen stated naively.
“I disagree,” the Emir stated. “The promise of our oil is much too strong for them to let a few small attacks cause them to turn and flee. They will simply send more men and machines just as the Germans did. Then who shall we call to aid us in their destruction? We have no way to stop their ships from sailing. We have no planes from which to drop bombs on them from the air. The Germans had these things, and yet they were defeated. The West is very powerful. I fear that the faithful are weary of war, their faith wanes and too few will come to our cause. The West promises them paradise on earth—fast cars, fine clothes, women, indoor plumbing—an easy life. We must find a way to combat these promises rather than draw our swords,” the Emir stated, his voice fading to not much more than a whisper. The room grew quiet as the men sat smoking or eating, while contemplating.
Several minutes passed before the purple-robed Emir of Arabia spoke up for the first time. “Perhaps, we might use the West as a weapon against itself.”
“How would we do that?” the Emir of Jizan asked.
“By convincing our people that the West is evil; that the West is trying to enslave them,” the Emir of Arabia stated authoritatively.
“How would that be possible?” the Emir of Yemen questioned, but the Emir of Arabia did not offer an answer. The room grew silent once more as they contemplated the idea.
After several minutes, the Emir of Massawa spoke. “Mohammed, you are an Imam, the wisest man here. What thoughts do you have?” the Emir asked.
For several long moments, the Imam stared at the floor until he looked up at the Emir, his eyes showing his uneasiness. Upon receiving an encouraging nod from the Emir, he looked slowly around the room at the faces of the other men. They were all turned towards him, looking at him expectantly. He took a deep breath and began.
“I thank the Emir for his flattery, but I am not the wisest man here. As I told the Emir earlier, I am not a worldly man, but a man of God. I know of Godly things, so it is of those things I will speak. Perhaps, Allah’s wisdom will be present in my words. Allah, praise be his name, wishes that his holy lands remain so. It is clear though, that we are faced with a terrible challenge. A challenge that we must not fail to overcome! Yet, if we were to face it directly, today, we would fail. So we must choose our actions carefully.
“The Koran states that to ensure victory, we need to prepare ourselves before the battle is joined. We must not act foolishly. It is written that when faced with overwhelming odds against us, it is permitted to feign peace, so that we can prepare for a counter-attack at a time and place of our choosing,” the Imam stated as he left his corner, stepping up next to the Emir. His eyes looked at each man before him and then quietly, he continued.
“I would not be too quick to meet the infidels head-on in battle. I would take my time preparing. I would make efforts to discover their weaknesses, and then, I would exploit them. We will need time and money to learn their weaknesses, and to amass the types and numbers of modern weaponry that will assure our victory.
“We need to act wisely to ensure that our people will not fall prey to the evil that is the West while we prepare. We need to educate them in the ways of Allah and to vilify the ways of the West. Yet, your sons need to be educated not only in the ways of Allah but in the ways of the West, as well. The more they learn, the better they will understand them so they might predict the best course of action when dealing with them.” The Imam stopped speaking to allow his paraphrasing of the Emir to hang in the air for a moment before continuing. “I would sell them the oil and other minerals. Let them compete against each other to set the price, for it is only fair trade that we seek. In turn, we can purchase their machines of war, claiming they are for defensive purposes to protect us from our neighbors who wish to claim control of our resources for themselves. We must appear weak and divided so as to reinforce their opinion of us. While at the same time, we will grow strong. We will use this ruse to conquer them when the time comes to act.
“But… I, if it were up to me, I would not allow the Jews to come to Transjordan. It is our land! It is not for the infidels to decide, to say who can live there and who cannot. Let them give the Jews some other land, perhaps in America. I hear it is a huge country with large open spaces.
“If they follow through with this promise, to allow the Jews to setup a new Jewish state, then we must attack before they become too strong. We must not allow them to defile the holy sites in Jerusalem,” the Imam concluded. He turned and stepped back into the corner, while looking to the Emir for approval. Their eyes met and the Emir smiled gently.
“Well…,” the Emir spoke as he turned his attention back towards his peers, “I believe we have heard Allah’s wisdom in your words, but how shall we use this wisdom? Shall we wait and do nothing until we can meet again, knowing that perhaps our own individual interests could keep us from cooperating in the future, and thus causing us to fail? I believe if we are to prevail, we must make a pact today— this very minute—and begin planning our attack.”
“I believe that you are correct,” the Emir of Djibouti stated, his robes flowing around him like a river of black and white. “We must convince our people that the West is evil, and I believe in order to do so, we must follow the example of the Soviet Union. They educate their people in a very narrow way. By doing so, we control what they think and what they know of the outside world. I believe we should begin this education in the madrassas. Teach the masses the Koran and the ways of Allah from our prospective, but little in the ways of the world. To do otherwise, would be detrimental to our cause.”
“I believe this would be satisfactory for the masses,” the Emir of Massawa spoke, “but for our children, the leaders of tomorrow, we must send them to the finest schools in the world, where they will receive world class university educations. They must become educated as doctors, engineers, scientists and businessmen, so that we may overcome the West using their own ways against them.
“They must also become skilled diplomats, well-versed in propaganda. By following these steps and those counseled by Mohammed, Allah will surely bless us, our children, and our children’s children.” The Emir sat back and waited for the others to speak.
“Blessings are fine,” the Emir from Aden spoke patronizingly, “but we all know that the strength of a man’s loyalty is greatly determined by the size of his purse. How do you propose to motivate the entire Muslim world?”
“It is so like you to think
about money rather than the cause!” the Emir from Yemen verbally jabbed at his rival from Aden for a second time. The Emir from Aden stared pointedly at the Emir from Yemen as he slowly reached to his side but found no gun or knife. If he had, he would probably have tried to kill the man, ending the alliance before it even began. Seeing the battle about to rage, the Emir of Massawa spoke up quickly, hands outstretched before him as if separating the two men.
“Yes, you are right,” he proclaimed as he lowered his arms. “Loyalty is difficult to ensure without incentive.” The Emir from Aden visually relaxed, slightly. “To that end, I would propose that we share the trading revenues.” The suggestion caused several of the other Emirs to speak quietly to each other as they explored the proposal for several minutes before continuing.
Bringing his eyes up and looking squarely at the Emir of Massawa, the antagonist from Aden snarled at him. “Who decides how this incentive is shared? You? The Jizan pig?” he gestured towards the Emir of Jizan. “Who?”
“If it were not for the truce, I would have your head on a pike, you cur dog!” the Emir of Jizan growled as he and his ally from Djibouti stared menacingly at the Emir from Aden.
“My friends, please,” the Emir’s voice was even and strong, his face placid, betraying none of the hostility and anger that he was feeling towards this pompous Bedouin ass from Aden.
“We will decide. You will have an equal say in the arrangement. Those lands yielding the most shall contribute the most. It will be as your zakat. I propose that we each donate ten percent of our trades, just as the zakat is ten percent,” the Emir stated authoritatively.
“How do I know that the amount of trade will be reported honestly?” the Emir of Aden questioned, impugning the Emir’s integrity, thus overstepping the bounds of hospitality.
“How do I know that you will account for your trading honestly?” the Emir of Massawa shot back loudly, a sneer on his face, his anger bubbling over.
“I am an honest man!” shouted the Emir of Aden as he jumped to his feet and started towards the door, taking umbrage with the statement.
The Emir of Massawa waved his hand at his ally from Djibouti who had started to rise, signaling that he had the situation in hand.
“Sit down!” the Emir of Massawa snarled loudly. The Emir of Aden stopped and turned. Having done so, he found the Emir holding a German Luger pointed directly at him.
“What is this?” he stated, staring wide-eyed at the gun.
“Sit down!” the Emir of Massawa stated sharply as he wiggled the gun towards the Emir’s seat.
“You ordered us stripped of our weapons, and yet, you are armed? You ask us to trust you, and yet, you betray us!” the Emir from Aden shot back, scorn dripping from every word as he slowly stepped back to his seating cushion, his eyes never leaving the Emir of Massawa.
“You misunderstand my intentions,” the Emir stated through clenched teeth. “I told each of you, in order to gain your cooperation for this meeting that I would protect you—to the death if need be. My guards have been instructed to kill anyone who leaves this room before I do. I was merely using the best means of persuading you to accept that protection.” The Emir’s calm demeanor returned as the Emir from Aden found his seat again and then sat glaring at the Emir. The Emir of Massawa returned the gun to under the cushions where it had been stashed before the meeting began, sat down, and then addressed group.
“Each of us,” the Emir spoke quietly, “wants to be sure that we are not handing the means of our own destruction to our rivals. This is an honest concern, but it is death to us all.
“If we cannot control our fears and animosity towards each other, evil will use our petty differences to destroy us, to destroy Allah’s greatness.” Suddenly, he jumped up, snatching a pomegranate from its serving tray, and threw it against the far wall. “It has to stop!” he shouted.
At this outburst, the Emirs from Yemen and Oman jumped up and quickly looked towards the door. They then shared a look as they tried to gauge the truth in regards to the Emir’s guards. After a moment, they sat down again, deciding to believe him. The Emir of Massawa watched them through fiery eyes.
“We are behaving as children!” the Emir continued as he looked down upon his guests. “What does it matter who gets what and who is honest about this or that? Allah will see it all! This behavior is just what the infidels want. The more we cannot trust each other, the more we will be herded like sheep to the slaughter.
“Is that what we want? To be slowly slaughtered by the infidels?” the Emir of Massawa questioned. “It is not my desire, and I believe that Allah does not wish it either, but he allows us to choose. We can choose to trust each other and unite under Allah in our quest to rid the holy lands of the infidels, or we can choose to become their lackeys and be deprived paradise. Which shall it be? Who will stand with me against them?” The last words were spoken firmly as the Emir lowered his eyes in a sign of both respect and shame at having lost his temper.
“What shall we call our organization?” the Emir of Oman asked, trying to change the subject from the trust issue. “How about the Brotherhood of the Sword?”
“Any name is fine,” stated the khaki dressed King of Transjordan as he looked to the Emir of Arabia for reassurance as he spoke. “Our goals are lofty and just, but many of our kingdoms are on faltering ground. We have little in the way of resources. How shall we even begin?”
“I believe I have the answer to many of our questions,” stated the Emir of Arabia, without standing, while nodding to his ally the King of Jordan. “I represent the largest kingdom, The House of El Abu-Bashure Fahd. I believe that the education process can begin as soon as each of us returns to our home by asking the ranking Imam to instruct his students and followers to resist and fear the infidels. Our Imam, who is well respected among other men of God, will provide letters explaining that it is Allah’s will that we resist.
“As far as the reporting and the distribution of funds from our trading with the West, I pledge the House of El Abu-Bashure Fahd will take no distribution, but will provide financial assistance to our less resource blessed brothers, to ensure that the fight continues. I would have Mohammed, the Imam of Eritrea, be charged with safeguarding the funds, minus a reasonable fee of course, for his time and effort. All of us will report to him our trade amounts and pay our zakat to him. Then he will decide where the funds should be allocated.”
“But he is the Imam of Eritrea, the Emir’s friend!” the Emir of Aden shrieked.
“He is a holy man!” the Emir of Arabia quickly and loudly replied as he jumped to his feet. “To impugn him is to impugn Allah! I will stand for him!” he yelled as he stood glaring down at the Emir of Aden.
“As will I,” stated the Emir of Oman, who struggled to gain his feet due to his bulk.
“And I,” came the voices of the other men in the room as they all stood.
Finally, the Emir of Massawa spoke again. “As will I. I will also pledge my life, the lives of my family and my kingdom. If he should fail, I too shall bear the shame and death.”
“Your Majesty!” the Imam blurted out. “I am not worthy.”
“That is precisely why you are,” the Emir replied.
“So, it is decided. We are now the Brotherhood of the Sword. All agreed?” the Emir of Arabia asked. Each Emir agreed. Even the Emir of Aden finally stood, although clearly with reservations.
“The first order of business is to choose a leader, someone to guide our group, and I believe it should be the Emir of Massawa,” the Emir of Arabia stated, and all of the other Emirs nodded in agreement. “The floor is yours, sir.”
“Yes, thank you for your confidence in my abilities. I think we should begin where our religious leader has suggested—defending Jerusalem. My spies have told me that the Jews will be in Haifa within the month. There is little time to gather our forces and prepare for jihad, so let us begin our planning of the Al-Naqba, the holy war, now. Perhaps, Mohammed, you could lead us in a word of praye
r?” the Emir requested.
CHAPTER ONE
The campaign had been grueling. It started with the focus groups and the exploratory tours over two years ago, where the candidate tests the waters of public opinion, trying to determine if he has or can create enough national support to win. Then comes the non-stop travel, sleepless nights, the scheduling hassles and the thousand campaign stops in a thousand no-name towns. It takes a heavy toll on a man’s mind and spirit. The campaign season is long and arduous, and it still had four and half months to go.
Jason Combs doubted he’d make it. The stress of it all had left him so drained that he struggled to keep his head in the game. Yet, he had to hold it together for this was the home stretch, the national election, the pinnacle of not only the candidate’s career, but of Jason’s, as well.
Jason had begun his career ten years ago, right out of college, during which time he’d worked as a staffer for several different congressmen and senators. Each position helped to enhance the skills needed to advance in his career as a congressional aide. Then two years ago, he joined the office staff of the new junior senator from New Jersey, a rising star in the Democratic Party, Alan Starks. Combs impressed Starks with his efforts, and after just a year of service, Starks offered Combs the job of Chief of Staff, which of course, he accepted.
In his mid fifties, the junior senator was a lawyer, personally rich, a fresh face in Washington and wickedly smart. His previous political experiences though were limited to the state and local level. He’d only served two terms as a councilman in Atlantic City and one term as a state representative before being elected senator. Despite his lack of experience, he handled himself as if he had been a lifelong politician. For reasons that escaped Jason, the media failed to see Starks’ appeal with the voters. It came as a complete surprise to the political world when he ran for the Senate and won. Starks completely stunned the political world again, when after serving less than a year in the Senate, he announced that he was considering a run for president.
Reprisal!- The Eagle Rises Page 2
