Dawn of Tears - 28. Chapter 28

Note to Readers: International relations are a matter of convenience only. There is no such thing as a 'true friend' between nations, no matter what people say. Many Presidents, and others, have said that America and Britain are 'true friends', yet it was an American nuke that destroyed London,and a British nuke that destroyed Washington D.C. This was why I had no qualms about negotiating a treaty with the UIC that I knew wasn't worth the paper it was printed on.

The day would come when that treaty would be used to bring about the end of the UIC, and the subsequent diversion of Europe while America went through a transformation in the future. They were all pawns in the hands of President Jacobs, and it was my job to help keep them that way. In 1939 Hitler (the leader of Germany) entered into a treaty with Ioseph Stalin (the leader of the Soviet Union). The treaty gave Hitler two years to consolidate his hold over Europe and when he was ready, he sent his troops thundering into Russia.

The fact that the Germans were stopped within sight of the onion domed churches in the Kremlin, and that the Soviet Union eventually pushed them back to Berlin is a matter of poor decisions anb poor planning on the part of the Germans. If they had planned better, used their troops better, the Soviet Union would have fallen, thanks to the treaty that had been signed in 1939. Likewise, the treaty I was working on with the UIC would be their doom, so long as we planned it right when the time to move came.

Four days of negotiations passed by rather quickly. Each morning we'd show up and be confronted with questions about different aspects of the proposals or changes from their delegation. During lunch, Paul and Martha would proceed back to the plane and discuss them over secure lines with the experts at the Presidio. Then we'd meet again after a lengthy lunch (wherein Martha and Paul would give me what answers they'd had), and we'd give those answers and counterproposals. Dinner would be on the plane where we'd discuss everything more fully, and then return to a local Mosque where I would be filmed watching the service respectfully, and then the cameras would record the Ayatollah and I walking through the columns of the building in animated discussion.

It looked good on camera for him, and surprisingly even better on camera after the Ayatollah agreed to an interview with Daro Fo and told him he'd never met as agile a mind as mine, nor ever expected a fifteen year old to debate theology so well. While he tried to appear as an elder scholar instructing the young to his own people, he tried to appear as if a 'bond' were being formed by two intellectuals when he spoke to Daro Fo, and that helped back home. He was not a stupid man, but rather a crafty one who sometimes underestimated his opponents and who listened to bad advice.

I did not use my power on him after that first moment because there was no need to do that. He knew we would fall back on military options if the negotiations failed, and he knew the offers we were making would genuinely give him what he needed to feed and power his people for many years. The trap that was laid into them was nothing he could know about, especially since only a few of us knew about it at all.

He learned a lot about me in those days, and I learned a lot about him and his hold on the leaders under him. It was a hold based not on the power of military strength, but on the belief of the people. The political and military leaders lived in fear of mobs crashing their palaces and tearing them limb from limb if this man told them to do so. His insights on how to maintain a grip on the passions of the people were keen, and cruel in the extreme. His ideas on how to regulate the 'pressures' of the world of the flesh and use the passions to keep a grip on the individual as well as the mob were like no lesson I'd ever had before. In exchange for his insights, I had to share a few of my own.

He learned from me what I'd seen and learned both in Idaho and Utah (except for my abilities), and I gave him my own opinions on why Jefferson and the Prophet had failed in the end. He was particularly keen on learning how I had managed to convince the Prophet's own guards to turn on him, and using some of the things we'd discussed earlier, I used a reasoning about how the Prophet had failed to fully understand who they were and what they wanted, and I'd been able to touch into that.

He seemed to accept that reasoning.

After nearly a week had passed, everyone was growing exhausted. Usually these types of meetings had over a hundred people working together, and while there were many more in the Presidio working than just us, it was the team here that bore most of the work. The afternoon meeting of the sixth day ended with no new questions, and no new issues to be resolved. I noted that while most of the people at the table seemed happy (or relieved on our side), a few Generals and political leaders looked like they'd swallowed sour milk. I hoped to talk to the Ayatollah about them after the evening prayers.

He looked a little strained, more strained than he had earlier in the day. He even stumbled once or twice during the prayers and I realized he really was an old man. It was something that made me wonder what would happen when he did pass away. Would the cleric that replaced him be as reasonable, or more bound to the passions that seemed to accompany their faith?

Alan had asked to accompany us on this last day, and both the Ayatollah and I had agreed. Jennifer and Alan had been a topic of discussion the evening before, and I had explained their presence in line with our cover story, never hinting at the deeper nature of their purpose here. He'd remarked that their own education system often identified gifted youngsters and had them trained in advanced subjects as much as possible.

That was why, when we went for our walk around the columned building, Alan was at my side and I was not surprised that he had a young man who looked at us with a serious expression at his side. He introduced the young man as Rahlil, and we all nodded at each other in greeting before walking down the moonlit walk, talking of education and the emphasis on religion that their system included which ours did not. We talked for almost an hour before I decided to see if I could talk to the Ayatollah alone for a moment.

"I would like an opportunity to talk to Alan a little more as well, sir, if I may." Rahlil said with a deferential bow of his head. "He made a point earlier about the difference between expressive belief and true belief that I would like to discuss further."

"Very well, then, you stay here while I talk with young Dylan." Khulari said with a fond smile and we moved off a little ways before I began to ask him what problems might occur with the men who did not seem too happy with the final treaty that would be presented tomorrow and signed.

"They are the ones that are most unhappy with not forcing the issue of Israel." Khulari said with a tone that I had a hard time placing. "I fear that there might be some problems for tomorrow. It might be best if you were prepared to stay a few more days to handle any issues that arise."

"I think that I might be able…" I started to reply, but was cut off when I heard my name shouted in a strangled voice. I turned and found a sight I was totally unprepared for, and had feared ever since the Major in Israel. Alan was standing there, locked into a grip with the boy, Rahlil. Alan was wearing a short sleeve shirt, unlike me, and Rahlil had a grip on his bare arm. Alan's other hand was locked around the boy's throat in a tight grasp, with the boy's other arm trying to pull it free. Both of them were staring at each other with eyes locked in fierce glares and I knew that powers were clashing through those touches. Before I could react though, a gnarled hand seized my throat and I looked up to see the elderly Ayatollah grabbing my throat.

The old man didn't stand a chance though. He was an academic, a cleric, never one to exert himself overly much, although he did stay in shape. Still, a seventy year old man who had never trained in hand-to-hand combat was no match for me. I managed to break his hold roughly, and a single punch to his stomach sent him to the ground. For a split second I considered reaching into him quickly with my powers, but a cry of pain from Alan's direction drew my attention.

Rahlil had drawn a knife from somewhere and slashed Alan's arm. Alan released him from his grasp and boy turned towards me, but I reacted faster than he could rush me, drawing a knife that I had hidden on my right leg. It was in my hand, and I was in a ready crouch before he took two steps towards me.

He stopped when he saw my stance and the sound of Alan moving towards him made him turn quickly, slashing violently. Alan barely avoided the blow by jumping backwards and falling down. Rahlil took the opening and headed for doors at the far end of the corridor. I took off after him, yelling at Alan to stay where he was and keep the Ayatollah there. Rahlil had too much of a head start and I threw my own knife as he slipped through the doorway. The knife quivered in the doorway and I slammed through it a moment later, facing stunned guards who were just bringing their pistols out of their holsters.

"He attacked the mullah!" I screamed in broken Farsi and they looked at me in surprised indecision for a moment. Their officer screamed something at them and they chased off in the direction Rahlil had fled while the officer followed me back into the passage where I'd left the Ayatollah, and there was a moment of worry until I saw that Alan was helping the man to his feet. Alan had likely broken the controls of the boy, and was now keeping a reign on the man.

"Find the boy Rahlil and have him shot on sight!" Khulari shouted as soon as he saw the officer, and the man turned immediately, running down the passageway after the guards. Alan stepped away from the Ayatollah, who was breathing heavily and I noticed that he looked much more like his normal self than he had earlier. It was obvious now that he'd been controlled sometime between dinner and the evening prayers, and that it was not bonding but simple controls that had been used.

"I broke the controls Rahlil set and did nothing else, sir, I promise!" Alan said in a scared voice and I breathed a sigh of relief. Alan was pretty good at thinking on his feet, and had just handed me a way to handle this without revealing my own abilities. Until just now, the man had not touched Alan or Jennifer, and so there would be no suspicion of undue influence being used. Still, I'd have to weigh the importance of letting him live. The secret was out now, but maybe it was out in a way that it could be handled. Khulari was studying me carefully now, and I noticed that he also was looking at Alan carefully, while Alan was now gripping his wounded arm.

"Alan, go find Paul outside and have your wound looked at." I told him forcefully. "I also want you to tell him that the Ayatollah and I will be having a long talk. I am in no danger."

"Yes, sir." Alan said, leaving immediately and still clutching his arm. Khulari's guard officer reappeared then, announcing that the boy had escaped. Khulari's eyes flashed angrily as he yelled at the guard in their language and the man paled before leaving at a run.

"We have much to talk about, I believe." Khulari told me, motioning me in the opposite direction and leading me through several passages before we entered a series of small rooms. Servants poured over him immediately, finally bringing two coffee cups and a steaming pot of the drink. The servant filled both cups before leaving, shutting the door behind him. We sat in silence as Khulari sipped on the coffee with shaky hands. He calmed down after a bit but stayed silent, staring hard at me. I took a sip of my own cup and relaxed as I tasted the spicy drink.

"I've been meaning to ask how this is made." I said softly. "I find it delicious."

"I will give your people some as a gift before you leave." He said after a moment, still staring hard at me. "They brought the boy to me at dinner after I had requested one of our brightest for our walk tonight. I thought al-Saliyah looked too happy when he was brought in to meet me at the end of dinner. When he touched me, I felt invaded, and when he spoke, I knew I could not disobey. They intended to have me withdraw from the talks tomorrow, and demand that Israel be discussed.

"They told me they would not use his abilities on you, because they wanted you to leave, but they did tell me that they had used a similar technique to attack you before you arrived. My original intent in Israel was to delay you, make you sweat while we assembled the leaders we needed. I was furious someone had tried to blow up your plane, but they claimed it was a local group, unconnected to us. I think that Rahlil meant to make your friend kill you."

"Probably." I said with a nod of my head. "It would eliminate me without blame on you or your people."

"How is this possible?" Khulari asked in a voice that sounded old. "I am old, and I do not like new things, and this is far too new for me to like. When your friend touched me, it was like a cold wind blowing through my soul, wiping away the foul touch of that other boy. I knew he could do the same as the other had done, but he withdrew once I was clean. What is it that they did?"

"It is a new ability that we ourselves have only learned of recently." I answered him honestly. The best of lies were filled with almost all truth, just subtle elements left out of them. "We found it being used by the Prophet in Utah. They too sought to control me with the boy's ability, but they had made the boy do things that caused him to hate them, and he saw the opportunity to break free of them when he met me."

"It was this boy who changed the allegiance of that man's guards." Khulari stated with a knowing nod. "You did not seek to control me in these negotiations."

"There are several reasons why we did not make such an attempt." I answered his statement calmly. "Foremost is that the taking of a man's will is a crime against God. God gave us free will and to seek to take it away is to go against God's wishes."

"If they had presented the boy to me and told me of his uses, I would be tempted to use them for my own goals, but I am glad I was not faced with such temptation." Khulari said after a moment of thought, and then nodded at me to continue.

"Second, is that we knew that others with these abilities might exist." I explained and he nodded again. "We believe we traced them to a fertility program that existed in the United States several years ago. Those records were destroyed, but we have sought to find as many as we could. If we knew we had them all, we might have…eliminated the threat they posed."

"Also a reaction I would have had." Khulari nodded before looking at me sharply. "Are you among these…people?"

"No." I answered immediately and he smiled.

"Nor would you admit you were if it were so." He said. "Still, you could not be sure you had them all, so eliminating them would be foolish."

"Nor could we advertise their existence because everyone would fear the chance that we might use them offensively." I said and he nodded. "So, we collected them together and have sought to instill in them certain attitudes. They are to defend our leaders from such intrusions as you experienced, to cleanse the effects of those when we can, as Alan did for you, and that is all. They are taught to use their abilities in defense only, and never to assume control over another."

"What are the limitations on this ability?" Khulari asked sharply and I took a deep breath. This would have to be almost all the truth fearing that he could learn something different later.

"There appears to be several levels of control possible." I answered. "The lightest are barely noticeable, while others are more noticeable. In all honesty, tonight I saw evidence of that deeper control with you, but attributed it to tiredness. There is also something that has been referred to as bonding or sealing. It subsumes the total will and life of the subject to that of the person using their powers. A person controlled to that level will do anything, betray anything they believed in before, even kill themselves at the command of the person who bonded them. It is the ultimate betrayal of God's will for us as individuals. Such bonding cannot be undone, only solved by death. Also, the person bonded dies when the person holding the bond is killed."

"How many have you found with the ability to do this thing?" Khulari's voice was cold now.

"Almost twenty." I answered, again honestly.

"How many know about them?" He continued with his questions.

"A total of eighty-six people." I told him, counting quickly of those that I knew. "The President, a few advisors, the medical staff and soldiers that guard the school, and the leaders of my security detail and my brother's. We each took two of them with us to protect and test the…usefulness of our indoctrination. As you saw tonight with Alan, I do believe that it has worked."

"Your young Alan seems to have developed an interest in my religion." Khulari stated in a voice that brooked no argument and I squirmed uncomfortably. "I will also make sure he does not entertain the use of his…abilities in violation of God's will, and he will help me identify any who have been touched by Satan's spawn."

"I must discuss this with the President." I answered after a few moments. "I agree, that it is a solution, but he must be treated well, and I believe that we will send another student after a time to develop a better understanding of our new…partners."

"I also believe that I will send one of my aides to look at this school of yours…and maybe see if we can achieve a similar facility here." He replied and I nodded slowly. I considered using my abilities regardless, but if I did so it would have numerous ramifications later.

"You understand that if your students ever touch me or anyone except at my command, they will be shot immediately." He said slowly and I nodded, cutting off that line of thought.

"The temptation to use their abilities is great." I answered, letting him think that he was correct in his line of thinking, which he had been, after a fashion. "This will remain something of which few are aware?"

"Only myself, and my closest advisor will be aware of this." He said firmly. "However, there are others we need to question. I will be issuing orders to have al-Saliyah and the others who were present brought to us. I believe some will be fleeing, but we will get to the bottom of this. Tell me your thoughts on the use of these…abilities to ascertain the truth in situations such as this."

"To ascertain the truth of how such abilities have been used, it is acceptable to require the truth to be told, but no more." I answered immediately.

"Then you will allow me to utilize young Alan tonight?" He asked me with a meaningful look.

"I will be present during such questioning of course." I stated and he nodded. "I will need to talk with my security commander and let him know what we are doing, and make sure young Alan is recovering from his wound and is able to help."

"Why did you truly bring him tonight?" Khulari asked.

"He really was interested in our discussions." I answered. "He is a bright guy and since he's been at the school, he hasn't had much interaction with people. Alan enjoys scholarly debate, and we've talked a lot when we've been able to during the last several days."

"Then I believe he won't be totally bored by staying here." Khulari said with a smile. "Speak to the attendant outside. He will show you the way to your security officer and return with Alan."

"I will be back soon." I said and left in a slight hurry. Paul was all but frantic, having heard already from Alan what had happened. He was leaning towards fighting our way out. I felt in over my head, standing on a brink and realized it was no longer a new feeling. I'd been in this situation before, and walked away with what we had needed. With some careful work here, I could do the same. Still, I didn't like leaving Alan here; it was just too dangerous.

"Are you okay, Alan?" I asked the young man who was sitting next to where Paul stood, a new bandage on his slashed arm. He looked up at me, grinning broadly when I spoke to him.

"Just a cut." Alan shrugged off his wound. "I can't believe it! I was right. Those suckers at school are going to hate me. They owe me fifty bucks all together."

"You made a bet on whether you'd get hurt?" I asked in surprise and he chuckled softly, looking around to make sure no one was close enough to hear. There were UIC soldiers nearby, but they were pointedly not looking at us while talking rapidly to each other.

"No, it was a bet about if we'd find another gifted here." Alan whispered with a fierce smile. "I just can't believe it was me he went after and not you. We were talking about something and then he touched me. He took me by surprise but I pushed him out just like we practiced. Then he took out that knife and slashed me."

"You reacted well to the surprise, and what you did with Khulari was perfect." I complimented him and he beamed up at me, flush with the praise I'd given. "Khulari wants to have you present while he talks with…"

I was interrupted by the sounds of soldiers rushing to positions around Khulari as he moved towards us in an unsteady gait. He was escorted by several other clerics, all of whom looked grim. He paused in front of me as I faced him squarely and he looked over at the injured Alan quickly before returning his gaze to me.

"Your man is not injured severely?" He asked me in a low voice.

"He will be fine." I answered and he nodded.

"He has my thanks and the appreciation of my people for his brave defense of my life." Khulari said in a formal voice. "Several of those responsible have fled the city already and are being hunted by our security forces. It would be best if you returned to your plane tonight. We will be delayed an hour in tomorrow's ceremony, but it will be held. I will see you then, and maybe we will talk briefly before the ceremony itself. If you don't mind, I would like to thank young Alan myself for his protection this evening."

"Of course." I said despite being confused. Something had changed between the time I left his room and now, but his offer to shake Alan's hand was obviously his way of telling us this was his own decision. Alan rose to his feet, shaking Khulari's hand and nodded at me before we made our way to the waiting cars. It was plain that we'd be staying on the plane tonight, and when we arrived the ground generator was running, providing basic air conditioning that was very much needed in the hot night. It was only a matter of minutes before the secured satellite connection was made, and I sat in my cabin and used the lowered flat-pane television screen to hold a videoconference with dad. He had Senator Crawley with him, and they both looked like they'd been up all night (it was morning back in San Francisco).

"It never rains but it pours." Senator Crawley said softly when I was done outlining this evening's events. Both of them looked upset and I wondered what else had been happening. I didn't have long to wait though, because dad was quick to inform me.

"Henry's run into a roadblock as well." Dad explained. "Several of the pro-US faction members suddenly changed their positions in the middle of the night, demanding Henry and his team leave. Mary, one of the students Henry has with him figured out they'd been bonded to someone overnight. This makes it official, I do believe, that your gifted are far more common, and more commonly known than we'd believed. So far, both you and Henry haven't been exposed, but the likelihood that this will become common knowledge before too long keeps increasing."

"I doubt that his request to keep Alan there will be followed through." Senator Crawley said, returning to the topic of Khulari. "He's risking looking like an American stooge as it is, and I think that's what his advisors told him tonight. Anyway, I don't think we can afford to have you leave anyone there for now. He'll actively be hunting for them now, and I think he stands a good chance at finding those responsible. Just get the Treaty and get yourself back home as fast as you can."

"I agree, Dylan." Dad told me firmly. "We'll work up a plan on dealing with things if they go public, and try to keep the two of you as not being a part of this group. Good job on keeping the negotiations on track. Bring the treaty straight home. We'll figure out what to do about these rogue gifted there. We need to come up with a better name for it as well. Get some rest, and head home."

"But, dad, I think I should…" I started to protest the order to head directly home, but all it took was one look from him and that made me accept I'd just been given a direct order from not only my dad, but from the President. "Yes, sir, straight home."

"Good night, son." Dad said and I cut the connection. However, it wasn't time for bed as we held an impromptu meeting in the conference room with the support staff as well as Alan and Jennifer. The news crews were spending the last night at the hotel and would be coming on board right after final ceremonies were over. We'd head back to the hotel in the morning, hold a last meeting behind closed doors, and then Khulari and I would come outside, sit at two small tables, sign the treaty, and each make a short speech. There'd be no questions from the press after that. Following the speech, there'd be a short farewell and then we'd be gone.

The treaty still would have to be approved by Congress, and according to the new rules by which it operated, a hearing would have to be held with the chief negotiator within three days of my return to the States. Then the document as a whole, without amendment would be voted up or down on the floor of the Senate, which gave dad's administration the time between when I signed the document to the time I landed in the States, and three more days to make sure we had the votes lined up for it to become official.

The good thing about staying on the plane is that Jimmy got to climb in bed with me as soon as I lay down. I slept a lot better with him curled up next to me than I had in my hotel room, even with Sammy Richardson keeping an eye on me there. Even though I was feeling like I was swimming in a pit of molasses and unable to see beyond a swirling brownish muck, at least I wasn't alone.

A surprise waited for me the next day as we entered the negotiations room. The large table that had been there every other day was gone, and in its place stood a small table with two chairs. About twenty of the clerics, politicians, and military generals that had been part of Khulari's team waited on the far wall and Khulari himself stood next to one of the chairs and motioned me towards the other. I told my people to wait for me beside the entrance and crossed the room with a confident stride. Khulari smiled when I reached the table and invited me to sit. There was a steaming silver pot of coffee on the table and he poured the coffee himself into two cups of delicate china. I was pretty sure if I had asked, I'd have been told the china was hundreds of years old. Khulari was smiling the entire time he poured and we sat, both sipping on the hot coffee for a few minutes before he spoke.

"In the next few days, eighteen of my people will receive promotions because their superiors failed to inform me of two young people and their amazing abilities." Khulari told me without losing that smile on his face. "Four of those superiors will have to wait for justice until they are found. The others saw the dawn for the last time this morning."

"Sometimes I envy your…swifter forms of justice." I said with a nod of my head at his news. His smile grew almost feral.

"There are times that living by the Word of God has its advantages." He said with a slight chuckle. I looked at his people on the far wall without moving my head and could see a few of them paling at that chuckle. We were speaking so softly that it wasn't likely they'd actually heard a word that had been said.

"Having an American stay with me would look…suspicious for many of my people." He continued after a moment. "Therefore, I will not ask that your Alan remain behind. We are quite certain that there are only the two, twin children of parents who sought aid from your country when they could not have children on their own. The children were brought back here, and raised in our…schools where they were taught to hate everything American, and our other enemies. This is their file, the left is the original in my language, and the writing on the right is a hasty translation of all that we know of them and their families."

"Thank you." I said as I took the file from him. I looked inside quickly, seeing a picture of the boy Rahlil, and a young girl that according to the file was his twin sister, Sofia.

"I have not slept since we last met." He said in a very tired voice, and his smile slipped just a little. "We had many to question, much to discuss, and much more to consider. Two years ago I was much surprised by the events that occurred. They were not an approved action. Last night, I discovered that the most zealous haters of Israel in my ranks formulated the events to carry out the destruction of Israel. They thought that while the world worried about oil, Israel could be destroyed without interference. For their hubris, nearly a billion have died. That is far too much blood for even Allah to condone."

"Is there proof of this?" I asked in surprise, shaken by the news.

"In that file you will find the detailed confession of two Generals who knew the full picture of what happened." He told me, pointing to the file I now grasped tightly. "They used the children, barely fourteen at the time to subvert workers, guards, and even advisors of foreign leaders to carry out their plan. After their plan to take Israel failed, they undertook revenge, infiltrating the boy Rahlil into your White House with a special delegation to discuss oil supply. The boy made your former President feel paranoid, in the hopes it would lead to nuclear war."

"Which it did." I whispered in horror, looking down at the file in my hands. If this ever became public knowledge, every last one of us would be hunted down and torn limb from limb.

"It did indeed." Khulari said slowly, his smile finally fading. "I worry about your school, and those within it. I wonder how many of them will seek power on their own, or be pawns for others. I wonder if one day they will seek to rule the world over the rest of us humans, and I can think of no way to stop them except to shoot them all now. I imagined last night how your father must have felt when you learned of these children's abilities, how he decided to respond in any way other than to eliminate them all. The only thing I could think of is that he must believe he has some way to make sure they do not do those things, they do not use their abilities for wrong. He must be able to bind their loyalty to some one, or some thing in order to keep them leashed. It is the dog that loves its leash that is safest in the home."

"As I said before, they are taken to this school, treated well, and taught the best we know how to be loyal." I said softly.

"You said this other boy, who was forced to work for your Utah Prophet, he decided to turn against his master when he met you." Khulari stated and I grew a bit nervous.

"Yes." I answered plainly.

"That also made me wonder." Khulari stated. "What was it about you that made him see strength in you to take down his evil master? How did he come to believe that you would free him? Then I had the tape of you in Idaho brought to me, and I saw how he might have believed you had that strength."

"Excuse me?" I said softly, trying not to let my eyes widen and he smiled at me.

"My first thought was that you had used these abilities to assume control of your own father, and through him the country." Khulari said and I shuddered suddenly, totally afraid. I wondered if I should try to fight my way out, but he seemed totally calm and was looking at me with a slight smile even.

"I wouldn't…" I stammered, but he raised a hand to stop me.

"No, I do not believe you would do such a thing." He told me. "We have talked this past week on many topics, and I have come to understand you as I believe few people truly have done in your young life. You do not seek power, but you accept it when it is thrust on you. You have the arrogance of youth and the arrogance of your American heritage, and of course that arrogance that comes with intelligence like yours. You are even smart enough to dissemble when faced with the fact you have been discovered."

"What is it you want?" I asked in a hissing whisper and he leaned back, smiling even more.

"I want these two dead." He said with a flick of his fingers towards the file in my hands. I looked down at it briefly before nodding.

"I want the same." I admitted aloud.

"You told me that the taking of man's will is a crime against God." He said slowly, and I noticed an appraising look on his face. "I see now you were speaking from the voice of experience. Your father ties these children to you, so that you hold their loyalties, does he not?"

"That is how it appears to be working." I answered in honesty. "Much of the ethics they are taught comes from what we have worked out on how God would want such abilities to be used."

"America and Israel have always been the focus of my people's hatred." He said, and I wondered if this was a change of topic, or part of the topic. "Now, with this treaty, America is to become our friend, and I find myself depending solely on Israel as a focus of the hatred and anger of my people. Without an external focus, I fear their anger might turn inward and my power over them will weaken. That has in part, already happened as proven by last night's events. Israel must remain strong if it is to remain our enemy. These plans we approve will keep us from rebuilding our armies for many years. I believe that those who have fled will seek to weaken Israel quickly before the hunters they fear come after them."

"I will speak with my father about this and we will expedite our hunt for them." I told him and he nodded.

"You will send me the pictures and information on every child you find and teach at your school." He told me in a tone that brooked no argument. "You will not send these children into my lands without my permission. If I learn you have used their abilities against God's will, or against me, your secret will be known throughout the world in minutes. If, while I live, I see you have abided by God's will in the use of these abilities, and have only used them to defend against others, then this secret I will take to the grave. Allah will judge you after that."

"I will discuss this with my father." I said slowly. "Please allow some time for me to explore this with him."

"I give you one week from your return to your home." He said with a slow nod of his head and I took a sip of my coffee.

"I'm really going to miss this stuff." I said with a slight grin and he chuckled.

"I have had two hundred pounds of the beans sent to your aircraft." He told me. "If you need more, let me know and I will have it sent to you. It is you Americans that have caused these…powers to challenge us. Your arrogance in playing around with the creation of life has come back to haunt you. It is your mess to deal with, and I believe Allah has chosen you to deal with his threat. I have learned to not argue with Allah when he makes his desires clear, and he has done so with you. You will personally take care of these two abominations and any others that you find. I expect you will make sure any who do not meet your standards and follow the Will of Allah will see him sooner than the others. He sent you here now, exposed this boy and his conspirators now, while you were here, for this reason. Otherwise, I would not know you well enough to judge you, to place this trust in an arrogant American boy."

"My father said something similar when we first discovered this ability by accident." I admitted and he smiled.

"I see great changes for your country with your father in its leadership." Khulari said and for a moment I thought me might know more about dad's long range plans, but his next words relaxed me slightly. "Perhaps with his example of moral leadership, the excesses of the old America will no longer be something the rest of us must tolerate. I pray that it will be so."

"As do we." I said, lifting my coffee and saluting him with it as I drained the cup. He responded with the same gesture and we both set the empty cups down.

"I am not comfortable with this." Khulari said as he let out a sigh. "If I thought you had tampered with me to make me place such trust in you, I would never consider what I've said, but somehow, the fact that I still consider having my guards shoot you dead right now only leads me to trust you more."

"I never thought someone considering killing me would be a good thing." I quipped and he laughed.

"I do believe it is time for us to make our speeches and for you to be on your way." Khulari stood slowly, and I also stood. He paused for a moment, reaching out to take my hand and I couldn't resist a quick touch of my power to make sure he was still uncontrolled, and breathed a sigh of relief when I found nothing but the faintest traces of Alan's touch on him from the day before.

"May Allah guide us on the paths we tread from this day forward." He said slowly and I nodded my agreement. Paul and the others would have to wait for explanations.

The speeches before the press went well, with no mention of last night's events. It was obvious we'd all keep quiet, probably forever. I remained silent all through the trip back to the airport. The signed copy of the treaty lay in my hands. As I stared at it, I felt a sickly feeling of fear creeping through me.

I no longer had any real control over who knew of my abilities. Someone who not a week before was an enigmatic enemy had that secret now, and a level of control on me that I had feared. I knew Paul would want to immediately go back and kill this man and all who he might have told, but even that bore costs and risks that could not be afforded. There was only one solution for me at that moment of absolute desperation that I was feeling as we pulled onto the airport and headed towards the hangar where my plane sat.

I would have to just put the matter into God's hands, and pray that things would work out.

I said that very line to Paul and Martha twenty minutes later while the plane was being wheeled out of the hangar and they told me to stop being an idiot. They had dad on a videoconference call a few minutes later and I was shocked to hear Paul asking if an air strike could be called to eliminate this man's threat to my safety. I was relieved when dad said I was right, and that we'd have to trust God on this matter, but he added that some careful planning might not be out of order either. The call ended because he had a meeting that could not be delayed, though, so I got to listen to Paul gripe about two hundred pounds of coffee in the cargo hold that had only been given a cursory search before being loaded.

We waited fifteen minutes on the tarmac for the cars with our journalists to arrive. Martha reported that Genevieve was in a very bad mood after being given short shrift by our hosts for the past week. Martha suggested that Genevieve be given the first of the three-minute interviews each of them had been promised on the trip back. I agreed since Genevieve was someone I'd respected for a long time, and actually liked her as well.

After take-off, I changed into a relaxed pair of jeans and more casual button-down shirt while Martha let Genevieve set up a camera for the interview in the conference room. The plane was cooling down already and I was glad to feel really cool for the first time in a week. I don't think I liked the dry, desert climate too much. I'd felt dehydrated the entire time I was there. When Martha came to tell me that Genevieve was ready, I found that I too, was ready.

"Well, Dylan, here we are now in the air after a successful negotiation with the United Islamic Council, and a treaty in hand that many would have thought impossible." Genevieve said as she began the interview once I'd sat across from her. "Tell me what your thoughts are at this moment?"

"Thank God no one shot at anyone while I was here." I said with a small sigh that actually got a chuckle out of her.

"Details of this treaty were handed out moments after your final press conference." She said, more for the viewers than for me since I already knew that. "I've only had about a half-hour to review the documents, but this seems like a sweeping partnership between the US and the UIC. Many people might be worried about the scope of our involvement with them in the future, and worried about how this might affect Israel. How would you answer their concerns?"

"This treaty is based on an economic partnership between our nations." I answered with a firm voice. "Our economic and military commitments to the preservation and security of Israel will not be changed by this treaty. I'm not foolish enough to believe that there won't be problems that will have to be smoothed out over the fullness of time, nor do I expect none to exist between the UIC and Israel because of this, but I do not think that the fate of Israel is adversely affected either. Hopefully in the long run, it might actually help as the UIC learns we can truly be friends with them, something Israel already knows. As friends with both, maybe some resolution will be found eventually. Such a situation though, will not exist for many years."

"So you hope that this will bring more peace and stability to the region?" She pressed.

"Yes, it will." I told her. "It isn't a magic pill, there are still many issues to be worked out. What it is though, is a blueprint to handle immediate points of contention and a plan for a bold future not only for the US but for the UIC as well."

"Well, that's all the time we have for now, Mr. Jacobs." She said, and then turned to the camera with some pre-planned comments for the studio people. This wasn't being broadcast live, but would rather be a part of the broadcast package when people woke up and saw their morning news. Most people in the states were still asleep right now.

"So, are you as glad to get out of there as I was?" I asked her when the camera was off. She smiled at me for a moment before nodding her head.

"Yes, I've always hated that place." She said slowly, shaking her head. "I must say though, that their contempt for women has grown worse."

"Well, we'll be back in the States soon." I said and she nodded while her crewmen broke down the equipment that they had set up, and Daro Fo's men began moving in to set their stuff up.

"DYLAN!" Paul's voice was loud and excited as he brushed past one of the news crews, barging into the conference room in a rush. He picked up the remote for the large television screen on the aft wall and turned it on, tuning immediately to the NBS satellite feed. "You need to see this!"

"…rumors we're getting from officials close to the Prime Minister's office say that the man responsible for the assassination of Benjamin Besch was an Israeli officer assigned to the Minister's security detail." A reporter on the screen was saying. Behind him, smoke from fires could be seen rising in the background. "As news drifted through the city of the Prime Minister's death in the early hours of the morning, Palestinian refugees in enclaves and camps throughout the country took to the streets in celebration. Angry units of the Israeli army and police forces tried to break up the mobs of people and there are reports of hundreds dead. Israeli citizens are starting to take to the streets as well and as you can see from behind me, it appears the violence is spreading. We're also being told that rumors of a treaty between the United States and the UIC are fueling Israeli apprehension of imminent invasion. Defense Minister Avram Sharone has been announced as the temporary leader of the nation and should be addressing his people soon. Back to you in the studio, Jim."

I waved at Paul to turn the television off, and he did so while Daro Fo and his crew got ready. I could see the expectant looks on their faces and knew that instead of the accomplishments we'd just made being the subject of this interview, it would be this new development. Genevieve talked to Martha in the doorway and Martha nodded at whatever they said. Instead of leaving, Genevieve stood in the corner, out of the way and out of sight.

"So, are we ready?" Daro asked his crew who all nodded, and he looked at me as well, and I nodded. "Dylan, I, uh, you understand I'll probably be asking about what we just saw?"

"Yes, Daro, I'd do the same in your shoes." I told him and he smiled.

"Good morning, this is Daro Fo, reporting from Air Force 3." Daro began with a smile for the camera. "We've just lifted off from successful negotiations with the UIC and I'm here with Presidential Advisor Dylan Jacobs. Like many of you are probably hearing, the successes of these negotiations are now being overshadowed by the death of the Israeli Prime Minister. Just a few seconds ago, we ourselves learned of this assassination as we prepared for this interview. Dylan, how do you think this will affect the treaty you've just negotiated?"

"Daro, first I'd like to offer my condolences to the family of Minister Besch." I started my response carefully, and in a calm voice. "He was a good man and I had the honor of meeting him twice. His loss is a great blow to his family, his country and the world as a whole. I would like to urge calm though, for the people of Israel. What we just saw in the early news reports are not good things for any people in times like these. As for how this will effect our negotiations with the UIC, I do not believe there will be any major influences. They are separate issues, with separate countries."

"Just last week there was a bombing attempt on you personally." Daro stated, moving in a direction I'd hoped he wouldn't. "The suspect in that attempt was an Israeli officer, as is the primary suspect in the report we just heard. Is this a sign that the Israeli military is staging a coup?"

"I am not qualified to answer such a question, nor would I wish to do so." I responded in a firm tone. "We don't know the specifics, we don't know the 'why' behind either of those events, and I believe speculation at this point will only do more harm than good."

"So what will happen now?" Daro asked.

"At this moment, I have no idea." I answered honestly, and then cringed. I could hear dad's advice 'never admit not knowing on camera.' So, I added something more before Daro could say anything. "I know what likely is happening back at the Presidio. The President and his advisors are meeting discussing these events, making calls to Minister Sharone. Minister Sharone's father was once Prime Minister and I believe that he'll have a good handle on restoring order as quickly as possible. From there, the President will make any decisions on providing whatever support Minister Sharone requests or needs."

"Do you think we'll be diverted to Israel?" Daro asked, and as if on cue, the plane began a long gentle turn. I couldn't help but laugh softly.

"I don't know if the viewers can see what just happened, but the plane began making a gentle turn." I said by way of explanation. I looked towards the doorway and Paul was pointing at me and using hand signals to say we were heading to Israel. "My Security Chief is also signaling me that we're heading in that direction right now. I imagine that as soon as this interview is done I'll be on the phone with the Presidio and discussing exactly what we'll be doing when we get there. I hope you hadn't made any dinner plans back home, Daro. We have more work to do."

"No, I hadn't yet made any plans." Daro said with a smile. "Well, I'll stop keeping you from your work. Jim, back to you in the studio."

"Dylan, the President is on the line in your cabin." Paul said and I stood, disconnecting the microphone and handing it to Daro's crewman before moving into my cabin and shutting both the outer door to the security office and my own door. I sat at my desk and pushed the button that lowered the screen here and synchronized the signals with the satellite, ensuring encryption as well as clear reception. Dad was on the screen, with Senator Crawley. I'd planned to talk to them in a few hours, but events seemed to demand otherwise.

"Dylan, we've diverted your plane to Tel Aviv." Dad said as soon as we were linked up fully. "Officially, you're going as our representative for the state funeral and as a witness of the installment of their next Prime Minister. You'll stay at the US Embassy. I don't think I need to tell you why you're really going. The assassin really was one of the Prime Minister's guards, and one of the most loyal men they had."

"I see." I said slowly, thinking hard. "I've got more information than last time we talked."

"Share." Dad ordered, and I did. I told him everything that had happened this morning, every thought, impression, and reaction I'd experienced, and the information from the file that I had put in my desk immediately upon my return to the plane. Both men frowned at what I told them, and when I was done, I could tell they were both upset.

"We'll have to deal with Khulari through more conventional means." Dad said at last while Crawley just muttered to low for the microphone to pick up. "It won't be easy, but we can't risk him using this against us. As for the information he gave you, use it Dylan. You have both Jennifer and Alan with you; use them and your detail as well. Sharone can be trusted with everything, and he needs to know in order to get the support you need. He's a personal ally, not just a political ally."

"Rebuilder?" I asked, referring to the plans he had for the future and both men nodded solemnly. This was something new to me. I never knew that there were international elements to their plans, but from what I knew of their plans for the UIC that we had set in motion, it made sense.

"Dylan, you do whatever it takes to eliminate these two kids." Senator Crawly said in a firm, clear voice. "We can't allow them to interfere in Israel. We'll take care of the other concerns through other means."

"Yes, sir." I said, accepting his directions with only slight unease. I had liked Khulari, but he was a threat to my own personal safety.

"Dylan, don't put yourself directly in danger unless you have to do so." Dad told me in a firm voice. "Israel though is very important. This is a military mission, to eliminate a direct threat to us. Don't try to talk through problems, or negotiate. If you need more force, talk to Sharone and you'll get what you need. That includes helicopter gunships, fighter/bombers, and armor. Try to keep your involvement low-key, but if it becomes public, we'll chalk it up to your role as a military officer defending a key ally. Body count is not an issue. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir, it is very clear." I answered, stiffening in my chair slightly. "Sir, one thing though. With Minister Sharone, is disclosure 'as needed' or full?"

"Full disclosure." Dad answered. "We had planned to bring him in to the loop within a year as it was."

"Understood, sir." I said with a nod of my head. He looked at me with concern for a moment.

"Dylan, every time you've done something for me in the past, it's been to find a peaceful solution." Dad said with a sad tone. "This is the first time I've actually ordered you to use deadly force. Is this too much?"

"No, sir, it is within my abilities." I said firmly, and then softened slightly. "Dad, It's been two years since the first time I've used deadly force. These people tried to kill at least once directly, and their attack with Rahlil at the mosque was aimed at me in all likelihood as well. They are also a living threat to the discovery of our special abilities and I'm very much aware of the danger in that happening. I have no problems with hunting them down and was trying to figure out how to argue with you to put me on their trail. I'll find them, eliminate them, and accomplish our mission. Now, how's Henry doing?"

"He's got Mary and Tom, the two gifted with him, hunting down the culprit there along with several members of his bonded detail." Dad informed me. "Just talked to him last night, and he's confident he'll have everything wrapped up in a few days. Don't take too long in Israel, but get the job done."

"Will do, Mr. President." I said firmly and he nodded before disconnecting. I sat there for a few minutes, contemplating the possible body count before I finished this mission and calmly accepted the fact that I would soon be killing again.

It didn't bother me as much as it once had, and the fact that it didn't bother me was both reassuring and worrying at the same time.