“Maybe so. Now let’s try this another way. It is obvious that I know who you are. What may surprise you is that I also know why you are here. You have come to meet with a member of the Saudi crown prince’s staff.”

“Boom. You caught me. Now that that’s settled, how about we call it a day?”

“And the reason you planned to meet was to pass some information to him. First, you were going to tell him a man named Ali Kamal is plotting a coup against the royal family.”

“Plotting against the royal family? What kind of an idiot is this Ali Kamal?”

“I am Ali Kamal.” The man was angry now.

“You don’t say. I pictured you thinner.”

Kamal reached over and cuffed Nir on the side of the head. His ear started ringing, and his jaw stiffened.

“Not bad for a fat old man,” he said.

Kamal paused as if he was trying to gain control of his anger. Then he said, “I imagine you are surprised that I intercepted your mission. You must understand that I am very well connected, and I have powerful friends. Now, as you can imagine, I can’t have you taking my name to the crown prince’s staff.”

“You do know there’s a whole country of people just like me right on the other side of Jordan from you? Been there since 1948. You don’t think they’ll just send somebody else?”

Kamal laughed. “That’s the beauty. Of course you Jews will send somebody else, but by then it will be too late. Because you are my bargaining chip. You are what is going to get me the army I need to take the royals down.”

It was Nir’s turn to laugh. “Really? Me? I mean, I’m handsome and all, and you can probably tell I’ve been working on my pecs, but I’m really not much of a bargaining chip. Israel won’t fight a war for you just to get me back, and I can’t think of any other country where I’m that hot of a commodity.”

Kamal’s bravado was back now. “Oh, I can. You’re all smart and smug, but I know more than you think. I know the other piece of information you’re bringing. You’re here to inform the crown prince of the date and time Israel will attempt to destroy Iran’s nuclear program.”

Nir let the surprise show on his face. “I hate to break it to you, habibi, but we aren’t in the habit of passing on our military plans to any country, particularly to you Saudis.”

“You will if you need our airspace.”

Nir said nothing.

“Ha! You thought I was a fool. But you will tell me what I want to know, and I will pass it to my Iranian friends in exchange for their giving me the Houthis as my army.”