Ibn Tamiyyah was not the name painted on the prow of the boat. In fact, he’d shared that secret name with very few. Anyone gazing at Saad’s yacht cruising by would read the words Cafala Bahr. Cafala was a combination of the first two letters of his three daughters’ names—Cantara, Fariha, and Lateefah. The Arabic word for “sea”—bahr—was added to make it sound more like a boat’s name.

While the craft was under construction, however, Saad had sought a name that did honor to Allah and to his faith as a Salafi Muslim. He could think of no better moniker than that of the greatest of the Salafi jurists, the fourteenth-century Ibn Tamiyyah, also known as Shaykh al-Islam. So much of reform Islam could be traced back to his wise teachings, including those of the Wahabis and others who knew the importance of true jihad.

Undoubtedly, the great Muslim scholar would have been horrified at so ostentatious a display of wealth as a $650 million yacht. Yet many of the meetings held on board spread the reach of Islam and furthered the man’s vision of power through conflict. Sheikhs and caliphs, military men and heads of false-front NGOs, politicians and scientists had all been on this yacht. Even Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, whom Netanyahu had gone on about in that speech yesterday, had been on his boat twice with his wife for meetings with scientists from Egypt, North Korea, and some European nations.

The problem was that sailing a yacht around the world with the name of one of the fathers of the jihad movement painted on its side would be a good way to get torpedoed by a U.S. submarine or targeted with an Israeli limpet mine. So it was Ibn Tamiyyah to his chosen few and Cafala Bahr to everyone else.

Saad continued. “I hope you have found your accommodations to your liking.”

“As always, your generosity is unparalleled, and your hospitality knows no bounds.”

“Please, return to your meal.” Saad indicated the general’s chair, then sat opposite him and spooned some fruit into a bowl. “For now, it is just the two of us, Arash. Tonight, we will be joined by others whom you may find much more attractive than I.”

“You keep yourself quite fit, my friend, but I’m afraid your body does not curve in the most necessary places,” the general said with a wink.

The two carried on the small talk etiquette required throughout breakfast. Then finally, Saad said, “Did you watch that Jewish circus yesterday?”

“The prime minister is a fool and a dog. Yet I must admit this is a victory for the evil side. The Supreme Leader is desperately angry. He is looking for arrests and executions.”

Saad pulled back from a croissant he’d been reaching for. “Are you—”