Once that was done, the old man waved him across and remained seated as Nazim walked over. They exchanged warm greetings in Arabic, and then al-Rashid reached out with a bony hand and patted the sofa cushion next to him. ‘Come, sit and talk to me.’

Nazim accepted the honour of sitting by him, and gave his report on the morning’s events – or at any rate those he felt inclined to share. Ibrahim al-Rashid smiled at the news of the Juneau woman’s killing. It had been he himself, trusting nobody, who had ordered them to place the phone tap that had alerted them to her treachery. He was happy to hear that his precaution had brought results and the potential threat to their plan had been eliminated.

‘Allahu akbar walillahi’l-hamd.’ Allah is great and to Allah we give praise.

‘Mashallah,’ replied Nazim. Allah has willed it.

‘There remains the matter of the other infidel female,’ the old man said, with a certain air of disgust as though even referring to her left a bad taste in his mouth. ‘If she too poses a threat, then she too must be dealt with.’

Al-Rashid was talking about the woman called Françoise, still untraced and at large, and an unknown risk factor although one could never be too careful. Nazim assured him that all efforts were being made on that front. ‘We will find her and do whatever is necessary. She will not be a problem.’

The old man seemed pleased. ‘Now, tell me how things progress with the shipment.’

‘My meeting in Libya with our Parisian associate left me in no doubt that the plan will proceed smoothly, thanks to his connections. He has seen to it that the export permits and other administrative matters are all in order. The cargo departed from the Port of Tripoli aboard a MAERSK container ship two days ago. Transit time is seven days, if the passage is smooth, God willing.’

‘Mashallah. Our associate is indeed a useful asset. Did he personally travel with the cargo?’

‘No, but we have a man aboard the ship, overseeing the safety of the cargo. When the vessel reaches the Port of Le Havre our associate will be there to meet it. From there it will be transported by road to its final destination. I will be personally seeing to the distribution arrangements.’

The language both men used was deliberately vague, but everyone in the room knew exactly what was being discussed, and what the plan aimed to achieve.

‘Excellent,’ the old man said with a smile. ‘It sounds as though nothing can stand in our way. I am proud of you, Nazim. This new strategy will drive a knife deep into the belly of the infidel and bring the House of War to its knees, inshallah.’

‘I am but a humble slave of Allah,’ Nazim replied piously.