"How so?" Alden asked.

"Back when Mohammed was chased out of Medina by the pre-Muslim pagans, he was granted asylum at the Monastery of St Catherine in the Sinai - it's a Greek Orthodox shrine. They took care of him when he needed a friend. Mohammed was an honorable man; that monastery has enjoyed the protection of the Muslims ever since. Over a thousand years, and that place has never been troubled despite all the nasty things that have happened in the area. There is much to admire about Islam, you know. We in the West often overlook that because of the crazies who call themselves Muslims - as though we don't have the same problem in Christianity. There is much nobility there, and they have a tradition of scholarship that commands respect. Except that nobody over here knows much about it." Riley concluded.

"Any other conceptual problems?" Jack asked.

Father Tim laughed: "The Council of Vienna! How did you forget that, Jack?"

"What?" Alden sputtered in annoyance.

"1815. Everybody knows that! After the final settlement of the Napoleonic Wars, the Swiss had to promise never to export mercenaries. I'm sure we can finesse that. Excuse me, Dr Alden. The Pope's guard detachment is composed of Swiss mercenaries. So was the French king's once - they all got killed defending King Louis and Marie Antoinette. Same thing nearly happened to the Pope's troops once, but they held the enemy off long enough for a small detachment to evacuate the Holy Father to a secure location, Castel Gandolfo, as I recall. Mercenaries used to be the main Swiss export, and they were feared wherever they went. The Swiss Guards of the Vatican are mostly for show now, of course, but once upon a time the need for them was quite real. In any case, Swiss mercenaries had such a ferocious reputation that a footnote of the Council of Vienna, which settled the Napoleonic Wars, compelled the Swiss to promise not to allow their people to fight anywhere but at home and the Vatican. But, as I just said, that is a trivial problem. The Swiss would be delighted to be seen helping solve this problem. It could only increase their prestige in a region where there is a lot of money."

"Sure." Jack observed. "Especially if we provide their equipment. M-1 tanks, Bradley fighting vehicles, cellular communications "

"Come on, Jack," Riley said.

"No, Father, the nature of the mission will demand some heavy weapons, for psychological impact if nothing else. You have to demonstrate that you're serious. Once you do that, then the rest of the force can wear the Michaelangelo jumpsuits and carry their halberds and smile into the cameras - but you still need a Smith &. Wesson to beat four aces, especially over there."

Riley conceded the point. "I like the elegance of the concept, gentlemen. It appeals to the noble. Everyone involved claims to believe in God by one name or another. By appealing to them in His name hmm, that's the key, isn't it? The City of God. When do you need an answer?"