“But surely you didn’t come to this place on your own volition. Surely you have been sent here by others.”

“That is correct.”

“Who sent you here?”

Strauss looked up at the guards in the tower, then gazed directly at Sheikh Abdullah. “I am an emissary of the president of the United States.”

The sheikh accepted this piece of information with an air of detachment. “I’ve been expecting you,” he said calmly. “What can I do for you, Mr. Hamilton?”

“I assume you are aware of the fact that your group has kidnapped the daughter of the American ambassador in London and is threatening to murder her if the United States does not release you and return you to Egypt.”

“Choose your words carefully, Mr. Hamilton. Elizabeth Halton is a legitimate target in our eyes. Her death, should it come to pass, would not be murder, but a justifiable killing.”

“So then you are aware of what has transpired on your behalf?”

“I am fully aware, Mr. Hamilton.”

“Are you in any way connected to the attack?”

“Are you asking me if I ordered it or helped plan it?”

“That is precisely what I’m asking.”

He shook his head slowly. “I have had no contact with the Sword of Allah since my incarceration in this facility. What has been done on my behalf was set in motion without my approval or knowledge.”

“By your brother?”

“I wouldn’t know.” The sheikh gave a fleeting smile. “You are very good at asking questions, Mr. Hamilton. Am I to assume that you are a lawyer?”

“Guilty as charged, Sheikh Abdullah.”

“I appreciate your candor. May I now ask you a question?”

Strauss nodded.

“Will you convert to Islam, Mr. Hamilton?”

“I beg your pardon?”

“As a devout Muslim, I am obligated to do many things, including bringing the gift of Islam to the unbelievers.”

“I’m afraid my allegiances are already spoken for, Sheikh Abdullah.”

“You are a person of the Book?”

“I believe in the law, Sheikh Abdullah.”

“The only law that matters is God’s law.”

“And what would God say about the atrocities that have been committed in Europe on your behalf? What would God say about the murder and kidnapping of innocents?”

“The number of dead pale in comparison to the number who have been tortured and killed by your friend Hosni Mubarak. They are but a pittance compared to the number of innocent Muslims who have died because of the American and British adventure in Iraq.” The sheikh fell silent for a moment. “Do you know what happened in my country after Osama’s airplanes hit your Twin Towers? Your government gave the Mubarak regime a list of names—hundreds of names, Mr. Hamilton. And do you know what Mubarak and his secret police did? They arrested all those men and tortured them mercilessly, even though they had absolutely nothing to do with 9/11.”

“And this justifies the kidnapping and murder of an innocent woman?”