“I will speak with His Highness about this, Madame,” Hijazi replied. “But I need some assurance to take to him. You will agree not to stage any more attacks on our bases, and you will agree to open negotiations with the Central African Petroleum Partners to hire more Libyan workers. Otherwise, Madame, we are still at war—and we will use the last of our military might to destroy Salimah and render it useless to anyone for fifty years. It is you who have forced us into this desperate situation, Madame—but you can end it too.”

“We will not fly any more missions over Libya unless we are attacked,” Salaam said, “if you promise, in writing, to withdraw all your artillery, rockets, and aircraft beyond two hundred kilometers from the border.”

“While your forces stand ready right at the border? Unacceptable.”

“We will pull our forces back as well.”

“And the Americans?” Hijazi had no idea that it was the Americans actually performing the bombing raids on Samah, Jaghbub, and now Zillah and Al-Jawf, but it was a logical guess.

“All bombers will be pulled out,” Salaam responded.

It wasn’t what she said, but how she said it—it was the Americans, all right. Hijazi was positive of it. “And of Salimah?”

Salaam paused for several long moments; then: “I will agree to immediately propose legislation that will create a worker’s visa program to allow Libyan and Sudanese laborers to enter the country so that they may apply for work in Salimah. Then I will—”

“Not good enough. The Western cartel must increase hiring of qualified laborers from Libya and decrease hiring of Asian, European, and Western laborers. And Libya must be able to become a partner in the consortium.”

“That is up to the partnership.”

“Egypt is a partner—or is it?”

“Of course it is.”

“We do not seek a majority—only a rightful share of African natural resources. We shall pay for the right of admission, of course—say, for a one-third share.”

“Egypt will retain majority ownership in the partnership,” Salaam said after another long pause. “But Egypt will grant one-third of its share in the partnership to Libya, but only under the condition that Libya buys twenty-five percent of the cartel’s shares. Then Egypt’s share of the partnership will be forty percent, and Libya and the cartel’s share will each be thirty.”

“Agreed. And as far as Libyan laborers at Salimah ... ?”

“Arab laborers must exceed the number of other nationalities in Salimah,” Salaam said. “I will not give preferential treatment to any nationality. It’s about time we are all referred to as ‘Arabs.’ ”

“A wise judgment, Madame. This includes supervisory and management positions.”

“Including management and supervisors.”

“Equal pay, equal housing, equal benefits—no forced segregation, no discrimination in jobs or locations. Full access to all government entitlements.”

“Agreed.”

“And the Muslim Brotherhood.”

“Minister...”

“His Highness will ask. I must tell him something.”