“Thanks to the brave efforts of the Republican Guards and the soldiers of the kingdom, I am safe. I will return to the capital and immediately plan the destruction of our enemies. Death to all who oppose us. Death to—”

There was the sound of shattering glass, then the BANG! of a door thrown open. Zuwayy half rose to his feet, looking scared and confused. Men in military dress forced him to his seat again, and two unidentified soldiers stood behind him. Gunshots were heard off-camera—Zuwayy jumped and closed his eyes at each report, expecting it to hit him next. The television viewers then saw Zuwayy’s eyes widen in astonishment as a chair was slid beside Zuwayy’s and a young man sat down beside the king. He took off his red-lensed goggles, unwrapped his scarf, and took off his helmet...

... and Sayyid Muhammad ibn al-Hasan as-Sanusi, the true king of Libya, smiled at the camera.

“Es salaem alekum, Captain Zuwayy,” Sanusi said. He clasped Zuwayy on the shoulder. “Don’t you think you should consult the real king of Libya before declaring war?”

“Muhammad? Prince ... I mean ... King Muhammad ... You ... you are alive?” He forced himself to smile, then reached out to Sanusi to embrace him. “My brother ... you are alive!” He hugged Sanusi, then said to him under his breath, “Play along with me, Sanusi, or we’re both dead. I’ll see to it that the Republican Guards spare your life.”

Sanusi pushed him away. “I am not a ghost, despite all your attempts to turn me into one,” Sanusi said. “And you are not my brother. There is a nice prison cell awaiting you, Jadallah. You shall stand trial for the murder of my family, the desecration of my family tombs, for stealing millions from the treasury, and for perpetuating a fraud upon the people of Libya.” He motioned toward the door, and Zuwayy was dragged out of sight.

Sanusi turned to the camera and folded his hands before him. “My brothers and sisters, I am sorry for the pain and lies Jadallah Zuwayy has burdened you with for all these years. But even more, I am sorry for the pain and isolation the world has burdened you with since the revolution. Libya has endured much—not only because of the actions of its leaders, but because of the people’s search for the truth: the truth of our past, and of our future.

“I am not here to steal your future, like Colonel Qadhafi and Captain Zuwayy have done,” Sanusi went on. “I am here because I wanted to expose the fraud, present my evidence of Zuwayy’s embezzlement, try to stop the fighting, and so I could return home once more.