Hassan and Rabbani left the mosque and drove toward the harbor. “O Great One, I have learned that the United States company, International Pipeline, is planning to close a contract with Georgia and other countries to build an oil line from Georgia to Istanbul. As you know, that will ruin your family’s business of piloting oil tankers through the Bosporous. It will also cut down on my ability to ship opium on the oil tankers.
Ibrahim has offered me four million dollars to steal the anthrax and ship it to the United States. I believe, Matty could obtain that anthrax and get it through Jordan and Syria and to Beirut, Lebanon. Your family’s cargo ship could pick it up and take it to Greece. Matty has a plan to carry it to the United States. I am to be paid two million dollars before it is picked up and delivered to Athens, Greece and two million after it is released in the United States. I will pay you one million dollars when you have it delivered from Beirut, Lebanon to the port of Piraeus, Greece. I think you could use that money to go to Germany and have your eyes operated on again so you can see to steer your boats once more. I have arranged for my friend Matty to tell us more about this operation when we go to Delphi, Greece.”
“ Yes, I know of Delphi. I have gone to the great arena at the top of the mountain and have seen the eyes of the great charioteer. I have often gone there to seek the answers on how to obtain revenge on those who destroyed my home and family. I found that it was only the power of Allah that could do such a thing. Now you tell me there is such a plan that can bring justice to Iraq, and that there is a way that I can help my family’s shipping business at the same time. Allah is Great!”
“Yes, O Great One! I believe that there is a way to do that. Let us meet in Delphi with Ibrahim and Matty. I will talk again with Matty, and you can make arrangements with your ship to sail to Beirut.” Rabbani stopped the car and assisted Hassan into his family’s house.
“Okay! Shake hands, gentlemen! Let’s have a good clean game! Good luck to you!”
The captains returned to their teams and the coaches to their respective sidelines. Troy took the ball out of the case and set it down in the middle of the kickoff circle. The referee looked to the goalies to get the signal they were ready, then put his whistle to his lips. As he raised his hand, four helicopters skimmed the soccer grounds, coming straight for him. They began to drop onto the field as the first helicopter bounced roughly to a landing. The crowd was fighting the prop wash as Len climbed out of the helicopter in his bio suit, followed by two other strange-looking creatures. The blast of wind from the chopper blew the ball toward the goalie, who ran forward to kick it back to the group. Wind from the second chopper blew the ball out of the path of the goalie’s kick: embarrassed that he missed, he gave chase and picked it up. Brightly-colored creatures scrambled out of the other helicopters and gave awkward chase to the goalie, who stopped confused in his tracks. The creatures seemed to indicate that they wanted him to put the ball down and get away. All initiative removed, the goalie submissively handed the ball to Len. Cradling it in with both hands, Len turned back toward the second helicopter, which had expelled several other odd creatures carrying containers. Len motioned to one of them to open a container and he gently placed the ball in it, slamming the lid. A second crewmember lifted the box and carried it back to the helicopter, clambering in as it wavered uncertainly for a few seconds, then lumbered into the air.
