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End of Chapter 35
"Good! I was wondering when the truth would come out," Jesse smiled back at him and leaned in and kissed his lips.
"And they say we Arabs are blood thirsty..."
"Well, I am my father's son and you Arabs have trained me..."
Chapter 36
Monday, after returning to the city and on a secure phone, Rashid again called the Caliph trying to set up a meeting between him and Jesse.
"Look, I am going to permit Jesse to marry my niece! What more proof would you want than that? Do you think I would allow someone that was not committed to Allah and Islam to even touch her?"
"We are well aware of your feelings for her as well as Yethro's feelings for him. Yethro has already reported that he is happy with the match and certain of his son's commitment to Allah. He also reported the hefty bridal price he was forced to pay you. He says you drive a hard bargain. We are proud of you. There are few people who can say that they took that crafty old Bedouin to the cleaners, as the Americans say."
"Well, Jesse is a "good catch'. He is on his way to both the Governorship of the state and later, when he is old enough; He will run and win the Presidency of the country. When he takes that office, he will replace this constitutional law with Sharia law and establish the western branch of the Caliphate. As his Uncle-in-law, I will be able to keep a close eye on him. He relies on me now for advice and will continue to do so in the future even more."
"I thought Yethro was his 'controller'."
"Actually, no one is his controller. Both Yethro and I talk to him and offer suggestions and he follows most of our suggestions and recommendations." Rashid said. "He has been learning Islamic religion and law and attends Mosque and classes every Friday. The Imam is very impressed with him and loves to debate points of law with him. He is trying to learn Arabic, but finds that difficult. He even comes up with ideas that are interesting."
"Hmmmmmmm! That could be dangerous! We would rather have someone who is committed to us and will follow the orders sent out by the Caliphate."
"If that is what you were hopping for, you can forget about ever establishing an American Caliphate up here. If there is one thing that Yethro was right about, it was that the United States would never welcome Allah or the Caliphate blindly. In fact, they will never accept any law except their own constitutional law. He has told you this over and over. You and I never believed him and that is the one overwhelming reason you sent me here. Well, I have been here for a while now and the longer I study the situation, the more I come to the conclusion that Yethro was right. America is different! The old methods will not work here. If we are to extend our Caliphate here, it will have to be done by an entirely new method. It must be done 'The American Way'. We must allow them to set up their own Caliphate and only later can we absorb it into our world Caliphate. Or better yet, maybe we can join in their Caliphate!"
"Watch yourself! You are treading on blasphemy and treason. If you are not careful... Well, do I have to remind you what will happen to you and your family?"
"You do not have to warn me of consequences! I know them only too well, but with all due respect, what I am telling you is the truth. You must accept this fact! If you do not want to believe it, that is your problem. That is the way it is and you had better face up to it or you will never have any kind of Caliphate here. You and I both know that the Caliphate must continue to expand. Without expansion, without the entire world under Islam, we will be lost. Even if one individual is left to exercise his own free will, we will have to admit that the infidel can be right. There is no alternative - expansion or death and the demise of our own Caliphate. Once that caliphate is established and running here in the United States, then we take over and absorb it into one grand Islamic World Caliphate." Rashid almost shouted into the phone.
"Relax... don't get so upset. Until now, our methods have worked in every other place; it is hard to believe that it will not work there. However I am willing to listen."
"I know it's hard to believe, for you, and at one time it was for me also. As much as I disliked Yethro, he is not only right but he has just about convinced the majority of State Governors in this country that there is a future for Islam here. And believe me that is no small accomplishment. Not only that, and the facts do bear this out, if he had been born here in the United States, he would be the run-a-way choice for the presidency today. And that would be without forceful methods."
"Since when are you against the use of force?" the caller laughed. "You were always the one that was the first to draw your blade or gum."
"Well I have since learned that while it is easy to cut the throat of an unarmed non believer or to put a bullet in the back of his head while his hands are bound behind him, it does not change his mind nor does it endear you to his relatives. And we must not only win over the people but their children as well. There are too many armed Americans to contend with. We must win the hearts and minds of these people. We must make them WANT to join with us. We cannot militarily defeat them and then expect them to lay down their weapons. They are full of incongruities. They profess to be a 'Christian people', yet they separate church and state. And they truly feel that this is good. We must convince them that Islam is the wave of the future and make them willing to cast off this Christian cloak that is strangling them. These people are all childish customers who, like Jesse, have entered our Middle Eastern Bazaar and have to be sold on Islam. We can sell it to them and we are doing just that."
"I don't know. It seems like ever one we send there is sort of corrupted by just living there."
"Yes, it is a corrupting atmosphere, but neither Yethro nor I have been corrupted. We are just facing reality and trying to do the job we were sent to do," Rashid explained. "If you don't believe me, recall me and I'll be glad to come home."
"No, that will not be necessary. While I don't agree with everything that you have said, perhaps you are right and, in fact, I think it just might be time for your Caliph to meet with this Jesse. Let us meet and see what you are all talking about. Yes, it is time. I will meet with him and see if I can observe what you and Yethro see in him. Perhaps, in addition to this, He and I can arrange the sort of formal alliance whereby he is bound to The Caliphate. That way, while we do trust both you and Yethro, we also will have formed a physical bond between us."
Breathing a silent sigh of relief yet still cautious, he said. "Yes I'm sure once you meet him, you too, will recognize and see what we see in him. However, there is really no need for you to create a formal alliance with him. He is already bound to us by the payment of the "Bride Price' for my niece, he is now part of my family both in blood and soul."
"Yes, that may be true-for you, but not for the leadership of the Caliphate. Ronia and you are not of our blood and all the members of the Grand Council of Caliphates should be related by blood preferably. If not that, then by formal marriage or treaty."
"Since when has this been the custom?" Rashid demanded to know.
"Idiot! What better way to insure the success than by blood? You know that has always been the case. It is written; the Caliph would have to come from the blood of the prophet. Unless your father, mother, or your sister's husband are from that line, Jesse will have to marry into it before we will allow him to be a member."
"Then all this is a fucking waste of time."
"Not really, Yethro is of that line and while his adoption of Jesse has not been officially authorized as yet, we could get official recognition."
"We have permitted non-converts to enter our community before. There have been many of them." Rashid stated.
"Yes, we have, and most have been very helpful to us. And there is a chance we may do that with Jesse. It remains to be seen. Look, I admit that this is all very complicated. But these conditions and traditions must be met and respected," his contact said. "However, in order to make sure that he is worthy, I would like to meet this young man. Who knows, if he lives up to what you say he is¬-maybe we can work something out. It has been known that the Compassionate and Merciful Caliphate has ways to resolve things of this nature," he laughed.
"Good, I will arrange something and let you know. You do the same and let me know," Rashid said and hung up. Damn, he thought, they always find ways to complicate things.
Meanwhile, on another secure phone, Jesse was talking to the President and telling him about Rashid's plan to introduce him to the Caliph.
"Do you think that is such a good idea? It could be dangerous," the President said. "I do not feel that we should move so fast."
"Good idea or not, it has to happen sooner or later and I think sooner is better."
"How so?"