“What then?”

“Nothing, except that our man got the license number.”

“How do you know all this?”

“My control called me at the hospital to see what the situation was with the wife. Obviously, the police will contact her.” He shook his head. “I like Dr. Molly. She’s a good woman. Why does she have to be one of them?”

Instead of offering an explanation, his uncle said, “Do you weaken in your resolve?”

“Not at all, not before Allah.” Abu shrugged. “I’m going to bed. She has the morning free, so it will be difficult to check the house then. We’ll see.”

His uncle embraced him. “You are a very good boy. Sleep well.”

THE UNCLE FOUND that with age, he slept lightly and he rested on the couch by the fire. He dozed, contemplating the current situation and how lucky he was with the strengthening faith of age, to have such power from Allah. The phone rang.

“Ah, so you are still awake, Ali my brother.”

“What can I do for you?”

“Abu has done well to involve himself with the Rashid woman. Tell him to take the day off from the hospital tomorrow and observe her. One of my agents at Heathrow managed to follow Caspar Rashid to a place in Holland Park. There was a lot of security there.”

The man speaking was Professor Dreq Khan, whose field was Comparative Religion. He was a highly regarded academic in many countries, but especially in London, where he was on many government and interfaith committees. His great secret was his fateful meeting with Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan years before, and the changes in his thinking that had led him to found the Army of God.