Grains of Truth (46 page)

Benjamin stepped from a room up ahead and greeted Julia warmly before waving her in. Alex and Brad moved off down the corridor, speaking in low tones.

The Muslim and the Jew stood outside the door in a moment of silence. 

“Thank you for helping to save her.” Mohamed could think of nothing more to say.

Benjamin nodded slowly. Each man considered extending his hand. They waited to see if the other would.

~

Julia took shameless advantage of her position as heroine of the day, certain that it would be short-lived. First on her agenda, she forced Brad to arrange a position for Mohamed at the American University in Cairo, where he would not only have the security of a steady job but benefits for himself and his family.

She laughed when she learned of Henry and Henrietta’s background, not in the least surprised. They remained staunchly by her side until the certainty of Mohamed’s position was confirmed. The septuagenarians then kissed everyone a fond farewell and departed for home, hand-in-hand.

When Julia heard that an actual weapons transaction had been completed before the raid and arrests, she insisted on being told the complete financial aspects of the deal. The amount of money involved was staggering. Slippery Billy managed to elude both the Egyptian and U.S. military, ostensibly by changing flags on his multimillion-dollar yacht and cruising full speed ahead into international waters, although without his payment for the guns.

The funds remained in Alexander’s Swiss bank account over which he, in contradiction to the tale he’d spun for Billy, had sole authority. It took only the slightest pressure from Julia before he agreed to donate the entire amount to Egyptian charities. Some of the ill-gotten gains would go to serve single mothers and orphans. The bulk of it, however, was to be used to establish non-sectarian recreation programs for under-served youths. If they had an alternative, Julia argued, perhaps they might be less susceptible to the lure of Jihad.

The “confiscation” of Billy’s “loot” wouldn’t do Alexander’s reputation in the arms-dealing world much good, but that was a bridge he didn’t plan to cross again in any event. Julia would not be deterred from adding to the contribution the ten thousand dollars she received for her “assignment.”

Mariette Chatillon viewed her role in the affair with deep satisfaction. Although it did not provide total retribution for the death of her husband, the adventure was most exhilarating—especially as it ended so well. With profuse thanks from all involved and a promise from Julia to visit her at the excavation in the near future, she climbed into the old wreck of a Jeep and roared away.

EPILOGUE

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.  So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore.  Dream.  Discover.”

~Mark Twain

The sleek, refurbished dahabeeya plied a swift current amidst sparse river traffic. Wind gusted into the sail as the boat passed icons of antiquity along the shore. From beneath an awning on the upper deck, Julia shaded her eyes from the dazzling sun as she looked up with wonder into a cloudless, cobalt Egyptian sky to follow the flight of two eagles. They soared higher and higher before swooping to hunt in the fertile marshes of the Nile.

She lowered her left hand to smile at the simple gold band on her finger.

A feeling of deep contentment wrapped itself around her heart. Her future was now forever entwined with this remarkable man. Many differences still lay between them, but her confidence in their ability to resolve them grew with each passing day.

He enthusiastically embraced his new career, without a backward glance at all he left behind. And she had finally come to accept that compromise was sometimes necessary to find common ground, and that it did not require complete surrender of one’s convictions. Together, they would explore the vast delta of grays that lay between the blacks and the whites of life.

As far as her mission in life, she looked forward to tackling the work she now knew she was meant to do. She counted among her blessings having the luxury of being able to think more deeply about what her real purpose on earth might be—while so many others simply struggled to survive.

A hand came from behind to circle her waist, and she leaned back into the warmth of Alexander’s arms.

~

No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.  For information regarding permission, please write to:  [email protected]. Copyright © 2013 Lydia Crichton. All rights reserved.  Barringer Publishing, Naples, Florida. www.barringerpublishing.com. Cover, graphics, layout design by Lisa Camp. Editing by Carole Greene. ISBN: 978-0-9882034-9-5. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data. Grains of Truth / Lydia Crichton. Printed in U.S.A.