Honour Among Thieves

Geneva. When he has received the parchment, and not before, I will authorise the final payment.' The President nodded his approval. After all, the venerated Ambassador in Geneva was his half-brother. The State Prosecutor continued his questioning. 'But how can we be sure that what is handed to us will be the original, and not just a first-class copy?' he demanded. 'What's to prevent them from making a show of walking in and out of the National Archives, but not actually switching the documents?' A smile appeared on Al Obaydi's lips for the first time. 'I took the precaution, State Prosecutor, of demanding such proof,' he replied. 'When the fake replaces the original, it will continue to be displayed for the general public to view. You can be assured that I shall be among the general public' 'But you have not answered my question,' said the State Prosecutor sharply. 'How will you know ours is the original?' 'Because on the original document penned by Timothy Matlock, there is a simple spelling mistake, which has been corrected on the copy executed by Bill O'Reilly' The State Prosecutor reluctantly sat back in his chair when his master raised a hand. 'Another criminal, Excellency,' explained the Foreign Minister. 'This time a forger, who has been responsible for making the copy of the document.' 'So,' said the State Prosecutor, leaning forward once again, 'if the incorrect spelling is still on the document displayed in the National Archives on May 25th, you will know we have a fake and will not pay out another cent. Is that right?' 'Yes, State Prosecutor,' said Al Obaydi. 'Which word on the original has been incorrectly spelt?' demanded the State Prosecutor. When the Deputy Ambassador told him, all Nakir Farrar said was, 'How appropriate,' and then closed the file in front of him. 'However, it will still be necessary for me to have the final payment to hand,' continued Al Obaydi, 'should I be satisfied that they have carried out their part of the bargain, and that we are in possession of the original parchment.' The Foreign Minister looked towards Saddam who, again, nodded. 'It will be in place by May 25th,' said the Foreign Minister. 'I would like the opportunity to go over some of the details with you before your return to New York. As long as that meets with the President's approval?' Saddam waved a hand to indicate that such a request was not important to him. His eyes remained fixed on Al Obaydi. The Deputy Ambassador wasn't sure if he was meant to leave or await further questioning. He favoured caution, and remained seated and silent. It was some time before anyone spoke. 'You must be curious, Hamid, about why I place such importance on this scrap of useless paper.' As the Deputy Ambassador had never met the President before, he was surprised to be called by his first name. 'It is not for me to question Your Excellency's reasoning,' replied Al Obaydi. 'Nevertheless,' continued Saddam, 'you would be less than human not to wonder why I am willing to spend one hundred million dollars and at the same time risk international embarrassment should you fail.' Al Obaydi noted the word 'you' with some discomfort. 'I would be fascinated to know, Sayedi, if you felt able to confide in such an unworthy soul.' Twelve members of the Council looked towards the President to gauge his reaction to the Deputy Ambassador's comment. Al Obaydi felt immediately that he had gone too far. He sat, terrified, during what felt like the longest silence in his life. 'Then I shall let you share my secret, Hamid,' said Saddam, his black eyes boring into the Deputy Ambassador. 'When I captured the Nineteenth Province for my beloved people, I found myself at war not with the traitors we had invaded, but the combined strength of the Western world - and that despite an agreement previously reached with the American Ambassador. "Why?" I had to ask, when everyone knew that Kuwait was run by a few corrupt families who had little interest in the welfare of their own people. I'll tell you why. In one word, oil. Had it been coffee beans that the Nineteenth Province was exporting, you would never have seen as much as an American rowing boat armed with a catapult enter the Gulf.' The Foreign Minister smiled and nodded. 'And who were the leaders who ganged up against me? Thatcher, Gorbachev and Bush. That was less than three years ago. And what has happened to them since? Thatcher was removed by a coup carried out by her own supporters; Gorbachev was deposed