

Lina's Holy Struggle

Young Women of God Series (Book 1)

By Gary Riner

Copyright© 2014 Gary Riner

The plight of many Christians in the Middle East is tenuous at best. In many countries the simple act of sharing one's Christian faith can prove fatal on the spot. Government persecution can be just as repressive. The accusation of Christianity could be terrifying whether true or not. There can be no illusion of "easy believe-ism" here. Under these conditions, how would you react if you were, like Lina, accused of Christianity?

From Oxford Dictionaries online:

Greater jihad:

The spiritual struggle within one's self against sin.

Many thanks to Shalom and Tiffy for editing this book.

Cover photo of the Mosque by Stephanie Gormann
Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Taken

Chapter 2 Punished for Apostasy

Chapter 3 Martyrs

Chapter 4 Deny Yeshua? and ARRIVAL!

Chapter 5 Eternally Lost?

Chapter 6 A Wonderful Dream

Chapter 7 Exalted Father

Chapter 8 Greenest Eyes

Chapter 9 Jewish?

Chapter 10 Jumu'ah

Chapter 11 Trip Planning

Chapter 12 Christianity Again

Chapter 13 Paris

Chapter 14 Abducted

Chapter 15 To Israel

Chapter 16 Son of Mary

Chapter 17 Haste

Chapter 18 Contract

Chapter 19 Mary's Little Lamb's Blood Purifies

Chapter 20 Two for the Price of One

Chapter 21 Neelan's Visitors

Chapter 22 Departures

Chapter 23 Second Visit

Chapter 24 A Terrible Sound

Chapter 25 Two by Sea

Chapter 26 Zion

Chapter 27 Up to Jerusalem

Chapter 28 Darkness Out and Moving In

Chapter 29 Confession

Chapter 30 First Shabbat

Chapter 31 Kotel

Chapter 32 It is Here! and THE Dream

Chapter 33 Found

Chapter 34 Famous Against Her Will

Chapter 35 Facing Achmed

Chapter 36 Fulfilment of the Contract

Chapter 37 THE Shabbat

Chapter 38 Meeting the Press

Chapter 39 The Blood

Chapter 40 Caught! and Whipped?

Chapter 41 Mother

Chapter 42 The Witch

Chapter 43 A Guarded Prayer

Chapter 44 Would She Do It

Chapter 45 Go or Stay, an Answer for Two

Chapter 46 The Rough Landing

Chapter 47 Questions

Chapter 48 Free

Chapter 49 Midweek

Chapter 50 Planning Lina's Departure

Chapter 51 Time

Chapter 52 To all Monotheists

Chapter 53 Newest Arrival

Chapter 1 Taken

Tehran Iran: Lina heard a knock at the front door of the apartment where she and her parents lived. Not giving the knock a second thought (her mother or father would answer it) she momentarily returned to reading her New Testament. A loud crash startled her to her feet. Her mother began to scream. Lina ran into the living room to find two masked men wrestling her father to the floor. Another had twisted her mother's arms behind her back. Lina thought to run for help, but who would she turn to. Her family had become increasingly unpopular since they had become believers in Yeshua. She thought to try and attack one of the assailants, but she would be no match for their large muscular builds.

Her father was quickly subdued and one of his two attackers turned his attentions toward Lina. She didn't make it into her bedroom before she was apprehended. He twisted her arms painfully behind her back and secured her wrists with a plastic wire tie. A black cloth bag was placed over her head and her attacker began to drag her from the apartment she had grown up in. She would never see the apartment again.

Lina's cries for help were unheeded. She could hear apartment doors close as each resident decided not to interfere as she was led away captive. Gravels crunched underfoot. A hand pushed her head down as she sprawled into the back seat of the awaiting sedan. "Mother," she sobbed through the black cloth as the car drove onto the highway, traffic lighter on Teheran's streets at this time in the evening. "Shut up, silly girl," her kidnapper said as he grabbed her hair through the cloth twisting her head back, "Your parents can't help you now. Pray to Yeshua. He can't help you either". At this point she was sure that her abduction was by religious fanatics. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears, and she felt fear beyond anything she had ever known.

When the car stopped, she was led inside a building. She heard a heavy steel door close behind her. Her situation was worse than she could possibly imagine. There were many unmarked prisons in and around Teheran. She was thrown into a cell still tied and hooded. The foul smell was overpowering, the darkness was oppressive, and she became more frightened as hours passed. Finally someone turned on a light in her cell and entered to remove the binding and hood. He did not speak at all and promptly left. Her cell was as filthy as her sense of smell had told her. It was about one and half meters wide and two meters long with a cot on one side and a filthy bucket in the corner. Hours passed slowly as she worried about her parents, as well as her own situation.

The single light bulb overhead continued to burn. With no window, estimating the passage of time was difficult. Scuffling was sometimes heard in the corridor. Was that a prisoner being taken away? When would they come for her? Sometimes distant sobbing could be heard as well as occasional faint traffic noise. Someone would occasionally lift the flap covering the small opening in the door. Footsteps outside her cell marked the arrival of a plate of food which was slid under her door. She pleaded for the unseen person to talk to her to no avail. The first time food arrived she didn't bother to pick it up. Soon her hunger overtook her reluctance. With each delivery the plate contained a thin brown gruel, stale bread, and warm water.

She had seldom been away from her parents, and had never before been completely isolated. Tears were soon exhausted, and periods of severe trembling followed. How long would she waste away in this dark place? Surely they would come for her, but what would happen to her then?

She began to spend most of her time praying. Prayers for the safety of her parents usually left her with a sense of loss. She knew a time of testing had come and more was coming. The family knew that the cost of becoming a believer in Yeshua could be high. The cost was higher and sooner than she could have anticipated. Yet she held fast her faith in the One God through Yeshua his only Son.

A friend her father Nasim met during a work related travel assignment, tried repeatedly to influence the family's faith. Just after her only brother was killed in a traffic accident, her father spent some time with the Christian friend and became a believer. Lina had been very young and barely remembered her brother. Nasim had not pushed Lina religiously, and she made up her own mind while reading the well worn New Testament. The beauty of the love of the Creator jumped from the pages into her heart. She believed in the Carpenter's Son. The demons believed too but trembled. Would she follow Him whatever the cost? She had, and her whole "being" broke forth like a pure fresh spring.

After Nasim became a Christian, he dreaded letting his friends and family know. Most he didn't tell. But there was one that would have to know: his childhood friend Dahar. Nasim's visit to his friend's apartment had not gone well, as he had feared. Dahar's welcome was as warm as usual, but Dahar could see that there was something on Nasim's mind. "Tell me, Nasim, what is troubling you?"

Dahar had finally said to him, "We have been friends since we were boys in the village, and I don't recall ever seeing you so down for no reason."

"Oh, there is reason," Nasim replied. "I miss our friendship already."

"What are you talking about, Nasim?"

"I'm sorry, Dahar, but Lina can't marry your son. The contract will have to be void."

"Why not, for God's sake?"

"Dahar, I have become a Christian."

Dahar looked at him, stunned for a moment. "Nasim, is this some kind of sick joke?"

"No, Dahar, it is no joke."

Dahar sat quietly for a few moments as he absorbed the reality of what Nasim had told him. "A Christian?"

Nasim nodded affirmatively. Dahar finally looked away and replied in a low voice, "Get out of my house and don't come back. I no longer know anyone named 'Nasim'." Yes, it had gone as badly as he had feared. He had lost his best friend, and he knew that Dahar would not be the last.
Chapter 2 Punished for Apostasy

Footsteps approached, and her cell door clattered open. After so long it seemed strange to again see another human. An older lady stood before her, a scarf covering her face. "Come with me," the matron ordered in a flat tone. In spite of the fear that raced through Lina, it felt good to walk out of the cell and down the corridor. She was shown into another room, well lit and fresh smelling, with a table and two chairs. A short time later, a man in his mid-twenties entered the room.

"My name is Achmed. I will be acting as your kinsmen."

"Where are my parents? Why are you holding me here like this?" Lina blurted out freely, feeling no threat or intimidation from this nicely dressed young man. He pulled out a chair.

"Sit down and I will answer your questions." Taking the seat across from her, he began. "You know that it is a capital offence for a Muslim to depart from the faith. I'm sorry, but your: parents are no longer among the living. May Allah have mercy on them." Lina sat in stunned silence as Achmed waited for her to absorb the grief that the revelation must carry. Tears again filled her eyes which she thought had been permanently drained. After a few minutes, Lina again made eye contact with Achmed, tears still streaming down her face. He continued, "Our concern is what will happen to you now. You might be guilty of the same crime. Are you a believer in Allah and Mohammed his prophet?" Achmed waited patiently as Lina considered her answer carefully.

She recalled the verse, "If you deny me before men I will deny you before the Father." She could not deny what she believed. She dropped her head and gaze as she answered softly, "No."

Achmed spoke softly in reply, "Surely your parents have pressured you to deny Allah and Mohammed. If that is the case, you must tell me now, it will go well with you."

Her eyes met his, "No, they did not pressure me. I now follow Yeshua, the Son of the Creator, of my own choice and free will."

Achmed drew back his right hand and was moments away from striking Lina. She flinched, feeling her first fear of this man. He slowly lowered his hand and continued his admonishment gently with obvious difficulty. He was surprised at how quickly his temper had been kindled against one who denied faith in Allah and Mohammed. "You will be punished for this foolishness. It is only your youth that prevents you from promptly receiving the full penalty for this crime. After you are punished you will be given some time to reflect on your error. Then you will repent and embrace Allah and his prophet."

"I can't do that," Lina began to explain.

"You can and you will," insisted Achmed strongly. "Your only choice is how much discomfort you wish to endure beforehand. There are people here who can make you beg for that opportunity to repent. You are too young to endure this."

"No, I won't repent," fear causing her voice to tremble.

Achmed stood quickly causing his chair to fall, and walked from the room without looking back or saying another word. Some minutes later the matron opened the door and led Lina away. She was surprised to be taken past her old cell through another corridor. The cells here looked about the same as the one that she had been in previously. The smell and filth were certainly about the same. The matron warned her not to speak to anyone unless she was spoken to.

She was shoved into a similar room as the cell door clanked heavily behind her. She just stood there trembling for a long time as she remembered what Achmed had said. Perhaps this was her punishment. The thought was fresh on her mind when there was a long shriek of a person in severe pain. Some voices could be heard, but not understood, as if questioning or threatening someone, and the shrieking would begin again. Chills ran up her back each time she heard the inhuman sound. The sound quieted just long enough for her to fall asleep. She was jarred awake by the next bout of shrieking. No, it was different this time, a higher pitch, perhaps a woman's voice. The sound continued for an unbearably long time until the person was dragged through the corridor in front of Lina's cell sobbing. Each time footsteps were heard Lina's heart would race at the thought that they were coming for her. A cell door nearby would be opened, and pleading for mercy would begin. The pattern continued until she fell asleep in spite of the pitiful cries of the tormented.

Lina's father, Nasim, knew that his change in faith was widespread when his boss at work began to cut back on Nasim's hours. Nasim was needed for less and less work. Only the difficult jobs unwanted by his coworkers were sufficient to cause him to be called in. There were comments made behind his back, "Old fool," or, "He won't last long." He didn't really mind for himself, but he was concerned for his family. His wife and remaining child were affected too, but they had the same right to believe in the Creator as Nasim did. It didn't keep him from worrying about them. He prayed for them often. In spite of all this, Nasim had peace in his heart.

After an unusually difficult day at work, Nasim was approached by two men that asked to speak with him. It was soon obvious that they were with the secret police. "Nasim, you attend house church services in worship of the Carpenter's Son at Kacperek's apartment," stated one of the men.

"No, I don't know the place," Nasim replied.

"Don't toy with us Nasim. We know where you go and where you don't," replied the annoyed man.

"It's not true," Nasim tried to convince them, "I don't attend a home church."

"We know that you do. Next week we will come to see you again, and you are to have a list of all the people's names that attend at Kacperek's apartment. Nasim watched the two walk away. He now had a real problem. If he had attended at Kacperek's apartment he wouldn't want to supply the list and endanger other believers, but in reality he didn't even know a Kacperek. He and his family worshipped alone. The attack on his home came days after he failed to supply the list or convince the secret police that he didn't attend there.

The pattern of pitiful cries continued for what must have been several days. Her fitful sleeping periods were filled with horrific dreams and her waking hours with the screams. She was unable to keep the brown gruel down very long. She was almost glad when her cell door finally swung open. At least the waiting was over. She stood to face the two guards. One took her arm and turned her around. Her wrists were tied behind her back and the familiar bag was placed over her head. The bag was damp and smelled as if someone had recently thrown up in it. She was marched down the corridor to the room at the end. The guards lifted her onto a table, face down. Her ankles were bound in place to the corners of the table, and the guards left. The sound of her heart beating pounded in her ears and had only begun to subside when the door opened. The "attendants" were carrying on a casual conversation as they entered. "Just this last one, and we're out of here for the day. My wife is still out of town. I'll have to catch a meal out before going to Mosque."

"Lina, do you know why you are being punished?" asked one of the attendants.

"Yes, Achmed said for leaving the Muslim faith," she admitted.

The unseen tormenter added, "Remember this so that your foolishness will not lead you astray in the future. We do this in the hope that Allah may have mercy on you and spare you eternal torment with the unbelievers. We pray that Allah will help us to do this correction well." Someone in the room slipped off her shoes. The conversation continued between her tormenters.

"I thought that you were going to try the fiberglass rod on this one." The hair stood up on the back of Lina's neck, and she trembled uncontrollably.

"That's right. I was about to break another wooden dowel for no good reason."

"Where did you get that fiberglass?"

"It is the end of a fishing pole with the hardware removed." A high pitched whine through the air ended in the contact of the rod with the bottom of Lina's bare foot. Lina arched her back and shrieked with all of the air that was in her lungs as she had heard so many other inmates do before her. The whine and striking continued at a random interval, sometimes with one quickly following another and at other times with a considerable lag. She couldn't help wailing and arching her back with each strike. She pleaded with them to stop, but they ignored her and continued the casual conversation as if this was all in a day's work, and for them it was.

"Let me try that rod for a few licks. I just want to get a feel for the weight and swing." The punishment seemed to last forever. Her tormenters only wanted to punish those in error to Allah's Law and prided themselves in differentiating the fine line between merely excruciating and causing real damage. That "line" was finally reached. Lina was exhausted and drenched in perspiration by the time they were "through" with her. She was untied and one of her torturers picked her up and carried her back to her cell. This was a strange act of kindness for which she was thankful. She tried to sleep, but the aching persisted and made it difficult. She had been surprised to only see bruising. The pain would not have been worse if the skin had been flayed off. When she finally did nod off, the shrieking had begun again. She felt embarrassed at the thought that it was "better them than her."
Chapter 3 Martyrs

Lina's guardian angel watched Lina's mother's and father's guardian angel enter the room, and spoke the greeting, "Welcome servants of the most High."

The entering spirits replied, "Greetings, fellow servant of the Name."

"I take it that Lina's parents have been delivered?"

"Yes, both departed beautifully, and they arrived in the Presence as martyrs for the testimony of the risen Lamb."

"I wish you could have seen her mother's departure," said one of the recently arriving spirits, "It took two guards to help hold her upright and steady as she was escorted into the hangman's cell." The beating that she had endured made it impossible for her to walk upright without assistance. The hangman approached her and saw the swollen and battered face.

He asked, "Have you repented and confessed your belief in Allah and the prophet?"

She replied, mumbling through swollen lips, "I confess the One God that appeared to us as Yeshua the Messiah who now sits on the right hand of the Father." The guard backhanded her, causing the corner of her swollen mouth to start gushing blood. "Do you think one more blow from you would cause me to confess a lie?" she asked softly.

The hangman drew back to strike again but decided against it. "Now you will dance for us at the rope's end while departing to torment with the infidels."

"I won't dance for you, and to prove that Yeshua is Lord, I will keep my eyes on you while I depart. The hangman had the guards place her on the trapdoor and place the noose around her neck. The guards stepped back, awaiting the swift drop of the prisoner.

The hangman had second thoughts, "A quick departure is too good for her." He then ordered the guards, "Tighten the rope until she is lifted off the ground. She will endure slow strangulation instead of a quick broken neck." Turning to face the woman he sneared, "You will literally dance for us." The rope tightened until her feet were just inches off of the trapdoor. She shook her head 'no'.

She began to wonder if she had truly spoken what she had heard in her spirit. If she remained still and followed the hangman with her eyes she would know her words were from on High. She did not fear death at this juncture. She had been beaten until there was no point in wasting their time with her. There was no place on her body left to bruise or make bleed. Her only regret was leaving her Lina. The rope tightened, lifting her. There was minimal discomfort at first but her lungs began to burn. Her vision began to fade but her eyes continued to follow the hangman. "Father, I forgive him. I don't want to enter Your presence with any unforgiveness in my heart," she prayed

The guards laughed as she began to swing slightly to one side and then the other. The laughing stopped as they noticed that she had not moved a muscle. They had seen many die this way, and they had all thrashed and kicked wildly as they slowly suffocated and died, except this one. The hangman looked at her face and noticed that her eyes followed him. He moved to see if it was caused by just a blank stare. Her eyes continued to follow him. Minutes passed as she slowly died. The pain had become great, but as her earthly life faded, her last glimpse was of the hangman frantically trying to open the cell door in order to escape the sight of her eyes following him.
Chapter 4 Deny Yeshua? and ARRIVAL!

The next day Achmed met with Lina again. He couldn't help but feel sorry for the young girl that sat before him. She was a beauty. Her hair was shiny black and her eyes were as dark as rich chocolate. He had to convince her, so he came right to the point. "You will now repent of your foolishness and return to Allah and his prophet."

"I can't," Lina sobbed.

He grabbed her arm causing her to look up at him startled, "Lina, listen to me. There is no option here. They won't be gentle with you next time."

"Gentle? Do you know what they did to me?" Lina interjected, tears starting to flow.

"You may think that was bad, but there is a group of men here who are very good at what they do. They will make you beg for the opportunity to repent even before they have touched you. You will repent and then become the wife of a strong Muslim man. He will keep you from foolishness and hell's fires. The only thing in question is how much you wish to endure before you repent. Do you really think that you can endure a lengthy daily 'Session' indefinitely? I don't know how long they will 'work' on you before they give you the opportunity to repent. They really enjoy their work."

She put her head down on the table sobbing bitterly. She remembered the Bible verse again, "If you deny me before men I will deny you before the Father."

"But Father, how much can I endure?" she prayed.

She heard Achmed stand. "Lina, don't do this. If you let me leave this room it is going to go badly for you." There was silence for about thirty seconds and then the door closed. At the sound of the closing door, Lina jumped as if she had been shocked. How much could a 16 year old girl endure? She knew she would soon find out. The matron escorted her back to her cell. The lady patiently steadied a sobbing Lina as she walked along. The cell door seemed exceptionally loud as it clanged shut.

The guardian continued the story of Lina's mother. "She had expected at least temporary darkness to what she thought would be giving up her life. Brilliant light began to fill her being as her earthly vision faded. It was more like waking up than going to sleep. Her spirit became fully awake as the Creator had intended it from the beginning. She realized that Adam and Eve's spirit had been alive this way in the garden when they walked with the Lord in the cool of the evening. What terror it must have been for them to die to the spirit and realize that they were merely physical bodies, and naked ones at that. She remembered the scripture about "absence of the body was to be present with the Lord". She might have been absent from her body in earth time but not here. Her physical body was so much less than what she had become. It was as if her body had become little more than a position marker in an infinite unrestrained universe. Sort of like a bookmark or a pin marking the location on a map.

The Lamb greeted her. She saw the nail marks in his wrist as he reached to embrace her. The length of the greeting was undeterminable in a place where time had no dominion. "I will now pronounce judgment upon you," said the lamb to Lina's mother. "Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter in to the rest of the Lord." When she opened her eyes, additional senses beyond the five that she had known became apparent. She saw colors and beauty unviewable and indescribable by humans yet to experience this new birth. Music of praise to the Lamb radiated from her and everyone else and everything. There around her were all of her friends and loved ones. Her husband was there at her right hand. To her left were persons who have not yet departed in the time as those on earth experience it and will not therefore be described here.

Lina's mother's guardian continued, "I never tire of stepping into the realm unbound by time to watch new arrivals. What a privilege it is to see again the Lamb enter into the Father's presence and pour out a measure of his shed blood onto the brazen altar. Everyone falls to their face as the fragrance of Salvation permeates everything of consequence."

"Her father also followed his faith to the end. The Indwelling Spirit allowed Nasim to see me near the end," said his guardian angel. "He saw me escort him to the room. He could also see the evil spirits cowering back in fear as we passed. He would soon be welcomed into the Presence. The evil spirits only had judgement to anticipate, I pointed up as they placed the noose around his neck. Nasim smiled broadly to the dismay of his executioners."

"There are new assignments for us and we see that you are to be busy here for some time. May the blessing of the Name follow you," replied Lina's guardian. "And to you our friend," came from the two departing spirits.

The matron returned for her the following day. Tears filled Lina's eyes as she was led through the corridor. "I'm sorry," the lady said in an almost inaudible volume. Lina only nodded in acknowledgement of the statement. Lina's guardian entered the room in front of her. Her tormenters were waiting for her when the interrogation room door was opened.

Chills ran up her back as one of them spoke, "Come in, my dear, we have been expecting you." Sheer terror filled her as she looked into the face of the one who spoke. Achmed was right. These men enjoy what they do. It occurred to her that they were demon possessed and enjoyed torturing those that belonged to the Creator. It would be terrifying if they only intended to kill her, but these two would see that "that" did not happen. "Sit down, my dear, so we can get started." The chair was a heavy wooden affair. Lina's ankles and wrists were bound. No hood was placed over her head. They wanted her to see exactly what was going to happen to her. Nausea filled her as she continued to tremble violently.

"They are feeding off your fear," she realized, but she was unable to calm herself.

"Let me show you some of our toys," the man began again, holding up a familiar tool that Lina did not recognize at first. "This is for removing teeth. We will be glad to start with any that have cavities first." The laughing that followed unnerved her further. "You won't need any of your teeth for the gruel that they serve here. But I must warn you," he continued in a singsong tone and swinging the instrument, "we aren't the best dentists. Sometimes we break off the tooth and only get about half of it. And the tooth roots are hard to find without gouging around and causing too much bleeding." Lina retched as the two smiled at each other. "Now let me continue. This is a cable cutter. You can see the groove right here that keeps the cable, or in this case bone, from slipping out before the cut is complete." There was red blood still on the tool, she could see that it had been used recently. "We don't just snap it quickly," he continued, "we like to do it slow. That is the best part, hearing the bone crackle very slowly. We will even let you decide where we begin," he paused then pointed, "Which would you like first, fingers or toes?"

Lina retched a couple more times and managed to get out, "I'll do it. I want to repent." She knew she would not be able to endure what they were going to do to her.

He looked at her with mock disappointment. "Don't be like that. You haven't seen all of the instruments that we will be using on you, 'today'. We will spend many days together, and we will grow fond of the sound of your screams." He smiled and continued, "This is an ordinary soldering iron. It works well to cauterize arteries and stop bleeding immediately." He pressed it against a piece of wood. It hissed and smoke wafted up. "It also works to engrave verses from the Koran on skin. You won't forget any verses engraved that way. It works best when very hot. Sure is time consuming and hard to do neatly. It is hard to keep the subject, in this case, you, still. But we try as best we can."

"Please," she choked out, "don't do this to me, I want to repent."

Her guardian angel halted the evil spirits that were indwelling the tormenters with a forceful command. "No, you are not to mark her body in any way."

"She is ours now," replied the loathsome spirits. "We can do with her as we please."

"Not without the Exalted's permission," came the angel's reply.

The evil spirits relented, "Very well, have it His way. She will be totally ours soon enough."

"Not so fast my dear. We take our work very seriously and enjoy it immensely, and we will want to find out if you sincerely want to repent. Let's try a full week of sessions, and then you can decide. What do you say?"

"No, no," she said as she retched again. "I want to repent now, please!"

"Well, my friend here and I just don't want to hear a repentance so soon and this early in the day. We would just have to start all over with someone else. I only have one more toy to show you 'today'." He smiled at Lina and then to her guardian. It looked like a night stick that a policeman might carry. He held the end of it up about two fingers away from her face. A very loud sizzling blue arc danced around the end of the stick. It imparted a strange burnt smell to the air. Lina pressed her head against the back of the chair to avoid contact. Her mouth was wide in a silent scream. "One million volts of nerve tingling power, I just love this stick."

"I repent! I repent! Please no!" He walked around the chair behind her. She turned her head to follow him until he was out of sight. Something pressed into the back of her neck. "Please don't," her voice urgent and trembling. "Please let me rep..," her plea was cut short as she convulsed and screamed jerkily in time with the electrical pulses. It felt as if something was ripping all the nerves from her body. It lasted forever. At least it seemed like forever, but in reality it was only about two seconds. Her head jerked forward as the electricity stopped. She convulsed occasionally as her nervous system sought to regain contact with her body.

Achmed was leaning against the door of the interrogation room. There was a tear in his eyes in sympathy for the torment that Lina was going through. He hated hearing this. He was a devout Muslim, but had not volunteered to act as Lina's kinsman. This was an assigned task. It was very hard for him, but if he did his job well it would go easier on the girl. He was sorry that it had proceeded to this point. He knocked on the door and entered after he heard Lina's ragged scream. "Perhaps I can bring this to an end now," he told himself. "Gentlemen, permit me to have a word with Lina." They reluctantly stepped aside. It took the shaken girl a couple of minutes before she could keep her eyes on Achmed and give him her attention. "Lina, do you at this time wish to repent of your foolishness and confess your rightful faith in Allah?"

"I do," she said shakily glancing at the other two men. She certainly didn't want to be left alone with them again. She knew that they would enjoy torturing her until she went insane. The thought terrified her beyond all description.

"Then make your statement of faith," Achmed said encouragingly.

Her lips quivered as she spoke, "I am a believer in Allah and Mohammed his prophet."

"Do you renounce the foolish notion that the prophet Yeshua is the Son of God?" Achmed asked.

"Yes," she sobbed.

"If you are not sure I can come back tomorrow," he said as he began to stand.

"No! no! no! please don't leave," she begged.

"Then make your statement plainly before these witnesses."

"Before these witnesses I renounce faith in Yeshua as the Son of God."

"Do you swear before the One God on pain of hell's fires forever with the unbelievers that the statements that you have made are true and irrevocable?"

"I swear it," Lina said as tears streamed down her face and dripped from her chin.

Achmed turned to the two men, "You are witnesses?"

"We are," they both replied as they began to untie her.
Chapter 5 Eternally Lost?

"What have I done?" she asked herself. "I will deny you before my father," Yeshua had said. She had denied Him before men, three people had witnessed it. "I am eternally doomed, an eternity separated from the loving Creator." She began to sob bitterly as tears continued to stream down her face. "What have I done, what have I done?" she repeatedly asked herself.

"She is ours," jeered one of the spirits. "The One and his bastard Son have failed this time."

Lina's guardian instantaneously drew its weapon and pressed it against the evil spirits throat. "What have you gained by a forced confession?" asked the guardian.

The evil spirit cowered. He knew that one thrust and he would be sent to the abyss for eternity. "Mercy," he whispered.

"You would give none."

"Yes, it is not our way but it is the way of The One." It took Lina's guardian all its strength and will to lower the weapon. The loathsome spirit was right. Mercy was the way of The One.

"Your replacement might be filthier and viler than you are, so I will extend His mercy this time, but don't depend on it when next we meet."

Achmed escorted her from the room meeting the matron at the door. They both patiently steadied her as she limped along. The trip back to her cell seemed much longer than usual. The matron opened the door revealing a room as beautiful as any in a fashion magazine. There were even clean clothes laid out on the bed. "Lina, I will see you tomorrow. I bid you ladies a good day," Achmed said and promptly left.

"A shower for you my child. We must get you cleaned up before you cause your room to smell." The matron gathered Lina's filthy clothes as the girl slowly stripped. Her filthy clothes, the last things that she owned, were thrown into the trash and taken away.

The shower washed away the continued flow of tears, but the water was Heavenly after what had felt like months in the filthy cells. She did not know how long it had been. There had been no windows in her cell and the one small bare light bulb was on at all times. She found a beautiful robe hung on the back of the door which she put on after toweling dry and wrapping her hair in the smaller towel.

The matron had returned by then, and began combing Lina's hair. When it was dry, she helped Lina slip into her new clothes. There was a brilliant white pleated dress. It hung just to her ankles, and there was a multicolored silk scarf that she would wear if she left the room or had visitors. She would certainly be wearing it when Achmed returned tomorrow. If he hadn't returned when he did, she would likely still be in that room with "THOSE" men. She shuddered at the thought.

"Are you cold dear?" the matron asked.

"No, I was just thinking of where I just came from," Lina said as her stomach growled.

"Your meal is probably ready by now. I will be right back." Lina stood as the lady left. She turned quickly watching the dress swirl and then fall back into place. She pulled the curtains aside and looked onto a park. Children were playing, while mothers sat on benches nearby. It finally occurred to her to check the door to see if it was locked. It wasn't. "It's better to remain here," she told herself. She had no one and nowhere to run and her captors probably wouldn't let her get away even if she tried.

The meal was wonderful. There was even a sweet sparkling grape juice like the one that her family sometimes served on special occasions. "What will happen to me now?" she asked the matron, her head down, tears starting to form in the corner of her eyes again.

"Since you don't have any family, at least any that will have anything to do with you, Achmed will act as your kinsman. He will probably arrange an appropriate marriage for you. You might go to a boarding school until you are a little older, or perhaps live with a foster family for a while."

"Am I still a prisoner?"

"No. The door is open. You could leave if you wish. It will be to your advantage to stay in this room. Certainly if you are not here when Achmed arrives tomorrow you will be on your own. No family, no friends, and no money." Lina knew that it was true. No friends or even family would help her after what had happened to her and her parents. Other Christians might have helped, but they had been disappearing at an alarming rate. She didn't expect to be able to find any. "It is time for me to go home for the day. There are magazines and newspapers. Also feel free to watch the TV or listen to music." She opened a cabinet that turned into an entertainment center, "I will see you tomorrow. Goodnight."

After the matron left, Lina stretched out on the bed. Heaviness continued to plague her heart. "How could I deny Him, how could I?" She thought to herself. She recalled the two men, the instruments, and the room. "How could I not deny Him? If I had been stronger could I have withstood them? I should have been stronger, but how long could I have withstood what they were going to do to me?" She began to sob as the sense of loss overwhelmed her. Her parents were gone and now there wasn't even a reason to pray. She was separated from the creator, forever. She retched and feared that the meal would come back up. What had she done?

At first she thought the voice was just hallucinations like she had experienced in the filthy cell, but she quieted herself and heard it again. The whispered voice asked, "Why are you crying?"

"Who is there?" The voice shushed her.

"Lower your voice. I'm over here." Lina followed the voice to a louvered air vent in the corner. She looked but could not see the owner of the voice. "Why are you crying?" the voice asked again.

"My parents are dead, and I have denied the Creator."

"Your parents are in the presence of the blessed Creator," replied the whispered voice.

"Yes, and I will never see them again," Lina sobbed.

"But you believe. You believe as they did, and you will see them again on the last day."

"I do believe, but I denied Yeshua before men, and now He will deny me before the Father."

"Were you coerced?"

"No, I was to be tortured."

"Could they have made anyone say anything that they wanted them to say?"

"Yes, I believe that they could have, but I never stopped believing."

"Then you haven't sinned. The Creator has a wonderful future for you. Face it with your head held high, the Lord in your heart, and a smile on your face."

"I just wish I could know that He still loves me."

"He will 'reveal' His love for you very soon. Then you will know for certain that He still has a wonderful plan for your life." Lina wanted to talk more, but there was the sound of a door opening in the adjoining room and the whispered voice went silent.

"I pray that what the voice said to me is true," Lina said unsurely to herself as the heavy feeling lifting substantially.
Chapter 6 A Wonderful Dream

Achmed arrived about mid-morning. He was well dressed as before. Lina was dressed and wearing the colorful scarf just as she had intended. "Good morning Lina. I trust that you slept well."

"Yes, wonderfully," she said smiling warmly.

"I have some people for you to meet," Achmed said as he opened the door. "Follow me please."

She did follow him with her head down slightly, showing proper respect. He led her out the door into the parking lot. She left the facility with everything she owned, the clothing that she was wearing. There was a stretched Mercedes limousine with uniformed driver waiting for them. Achmed entered first followed by Lina. The driver shut the door, and Lina's wide eyes turned to Achmed. "There is a large family with several sons that we are to meet today. They are very well off financially. I'm sure that you will be on your very best behavior. If the father likes you, it will be a wonderful opportunity for you. If he dislikes you, you will end up the wife of an old cruel day laborer at best." Achmed knew that this was an exaggeration, but he wanted her to realize the magnitude of this opportunity.

After talking for a while, Achmed suggested that she lean back and rest for the last bit of the trip. Tears formed in the corner of her eyes. She would gladly be the wife of a day laborer if she could be sure of her relationship with the Creator. "Yeshua, how did you do it? You were tortured beyond description, and You could have stopped it at any time. Can a man touch something red hot and decide not to pull his hand away?" she asked herself. The car was cool, but the sun shone in on her as she drifted to sleep.

The dream came forcibly in on her almost immediately. It was windy and cold as she stood on the hill. Black clouds boiled violently. Lightning flashed a jagged line from one horizon to the next. There was the sound of heavy rocks grinding together beneath her as the ground shook. She turned and saw a wooden beam sunken into the ground. There was something dark red flowing down the beam and dripping into the rocky earth. She fell to her knees trembling with her head down. "No, no, no, please, please no." She knew what she would see if she looked up. "Please don't make me look," she prayed.

The gentle voice gasped, "You caused this. You must look upon Me." Her head began to involuntarily rise and her eyes followed the red stained beam in spite of her efforts to keep her head down. Then she saw Him. "Oh, my God. Oh, my God. What have I done?" He was there before her. A body so badly beaten and bloody, He was hardly recognizable as a human form. "Please, please end this now," she sobbed. "I know that You can come down. Please come down. How can you stand to just hang there from those nails?"

"Come and see. See through my eyes," He finally gasped.

She was immediately looking down upon herself through His eyes. She looked filthy. Her hair was matted, and her skin and clothes were dirty, filthy beyond description. Her filthy arms were lifted and as she looked up at Him with her chocolate colored eyes, she heard herself plead, "Yeshua, please make me clean."

"I will; be clean," He said, as He breathed His last.

Brilliant colors broke forth like an explosion of light. The day flashed bright and warm with sunny skies. Flowers covered the once barren rocky hill. Her dress had changed to brilliant white. She could feel it, she was clean. She turned to see the empty beam. "Thank you, Yeshua." Praises began to flow from her mouth until all her words were used, and then she continued praising Him in words that she did not recognize.

"Lina, Lina, wake up, you are talking in your sleep." She awoke to find Achmed's concerned face looking at her with one hand on her shoulder shaking her gently. "What were you saying?" he asked, a concerned look on his face. "It didn't sound like you were speaking Farsi." She was glad that the words of praise to Yeshua hadn't been in Farsi.

"I don't know," she replied her face beaming. "At least it was a good dream." She knew she was clean on the inside and it showed on the outside.

"You must tell me about it sometime, but not now, we are here at our destination."

"I hope I CAN tell you about it sometime," she said thinking of the implications.

"I have a feeling that the father is going to like you."

"He does. He loves me!" she replied instantly aware that the father had come to her mind was different than the one that he had intended. Achmed turned to look at her questioningly, but a servant had opened the door for Lina. She was gladly climbing out escaping from his gaze. She got out of the car with her head held high, the Lord in her heart, and a smile on her face. She knew for certain that God loved her, and He still had a wonderful plan for her life.
Chapter 7 Exalted Father

The house that Achmed and Lina entered was very up scale. The floor was polished with thick rugs scattered about. The servant showed them into a spacious room apologizing that their host was not already there to greet them. They had barely time to take a seat before they heard the footsteps of several people. The first to enter was a tall, very imposing man that Lina would soon be introduced to as Mehran, the head of the household. Behind him filed in 5 boys, from about age 10 to the oldest in his late teens, which Lina correctly surmised were Mehran's sons. They were all fair skinned with light colored eyes, all Persian and definitely not of Arabic decent.

Achmed and Mehran greeted each other with an embrace and some small talk. Achmed pointed inconspicuously to a point beside him. Lina slipped from behind him onto that spot. But before the introductions could begin one of the younger boys said, "She is very dark." The culprit yowled from a swift kick from another brother, and he also got a scowl from the father. The introductions began with the oldest son. Lina maintained a strictly submissive posture. Her eyes remained downcast except for a brief glance into each young man's face as she said, "I am pleased to meet you." The time came to face the father. Lina felt that the family was expecting something else entirely, and that they were less than pleased with her as she was definitely non-Persian. It was looking like a marriage between her and a day laborer was the best that she could hope for.

Mehran exhaled heavily as he looked down on the girl. A voice inside of her said, "Move." She stepped forward, took Mehran's hand and fell to her knees. She kissed his hand and pressed it against the side of her face. Achmed only had time to look startled as Lina began to speak. "Please exalted father. Please accept this orphaned maiden as a servant to do menial work. I don't eat much, and I will gladly sleep in the corner of a storeroom. Allah will surely bless those that help the unfortunate and orphans." Mehran retrieved his hand as Achmed helped Lina to her feet. Achmed still didn't know what to say and continued to look startled at Mehran.

Mehran said, "Boys, you are to return to your studies. Lina, stay here while I talk privately with Achmed." They all left the room, and Lina took a seat and waited.

As she was seated, the praises in her heart for the Creator began bubbling up and out again. She had first feared that she had committed a terrible mistake, but the Creator was watching over her. She knew it for sure since the dream and automatic praises coming from inside of her.

After a while she heard a few giggles from the open doorway. A couple of young girls were looking around the door trying to get a peak at her. "Hello. Would you please come in? I would like to meet you," she asked as she heard them scurrying down the hallway.

"How did you end up being responsible for this girl?" Mehran asked Achmed. Mehran knew well enough why Achmed was involved. It had been Mehran's agents who mistakenly approached Lina's father. Mehran had ordered that Achmed would become involved. It didn't bother Mehran that two traitors to the faith had died, but they were not the aim of the investigation. Christians were suspected of subversive activity against the government. After all, he was the father of daughters and hoped that the young one might be saved.

"It wasn't my idea for sure. Actually she is an assignment. As you know, I studied Law and political science. My superiors thought it might benefit some of the young ones that have been led astray if we became involved. They apparently thought it would be a good experience for me also. She repented before any real damage was done. I'm glad that I became involved when I did. They would have tortured her to their satisfaction as long as it pleased them."

"Do you think she truly repented?" asked Mehran. He had his doubts of the validity of a statement made under duress. He might be inviting a Christian believer into his home, but there was little likelihood of any harm. How could he deny help of some kind after her plea for refuge?

"I heard her swear to it before Allah with my own ears. I know that she is not what you might have had in mind, but I'm truly thankful for your time today."

"Not at all, I am most happy to see you again. It has been entirely too long since your last visit. I am told that one of my daughters still has a crush on you," Mehran replied. If it was the daughter that he suspected he certainly would not consider subjecting Achmed to such discomfort. She would be useful, but for someone that he didn't particularly like, perhaps an enemy that he needed to keep close watch over.

"Do you have any other prospects for her?"

"Not yet. I guess I will place her in a boarding school until I can make other arrangements."

"That won't be necessary. We have plenty of room here. Let's see how she gets along with my daughters. We can keep her at least temporarily until you make more permanent arrangements for her. She can study with my daughters and their tutors. Have you made any inquiry about family assets that you should hold in trust for her?"

"I haven't checked on the assets yet, but I will soon."

Achmed entered the room and sat down beside Lina. "Will you stay with these people while I seek to make other arrangements for you?"

A smile sprang to her face, "Oh, yes, I would like that very much." He started making notes as he asked her about her parents, full names, addresses, birthdays, and the name or location of any banks where they might have done any business.

"Would they likely have had any cash or valuables at the apartment?"

Tears were beginning to form in her eyes as she thought about her parents. "Not likely. My father hadn't been working as much after it became known that we were believers, I meant that they believed." She glanced up to see if he had noticed the slip. He didn't look up, but then knew that even though he had heard her recant her Christian beliefs there was something else in her heart. It did not signify. A husband strong in the faith would not allow her to follow this error.

"Very well then. I'm sure that they will get you settled in and I will see you soon." Lina placed her hand on Achmed's very briefly and then pulled it away.

"Thank you so much for what you have done for me," she said as she dropped her eyes away from his gaze. She knew perfectly well that without him she would most likely still be at that terrible place. She was little older than a child to him but he couldn't help noticing her appearance. She was much too thin, but that could be expected after her ordeal at the prison. She was developing into an extremely attractive young lady. She was undoubtedly marriageable age, especially now considering the recent occurrences. It would be better sooner than later, considering her potential erroneous beliefs. He would make the arrangements, a marriage contract with an appropriate husband as soon as he could.
Chapter 8 Greenest Eyes

The servant that originally greeted Achmed and Lina showed her to the girl's schoolroom which had their class in progress. Eight girls of various ages were seated and watched as Lina was introduced to the teacher. "Class, as you heard, Lina will be joining us for a while," said the teacher. The teacher was 22 year old Taja. She was Mehran's eldest daughter from his first marriage. "Lina, tell us a little about yourself and why you have come to study and stay with us."

Lina had always been shy about talking before her peers and was especially nervous after all the things that had recently happened to her. Her voice trembled as she began. "Well, my name is Lina, I'm 16. Achmed brought me here until he can find a more permanent place for me."

The name Achmed was repeated as a murmur through the class. An older girl was looking at Lina with a hard stare, her eyebrows arched. "Neelan, you have been replaced. Achmed has a new girl," said one of the other girls followed by snickers from most of the others.

"Shut up," Neelan growled.

Taja called for order in the class. "That is enough for now. Lina, please take a seat."

Lina started to select a seat until 5 year old Nava sprang up and took her hand. "Sit with me." Lina looked down into the greenest eyes that she had ever seen. Nava led Lina to a seat beside hers. Taja talked with Lina about her schooling history as the rest of the class worked on their in-class assignments. Taja gave her a reading assignment and some math homework.

Nava grabbed Lina's hand as class was dismissed, and the girls began to file out. Neelan leaned close as she passed by Lina and whispered into her ear, "Bitch."

Nava kicked at Neelan as she shouted, "Stop it Neelan." Neelan easily stepped away from them avoiding the 5 year old's kick. She gave Lina a satirical smile as she walked quickly away.

"One afternoon at school and she had already made a serious enemy," Lina thought to herself. Nava pulled at her hand, "and a friend."

The green eyes looking up at her, "Let's go to our room and do our work before evening meal. Then we can go outside and play."

Nava's room was quite large for such a small girl. It was pink and white and very feminine. Nava took her papers to the table, sat down on one of the small chairs, and motioned for Lina to do the same. It was too small, so Lina sat on the floor, which made the table about the right height. Lina worked on her math assignment while Nava worked in her workbook. She asked Lina for help a few times, but the little girl was surprisingly capable of working by herself. She finished her workbook and paced more or less patiently until Lina finished.

It was still hot in the walled yard attached to the girl's area. Nava took her place on a swing, and Lina joined her on the other seat. Nava talked almost nonstop, Lina only interjecting a comment occasionally, until one of the servants called them to the evening meal.

Mehran was just sitting down at the head of the table as the children filed in. The boys sat to his right and the girls on his left. Lina counted 8 chairs on that side of the long table and was unsure where to sit. She started into the kitchen when Nava led her back to the adjoining seat. "Lina this one is for you."

Lina whispered to her little friend, "There aren't enough seats?"

"Oh yes," she replied, "I only have 6 sisters living at home. The other 2 girls in school are cousins that study with us. They go home after school." Lina nodded and took her seat. She was starving and the food was delicious. She was self conscious about eating so much until she realized that most of them were eating more than her. Her stomach would stretch in time. Eating more regularly would help, also.

Mehran conversed with his children as the meal progressed. They were all very respectful with their father. Lina knew from their earlier meeting that he was not a person to trifle with. Lina looked up abruptly as Mehran addressed her. "Lina, did a servant deliver your things to your room?"

Nava blurted out, "No Daddy, let her share a room with me."

"I'm sorry, Nava, but Lina should have her own room."

Lina blushed red which didn't look too apparent with her dark olive complexion as Mehran waited for her reply. Lina replied as strongly as she felt that her voice would allow without trembling. "Well, sir, I don't really have anything." He looked at her for a few seconds. Lina could feel beads of sweat break out on her forehead.

"How foolish of me," he finally replied. "Give a list of anything that you need to one of the servants, and they will purchase them for you."

Later that evening one of the other sisters blocked Nava and Lina in the hallway, "Nava you are going to have to share Lina with us. Bring her to my room."

"OK," said the 5 year old, her lower lip curling outward. "That was Dasha. She is 15 but not as big a pain as Neelan." The two entered Dasha's bedroom to find the other girl lounging in her pajamas. Dasha handed Lina a pair of her pajamas, since they were the same size. She threw Lina's white dress into the clothes hamper in her bathroom after marking it with an "L" near the label, as Lina slipped into her loaner pjs.

"Don't worry. Your dress will be laundered and returned to your room." She looked down to see Nava's lower lip further out than she could have imagined it would go.

"Ok, Nava. Her dress will be returned to your room." The little one crossed her arms and nodded victoriously. "Lina you can wear any of the clothes in my closet."

"You won't let me wear any of your clothes," Neelan protested sarcastically.

Dasha didn't bother to look at Neelan when she replied, "That's because you are such a pain in the a_ and I don't want my things ripped out in the a_ ." It took a couple of minutes for the other girls to separate Dasha and Neelan.

"Such sisterly love," Lina thought to herself. "At least Neelan does not dislike me exclusively."

"They're like this all the time," Nava whispered in her ear."

After hair was urged back in place and rumpled pj's straightened, Dasha continued, "Ok, Lina, tell us who you are, and why you are here?"

"I know why the bitch is here," Neelan blurted out. The melee started again.

After they were separated for the second time, Dasha pointed to the door and shouted, "Get out of my room, Neelan."

Nava whispered in Lina's ear, "Dasha is more patient with Neelan than I would be."

"OK, I will be quiet," Neelan said.

"Lina you were beginning to tell us about yourself," Dasha said while glaring at Neelan.

All eyes were finally on Lina. The room was silent. "First off, let me say that I don't have any marriage related interest in Achmed." Dasha pointed a finger at Neelan daring her to open her mouth. Neelan was about to pop with the desire to make a rude comment. Lina continued, "Other than that, Achmed will be negotiating a marriage contract for me. He warned me that I shouldn't expect too much. The contract might be with a day laborer."

There was finally a smile on Neelan's face. She relaxed and leaned back. "I'll marry whoever I want."

"Shut up, Neelan, you will marry whoever father says," said Dasha.

"Why didn't your father negotiate a contract for you?" asked Leila.

"He did, but the contract had to be void," Lina said as she thought, "Here we go again."

"Why did he void the contract? Is there something wrong with you?" Leila continued the question.

"The contract had to be voided because Nasim, my father, had become a Christian, and he knew that even his best friend would not want his son to marry the daughter of a Christian."

"So you and Nasim have a problem. How does that involve Achmed?" Lina didn't see who asked the question.

"Both my father and mother were killed by radicals. I'm not sure why Achmed became involved. He came to the prison where I was being held."

"Why were they holding you? Had you become a Christian too?" Lina was unsure how to answer the question. She decided it might be best to be relatively evasive. "They suspected that I might be since both my father and mother had left Islam. Achmed was able to get me out after I swore before witnesses to my faith in Allah and Mohammed his prophet." She had stated the facts, but she still felt like she had denied her real faith again. She felt a chill run down her back. Tomorrow was Friday. They would all be going to Mosque and watching her very carefully. She didn't know how she would perform under those circumstances.

Nava lay on her back in bed holding Lina's hand. Lina was sitting in a chair beside the bed leaning her head onto Nava's pillow. The little one talked almost continuously but was noticeably slowing down as sleep crept upon her. Finally, she quieted, and her breathing became very regular. The grip in her hand slackened. Lina was unable to understand the attachment that the girl had for her. Lina had neglected to find out which room was hers. Rather than search for it, she curled up on the rug beside Nava's bed with one of Nava's pillows. It was certainly more comfortable than the cells that she had occupied recently. She lay there thinking of her Redeemer and contemplated His plan for her life and His provision so far. The fear that she had of denying her faith faded away again. Praises began to flow from inside of her. Tears of joy flowed down the side of her face into her hair and dripped from her ear lobes onto the rug.

Mehran walked quietly through the children's section of the house before he turned in. Silently he opened the door to Nava's room. Lina was curled up on the rug beside Nava's bed. He was surprised that she so patiently stayed with his little one. He knew why Nava had an attraction for Lina. Nava's mother's hair and eyes had been darker than anyone else in the family. Lina was a darker, younger duplicate of his beloved deceased wife. He suspected that the little one did not understand the connection, and Lina certainly didn't. "Allah, I pray your richest blessing on Lina for her kindness to the little one."

Lina woke after a dreamless night of sleep. She began to notice that the surrounding sounds were more benign than she first expected. They certainly were not the sounds of an inmate being dragged to a torture room. She opened her eyes to see the white ceiling and remembered where she was. She lifted her hands and whispered softly, "Blessed are you, Lord God, King of the universe, Creator of all things pure and good."

Breakfast was more informal. Some still wore pajamas. Others were dressed for school. There was juice, milk, and pastries. She couldn't help but smile with delight as she took a bite and savored the flavor. Thirteen year old Fahmitah couldn't help a jab at Neelan. "Neelan, if you keep stuffing those things in your face you will be ripping the a_ out of your own clothes."

"Shut up Fahmitah," glared Neelan as all the other girls giggled.
Chapter 9 Jewish?

Achmed walked into the bank with the judge's order naming him as guardian of Lina's financial interests. The family checking and savings accounts were empty for all practical purposes. There was a safety deposit box with some papers and a sizable heavy envelope marked with the words "Savings for Lina". Opening the envelope revealed a few very small gold coins and a substantial number of silver coins of various nationalities. Achmed knew the recent rises in the precious metals market and guessed the value was in excess of $1000. He was impressed that her family had been able to save that much for her in spite of their financial difficulties. Their choice of purchasing the coins had been a good decision, the value had probably increased 400% over the purchase price. He tucked the papers and envelope into a heavy folder and proceeded to close out the safety deposit box after paying the back rent on it.

He had almost left the bank before it occurred to him to close out his father's safety deposit box. He had checked it briefly after his father died but had been in no emotional state to deal with miscellaneous papers so soon after the loss. He lifted the papers out of the box and was in the process of putting them into his folder when a document fell out of an old envelope. He picked it up and was about to stow it with the other papers when it caught his curiosity. What he saw shocked him. It was his birth certificate printed in Hebrew and Arabic. The father's name "Raheem Mohammed Barforoush" was correct, but his mother's name was listed as "Avera Goldstein". The mailing address on the envelope was an apartment in Tel Aviv. Achmed shielded the find as if someone might see it. There had to be a mistake.

Achmed's father had told him that they moved to Iran from Israel, but he had always thought Gaza or the West Bank. He didn't remember his mother. His father had used Hebrew conversationally in the home enough for Achmed to converse in the language. His father had said that it might someday be of use for Achmed to know the enemy's language. He could easily accept that he was an Iranian of Palestinian descent. How could he accept finding out that he was legally Jewish and that his mother might still be alive? Hatred of the Jews had been instilled in him by his father, the government, and Muslim preachers. "Jews to the gas chamber, finish the job," read a sign that he had once carried in a televised demonstration. Weren't Jews in Allah's Holy Land an affront to Islam? Hadn't he been working towards driving them into the sea? The Messiah certainly wouldn't come with Jews in the Middle East. Would he lose his job if this became known? Probably not, he was a devout Muslim, whatever his heritage.
Chapter 10 Jumu'ah

It was Friday just before noon, and the girls were dressing to attend the Jumu'ah (Friday prayer) at the Mosque. Lina dressed in Dasha's room. She slipped into the long black dress and tried the fit of the black scarf. She could hear the other sisters fussing about having to wear the same. "Not much reason to complain," Fahmitah reminded the others. "Father will not tolerate any change."

Lale recalled, "Do you remember when Neelan tried to buck the custom and was foolish enough to challenge father?"

"I sure do," Leila answered. "That is why none of us would dare to challenge father." Neelan also remembered the encounter, it wouldn't happen again. Nava slipped her hand into Lina's as they departed. The walk to the Mosque with the family was most pleasant. They had left the house early to be able to be at the Mosque before the muezzin's called to prayer.

They entered the building as the call for prayer sounded. Lina accompanied the girls to the ladies' side. Lina did not hesitate to drop to her knees and touch her forehead to the rug as she faced toward Mecca. She whispered the beginning of the prayer, "Praise be to Allah, Lord of Creation, the compassionate, the merciful." She said it just loud enough that Neelan on one side of her and Nava on the other side of her could hear. It did bother her that she appeared to be praying to Allah but the requests and praises of her heart she lifted to YHWH. The message by the Mullah was not of much interest to Lina, but she maintained an attentive appearance.

Once they had returned to the house and began to dress for the afternoon, Neelan managed to get close enough to Lina to whisper in Lina's ear, "You may have everyone else fooled, but I know that you are a fraud." She stepped back and drew her finger slowly across her throat. Lina swallowed hard as Neelan stepped away. This girl was dangerous. She would get Lina returned to that "place" if she found an opportunity.

There was an additional bed in Nava's room when she and Lina entered that night. "Yes!" Nava yelped, "We are roommates." She bounded onto one of the beds and began to jump for joy. Lina grasped Nava by her shoulders, stopping her bounding.

"Did you jump on the bed before I came here?" Nava nodded her head no. "Then you better not do it now. We will both get into trouble. Your father will think that I am a bad influence on you."

As the days passed and Mehran's daughters got to know Lina better, they began to pick her brain about what her life had been like. What was public school like? What did she study? Did she talk to boys? Did she really talk to boys without a male member of her family present? The sisters were envious of the supposed freedom that Lina had experienced. Lina was envious of the protected sisters who still had a family.

***

Achmed had a search done by the research section of the government intelligence agency that he worked for. The report finally came back. Subject: Avera Goldstein, age 48, previously of Tel Aviv, now believed to live in Jerusalem. It listed a possible address and phone number. Achmed read and reread the information. He could hardly believe it. What did he do now?

Later in the day he made his way to the classified phone system that had direct dial to Israel. He sat looking at the number for a long time before dialing. It was answered on the third ring by a pleasant lady's voice in Hebrew, "Shalom."

Achmed began, "My name is Yosef with the Israeli Department of Census. I am trying to reach Avera Goldstein."

"Yes, this is she," came the reply.

"Do you know the name 'Raheem Mohammed Barforoush?'" he asked.

"Yes," growled the reply, "and don't call me again." The line went dead. It was his mother. She was alive, and he was legally Jewish. She didn't have fond memories of Raheem Mohammed Barforoush.

"Did she know that I am still alive?" Now what did he do?

***

Late one evening, the girls were in the garden area outside their quarters. The younger ones were roughhousing noisily when Neelan came over to sit beside Lina. "Lina, what is it like to be a Christian?" Neelan asked her. Lina was startled by the girl's question.

"Why would I know?" Lina replied, watching the others and not making eye contact with Neelan. "And if I did and was foolish enough to tell you, you would just use it to get me in trouble."

"Perhaps," replied Neelan, 'but what if I truly 'need' to know? I might want to become a Christian myself."

"You will need to find out from someone that knows," Lina replied, her heart beating faster from the potential danger.

At the announcement of ice cream, the other girls flooded into the house with Nava in the lead and Lina and Neelan bringing up the rear. Just as Lina reached for the door, Neelan grabbed her, pulling her back as the door closed in front of them. In moments Neelan had her victim wrestled to the ground and was sitting on her chest with Lina's arms pinned against the ground above her head. "Get off of me," Lina demanded.

"Not so fast. I won't hurt you. I just want to get even for all the attention that you have been getting lately." Neelan began picking up dirt and sand and dropping it on Lina's face. Lina was unable to free herself and could only shake her head in attempt to keep the dirt from accumulating. Neelan was able to reach a leftover glass of lemonade which she slowly poured in Lina's face and then topped it off with more dirt. When she was sufficiently amused, Neelan jumped up and entered the house locking the door behind herself before Lina could get up and wipe the mess off of her face. Nava finally came looking for her.

"What happened to you?" asked the little one.

"I fell and spilled the drink, but I'm OK," Lina lied knowing that it was not to her advantage to cause trouble. Lina went into the bathroom that she shared with Nava and turned on the shower. She glanced into the mirror and was surprised to see tears streaking the dirt on her face. The action of cruel people did not surprise her any longer. It did hurt to be disliked for no significant reason. She prayed that she would never become cruel. Then it came to her, cruelty was because of the influence of the father of lies. The tears stopped when she recognized that this was just a continuation of the battle. The battle would be lifelong, and, in her case, potentially deadly. "It's a deadly battle for everyone," she thought, "just in different ways. In some cases it can turn physically deadly relatively quickly."
Chapter 11 Trip Planning

Achmed was extremely curious and intrigued by the possibility of meeting his mother, or at least seeing her if she refused to actually meet him. Accomplishing a trip to Israel would be difficult. He could probably get a renewed passport at any Israeli embassy outside the Middle East. It would likely take some time to be issued. It certainly would not be issued immediately on request. This might take several trips. He certainly could not have an Israeli passport mailed to him in Iran. When his paperwork was issued, he would have to enter Israel from a country outside the Middle East. He began to look at his work schedule to see if he could take off enough time for a trip to Italy, or perhaps France would be better. A vacation in France would be exceedingly nice. He knew several men that bragged about going to Paris where they would engage in immorality and consume alcoholic beverages. The thought was disgusting to Achmed. True Muslims could not behave in such a manner. But a trip to a nice place might be very pleasant.

***

Lina was dressing when Nava came into the room. "You didn't fall did you Lina?" asked the little one.

"I don't want to cause any trouble," Lina replied. Nava seemed satisfied with the reply. Later that night when they were lying in their beds Nava began to quietly snicker. The more the little one tried to retard the sound the more pronounced it became. "What have you done?" Lina asked.

The reply was drowned in laughter. "Nothing."

Lina got up and sat on the bed beside Nava, "Tell me what is so funny to you?"

Nava had difficulty getting the reply out, "I used Neelan's tooth brush to scrub our toilet bowl and put it back in her bathroom. She has probably used it by now."

Lina covered her face as the two erupted in laughter together. "I hope you never get mad at me," Lina said.

"Never," Nava replied, as she wrapped her arms around Lina. "You aren't mean like Neelan. I wasn't really mad. I call it getting even. Neelan had it coming."

***

Achmed arranged for a week of vacation with his supervisor. Round trip tickets were in hand, Imam Khomeini International, Tehran to Charles De Gaulle, Paris, by Qatar Airways, flight time about 5 hours. He packed his clothes with consideration of the reported Paris temperatures. His birth certificate, ancient passport, and the address of the Israeli Embassy in Paris, were tucked into the lining of his suitcase. All but the most severe examination would overlook them. His current passport was typically Iranian. Euros had been picked up at the bank. Extra food and water were left for his cat.

Achmed caught the bus to the airport sufficiently early for his flight. While watching the familiar scenery of Tehran pass by his bus window, he reconsidered the wisdom of Paris as opposed to Rome. Paris had a larger Muslim community as well as a smaller but substantial Jewish community. He had also gotten references about where to stay and eat while there. He had listened patiently as his source filled him in on the best bars and strip clubs. He had indicated that he was not interested, but the source insisted on relaying the information. A Muslim must know not to do such things. Airport check in was without incident, and Achmed was pressed back into his seat as the jetliner roared down the runway. It was a new sensation for him.

***

Mehran's daughters lounged in Dasha's room before classes as usual. "I wish our father would allow us the freedom to go out in public without the entire family or a body guard," complained thirteen year old Fahmitah.

"We would probably just get into trouble. I know that Neelan would," said Leila, one of the ten year old twins, as Neelan glared at her. Leila scooted back to a place of supposed safety beside Dasha as she continued. "But I can't see why a bank president's daughters would need a body guard."

"It would be very embarrassing to Father if something happened to one of us. Can you imagine if one of us was picked up by the police at a political demonstration? Father would find it hard to explain the situation," said Dasha.

"And his wrath and stick would be hard to bear," Neelan added her smirking comment. "He has to keep us Muslim maidens pure for our husbands. We can die from boredom, but that does not matter. At least I would like some input into the choice of my husband."

"As much trouble as you have given Father, he may have someone extra special for you," said Lale, the other ten year old twin, as the other girls snickered.
Chapter 12 Christianity Again

Fahmitah asked Lina, "How could your parents have been so foolish as to become Christians?" The other girls turned to await Lina's answer. Nava came in and curled up next to Lina.

"If you understand Christianity, it is quite attractive," Lina said. "To know the Creator personally is very desirable."

"How can one possibly know him?" asked one of the girls.

"When Yeshua came..."

Dasha interrupted, "We want to know about 'knowing' the One God, not one of his prophets."

"Yeshua was the revealed presence of the One God. The Christian New Testament tells us that Yeshua created all things that exist. He said, 'If you have seen me you have seen the father'".

"You know that Christians corrupted the writings, and Mohammed set things straight," replied Dasha.

"How do we know that the Christians corrupted the writings? A person that believed the New Testament to be correct, and becomes a follower of Yeshua as one of his disciples, would believe that Mohammed corrupted the truth about Allah."

"You are speaking blasphemy against the prophet. You must be a Christian," sneered Neelan.

"No. I was attempting to answer the question as to how my parents could have been so foolish as to become Christians. I have confessed my faith in Allah and his prophet. If you ask the question, you must be willing to hear the answer," Lina replied ,attempting to sound as respectful and submissive as possible. She laid her hand on Nava's head and began to stroke her hair.

"I believe you are still secretly a Christian. You will eventually be in trouble with father for your blasphemy. I want no part of hearing it anymore," Neelan got up and stomped out of the room.

"The rest of us wanted to hear what you have to say. If you confess faith in Allah and his prophet, that settles it. Sisters don't you agree?" stated Dasha. The others nodded in agreement.

Neelan crept silently into the room that Nava and Lina shared. Lina was sound asleep when Neelan's hand clamped tightly over her mouth. Lina awoke to find Neelan glaring menacingly down at her, one hand on her mouth the other hand holding something cold to her throat. "I should slit your Christian throat, bitch," Neelan whispered barely loud enough to be heard as she pressed the cold object just under Lina's right jaw bone. Lina froze in terror. She knew that there was nothing that she could do to defend herself. The girl was much bigger and besides she could quickly inflict a fatal wound with the flick of her hand. "Lord help," was instantly her silent prayer. Neelan pressed harder and started pulling the knife across Lina's throat.

Lina lay on her bed for a long time trembling from residual adrenalin. The knife had turned out to be a dull butter knife. It had left a red mark from ear to ear but no cut. Neelan assured Lina, then departed as silently as she had arrived, that next time she would have a razor sharp blade. Neelan had also told her, "Keep your Christianity to yourself, or bleed like a stuck pig."
Chapter 13 Paris

Achmed arrived in Paris after an uneventful flight. He had been able to take a short nap on the plane. He recovered his baggage and cleared customs with no difficulty. He called the hotel that was recommended to him. On the ride there, he was surprised at the sights outside the hotel van's windows. Paris was very green, couples walked down the streets holding hands. That wouldn't last long in Tehran. The morality police would arrest such violators. The clothing that the young ladies wore would also have been grounds for arrest in Iran. Some wore skin tight stretch pants. Others were just too.... Achmed thought for the word, "exposed" came to mind. It would be better just to keep his eyes elsewhere. He picked up a newspaper that another passenger had left behind, it was no help. It was in French and the ads were as bad as looking out the window. He finally leaned back in the seat with his eyes closed.

The hotel had a small indoor pool near the lobby. There was a large window separating the lobby from the pool area. One glance had been enough for him. He was shocked that some of the near naked women were olive skinned and apparently Middle Eastern. Achmed leaned on the check in counter with his back to the window. The middle aged lady behind the counter asked in fluent Farsi, "Your first time outside of a Muslim country?"

"Yes," Achmed replied, "Is it so obvious?"

She nodded affirmatively, "I can see that you are a good man. You can't help what you see while you are here. You have made the best choice, not to let your eyes dwell on what you do not need to see. It is best to keep yourself pure until you are able to leave this place," she replied.

"I'm not sure how to survive while I am here. What will I do? I won't be able to watch TV or go out in public without reason. There is so much I don't want to see."

"There are some wonderful Mosques to visit here in Paris and I have many suitable books for you to read in your leisure." She offered. Achmed selected a book to read and went to his room. He immediately called the Israeli Embassy and made an appointment to check on the passport that he needed.

Achmed's appointment at the Israeli Embassy went better than he had expected. The clerk that he met with seemed suspicious and questioned him at length, but completed the necessary paperwork for a new Israeli passport. He paid for priority processing which would speed up the process considerably, but there was still no hope of getting the passport during his stay. He could call the Embassy and check on the progress from Tehran. He had arranged for the passport to be held for him at the Embassy. There was no way to have it mailed safely to Iran. He could pick it up in Paris and then board El Al for Tel Aviv. His mother would be in for a shock when the Israeli officials called her to inquire about the son that she had not seen in 22 years. He decided against calling her again. She would learn of his intentions soon enough. He realized that the visit might have a shock or two for him as well.
Chapter 14 Abducted

Mehran always knew what was going on in his household. No one would be surprised at this if they knew his real occupation. He was going to have to do something about Neelan. She was headstrong, ill tempered, and did not appreciate her station in life. He decided to solve this once and for all. Nava was dear to his heart and for that reason so was Lina. When Neelan threatened Lina, the end of his patience had been reached.

Mehran's men entered Neelan's bedroom just after midnight. They were careful that she not hear or see them. A blindfold went on as well as duct tape over her mouth. She was swiftly hogtied and placed inside of some sort of rough sack cloth bag. She was certain that she was being kidnapped. In a way she was. They carried her out of the house and swung her up into the truck bed of a pickup. The landing had been far from gentle. The tailgate closed and then the truck doors opened and closed. She was unable to do anything except make groaning sounds into the tape. The truck traveled on and on. Finally the truck left the paved road. The bumps rattled her. She would go airborne on the top of one bump and land hard as the truck rose from the next bump. She was beginning to feel the warmth of the sun when the truck stopped. The tailgate dropped and she was unceremoniously dragged out onto the rocky ground. Her kidnappers got back into the truck and promptly drove away. Anger beyond measure brought tears to her eyes. She was cramping from the tight binding and felt as if she had been beaten all over. After several hours, she began to worry if anyone was going to come. It was stifling hot inside the bag, and silence surrounded her. After several hours, the sound of a small bell could be heard, soon followed by the distant bleating of sheep or goats. She would find out who did this after she was rescued and get even with them. Eventually, the small herd got to her and began to nudge her and nibble at the corners of the cloth bag. She couldn't even kick at them to make them leave her alone.

Achmed could not take a full week in Paris. He visited several Mosques during prayer times and listened to the Imam's sermons and read several books. He finally gave up and took a flight back to Tehran four days early. Two plain clothes policemen met him after he cleared customs. "You will come with us," said the taller of the men.

"Why do I have to go with you? I haven't done anything wrong," replied Achmed with obvious surprise.

"You are not accused of wrongdoing but you will come with us for questioning." They took him by car to the building where he worked, and escorted him to a questioning room in a part of the building that he had never had the occasion to visit. It was plain gray with a table and two chairs. Behind the mirrored glass on the wall, there was obviously an observation room. He waited about an hour before someone came to the room.

He recognized the man by appearance, but did not know his name. The man began to question him. "Why did you go to Paris?" Achmed considered lying to keep his nationality of origin from becoming known. There was no point. They would find out anything that they wanted to know, and they probably knew most already. He decided the best option was to tell the exact truth. The man questioned him about every detail since he found the birth certificate. Every moment of his time in Paris was questioned. The interrogator repeatedly went over the facts in detail, and would occasionally insert or omit something to see if Achmed could keep his story straight. The decision to tell the truth had been a good one. The man would have confused him about what had really happened, and a lie would have fallen through. The man was finally satisfied and knocked on the door. He left and another man took Achmed's file and came back in followed by a technician with a polygraph machine. The questioning process began again. Achmed felt worn out by the time that this man was satisfied. He knocked on the door and handed Achmed's file to another person.

"How long can this go on?" he thought. The third man turned out to be Mehran. "What are you doing here Mehran?" he asked, the shock showing plainly on his face.

"Very few people know that I am the director here."

"I thought you were into banking?"

"That is what we allow most people to think," Mehran replied and then continued, "So you are Jewish?"

"It would appear so." The color drained from Achmed's face. This could be the end of his employment and the only way of life that he had ever known. "How much do you know?"

"We know everything down to the title of the books that you borrowed from the lady at the hotel." The agency had apparently had him followed. He had failed to notice that. They knew it all before they began questioning him.

"So what happens now?"

"That depends upon how your loyalties lie after what you have learned. Would you be interested in living in Israel for a while and doing some intelligence work against our enemy?"

***

Neelan felt a really stiff jab in the ribs. She groaned from the impact. "Allah be praised, what have I found?" Someone loosened the bag closure. Neelan was bright red from the stifling heat. As the blindfold was removed she looked up into the face of an ancient looking goat herder. He was dark and wrinkled as if he had spent the last 60 years in the desert. Curious goats were nosing around her. The grizzled Shepherd carefully grasped the edge of the duct tape and then quickly ripped it off.

The tape had been secured very well. Neelan screamed and uttered a few choice curse words. "Untie me and get those stinking goats away from me," Neelan demanded. The Shepherd was obviously taken aback by the demand. He had reared each goat from many previous generations. They were all like family to him. Neelan saw the hesitancy in the old man and renewed her demand. "Untie me now. Do you know who I am?"

The old man studied her carefully, watching her temper rise by the moment. "You look like a woman bound and tied in a bag. I was prepared to untie you, but after hearing your mouth I am deciding against it. Allah may have had someone place you into the bag for a good reason. Who am I to interfere with Allah's ways?" Neelan began to curse the old man who got up stiffly and walked away with the sound of her curses following him. He walked for some distance, stopped, and then returned in his own slow pace.

"That's better. Untie me." She again demanded.

"I have changed my mind about one thing," he said as he picked up the tape. It wasn't easy to hold her head and reapply the tape but he finally managed the feat. A knee on the side of her head held her stationary just long enough. He stepped over the girl, who now uttered only muffled curses and kicked her in the behind with his sandaled foot. "Perhaps a while longer in the heat may change your attitude," he muttered as he walked away. "You are a servant of Satan no doubt. I might come back this way tonight or tomorrow, or I might not," he called over his shoulder.

"At least he didn't put the blindfold back on," Neelan thought as she watched the man and his goats slowly disappear over a rise. She ached all over. "Perhaps I should try a milder approach next time," she thought as a spark of understanding illuminated her mind. It would be some time before the true light came on if it ever really did.
Chapter 15 To Israel

Achmed considered Mehran's offer to be an intelligence agent in Israel. There wasn't much choice at this point. The Zionists were still the enemy. To work for their destruction was a high calling within Islam. The sooner they were driven into the sea, the sooner Messiah would come. But spies might get life in prison if caught. He was either deeply committed or his loyalty was in question. "I will be happy to serve Islam and my country in any way possible."

"Good. You can be the 'Tip of the Spear'. Remember that phrase. We can have someone pick up your passport in Paris. I don't blame you for not liking that place. There will not be any hurry. It will take a while to train you as a field agent and to develop the appropriate position. Your training as an analyst will make the transition easier."

"Would it be possible for me to take a brief trip to Israel before I actually start work there? It would give me a chance to see if I can make any family contacts and get a feel for what the country is like. I imagine that it will take some getting used to." Mehran considered the idea. Achmed having family in Israel would make better cover for him as an agent, but there was the potential of damaging his effectiveness. Could he take actions that might have the potential of harming the Jewish side of his family? There was no easy way around it. He would have to be watched closely.

"Yes." Mehran told him. "It would probably be a good idea."

Mehran had one last thought before leaving. "Would you object to my taking over guardianship of Lina? She has a place in my household, and it may be more difficult to perform your duties with your expected foreign travels."

"Yes, by all means," Achmed began. "I know that you would have her best interests at heart." The responsibility for Lina had weighed heavily on him. It felt good to know she would be well cared for, probably much better than he could have arranged. He shuddered at the thought of her married to someone like one of the "pigs" that had told him of the strip clubs in Paris.

***

Later in the afternoon Neelan's stomach growled, but that was nothing compared to her thirst. She had ceased to sweat. Her tongue was swelled. In spite of the little time that she had spent out of doors, she knew these were bad signs. Her whole body felt as if it was on fire, and she was weak. Her consciousness began to waver. She was nearing a heat stroke. The bleating sounded like an echo through a tunnel. The nudges from the goat's noses were a faint dream. She looked into the face of the old shepherd, and she remained silent as the tape was removed.

"Can I be of assistance to you, young lady?" he asked.

"Yes," she whispered between cracked lips. "Would you be so kind as to untie me?" He didn't answer but began to untie the girl. She moved her numb arms and legs. She grimaced, but suppressed the urge to scream as the feeling returned. "Thank you," she was finally able to whisper. She stretched out, unable to imagine standing in her current state. "Could you spare a little water?" He held his hand behind her neck and supported her head as he gave her a sip of water. "Thank you," she whispered again.

"I can see that the day has been very beneficial to you." His goats recognized the chance for rest and began to lie down around the two humans. He continued to give her sips of water, and later a little of his cheese.

Neelan awoke to find it very dark and getting cold. The sky was clear and stars without number were visible. The old man was still there by her side and gave her another drink of water. He had covered her with a blanket or garment that he must have had in his pack. "Lie still and rest." He told her. "We will have to spend the night here. It is too far to my bayt (family unit or tent) for us to begin tonight. We will start while it is still cool in the morning."

***

The children had been told that Neelan was to spend some time with family out of town. The twins were jealous that she had the privilege. None of them would miss her. Dasha knew of her departure. She had watched from her bedroom as Neelan was bagged and then carried out by the two servants. There was nothing missing from her room. Father was at work here. "It would be an educational experience for Neelan and was none too soon in coming," Dasha thought.

The goat herder nudged Neelan just as the sky in the east showed a hint of light. "It will take us several hours to reach my bayt at the rate that I and the animals travel. I'm sure you can keep up. It will be better to travel early. Without shoes you will not be able to walk for the heat past mid-morning. Try to sit up." She grimaced as he helped her into a sitting position. He handed her the skin that had had water in it the night before. She took one drink and sprayed the warm liquid out of her mouth. "I'm sorry. I was expecting water. What was that?"

"Goat's milk, fresh this morning." He offered proudly with a smile.

"I don't know if I can drink warm goat's milk. Is there any water left?"

"No. You finished it off last night. I didn't expect to be gone the additional night and did not bring more than I needed. But that is ok. The goat's milk will taste good to you by the time we get there."

***

Achmed reported for work at the usual time, but his job would be forever different. He spent most of the day briefing his replacement on the work that he had been doing. The thought of beginning training was both exciting and scary. He knew most of the curriculum for field agent's training weapons, use of explosives, hand to hand combat, surveillance techniques, electronic surveillance, assassination techniques, field interrogation techniques and the list went on.
Chapter 16 Son of Mary

The remaining sisters lounged in the common room. The younger ones were watching TV. Fahmitah brought up the subject of Lina's parent's belief in Christianity. "Lina, you were telling us about the theology of Christianity when Neelan interrupted. I would still like to hear what you have to say on the matter. Your perspective as a Muslim who has observed Christianity of close family members must be interesting."

Lina breathed a prayer of thanks that she had listened closely as her father had discussed these subjects at length with his few open minded friends. The TV was turned down as Lina began. "As we all know, Judaism, Christianity and Islam look for the coming of the Messiah," she paused as they all nodded affirmatively. "Muslims recognize Yeshua Son of Mary as the anointed one. The Quran says, 'None between him and Allah.' In the last day, Messiah is expected to come and defeat Dajjal (antichrist) and the enemies of Islam. Some teach that Yeshua returns a second time as the al-Mahdi (savior). Other teachers believe that Yeshua returns to identify the true al-Mahdi."

"None of us would dispute that Yeshua was or still is the anointed one. The Jews didn't even recognize who he was. The Jews of his day called him a demon. How blind could they be? The Christians misinterpreted what he came to do and corrupted the writings about him. That is why Allah sent the prophet Mohammed," said Dasha.

"The Jews writings speak of Messiah, son of Joseph, a suffering servant. In other places he is called the son of David, a ruler. Some of the Rabbis taught that Messiah, son of Joseph, and Messiah, son of David, are different people, others that he is the same one, only he comes a second time. Many religious Jews expected Messiah to come bringing peace and to set up his kingdom on earth. Yeshua, son of Mary, did not do that. From their viewpoint, he could not be the Anointed One." Lina continued, "Christians believe that He is the Anointed One, and came first as the suffering servant. He died in their place. They expect Him to return as king and ruler."

"Ok, gross," said Lale.

"How can he die in a Christian's place, and why would they want him to?" asked Dasha.

"I was getting to that. Would you all agree that men are sinful, all men?" Lina asked.

"That is probably true," offered Leila.

"I don't believe Yeshua or the Prophet were sinners," said Dasha.

"How can that be?" asked Lina. "To live an entire lifetime without one thought in violation to the will of the One God?"

"Are you saying that Yeshua the Anointed was a sinner?" asked Dasha. "If not, how are you saying that he lived a sinless life?"

"He was the One God. It would have taken a conscious effort on His part to sin," Lina caught her slip. "That is what the Christians believe."

"Here we go again. There is only one God and Allah is his name," drawled Fahmitah.

"That is true," Lina conceded.

"Then Yeshua can't be the One God," replied Dasha.

"Why do you say that Dasha?" asked Lina.

"As you would agree," Dasha answered, "there is only one God and Allah is his name. If that is so, how can Yeshua, son of Mary, be The One God?"

"Christians struggle with the same concept, but I believe it is very simple," Lina continued. "As all of you all know, Christians recognize The Father, Yeshua The Son, and The Holy Spirit." Some of the girls nodded, others looked questioningly. "We would all agree that The One God is all knowing, all powerful, omnipresent, and merciful." Heads nodded. "The One God made a place in the physical world. If He had not made a place we could not exist. If He is omnipresent, which we all believe He is, He would be taking up the physical space in which we dwell. He made space for us by pulling back. For the One God to create, it is a matter of his pulling back and by doing so created all things including our physical world. He creates by 'allowing' or speaking it into existence, not laboring to make it exist. He allows time to exist so we can experience events in sequence. We all believe that The One God is spirit and unbound by physical Laws or time. If He exists as Spirit, and as Spirit within people, and as the physical body of Yeshua, son of Mary, how is He any less One?"

Fahmitah asked, "Lina, are you sure that you are not a Christian?"

"Are you Neelan's replacement?" Dasha shouted at Fahmitah.

"No," Fahmitah bristled. "I would still like to know the answer if Lina does not mind"

"Fahmitah, she said that she has confessed faith in Allah and his prophet."

"I really don't mind," Lina cut in. "I was just making the case for the Christian faith. I didn't want folks thinking that my parents were nut cases. I can make the case for Islam or Judaism just as easily."

***

"We have been studying your birth mother, Ms. Goldstein," the analyst said to Achmed. "Did you know that she works as an aid in the office of the Israeli Defense Minister?"

"No. I had no idea. I just found out about her recently. It was foolish of me to think about visiting her without clearing it with the agency first."

"Yes. I am surprised that you are still on active duty. The higher ups must trust you in spite of your lapse in common sense. They may also think that you are in a position to help our cause. Your training will be much abbreviated due to the rush to get you placed among our enemy. Here is your schedule for the rest of the week." The agent was not entirely comfortable working with a Jew, but as a cover it could not be beaten. Achmed took the schedule. Weapons training tomorrow, demolition training Thursday, and a late meeting with Mehran Thursday afternoon.

***

As the goat herder suspected, Neelan was able to drink the goat's milk before they arrived at the old man's bayt. She drank it all. The sun was rising in the sky, and Neelan had not yet gotten over the thirst from the previous day. She finished it off before they had gone too far. The two talked some as they walked followed by the goats. The old man mostly talked to the goats. He softly sang or hummed a tune any time they were not talking. "You sure enjoy that particular tune."

"It's not for me. It's for the goats. They follow the voice that they recognize." said the old man. "They know my voice. I will be quiet if you will pick out a song that you like to sing."

"So I am to become a shepherdess?"

"If you stay with us you will need to learn a number of skills." Neelan had to hold her tongue. She wanted to tell him her opinion of his goats, but she needed his help. This was not the time. An hour previously he had tried to point out their destination. Neelan had not been able to detect any notable feature on the horizon. The tent was finally in sight, but still far away. The goat herder stopped and looked back.

"Why are we stopping?" Neelan asked.

"The little ones are having trouble keeping up, and one or two of the does will kid shortly after we arrive." They walked back and the old man picked up one of the smallest kids and handed it to Neelan.

"What am I supposed to do with this?"

"You must carry him."

"Why?"

"He won't make it otherwise."

"Oh," Neelan took the kid into her arms. I guess I will have to humor the old man if we are to ever get there, Neelan thought. The goat smell was even stronger in her nose. The little one looked up at Neelan. She knew that she was being watched, but turned to continue the journey as the old man picked up a kid himself. He continued along slowly, talking softly to one goat or another. After a good while, Neelan finally looked down at the kid. He was still watching her intently. "He sure is getting heavy."

"Put him on your shoulders and carry him as I do."

Neelan finally got the rascal over her shoulders and held a pair of legs in each of her hands. "That is much better. I can walk much easier this way."

When they were a little way from the tent the old man set his goat down and helped Neelan with her kid. "They can make it from here." He took the blanket from his pack and handed it to Neelan. "Here, wrap this around yourself. I wouldn't want you to be embarrassed by your lack of proper clothing." She still wore the cotton pajamas that she had been abducted in. She did as he said in spite of the building heat of the day. The tent was made from a silver colored poly-tarp with a lightweight frame. One side was rolled up to provide ventilation. It was staked to the ground against the wind.
Chapter 17 Haste

"The need for your position in Israel is developing much faster than we had expected," Mehran told Achmed. "There won't be enough time for a preliminary trip."

"Won't I need to at least make contact with my birth mother?"

"One of our agents has left evidence in her path that caused her to believe that you might still be alive. She has made some inquiries. She is looking for you at this point. It will appear to her that your arrival in Israel was a result of her efforts."

"As you know, Mehran, I will be glad to go whenever I am needed. I don't look forward to living in a country of infidels."

"Don't forget that there are Israeli Muslims. You will not feel so far from home when you hear the muezzin call the faithful to prayer in Jerusalem. A visit to Al-Aqsa Mosque is something that I envy."

"I won't be able to join them when I hear the call."

"You will still be able to pray. You may not be able to face Mecca or bow, but Allah will know of your desire and bless you just the same."

"Yes of course I will pray and visit the Mosque if I am able. But I must confess that as a young man it will be difficult to walk among the scantily clad infidel females and maintain purity of mind."

Mehran considered Achmed's concerns for a moment. Achmed waited patiently for a reply or perhaps a rebuke. Mehran was impressed with the young man's desire to remain pure. Achmed was beginning to be embarrassed by the pause before Mehran spoke. "Perhaps we will be able to do something about that."

"What would they be able to do about that particular situation?" Achmed thought. He considered asking what he had in mind when Mehran's next appointment arrived.

"You will join us for evening meal this Friday," Mehran had said as he left. It sounded more like a command than an invitation, but Achmed did not mind.

"Yes, Friday for the evening meal," Achmed answered. He looked forward to the visit and the possibility of seeing firsthand how Lina was getting along.

***

Neelan and the old man approached the tent and two people could be seen, a man probably in his late thirties and a woman of unknown age due to the covering that she wore. They both walked out to greet the new arrivals. The old man introduced his son, Rayhan, and then his daughter-in-Law, Daria. They appeared surprised, but invited Neelan into the shade of the tent, and Daria brought water and a bowl of soup. Daria took water and cheese to the one that she called grandfather. As the old man had predicted, at least one of the goats had gone into labor. He would stay beside the doe until she delivered. After Neelan had eaten she looked around the edge of the tent. Grandfather was sitting cross-legged on the ground. The doe had her head in his lap as she rested between contractions. Neelan felt a nudge on the back of her leg. She looked down to see the kid that she had carried. "Hey, Buddy, are you looking for another free ride?" Neelan asked as she picked him up.

The goat kidded shortly after that, Neelan still holding her new friend. The new twins were shakily on their feet within twenty minutes. Daria asked Neelan to join her in the tent. She produced a tob made in three layers which included long sleeves and a veil. It had been white but was now dark cream and had some bands of blue. Daria also had a pair of well worn sandals which were a little too small but would be better than nothing since the ground was getting unbearably hot. Neelan did not think about the clothes until she realized that they were probably the other half of Daria's entire wardrobe. She thanked Daria as graciously as she could, not knowing Bedouin customs, nor had she much practice at being gracious. Daria rolled the side of the tent down so Neelan could change privately. It got hotter quickly when the air stopped flowing. "Tonight you are a guest, but tomorrow you will help us work."

"I really appreciate the help, but I would like to get back to my family."

"We will be glad to help you. It may be a while."

"What is the need for the delay?"

"We may not go near a town or highway for several weeks. Grandfather will decide when we go."

"You mean I have to stay here for that long?"

"No. You can leave whenever you want. The nearest outskirts of the city are about 45 kilometers in that direction." Daria pointed in the desired heading. Neelan was smart enough at this point to know that without their help she wouldn't make it back. She wanted to curse and scream, but smiled sweetly. Another glimmer of light had twinkled on in her head.

***

Achmed was a little uneasy as he traveled to Mehran's house. It was early afternoon, which would give them enough time for a good visit, the evening meal, prayer, and sermon at the Mosque. He would have to remember to stay clear of Neelan. He didn't want any trouble of that kind. Dasha was a quiet intelligent girl but still young. Taja had been closer to his age, and he had secretly liked the girl, but she was married now. He was sure that Mehran knew best about such things, especially his own daughters. There was enough on his plate at the moment to even have such thoughts. His hand was still sore from the recoil of firing the large handgun at the agency small arms range. He had also been taken aback at the moldable texture of C4 explosive. The concussion of the explosion during training had been jarring. He still felt a little jumpy. He had to learn as much as he could in the short time available. He would be going to Jerusalem and his mother soon.

The Judaism classes had been a surprise to him. It was thought that it would make a better cover if agents could live as religious Jews while on assignment in Israel. Achmed had been instructed, with a few other agents, by a man that appeared to be a Jewish Rabbi. The "Rabbi" never broke character and instructed the group as if they were candidates for conversion to Judaism. He was expected to study outside of class. Reading of the entire Tanakh (Jewish bible) was a requirement. A couple of the students had taken exception to the assignment and had not complied. They hastily complied when they were informed by their respective supervisors that they were subject to disciplinary action or unemployment.

The importance of the 613 mitzvot (commandments) and their significance were discussed. The mitzvot essential for immersion into Jewish daily life and worship were discussed in detail. A "Hatafas Dam Bris" service was held for the students. (A service for converts who have already undergone circumcision.)

The instructor began requiring the students to wear kippahs and prayer shawls during class. It was particularly disgusting to the group, but the instructor informed them that it was a requirement and would serve to prepare them for close interaction with Jews. One of the students could not do it. "I will gladly kill Jews or Americans or die trying, but I can't pretend to be one of them," he said as he left the class. "It is better to find this out now rather than after insertion into close contact with the enemy. I'm glad that he dropped out now rather than endangering a mission," said the Rabbi.

Near the end of their instruction they were required to attend a Synagogue with their "Rabbi". There were few Synagogues in Tehran. They were not outwardly identifiable. The entire service was conducted in Hebrew. It was a sort of final exam. Any student not able to enter into the service and interact with the other service participants did not pass the class. After the service each student was immersed in a Mikveh (a small baptismal pool fed by rainwater).
Chapter 18 Contract

Mehran's personal servant met Achmed at the door and escorted him to Mehran's home office. "Have a seat, we will take care of business first, then we can relax and enjoy the afternoon." Mehran indicated one of two chairs in front of his desk. "We have a celebration planned for the afternoon." Achmed couldn't imagine what 'business' needed transacting, or the reason for the celebration, but he did not question Mehran. Speaking to his servant, Mehran said, "Please go and fetch Lina." Achmed and Mehran made small talk while they waited the few minutes that it took the girl to arrive.

Mehran's servant tapped the door frame of the room where the girls were with Taja. "Mehran wants to see Lina." The girls turned to Lina who blanched an unhealthy color. She rose and followed the servant to see Mehran for the second time in as many days.

Lina was directed to the other chair in front of Mehran's desk. She was terrified now. Why was Achmed here? She was undoubtedly guilty of something. Was he here to take her back to the prison? "Let us begin." Mehran said as he handed a legal looking document in a blue cover to Achmed. Achmed unfolded it and began to read. It was a marriage contract. He saw the names under the lines for the signatures, 'Achmed Mohammed Barforoush' and 'Lina Tanaz Vahbiz'. Sweat broke out on his forehead as he began to read the details.

The dower was a shock to him, twenty ounces of gold or the equivalent, in currency of the country where the marriage is performed. "Do you know how much money that is?" Achmed stuttered. He looked up to see Mehran's arched brow. Mehran did know very well how much money that was. Achmed settled himself and after clearing his throat said, "Yes, yes, of course, a very appropriate amount for a daughter of Abraham from the household of Mehran." Mehran handed him a pen. Mehran's servant signed as witness after Achmed signed.

Their attentions turned to Lina. She was still too scared to realize what was going on. She was handed the document. The significance of the document did not strike her until she read her full name. Under the place for her signature was a space for Mehran's signature and listing him as guardian. "Do you understand what you are holding?" asked Mehran.

She answered with trembling lips, "Y-Y-ee-sssss."

"If you agree to marry Achmed, please sign on the line above your name. The dower would be yours to spend or keep as you see fit. Would you like time to consider your decision?"

"NNNooo," she stuttered as she reached for the pen. She knew that this was a much better match than she would ever have imagined. She signed and it was done. She remembered some of Achmed's first words to her, "You will repent and then become the wife of a strong Muslim man. He will keep you from foolishness and hell's fires." Two copies were made, one given to Achmed and the other to Lina. The original was put into Mehran's safe.

"You can rejoin the other girls now, Lina," Mehran said to her. She hesitated momentarily, and then jumped when she realized that she had been dismissed. After she left, she realized that she had little more than glanced at Achmed on her way in and had not looked at her betrothed at all on her way out.

***

Lina walked back into the room where the others were. She still had the same shocked look about her. "What happened?" they all asked her.

She didn't answer, and Dasha gently took the paper from her hand and began reading it, "Achmed and Lina are getting married!" The others couldn't believe it, and the paper was nearly shredded in the rush for it.

"Neelan is going to cut your throat with a dull rusty knife and curse you as you bleed out," Fahmitah giggled. Lina knew that Neelan would be upset and would probably use a sharper knife than last time. Lina just hoped that she was married and gone before Neelan returned. There had been no date on the document, it could be years away. "Wow, you are rich." Fahmitah continued as she reread the paper. "What are you going to spend it on?" Lina had not thought of the dower and could not think of anything she wanted at the moment. Lina heard Nava's footsteps as Nava ran from the room.

The previous day's visit to Mehran's office began to make sense. She had been as terrified as today when she was called. He made small talk with her until she calmed somewhat. "How old are you now?"

"Sixteen."

"How do you see Achmed? What is your opinion of him?" he asked.

"He has always been kind to me. I don't know if I would have made it away from the prison without him."

"Would you consider him to be handsome?"

"Oh yes."

"Do you think he would make a good husband for one of my daughters?"

"Yes, certainly. But then...." She stopped in mid sentence. She realized that Neelan was the oldest unmarried daughter and she did not want Achmed to have to deal with her.

"Go on. I really want your opinion."

"It might not be appropriate for me to comment, since my opinion concerns one of your daughters."

"I would truly value your opinion."

"Well, I would not like to see him married to Neelan. She is a fine girl and will make a good wife and mother, but she is a little hard to deal with. She might take more effort to keep in line than Achmed deserves."

"That was a very tactful way to phrase it. I think that you are right about Neelan," Mehran agreed.

Several relatives and friends began arriving. The visiting ladies and girls spent most of their time in the girls' side of the house. They all had to visit Achmed briefly. The celebration was to be an engagement party. "Did you and Achmed have any trouble coming to an agreement?" One of the attendees asked.

"I had not seen Achmed for weeks. It appeared to be a surprise to him. Mehran handed him the contract, and by the time that he had read it, Mehran handed him a pen. I didn't have any idea that this was a consideration. They offered to give me time to consider the contract, but I didn't see any reason for delay. I never dreamed of someone as nice as Achmed before. I didn't get a chance to speak with him."

"And now you probably won't until your wedding day," replied one of the ladies.

They had special food and sang wedding songs that embarrassed Lina to no end. They kidded her about being such a young girl of smaller build wedded to a full grown healthy man like Achmed. Lina turned bright red in spite of her olive skin. The others continued to laugh and sing. Another of the family's relatives came in to congratulate Lina. "When is your wedding to Achmed?" she asked.

"I don't know," Lina admitted. "There weren't any dates in the contract, and they didn't give me any hint."

"Well, in that case, you should go straight to bed and rest in preparation for the honeymoon," the relative replied as the others howled with laughter and Lina pulled her hair in front of her face and turned away in an attempt to hide. "You will be sore for a week," the relative said among the howls of laughter.

As Lina finally pulled the hair away from her face, she saw Nava at the edge of the room with tears streaming down her face. Lina went to her and wrapped her arms around the little one. "They are going to send you away from me," Nava sobbed into Lina's shoulder.

"It may not be soon," Lina said trying to reassure the smaller girl.

"But I don't want you to ever go away," Nava shook as she sobbed.

***

Daria nudged Neelan gently and whispered, "Time to get up."

"Go away," Neelan replied as she covered her head with the blanket. Daria continued to nudge Neelan. Neelan replied with a sharp elbow and said, "I told you to go away." There was silence for a moment and then she heard Daria whisper quietly to grandfather.

"Can I beat that girl today if it appears necessary?"

"Be my guest, my dear, it might serve to dull her sharp tongue," he replied. Neelan listened as Daria approached her. She looked up in time to see Daria carrying a riding crop as a person would use on a horse or camel. Neelan realized that Daria was serious and jumped up just in time to stay outside the reach of the crop.

"Good, I'm glad that you are up. We have work to do."

"You don't really expect me to milk those 'animals' do you?" Neelan whined, as she and Daria approached the does and camel.

"Don't let grandfather hear you refer to them as animals. He thinks that they are family, and yes, you are going to do the milking." The day was busy. Neelan began to learn all the activities required to keep this kind of household going.

***

Nava ran headlong into her father. She was sobbing. "Abba. Abba. Don't send Lina away. Please Abba, please don't send her away." Mehran picked up his little one. She continued to sob into his shoulder.

"Nava, Lina will be getting married. You want her to be happy don't you?" Mehran whispered into the little one's ear. It touched his heart to see his youngest taking Lina's pending departure so hard. She was too young to remember much about the loss of her mother. She had adopted Lina as a substitute even though she considered Lina an additional big sister.

"I want her to be happy, but I will die if she leaves. I will just die. If you send her away, send me with her." Nava continued to sob.

"She will be getting married. She won't need a younger sister."

"Older sisters get married all the time. Why should that matter? They have younger sisters." The little one continued to sob, "I will just die. It won't matter then."

Not long after Mehran's encounter with Nava, the little one was added to Lina's special class. One of Mehran's servants would drive Lina, and now Nava also, to a special accelerated tutoring school. The main subject was Hebrew language. She was also instructed on what to expect and what would be expected of her in everyday life as an Israeli. Lina had asked her tutors why she was receiving this special training, but no one knew the answer, or wouldn't tell her the answer if they did. She was told that it would be best not to question the reason. The reason would be revealed to her when she needed to know. She was warned not to make the subject of the class known. It did not make any sense to her. She was to be married, and now she needed to know Hebrew and about Israel? What was she to make of Nava's addition to the class?

Lina and Nava practiced their Hebrew lessons in the evenings whenever they could be alone. It was much easier to study with someone. Nava considered it an immense game. As the weeks passed, the two found that they could communicate in Hebrew, albeit roughly and slowly.

Lina wondered if Achmed was taking Hebrew lessons also. She had not seen him since the day that the marriage contract was signed. Not seeing him did not worry her. It might be a long time until the wedding. It would not take place until the dower was paid, Mehran would see to that. She understood that the dower was a substantial sum. Achmed might not have that much yet. He would undoubtedly save it for her as soon as he could. Mehran would not likely tolerate any delays beyond what he thought were appropriate. She did not truly grasp the amount involved.

"What will it be like to be married to Achmed?" she thought. He certainly would not tolerate any outward practice of her religious beliefs. Her parents had been happy. Would he continue to be kind to her as he had been in the past? Lina hoped that he would be. A lot of the Muslim marriages that she had observed growing up had not seemed to be happy unions. She would certainly be a submissive wife; her faith commanded it in marriages to believers or unbelievers. Islam commanded submission in wives also. She would prefer a husband that was a Christian believer, as Christian writings recommended. That was not an option. She had gotten better than she had expected. She hoped that Achmed would think the same of her.

***

Neelan was getting just plain fed up with this Bedouin life style. There was always something to do. The animals needed milking, watering, or to be led to pasture. There was cheese and yogurt to make. They had moved the entire camp several times to get within reach of pasture. Everything had to be loaded on the camel, or one of the donkeys, or carried by hand. The animals had finally gotten to the point of following her. The animals weren't bad. Those were her best times. She would slowly move along where there was vegetation. The animals recognized her voice and song and followed as they ate anything green or that had been green. She soon forgot when she was singing it. She had several buddies among the group. She would occasionally carry one of the small friends just for fun. She had lost weight. Their food was sufficient but it was not rich. No wonder Grandfather was so thin. Her skin would look like leather soon too. It was hot, dry and dusty. She wanted to go home.

Neelan had not refused to do her part. She did not do it with a free heart. Her scowl and hesitation had become well known in the bayt. Daria wanted to sell or give Neelan to the first traveler that they met. Grandfather was in favor of getting rid of her but was not sure that they had the right to actually "sell" her. Daria urged, "Let's sell her, and if we find out later, we can always give the money back. Any event, she will be gone!" Neelan had overheard one of their discussions and changed her attitude for a short time but it did not last long. "We could take her to the nearest road," Daria offered. "A road busy enough to ensure that she was found, would be far out of their way."

Grandfather replied, "I had hoped that it would help when you used the riding crop on her, but her tongue and attitudes are still too sharp. I think time will take care of it." He saw Daria frown. "Use the crop on her again. It may not help, but you will feel better." Daria's frown moderated almost to a smile at the thought.

***

Achmed had completed most of his training, at least all there was time for. He advanced in his preparations to memorizing his contacts and needed phone numbers. He studied their pictures as well as pictures of his targets. He was shown a picture of an Israeli lady outside of an apartment. "Who is this?"

"This is your mother. The picture was taken last week. We thought that it would be good for you to know her current appearance." Achmed sat forward in his seat to study the photograph. "Mehran has asked to speak to you before you leave."
Chapter 19 Mary's Little Lamb's Blood Purifies

The twins, Lale and Leila, approached Lina late in the evening. Nava had gone to sleep after their last Hebrew session. Lina was shocked to see what Lale was carrying. Mostly hidden in her hand was a small, well worn New Testament. "Where did you get that?" Lina asked in a soft whisper.

"It is a New Testament. We traded for it. We were both curious and have been secretly reading it a lot. We know that you will be going soon." It was a surprise to Lina. No one had said anything to her about it, but she did not question the information. "We wanted to know a few things before you left. Not that we suspect you are a Christian, but that you know a lot about Christianity."

The other sister nodded. "Why did the 'people of the book' try to kill him?"

"The Jews were expecting a different kind of kingdom. He came proclaiming that the kingdom of Heaven was at hand, but he was speaking of people's hearts." Lina offered.

"But why did they crucify him? Allah sent him. They didn't have to crucify him," Lale asserted.

"The Jews have been blamed for his death for centuries," added Leila.

"They didn't do it."

"Then who did?" both twins wanted to know. Lina thought of the dream that she had had the previous night.

She paused at length before answering. "You did," she said abruptly as she pointed at them.

The twins registered shock, "We didn't have anything to do with it. We weren't there. Good Muslims would not do such a thing."

"There weren't any Muslims then. Mohammed wasn't born for centuries." Lina answered.

"That is right. I forgot about that," one of the twins said.

"Let me tell you about a dream that I had last night. You recall the time when He was taken before the governor and the people shouted, 'Crucify Him'?" The twins nodded. "I dreamed that I stood with the crowd. I tried not to speak at all, but my mouth kept shouting, 'Crucify Him,' as loud as the others. My heart was crying, 'No, no, no, don't do it!' The governor asked, 'Why, what has he done?' We all shouted, 'Crucify Him! Let His Blood be upon us and our children'. It was Passover. It was time to slaughter the Passover lamb. The blessed Virgin Mary's little Lamb." The two did not comment, but considered what Lina had said. "He had spoken God's word. His life was sinless. For those who will accept it, this little Lamb's blood purifies us before the One God."

"Our teachers say that He did not die, but that Allah took Him to Heaven." replied Lale.

"Many people saw Him after He had arisen from the dead, and they died for that testimony. There are reports by historians of His death,"

Leila replied. "That is just the corrupt writings of the Christians. That is why Mohammed had to come. By that time the Christian's writings were corrupted to the extent that they could not be relied upon," insisted Leila.

"Could it be that, for those who can accept it, Mary's little Lamb's blood purifies them before the One God?" Lina offered. "If you were to seek the One God with an open heart and mind, listening for the still small voice, He might reveal to you the truth about the Lamb. Is there any harm in seeking the truth, privately of course? Our teachers might consider such a search only an opportunity for deception."

Lina commented, "The ruler that agreed to have Him crucified sought to wash his hands of the matter. Won't we all answer for how we treated Him? But be warned. Here in Iran the life of a believer in the Lamb is not an easy one." The twins agreed to think about the matter and to consider asking the One God about it.

After the twins had left, Lina remembered the rest of her dream. She had been standing near the front. He had stood there before the crowd severely beaten, wearing a purple robe and a crown of long thorns. Blood was running down His face. The guard jerked off the bloody purple robe that He had been wearing as He was taken away. She fell to her knees sobbing. She had condemned Him. With her own mouth she had shouted, "Crucify him." After a long time, she looked up. Everyone else was gone. She wiped the ragged sleeve of her coarser garment across her face. As it touched her mouth it burned like fire. She screamed from the pain and looked at her sleeve expecting to see fire. There was a small smear of blood. She at first thought it was her own blood, but instantly realized that it was His Blood. Her mouth was now clean like the prophet of old whose lips had been cleansed by a live coal from the altar of God.
Chapter 20 Two for the Price of One

Achmed sat across from Mehran. He was somewhat nervous about his upcoming mission. "You will be inserted into Israel next week." Mehran said. "I remember your concern about living with the infidels and the discomfort that you experienced in Paris. That is one of the reasons that I offered you the option of marrying Lina."

"That might be a good while in the future. My trip will be potentially dangerous. She may be released from the marriage contract if I don't come back." Achmed was not sure what Mehran meant about his reluctance and the desire to have a pure heart before Allah. "Wasn't much of an offer," he thought. "Handed me the contract and then the pen." He wasn't displeased with the contract, but what did his future marriage to Lina have to do with anything?

Mehran continued, "Lina will be assuming the identity of an Israeli. She will get to Israel before you and the two of you will be married as soon as the paperwork and arrangements can be made. A honeymoon in Elate will be nice this time of year." Achmed was understandably surprised by the announcement. Things were getting more complex, meeting his mother for the first time, getting married, and spying in Israel at the same time.

"I don't know what to say." Achmed stammered.

"There is one other complication," Mehran replied. "My youngest daughter Nava has become very attached to Lina. Lina looks a lot like a young version of Nava's late mother. I'm sure that neither Nava nor Lina recognize that fact. Nava will be heartbroken if I send Lina away. She would much prefer to leave the family and go with Lina. I have arranged for Nava to assume the identity of Lina's younger sister. Their foster parents in Israel work for us. You will be getting two ladies for the price of one. I am sure that you would protect either with your life. It will be an excellent cover for your activities. Nava will attend school and study in Hebrew. She will learn much which may make her an effective weapon for Allah. May it please Allah to allow us to see the Jews driven into the sea."
Chapter 21 Neelan's Visitors

Neelan saw two riders in the distance. They first appeared as two faint trails of dust. The goats looked around to see why Neelan had stopped singing. The goats saw the approaching riders and gathered around Neelan nervously. Neelan started singing again to reassure the goats as she cast a glance toward the bayt. It was much too far to flee for protection. The riders approached and stopped.

"Brother, what have we here?" one of them asked.

Neelan looked up as she answered, "You brothers have nothing here. I and my goats are here, and that has nothing to do with you."

One of the riders dismounted, "Perhaps we should take one of the kids to roast for supper. That one looks plump and tender." He was pointing at 'Buddy,' the first kid that she had carried. As he approached Buddy, Neelan had her staff at the ready. As he reached for the kid, Neelan's swing with the staff caught him a glancing blow on the side of the head. He almost went down but then turned on Neelan. He ducked out of the way as she swung again. The other rider dismounted and the two began to circle Neelan in opposite directions. She kept them away for a good while, each avoiding her staff. The one now had some blood obvious on the side of his face. The standoff could not last, and one of her tormenters grabbed her staff at the end of a swing. He pulled the staff hard and Neelan released it as she sought to break her fall. One of the brothers pinned her as she struggled to get up. She was unable to break free and began to curse them.

One of them mocked her saying, "Surely we will have roast kid tonight."

"And the whole herd to take back with us," answered the other. "But what are we to do with this foul mouth shepherdess?"

"We could take her back with us."

"And listen to her foul mouth all the way back?"

"We could gag her."

"Perhaps we should find out which bayt that she is from?"

"I am staying with a man known to me only as 'Grandfather' and his son Rayhan," she told them as she continued to curse them and tried to spit on the one holding her. "Get off of me."

The one holding her released her and got up quickly. "I'm sorry I didn't know that Grandfather's bayt was this far south." The other rider threw her staff some distance away as they both mounted up. She could do nothing but pelt them with stones as they rode off in the direction that she had come. They could see the bayt in the distance as well as she could. It would be no problem for them to find Grandfather and his family. It was time for Neelan and her flock to head back. She would carry a knife next time. If they were still at Grandfather's when she got back, a knife might be put to good use.

As Neelan approached the campsite, she could see the two horses tied outside. She had not cooled off from her encounter with the two brothers. She tried to act as if nothing was bothering her. That worked until she overheard some of the conversation from within the tent. "Grandfather, if you won't agree to a marriage contract for the girl would you consider selling her outright?" Daria saw Neelan carrying her staff as she stepped around the corner of the tent, but Daria was too late to stop her. The man that had previously forced her to the ground was only able to deflect the blow of her staff with his forearm. The other man, Rayhan, and Daria tackled Neelan at the same time. Rayhan and Daria took their writhing, threatening and cursing captive away. The other visitor was called to return to his place beside Grandfather.

"I am very sorry for the attack. I beg you to forget this grievous insult. But as you see the girl is not at all pleased with you. Do you still want to purchase her?" Grandfather could not help from grinning as he asked the man. He was still holding his arm close while he rocked back and forth in an attempt to distract himself from the pain.

"Yes, even more." he replied to grandfather's surprised look.

"Haven't you been sufficiently abused?" Grandfather replied.

"I have a good leather strap, and I would consider it a service to Allah to tame that one. Can you imagine her standing meekly near your tent with a child playing at her feet, another in her arms, and a third swelling her belly?"

"Yes, it would be a worthy task and an enviable sight," replied Grandfather. "I can remember the day when I would have been glad to be responsible for putting her in that condition. I can also imagine her cutting your throat with a butcher knife during the night."

"You will sell her then? Name your price."

"I don't have the right to sell her. Also I would feel responsible if she causes you to bleed out. Barring that, I fear that you would tire of the effort and end up reselling her yourself." Grandfather noticed that Neelan had finally been quieted.

"It would probably be worthwhile for me to talk to the girl." Grandfather rose gently and moved slowly until his joints loosened up.

"Please excuse me for a moment." He walked around the tent to where Neelan was seated between Rayhan and Daria. He picked up his staff, which he used mostly as a cane, and the riding crop. "Neelan come with me."

Fear replaced some of the anger that she felt. She may have earned herself a good flogging. "It will be worth it," she thought, "to have heard him cry out from the blow that she had delivered." Floggings had happened before. Her short temper was often the cause, laziness slightly less so. The lights in her mind had been slowly coming on and recently the floggings had become rarer.

After they had gone far enough to have a private conversation, Grandfather spoke to her, "These men are distant relatives and of our goum (group of Bedouin tents). We are bound to them by treaty and by blood. It was a disgrace upon my bayt to have them attacked while within my hospitality. Kursheed is not an uneducated desert dweller, as you might suppose. He holds an engineering degree from a prestigious university, and he will be used by Allah to strike the infidels."

"He should not have attacked me and threatened to roast the kid that I call 'Buddy'. And now he wants to buy me! He is not my relative. Don't you understand why I am upset?"

"That is true, and I do understand, but while you are within my tent you will act as if you are family. You must be punished within their hearing." Neelan looked down at the riding crop in Grandfather's hand. She knew from experience that he wielded it effectively for a man his age. She was beginning to wonder if landing the offending blow had been worth it. She had too much respect for Grandfather to resist any correction that he might give her. Thankfully he offered her an alternative. "They might consider it sufficient penance if you will talk to Kursheed in a civil manner. It is your choice."

Neelan looked at the crop again, "I will talk to the man."

"You can say whatever you want, as long as it is softly and with respect. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Good, you wait here and I will send him over." Grandfather walked over to the tent and spoke to Kursheed. As he walked out to where Neelan was, she noticed that he was tall and reasonably handsome. The realization infuriated Neelan all the more.

"I understand that you are willing to talk with me," Kursheed said.

"I have little choice. Did you see the riding crop in Grandfather's hand? The chosen alternative is equally unpleasant." Neelan let him know that speaking to him was almost as bad as taking a thrashing.

"I am sorry that we got off to such a bad start. I hope that we can change that," Kursheed replied.

Neelan spoke with low volume so that Grandfather could not hear her, but she replied snarling through clinched teeth, "First you attacked me and now you want to purchase me so that you can keep me impregnated in your tent? How do you expect me to act now? Now I am to be thrashed or made to talk to you. If you purchase me I will inflict a fatal wound, or worse, as soon as I have the opportunity. "

"That does not sound good," Kursheed agreed. "What would you consider worse than killing me?"

"Separating from you the body parts that you would need to impregnate me. Would that be worse than a fatal wound? It can be your choice." She replied menacingly.

"I am very sorry for how things turned out. I will tell Grandfather that he must not feel badly for this misunderstanding. I again apologize to you." He paused for a moment. "If I come this way again would you be willing to speak with me briefly?"

Neelan turned away from him and snarled the reply, "Yesssss." She knew that Grandfather would allow nothing less.

He returned to the tent and spoke to Grandfather before Neelan had returned to within hearing distance. "Wonderful girl. She has a very strong spirit, but I am almost sure that she can be tamed."

"I will find out if her father is willing for a marriage contract to be negotiated. You might have better luck taming a mother bear that had been robbed of her cubs, but you are welcome to try, and may Allah have mercy on you," Grandfather said as he rubbed his beard thoughtfully. He continued softly so that Neelan would not hear, "In any event I am sure that her father would appreciate your efforts."
Chapter 22 Departures

Achmed had all his belongings, except for those that would fit in a suitcase, placed in storage. The sight of his empty apartment gave his mission a sense of finality. He had his legitimate Israeli passport, several other supporting documents, and a goodly amount of cash on him, and sealed into the lining of his suitcase. With his one suitcase in hand, the apartment door closed behind him with a thud.

He had not seen or talked with Lina since the date that they had signed the marriage contract. There had been the shocking surprise, the signatures, and then she was gone. At least she had been in the same room during the signing of the contract. He wished that he had thought to more than glance in her direction. When would he see her again? The wedding was set to take place shortly after he arrived in Israel. The thought that he might enter into an arranged marriage was not at all strange to him, but to know so little about the woman, or was it a girl in this case, that he was to marry was somewhat unnerving. What was she really like? He had seen her in situations that were very stressful for her and she had responded bravely. He knew of her quiet graceful manner. He also knew that she still probably secretly held Christian beliefs. As his wife, she would not be allowed any open folly. They were to attend a Synagogue of their (his) choice as part of their cover. He wondered if she had been instructed in the practice of Judaism.

During the trip to the airport, he continued to consider the many unknowns. He had not seen Nava in a long time. He was not sure that he would even recognize the young girl. How would he interact with her? She considered Lina to be her older sister, but Lina would really be acting as her mother. What did that make him, her father? If he treated her with care and compassion, things would probably work out. The same could be said for his relationship with Lina.

There were no direct flights from Iran to Israel. Achmed had to change planes in Paris. There was only a short layover before his one way flight to Israel. That suited him fine. He had no interest in leaving the airport after his previous experiences in the city. He sought out a restroom and changed into his "Jewish" clothes. The clothes that he had worn from Iran were left hanging on the hook in a restroom stall. He had worn the clothing in his Jewish classes on numerous occasions, but this was to be a semi-permanent change, and he was wearing them in public. It would take some effort to get used to them.

The stewardess on the EL AL airline greeted him with the traditional "Shalom" as he boarded. He hoped that the surprise did not register on his face. He should have expected it. This was for real. He was entering enemy territory. He took his seat and sought to occupy his mind. The recent picture of his mother came to mind, so he slipped it out of his papers. This was going to be a surprise. He and the assisting agents had decided not to notify her in advance. The only time he remembered her voice was when he had called and been hung up on after she answered.

His tillit katal (a shirt-like undergarment with tassels on the four corners) that he wore in compliance to the mitzvot (Commandment) in the Law of Moses had been washed many times to give it a used appearance, but it still chafed him somewhat. Wearing the kippah went unnoticed until he ran his hand through his hair knocking it off. No one seemed to pay attention. Most on the flight were secular Jews or tourists. He heard more conversations in French and English than Hebrew. But a few were Orthodox Ashkenazi, routinely called "black hats". The thought of attending an Orthodox Synagogue was not welcome to him. He would have to see what was available in Jerusalem near his, or in this case, his and Lina's apartment.

***

Mehran had summoned Lina. She was seated across from him in his home office. "Have you enjoyed your time here with my family, or at least have you been treated well?"

"Oh, yes to both very much so," Lina replied.

"Has Neelan been missed by anyone yet." asked Mehran.

"No. Oh, I mean that is to say....." Lina paused when she saw the broad grin on Mehran's face. "Might I ask where she is now? No one seems to know."

"She is with one of my uncles who lives as a goat herder in the desert." Mehran started to add, "Since he grew too old to actively continue fighting the Zionists." But he thought better of it and continued. "He offers training to individuals that may need to know how to manage themselves in the wilderness as a Bedouin would. He also offers reality training to those who need it like a spoiled, foul mouthed, ill tempered teenager. She has calmed down substantially. She will probably not be back here before you are gone. It is likely that she will marry where she is. I have signed a marriage contract for her. In any event, you won't be here much longer." Lina blanched white at Mehran's last comment. He saw her concern and continued. "Oh, don't be worried. You will be joining Achmed in Israel."

"Israel?" Lina questioned. "What business does a Muslim Iranian have in Israel?"

"Achmed's mother is Israeli. We are sending him there to work for us."

"Achmed is Jewish?" Lina asked with a look of utter amazement showing on her face.

"Yes, but only by parentage on his mother's side. He was raised by a devout Muslim father. Don't worry. Achmed is strong in his faith. We have been watching him for a long time." Lina knew that Mehran had probably been watching her for a long time too. She hoped he didn't know about her last conversation with the twins. She tensed somewhat. She relaxed as she realized that if he knew, she probably would not be sitting here talking to him.

Lina had hoped to marry a young Christian man. That hope died the night that she was taken away from her family. Achmed had been a better match than she had dreamed possible since her time in the prison. But he was Jewish by blood, and they were going to live in Israel? Their courtship had been short, about 30 seconds, and then it was done. They were promised to each other both legally and morally. She only had an impression of what he was like. Would he be cruel to her? There would be much time to find out first-hand later.

Mehran laid out her travel documents in front of her on his desk. He opened each and explained, "This is your passport." She took it, looked at her picture, and read the address as somewhere in Tel Aviv. There were several visa stamps from other countries and entry stamps back into Israel. She had traveled extensively, at least on paper, and according to the document, she was in Israel now. He next handed her another with Nava's picture listing the same Tel Aviv address. Before she could pose the question, he continued with their airline tickets, one for her and Nava from Tehran to Tunis. He added before she could speak, "Yes, Nava will be going with you. I trust that you will care for her as you would for a cherished younger sister."

"She will be living with Achmed and me in Tel Aviv?"

"Well, actually you all will be living in Jerusalem. Your acting parents live in Tel Aviv. Is there a problem with Nava staying with you?" She paused too long, and Mehran's brow wrinkled.

"Oh no, no problem. It is just a lot to absorb at one time. How will we get from Tunis to Israel?" She stammered as she remembered the millennium old Jewish prayer, "Next year in Jerusalem." It was a place that she had assumed she would never be able to visit. Now she was going to live there? At least Neelan wouldn't be around to cut her throat with a rusty knife.

"You and Nava will make the last leg of your journey by sea. Pack light, no more than one change of clothes, tooth brush, and little things like that. Your things should not be any larger than," Mehran thought for a descriptive size, "no larger than a woman's handbag."

***

The stewardess announced the approach of their flight to Tel Aviv. "The captain has turned on the no smoking sign. Place all seats in the upright position." One of the passengers near Achmed commented on the proximity to the Gaza Strip. His mind went to the stinger surface to air missiles that Hamas had obtained.

Achmed jumped as he heard the loud thump and a change in the wind noise. "He must not fly often," a passenger commented as all those around Achmed saw his startled reaction to the lowering of the landing gear.

"I must calm myself," Achmed thought. "At this rate, I will give myself away before I can accomplish anything here."

Deplaning went about as well as he expected. He was slightly nervous as he waited in the customs line to show his passport. When it was his turn to step to the counter, he was surprised that the customs clerk was female, about 25 years old, and very blonde. "Did you enjoy your trip abroad?" There was no denying her accent, definitely sabra (native born Israeli).

"It is just good to finally be home," was Achmed's truthful answer. There was no point in inventing anything at this point. She noted his accent. To her, it was heavily Farsi sounding. Looking down at his passport, she noted there was only an exit stamp from France. She scanned the electronic chip on the document. The screen indicated that it had been issued recently to an Israeli in Paris.

"Where have you been?"

"I was born in Tel Aviv. My father kidnapped me away from my mother long ago and took me to Iran."

"You grew up in Iran?"

"Yes, well, since I was about three years old."

"Do you have any other identification?"

"Yes, my original birth certificate." He produced the document for her inspection. She saw that it was real, or a first rate forgery.

"Do you have another passport, Iranian perhaps?"

"No, my other papers were confiscated when I left Iran." There was a pained look on his face. "There is no going back now." He meant that in more ways than one.

The blonde spoke to someone over her shoulder. Another young Israeli woman approached taking Achmed's documents and asked him to follow her. "Please wait in this interview room. Someone will return shortly."

"But you have my documents," Achmed reminded her.

"They will be returned at the end of your interview," she said, as she closed the door behind herself on the way out. Achmed thought to check the door to see if it was locked, but decided against it. It didn't matter. He couldn't leave without his paperwork, and they might be watching to see his reaction. The room was bare except for a simple table and two chairs. He had a seat and waited. As his heart rate slowed, it occurred to him that a blonde Israeli should not have been that surprising. There were a lot of European Jews coming here after WWII. Her grandparents could have been German. He had some disparaging thoughts about Hitler. He should have been able to finish the "final solution". At least without him there would have been far fewer Jews here in the land. They could have stayed in Europe.

Achmed waited for what felt like an hour. The door was finally opened by a man in his mid-thirties. The man introduced himself after sitting down and began to question Achmed. The interview lasted about an hour, but felt like hours to Achmed. The man knew more about him than he had anticipated telling anyone here in Israel. There had been little choice. His housing, cover job, and personal contacts were fixed and could easily be verified. The interviewer excused himself and apparently intended to do the verifying.

After another lengthy wait, the door opened again, and a lady that he had not seen before came in with his "file". The questions he had answered had been verified or his cover was blown. He would soon find out which. Years in an Israeli prison did not appeal to him, and he began to sweat. "Why did you rent an apartment in a religious neighborhood?" she asked. He looked at her for a moment. She shifted in her chair before he answered.

"I'm not orthodox, but I still believe, I'm not an agnostic." She stared at him hard for a moment, and he then realized that she was probably a secular Jew and might have considered his remarks an insult. He sought to get her mind off of any unintended insult and continued. "I didn't have any real idea what the area was really like. My main concern was housing that I could afford." She looked at his papers and saw that the previous agent had contacted his Rabbi, or supposed Rabbi, in Tehran. He shouldn't have been hard to find. Not many Jews in Iran since 1948. He was safe so far.

"You are engaged to an Israeli girl?"

How did they find that out, or is she just fishing? He had not offered the information, and the previous man had not asked that question, or had he? She might know for sure, so it is safest to tell the truth. He would have told the truth to the previous man. "Yes."

"Her name?" she looked down at the file. His sweat turned cold and his skin prickled all over. What was Lina Tanaz Vahbiz's cover name?

***

One of Mehran's assistants came for Lina and Nava just before all of the girls were to depart for the Mosque. "You two will remain behind," she told them. All were already dressed in long sleeve, dark colored dresses.

"You two are in trouble big time," remarked one of the girls as they left.

The servant accompanied the two to collect the things that they would be taking with them. Each small bag had their toothbrush, hair brush, a change of underclothes, their documents, and nothing else. She escorted them to Mehran's car, a Mercedes sedan. Lina held Nava's hand. The younger girl was holding on very tightly. Everyone else had already departed. "You know where they are taking us?" Lina asked.

"Yes," came the weak reply.

"Are you sure that you have chosen the correct path?" Lina asked her.

"If it lets me stay with you," Nava said as she leaned her head against Lina. Mehran's assistant listened to the exchange as they pulled out of the driveway. He probably had the authority to keep Nava behind if the little one wavered in her desire to stay with Lina.

The car glided past the checkpoints and drove to a remote area of the airport tarmac. Mehran's servant motioned for the two to follow her. They climbed the steep rusty boarding ladder. Forklifts were just finishing loading containers into the plane's cavernous interior. Workers in tan work clothes were busy strapping the load securely. He knocked on the flight deck door. The knock was answered by a man wearing a captain's uniform. He took the document that he was given, attached it to the shipping manifest clipboard, hung it back on the wall, and returned to his preparations. Mehran's servant motioned for the girls to be seated in the only remaining space. The rest of the airplane was strictly cargo. One of the turbine engines was beginning to spin up, causing a substantial scream through the open doors. The heat and kerosene smell billowed through. "I assumed that we would be going by airliner. I saw the tickets in Mehran's office." Lina asked not knowing what to expect.

"There was a change of plans. You two will be going air freight." He turned and hurried down the ladder leaving the two girls behind. The cargo door was closed first, greatly reducing the noise. An additional turbine could be heard spinning up as the ladder was moved, and the remaining door was closed.

Some cooling air finally began flowing from the vents near their seats. A couple of tears ran down Nava's face. Lina brushed them away with her fingers and caught a few of her own with the back of her hand before the young one could see. She kissed the little one on the forehead and held her close. She was responsible for the little one now. She just wasn't sure right now who was responsible for Lina. Lina and Nava's guardian angels stood behind the pair. Lina knew that great change was coming. She recalled a verse and made it her prayer:'You will become the protector of the widows and orphans.' Please watch over us orphans, Nava and me." The airplane taxied nosily over cracks in the tarmac. It paused several times. Lina was beginning to wonder if they were actually going to depart when the whine of the turbine's pitch increased to a tremendous roar. They were pressed back into their seats, and the cargo could be heard shifting slightly in the restraining straps.

Nava yelped when Lina gripped her hand too tightly. The younger one seemed unconcerned about the noise and thrust. Lina realized that Nava, unlike herself, had apparently flown before. Lina quickly released her grip and then reapplied it when the plane angled up and the landing gear cleared the ground with a loud clanking sound. "It's OK." Nava said to her traveling companion. "Everything feels normal. I have done this before. I will tell you if there is a problem."

"Thanks," was all that Lina could think to reply.

"Could I have my hand back please?" whispered the little one. Lina released the hand in question and took a deep breath seeking to calm herself. She had anticipated so much change but had not thought of what a flight might be like. She began to pray silently to heself. A peace fell over her, and her words changed to expressions of praise. The words changed to another language, and Lina was at first shocked until she recalled the dream that she had had on the car trip to Mehran's home. She recognized that they were words of praise to the Creator, and the peace she felt continued to wash over her.

"Look outside," Nava offered Lina a better view out of the window near her seat. Lina looked at the shrinking terrain. Before long her nose was almost pressed against the glass. "Take a good look," Nava offered, "It may be a long time before we see Tehran again." Lina wondered if the little one's statement would turn out to be prophetic. Lina realized that she might never be back.
Chapter 23 Second Visit

Neelan saw Kursheed approaching in the distance. He was riding a donkey. "Here we go again," Neelan said to Buddy. He looked at her expectantly. "I will probably get in trouble again, but he won't have you for a roast. Not while I still have breath in my body."

The available browse had gotten scarce, so Grandfather moved the bayt into the foothills. From the slight rise, Neelan watched the slow approach. She might not have noticed the man and donkeys at this distance when she first arrived in the desert, but now her eyesight was more finely attuned to distant movement and faint shades of green (grass for the flock). She might be able to lead Kursheed on a circular path until her return to the tents later in the day. That would accomplish nothing. He would follow, and she would have to talk to him. It was better in her view to get it over with.

Kursheed dismounted some little distance away and approached Neelan on foot. He heard a slight click which stopped him in his tracks. "Neelan, my dearest?" he asked as he lifted his arms toward her.

"Come closer my love," replied the girl with a broad smile on her face.

"First show me what you have in your hands, my dearest," he requested.

She extended her left hand to him, "Closer," she urged, motioning with her hand.

"First show me your other hand." She lifted the hand that was hidden behind the fold of her garment. There was a small lock-back, serrated blade, folding knife gripped tightly in her fingers. "Such intentions my dearest?"

"The last time that we met out here, you were not such a gentleman, and the bayt is far away. Do you blame me?"

"What were your intentions? Protection, or did you intend to disembowel me straight away?"

"I had not decided yet. I would wait until you get within arm's reach, so it would be to your advantage to keep a little distance," she said smiling sweetly.

"How could you question my intentions? Surely you know your father has negotiated a very fine marriage contract with my father?"

"I wish I could get within arm's length of my father. I would not have to wait to question my actions," Neelan snarled as she thought of her father and the place that he had forced her.

"But we are such a good match. Surely you must agree?"

"I have had no choice in the decision. Why should I agree to anything? I can leave you to wondering where I have the blade hidden on our wedding night."

"I have approached you brashly. I certainly won't force myself on you in spite of our fathers' wishes. Would you allow me to begin anew?"

"Certainly, come close my love," she said as she smiled sweetly, her right hand again hidden by her garment. He took one step and then stopped.

This girl would be perfect for his strike against the Zionists. He had no doubt that she could smile sweetly as she killed someone. "I will approach you with my words only until you decide on your course of actions, if you will agree to put away your blade."

"I like it where it is. If you remain a gentleman I won't 'open you' and then I will decide on my course of actions." She looked down as Buddy nuzzled against the side of her leg.

"Very well," he said, as he began to explain the plan for a strike against the Zionists. "Would you like to have a part in driving the Jews into the sea? Could you use your blade or another weapon if you got the chance?"

"Certainly, the chance to kill the descendents of pigs and monkeys who pollute the holy site would be most welcome. But do we have to cross the barren frontier into the land (Israel) as Bedouins?"

"The chance to enter with the needed items would necessitate that approach. We can live a desirable life. We can care for the animals and our cargo during the day and enjoy the 'heat' of the tent during the night. Would that interest you?" He watched as she slowly looked him over as if for the first time from head to toe.

"I can see the desirability of such an arrangement," she finally agreed. "But I don't want to always live like this." She motioned to her surroundings.

"When the pigs are slaughtered, we will live in a house by the sea," he promised.

"And how would you treat me?" she asked questioningly.

"Like a princess," he said, as he lifted a hand toward her. There was a pause and then he heard the faint click as she closed the knife with no apparent movement of her right hand. "Would I dare to treat you any other way?"
Chapter 24 A Terrible Sound

The cell door clanged shut behind Achmed. It was a terrible sound causing the hair on the back of his head to prickle. Of all the things to go brain dead on: what his fiancée's cover name was. Lina's given name was retained, but the family name had flown away. They had placed him in a cell adjoining another with about half a dozen Muslim men who scowled at him. He could not understand their attitude until one of them spoke. "What are you accused of Jew?" one of the men asked with open animosity. He started to explain the situation, but caught himself. This was actually a very good sign. They believed his cover. They had to continue to think that he was a Jew. One of the men could be an Israeli informant.

He answered, "Travel violation. I can guess what you are here for." He pointed to one and said, "Theft." To another, "Assaulting an innocent person. And you," he pointed to the tallest, "you are obviously here for simply smelling like a dog. And you by the window, you are obviously a homosexual." He would have continued the charade but they drowned him out with their curses.

***

"What do you really believe?" Lina looked down into Nava's questioning face. "I mean about the One God, the prophet Yeshua and stuff like that," Nava clarified.

"You know that I confess faith in Allah and Mohammed his prophet?"

"Yes, but what do you really believe?"

"If we are to ever return to Iran and your father, my confession will have to remain. I could get into serious trouble if Mehran found out otherwise."

"I know, and would never say anything. I just want to know."

Lina paused. The little one really wanted to know and would never intentionally reveal anything, but she decided to be cautious with her wording, "Some people believe that Yeshua was the Son of the Most High, and that we can have a spiritual relationship with Him that takes away our sins. He paid the price and purchased us with his blood so that He could present us spotless and clean before YHWH."

"You really believe that He died for us? Didn't the Christians corrupt the writings?"

"Everyone has to make up their own mind about that. If we can get a copy of the Bible when we get there, I will read His story to you. Your father must never know. He would have me executed."

***

Neelan asked Grandfather, "Do you think it would be right for me to agree to marry Kursheed? I know it is right to obey my father's choice in this, but do I have any choice at all?" Grandfather thought about the question for some time; Neelan waited patiently.

"Your choices are truly limited. As you know, if you refuse, it might be forced on you. Your father has the means to make you agree to anything. It would be a poor start to a lifetime with a husband. If you run away now or later you will be pretty much on your own. You could appeal to your father." She shook her head knowing that would do no good. Grandfather continued, "This is probably your best chance. You must trust that Allah will bless your marriage and your efforts to strike the Zionists. There will be a Goum (group of Bedouin tents) soon to celebrate and conduct your marriage with Kursheed. Your father will be here." Neelan frowned. Grandfather continued, "Look on the bright side, Kursheed is very handsome, he is educated and reasonably well off. You will not be a wandering Bedouin for long, but you are trained and could easily pass for one if the need arises in the holy struggle. You know that al-Mahdi (Savior) will not come and establish Islam worldwide until the holy land is purified of the putrid Jewish filth?" She nodded affirmatively. She was less concerned with al-Mahdi coming than doing what she wanted to do. It did not look like she had much choice in the matter. Her father had won. Perhaps something might happen to Kursheed during the holy struggle, and she would be a reasonably well off widow with lots of choices. The thought made her smile.
Chapter 25 Two by Sea

Lina was drowsy from the constant noise of the plane and drifted into a shallow sleep. There was a reduction in the noise, announcing the beginning of their descent. She startled immediately awake with her heart pounding. Nava saw her reaction and spoke into Lina's ear, "We are almost there. We have started down, you can feel it by the pressure on your ears. You need to yawn to make your ears pop. It is very normal." Lina was surprised again to find that Nava was comforting her. No doubt she needed it. Lina was able to at least appear calm during the rest of the descent and landing.

The plane taxied to a stop and the engines were shut down. The flight deck crew exited the cabin as soon as the mobile stairway was in place. The two girls started to exit with them but they were immediately stopped by one of the cargo handlers. "You stay with the freight." He handed a shipping manifest to Lina. It was a shipping manifest stating "1 Girl Teenage and 1 Girl Preteen". "Give this to the cargo handlers," the man said and promptly left.

The heat was stifling as Lina and Nava rode in the back of the uncovered truck through the city toward the seaport. The truck stopped near where a crane was loading pallets of goods into a rusty freighter. Were they going to load them by crane and ship them by freighter all the way to Israel? Thankfully they were led up the gangplank and steps to the door outside the bridge. "Wait here," they were told. Their escort entered and gave the captain the shipping papers.

"Are we in the business of smuggling Iranian prostitutes?" he shouted at the man with the papers.

He gave a soft reply, said something about dropping them off at sea with the special shipment, and pointed to the two frightened girls visible through the glass in the door. "Well, keep them out of my sight, and see that they don't cause any trouble with the crew."

The man exited the bridge and escorted the girls to a small utilitarian cabin with two bunks pointing out where the "head" was on the way. "If I were you I would stay in the cabin with the door locked. Some of the crew are a truly unruly sort and would love to get their hands on you two. That might cause enough disturbance to bother the captain. He is short tempered and has been known to throw troublemakers overboard no matter the source of the problem."

The cabin was hot, but they heeded the warning to keep the door closed and locked. They passed the time by sitting on the lower bunk practicing Hebrew as they had done in Tehran. Some motion was apparent, and they felt the slight rumble as the engines were started. All was well until the motion of the boat began. After an hour or so, they both started feeling a little green. They both dashed to the head about the same time. Sleep was the only thing to finally alleviate the nausea.

Loud banging on the door the next morning awakened the two, who were thankful for the sleep that they had been able to get. "On deck; we have arrived at your destination," shouted a voice that sounded like their escort from the previous evening. They wandered on deck squinting in the bright sunlight. There was no land in sight.

"This can't be right," Lina said, more as a comment to herself than to Nava.

Nava's small hand found her guardian's hand. "The captain isn't going to have us thrown overboard is he?"

"Yes he is," said a burly sailor passing in front of them. "Follow me," he commanded. Nava's hand began to tremble more noticeably as they followed the sailor. They didn't have much choice. Smallish crates were being lowered over the rail with the help of a frayed rope. The sailor turned and grasped Nava underneath her arms, picking her up and breaking her frantic hold onto Lina's hand. The little girl's scream intensified to an ear piercing shriek as he swung her dangling feet out over the railing. Lina ran to the rail, reaching for the little one.

"Enough Blake," yelled the captain.

"Just having a little fun," replied the sailor as he sat Nava down into Lina's grasp.

"We will be troweling for sharks with your carcass if you put your hands on the little one again."

The sailor turned to Lina who was still clutching the young one. Softly he said "Help her down the netting into the boat." Lina looked over the side not having been aware that there was another craft nearby. There was a very nice sailboat bobbing below with a man and woman struggling to stow the crate that Lina had seen go over the side earlier. There was mesh nettings down the side of the freighter. Nava was still clutching Lina's neck and shoulders. Lina turned around and leaned against the railing so Nava could see the boat about 7 meters below them.

"We have to climb down." Nava continued her death grip. "I can climb down, or I can hold you, but I can't do both." Lina realized that haste was called for. "You have to climb down beside me!" She turned around so that Nava could see the sailor. Lina repeated, "You have to climb down beside me," and then added, "or Blake will help you!" Nava looked at the brawny sailor as a broad smile spread across his face. A small hand reached for the rail as she kept an eye on the sailor. He took one step toward them, and the little one scurried through the railing and grabbed the netting. Lina joined her, and they climbed down shakily to the boat waiting below. The lines were cast off as their feet hit the deck. The freighter was underway as soon as the smaller boat was clear.

***

The Bayts had gathered for the feast and wedding. A larger tent had been set up. The smell of roast goat was appetizing. It wasn't Buddy, Neelan had made sure of that. He would end up as a roast sometime, but not on Neelan's watch. Her father had indeed arrived bringing all her brothers and sisters. It was a small busload. Neelan had received his blessing, but the thoughts on her mind had to remain unsaid. Mehran knew very well her thoughts from her expression.

***

"I'm Rinna, your new mother," began the woman that appeared to be in her late thirties. "And this is Joel, your father."

He was hoisting the mainsail but stopped to nod and speak to the two. "Welcome daughters." They both spoke flawless Hebrew. They were either sabras or really good at language skills. Nava started a greeting in Farsi. "No, no," began Joel, "We speak only in Hebrew now. It must become natural if we are to complete our mission." Lina didn't ask about the mission. Probably the less she knew the better. The crates that had been loaded came to mind. The mainsail tightened in the breeze and the boat was under way.

"Now girls, into the cabin and change out of those non-Hebrew looking clothes," Rinna said as she moved forward to help with the jib sail. "There is a change of clothes that should fit you very nicely laid out ready for you." The two went into the cabin and looked at their new clothes.

"Wow," Nava gasped, "Father would never have allowed us to wear something like that."

Lina stood looking at the items provided for her. "I don't know if I can wear that now!"

Rinna hurriedly joined them in the cabin, "Quick, give me your passports and change clothes."

Lina looked up at her. "I can't wear that!"

"You have no choice. Quickly, strip and hand me your old clothes." Rinna dumped some diving equipment, mask fins and such out of a mesh bag. She left one lead diving weight in the bag. "Quickly, there is a patrol boat approaching. If they get suspicious and search us we will go to prison." The removed clothing was stuffed into the bag. Lina was stunned. The thought of having to go back to any prison terrified her. Rinna probably did not know her history. She would have phrased her warning differently otherwise. Lina's hands trembled terribly as she quickly complied. The girls slipped into their stretch, one-piece swimsuits. Lina would have blushed at the thought of being seen in that state of undress but she was too terrified to even think of it. There was a splash outside the cabin. It took several seconds for her to realize that everything that they had brought with them, except their passports, had just gone overboard. Twice now she had lost everything she owned right down to her skin.

Nava beamed broadly. She was now wearing a colorful, feminine looking, print one piece. "I don't know about you, Lina, but I feel absolutely wicked. And yours is beautiful." It was like a game to the little one. Lina's suit was black with a bright turquoise stripe across the front. Lina also put on the last item, a pair of frayed leg cutoff jeans. They were a little large for her but they provided some additional coverage.

"On deck quickly," Rinna motioned for them at the hatch. There was a gunboat approaching.

Joel was in the process of dropping the sails. "You two smile and wave. We want them to think us a friendly family out for a day of boating."

"Lina you do exactly what I tell you. I may have you flirt with the sailors."

"Are you serious?" Lina asked, as she waved and smiled. "I don't know if I can."

"You shout to them whenever I tell you to. Shake your hair out and let it flow with the breeze," Rinna said as she slipped the strap of one side of Lina's one piece off her shoulder. "We will use anything to distract them, and you are the best that we have at the moment."

Lina felt naked, but she was still too terrified to do anything else. "Sailor boys come over to me," she yelled as she beckoned with her left arm as instructed. Then, with both arms stretched out, "Come over, I need hugs and kisses badly." She motioned beckoningly with her index finger, "Pretty boy!"

The sailors whistled and one of the young sailors shouted back, "Which one of us?"

"All of you!" She repeated what was whispered in her ear.

The gunboat was motoring down and drifting closer. Some of the younger sailors whistled again. They all kept their eyes on Lina. "Behave yourself daughter." Joel barked, rebuking her. Lina looked at him truly shocked. From a distance it looked like the scowl of a teenager toward an overprotective parent.

"Cross your arms and stomp over to the other side of the deck," Rinna whispered to her. "Sit down and put your head down like you are pouting."

An Israeli sea officer came to the rail scolding the sailors and sent them to their assigned station. Joel had his papers ready. The captain examined the sailboat registration and Joel's Israeli driver's license. He gave Joel a quick salute after seeing the man's reserve rank in the IDF. "I'm sorry for my daughter's behavior," Joel offered softly as if to keep the rest from hearing. "I also have everyone's passport in the dry box if you would like to see them."

The sea officer asked, "There was a freighter on our radar. Did you have anything to do with them?"

"We sure did. I thought the bastard was going to run us down. You are welcome to come aboard and have a look around if you would like. We might still have a cup of hot coffee in the thermos if you would care for one." Rinna quickly fetched it and confirmed that they had some remaining. They both understood that the best camouflage in this case was complete openness. Lina on the other hand was terrified of their offer. She could just hear the cell door clang shut behind her.

The captain considered searching the boat, but they had a lot of patrolling to do. They did not fit any profile of smugglers, especially with that daughter "in heat". He could sympathize for the father. He had a daughter at home. "I would light up the seat of her pants with a belt if she ever acted like that."

He heard Lina's coy soft voice again, "Pretty boy." He looked in time to see one of his youngsters dart back out of sight. He had some onboard disciplining to do himself. "Sorry to have troubled you Mr. Malamed. Have a good day." And loud enough for only Joel to hear, "and good luck with your daughter."

"I need prayers for that one," Joel replied. They all waved goodbye, especially Nava.
Chapter 26 Zion

"That was close, Rinna," Joel remarked after the patrol boat was underway. "He would have searched us if you hadn't thought to use Lina that way." Lina was nigh on to hyperventilating. She didn't know whether to pass out or throw up. She recalled her days of being bored and reading in her room a lot.

She prayed silently, "Lord God, I don't know how much more stress I can take." She began to use a countermeasure that her mother had taught her. She began to thank Him for His goodness. Her spirit quieted and her praises drifted into "the" praise language with the words that she did not understand. She only heard those words when she was praying or praising God. She knew the words were special to Him, and she was glad.

Once they were underway, Rinna began to make the two welcome. She put Nava's hair up into dog ears and that pleased the young girl intensely. Lina began to notice that the movement of the boat was most exhilarating. The wind was in her face, and she held her head high. She shook her hair out in the breeze as she had been instructed to do earlier. Which way were they going? She looked down at the compass: east. They would be in Israel soon. Rinna brushed out Lina's hair and began to French braid it. By the time the braiding was complete, a faint swath of land could be seen on the horizon. It was "The Land". She couldn't wait to walk there.

They exited the boat onto the catwalk and began to make their way to the shore. As they passed other boats, Lina noticed that some of the women on the boats were much more scantily clad than she could ever have imagined. She had never seen so much exposed skin. She realized that her outfit was very "modest" in comparison.

They stepped off the catwalk onto a sandy path. It jolted Lina to realize that she was walking where the prophets once had walked. They approached a slight outcropping of rock which Lina noticed had a green sprig growing out of a crevice. She approached it and dropped to her knees. There was one tiny flower on the green sprig. Tears sprang to Lina's eyes. She leaned forward and kissed the outcropping. When she stood Joel was by her. He placed one arm around her and looked into her face as the tears streamed down. "A lot of people have a similar reaction on their first entry into the land. Welcome home, daughter." She felt it. Lina was "home".

Joel's cellphone rang before they made it to the apartment lobby. Lina didn't follow much of the one sided conversation in rapid Hebrew. She did hear the name Achmed. Joel kissed Rinna on one cheek as he explained, "I have to go get Achmed. He managed to get himself arrested."

***

Achmed was escorted from the cell, where the Muslim inmates continued to insult him and his parentage, to the sergeant's desk. He did not have a clue who the man waiting for him was. Joel stood and addressed him, "How is my rattle brained future son-in-law?"

Achmed realized who he was at that point. "I am sorry to put you to this trouble, Joel. I just had a brain freeze or something. I am really sorry."

Joel turned to the Police sergeant, "He is harmless. You know the computer programmer types. He can remember pages of computer programs but forgets his fiancées maiden name. I am surprised that he remembers his own name. I think Lina could do better, but she loves him for some reason I can't explain. Keep him if you like. Or I can take him off your hands. I don't much care which." The Police sergeant heard Achmed continue to apologize to Joel as they left.

***

The Malamed's apartment was on the sixth floor. There was a view of the sea and it overlooked the marina. The small balcony was relatively private. Lina stood there unable to take her eyes away from the beautiful sight.

Rinna took the two new members of the family shopping. They purchased a few outfits for each. Lina looked downcast when Rinna picked out black stretch pants and some blouses for her. "You will have to get used to wearing what the other Israeli girls are wearing," Rinna admonished her. "It is part of your cover here." They also purchased a long dark dress and scarf like the Orthodox Jewish women wore, since she was to eventually be living in Jerusalem in a religious neighborhood. Lina worried about the cost, the items had been over 200 NIS (New Israeli Shekels). Rinna assured her that it was a covered expense to the mission, and they would be reimbursed.

The next day, Rinna gave the girls a shopping list and directions to the local market. "It will be good for you to get out and become accustomed to the way things are done here."

"Could I borrow just a little money in case we see something that we would like to have?" Lina asked.

"Sure, but just take it. It won't be a loan. There should be enough change after the grocery shopping." After Rinna left, the two decided to straighten up the apartment before they went shopping. Lina was giving the kitchen floor a quick damp mopping when a funny thought struck her. She soon might be mopping her own kitchen "barefoot and pregnant". She had no idea what Achmed would have in mind as far as family was concerned. She had not seen or talked to him since the contract signing. She was glad that the jail thing had not been serious.

The shopping went well. The girls purchased the needed items and then asked the store clerk where they might find a store to buy a Bible. The only store in the area that might have a Bible was some distance away, and would be a lengthy walk, so they took the grocery items to the apartment and put them away first. The walk was pleasant in spite of the fact that Lina's new tennis shoes were rubbing her a little where she was not used to them. The store was easily located, but the prices were more than Lina could justify paying. She asked the owner, "Do you have something for less?" He scowled at her but retrieved a small paperbacked pocket New Testament from an out of the way shelf. It was just what they needed.

They walked to the beach, took off their shoes, and walked in the edge of the water. It was a relief to get the shoes off. The beach was not crowded since it was a week day. A quick look at the sun's location told Lina that they had some additional time available. They found a seaside business that sold snacks to the beachgoers and bought a frosty drink and a hot dog each. The sign assured them that the hotdogs were kosher. Lina took out the New Testament as they sat down in a shady area and, between bites of hotdog, she began to read to Nava from the Book of John. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." The little one was fascinated to hear the story, especially since she would never have been allowed back in Iran. There was freedom here, and she liked it. Business at the stand picked up, so they stopped the story and began their way back to the apartment. They had gone about 100 meters when there was a deafening explosion at the stand that they had just left. They felt the shockwave and turned to look. Bits of building were falling as fire and smoke billowed up. At least it was mostly building. Nava started to run back, but Lina stopped her. The little one did not need to see what was left of the place and the people. Sirens began to wail in the distance as emergency services approached. They both wept as they walked. Nava knew someone was trying to take away "the freedom," and it infuriated her.

Lina continued to read softly from the Book of John at Nava's bedtime. "It's true isn't it?" Nava asked.

"What part?" Lina asked.

"All of it. It's true. He was who he claimed to be."

"Yes, I believe so," Lina said excitedly. She knew there was no going back now.
Chapter 27 Up to Jerusalem

Joel and Rinna sat down to have a talk with Lina after Nava had gone to sleep. "We have been told that the wedding is to take place before the end of the month. That gives you about three weeks to make the arrangements. We have been called away, and we can't be sure of returning before then. You will have to go to Jerusalem and make the arrangements. There is some money available, but it must be a small affair. You might as well make contact with a synagogue and rabbi in the area that you will be living in. We can take Nava with us so you will be free to move about as needed. You can take a bus to Jerusalem and get a taxi to take you to the apartment that Achmed has rented. He will not be there. We have a key and the address for you. We also have Achmed's work address and phone number where you can contact him when he returns. He will obviously be back before the end of the month, but we are not sure when. We have a cellphone for you. We have entered all the numbers that you might need, but we have them written down also."

Lina was silent for a while as she considered what they had said. It was a task that she had not expected and not this soon. "I would prefer to have Nava with me, if that is acceptable with you."

"Sure, we did not know if she would be a hindrance."

"She will be good company for me. I would miss her terribly, and it would be traumatic for Nava too. We have both been a little jumpy since the terrorist bombing near here."

They decided that it would be better for Lina and Nava to travel in their conservative clothing. Their destination was a mixed religious neighborhood in Jerusalem where Achmed had arranged an apartment. The price was right, and it fit with their cover story. They were to appear openly Jewish, which Achmed technically was, but he was first and foremost a Muslim. Achmed was to use his nationality of birth to enable Islam to strike a blow against the Zionists. Joel and Rinna accompanied the two to the bus station in Tel Aviv. The unlikely parents and children had bonded somewhat during their short time together. All of Lina's and Nava's possessions were double checked. Rinna had seen to their clothing and personal needs. Joel saw to the material items necessary for their mission: cellphone, fifteen hundred NIS in small bills (most of which was tucked into a special pocket on the interior of Lina's dress), credit card, addresses and phone numbers, and keys to their apartment.

Lina could hardly believe it. "This must be next year!" they were going to Yerushalayim. (The word for Jerusalem in Hebrew is plural). Not only the sacred city where the prophets and Yeshua had walked and died, but, at least for a time, their home. She could feel in her pocket the key to Achmed's and her apartment. "Could this really be happening?" She was to run a household under Achmed's protection and provision. The thought staggered her and excited her at the same time. She would work hard to make it "home". Her own mother had been an excellent example to Lina. She was beginning to realize how much work it must have been, especially at the end when the family and friends had turned away. When the secret police showed up and started asking questions, it was convenient if they knew very little and had no further contact with the Nasim Vahbiz family. Lina did not blame them. They had to continue to live and take care of their own family.

The bus departed Tel Aviv up highway 1 to Jerusalem. It really was going "up to Jerusalem", the bus straining up the incline. A group of tourists seated near them had a guide who told them about the sites they were passing. Lina found herself listening to the beautiful melody of Hebrew as spoken by a youthful sabra guide. Palestinian villages along the way were pointed out as sites that had been the source of fighters attacking convoys of trucks hauling relief supplies to Jerusalem in 1948. The city had been surrounded, and food and fuel were running short. Above the present road level of the highway were rusty trucks, still sitting there as a testament to the young Israelis that gave their lives to help establish the young nation. There were steel plates welded over the windows with only a slit for the driver to see out. "The tires or radiator were shot out, and when the truck stalled, the Palestinians would shoot until a bullet found a weak spot, or if they could get close enough, set the trucks on fire." Lina looked down to see tears in Nava's eyes. The guide then pointed out a view of the valley below with the Mediterranean further to the west.

They finally crested the last hill, and the Holy City came into sight. The gold dome of the Al-Aqsa Mosque was gleaming in the afternoon sunlight. The whole scene took their breath away. The entire bus was silent for a few moments. The visitors began asking rapid fire questions about various sites in view. It was so overwhelming, Lina could not take it all in. She heard very little and was lost in her own thoughts until the bus stopped at the Jerusalem terminal. People were hurrying about getting baggage, meeting family and friends, and loading into taxis. Lina asked a lady if she could direct them to the address that Lina held in her hand. The lady replied and pointed in the proper direction. The reply had been so rapid neither Lina nor Nava could follow any of it. They decided to walk in the pointed direction and then ask again later.

They walked about five blocks and then noticed a man waiting outside a shop. He appeared to be waiting for someone, perhaps his wife. "Yes, I know the area, but it is a little far for an afternoon stroll. You could take a local bus, but it would take you way out of your way, and would require at least one bus change. If you have five or ten NIS you would do well to take a taxi direct to your building."

"Yes, we have a little money." Lina replied.

"Good," replied the stranger.

They stood waiting for several minutes. It was not a very busy area. The man stepped into the street, the taxi's tires squealing to a stop only feet from him. He banged the taxi's hood with his left hand and made gestures with his right. The Israeli-Arab driver jumped out of the car and a heated exchange took place. Lina only followed some of it. It went something like, "Get out of my way you flea bitten son, of a Rabbi's prostitute." Then the reply was something about the fleas of a thousand dogs of the female variety infesting some body part of the driver.

The man moved to the side, opening the door for Lina and Nava. They weren't sure whether it was safe to get in, but they did anyway. The man's final charge to the driver, "You take the short way, and do not try to cheat my niece and her friend. I will find out about it if you do and settle up with you later." There were a few more rapid words and then the man's parting comment to Lina as the taxi pulled away, "Say hello to my brother for me."

"They sure have a strange way of transacting business here," Lina thought to herself. She did appreciate the man's help, in spite of the proceedings. At the first traffic light, she showed the driver the address. He shook his head affirmatively. "You will take two daughters of Abraham by the shortest route?"

"Daughters of Abraham through Isaac are not 'true' daughters," he replied.

"I am a daughter through Ishmael," Lina replied.

"Surely it is not true. Where are you from?"

"Iran," Lina did not see any need to hide her origin from someone she would never see again.

"Your accent is correct, but I don't believe it."

Lina switched to Farsi, "It is true as surely as I have sworn that Allah is the One God and Mohammed is his prophet."

"It is true! What in the prophet's name are you doing here and dressed like.....Orthodox Jews?"

"I am engaged to a Jewish man."

"Why would you, a true daughter of Abraham, marry a Jew?"

"His blood may be Jewish, but his heart is for Islam, and he has been a Muslim from his earliest days."

"I believe your strange story true, daughter of Abraham, and will take you the shortest way and give you a discount besides."

"My supposed uncle may not have the only method of transacting business," Lina thought as she smiled. The driver pointed to the apartment as Lina and Nava got out of the taxi. "That will be twenty five NIS."

"What! That is over retail price. You promised the shortest route and a discount for a true daughter of Abraham."

"OK, fifteen NIS, daughter of Abraham. I suspect that you have a little blood from Isaac the Jew as well." Lina heard him mumbling something about fleas as he sped off.

Chapter 28 Darkness Out and Moving In

Lina's guardian angel entered the apartment a step ahead of Lina. The place was cleared of any leftover evil spirits by the time the girls stepped inside. It was like darkness fleeing from the light.

There was a knock at the door which surprised Lina. There was a middle age woman dressed similar to themselves in Orthodox style. She introduced herself as Karmia Birg, their next door neighbor. She was carrying a tray with tea and pastries. It was a good excuse to investigate who was in the apartment.

"I am Lina, and this is my sister Nava." The lady looked at Nava's fair skin, brilliant green eyes and hair that looked like black silk. She then looked back at Lina, dark skin and eyes with thick mane of almost black hair, there was a hint of red. She clearly could not see a family resemblance. Lina added, "My half-sister." Karmia nodded her head and seemed convinced at that possibility. Lina invited her in. Karmia set the tray on the table and the two ladies took the only two chairs which were rickety and groaned as they sat down. Nava got a packing crate to sit on and joined them. The pastries were a real treat since the two had not stopped to eat since leaving Tel Aviv.

"Do you have things to move in?"

"This is everything that we have. We will get by." Karmia looked around to see only the two small bags that the girls had carried in.

"There is a thrift store near here. They will have most of the items that you need. I think I may have seen your husband-to-be a while back. If it was him, you have a nice looking, polite young man. He came up here with the landlord's man and looked at the apartment. Surely it was him. I saw the man give him the keys after they came out."

"That must have been him," Lina said. "We are to be married soon, and I have to make the arrangements. I have a lot to get done. I must find a Rabbi to do the wedding." Karmia offered a few possibilities. She invited them back to her apartment where she wrote names and approximate addresses down for Lina.

"They are all within walking distance. But be sure not to get involved with the Yeshua people that pretend to be Jewish. Just look at this." She handed Lina a flyer with the name 'Mt Zion Messianic Jewish Congregation'. "Can you believe this filth? They are followers of the cursed imposter."

Lina was truly stunned. "That is surprising. I never expected to see something like this." She memorized the telephone number that was on the bottom of the flyer. She could hardly wait to call it.

After the visit, they went back to her barren looking apartment. The thrift store was a good idea. She could soon make it look like home. She dialed the number, and it rang. There was a woman's voice that answered. But no, it was an answering machine. She left her name and cellphone number and was almost in tears from disappointment as she hung up. It was only moments until her phone rang. It was her call back. "Miss Lina Malamed, this is Armen Wein. I am one of the lead pastors at Mt Zion Messianic Jewish Congregation. I am sorry that we have to call people back, but we have had a lot of persecution from the Orthodox community. I hope you understand. How can I help you?"

"Are you folks really followers of Yeshua?" Lina asked, unable to keep a tremble out of her voice.

"Yes, Lina, we are. Is there something that we can help you with?"

"O God, do I ever need help," she began to sob.

"Take your time. I am here as long as you want to talk. Do you know Yeshua?"

"Yes."

"How long have you known him?"

"About three years." Armen did not usually ask, but she sounded so young to him.

"How old are you?"

"Sixteen."

"Do you have family here in Israel?"

"I have an adopted younger sister. She is five. I take care of her. The two of us have a couple from Tel Aviv acting as foster parents for us. I have no blood relatives here." They talked for some time.

With Armen's gentle questioning, Lina told a lot of what had been happening to her. "We are having a midweek service tonight. Would you like to come be with us?"

"Could I do that? Where are you meeting?" Armen patiently gave her specific walking directions to the building where they met. Time could not pass quickly enough for Lina.

***

Lina and Nava walked in the door of the third floor room. It was large and decorated like a typical Synagogue. The people standing around were mostly young and dressed like typical Israeli teens. The conversation ceased when they saw Lina and Nava dressed like Orthodox Jews. "Ca-, ca-, can we come in dressed like this?" Lina finally stuttered.

"Yes, you certainly can. Welcome Lina and adorable sister," Armen said, recognizing her voice. He had not expected Lina and her adopted sister to be attired this way, but he should have, if he had recalled the community they had just come from.

Armen introduced them to the other members of the group. By the time they started the service, there were about twenty-five people. A couple of the members played musical instruments as they sang praise songs to The Savior. Tears slipped down Lina's face as she tried to follow the music. She had never been in a group of believers this large before. They could apparently do this without worrying about the secret police coming and arresting everyone.

Armen stood after the songs, "Instead of beginning with a teaching, we might spend some time praying with anyone that has need. Anyone can come forward, and we will gather around and pray with you." He lifted his hand beckoning Lina. Her tears had continued and were dripping off her chin. She stepped forward and went to Armen. He knelt beside her in front of the cross that had a Star of David overlaid on top of it. She began to cry great sobs that shook her whole body. Nava never left her side. The people gathered around her, taking turns getting close enough to lay their hand on her shoulder and pray for her. Lina heard the prayers.

"Bring her peace and provide for her needs."

"Watch over her and keep her close to you."

"Fill her to overflowing."

"Shape her heart, Lord; make it a perfect dwelling place for your spirit."

"More of you, Lord. Fill her with more of you." Lina did not know how long the prayers lasted, but she knew that the heaviness and despair that she felt earlier had faded away. What remained was abundant joy. They all took turns giving her a hug and an encouraging word. It felt sort of like having a large family.

Armen and his wife, Joy, asked the two girls to join them for a light meal after the service. They enjoyed a simple meal and Lina continued with Armen, and now Joy, listening to Lina's fascinating story, offering understanding and encouragement where appropriate. Nava was soon curled up asleep on the couch. They were heartbroken for the loss of Lina's parents. Armen questioned Lina concerning her apparent plans and the marriage contract. "Do you think it would be wise to marry an unbeliever?"

"Of course, I would have preferred a Christian believer, but Achmed was the best choice that I had."

"I doubt that a contract signed in Iran by a sixteen year old would be binding here in Israel. Do you care for him?"

"My acting guardian in Iran arranged it, and I agreed. Achmed got me out of that prison. I will always be thankful to him for that."

"But you will not have to go through with it."

Lina interrupted Armen at that point, "I signed the contract. We are already married in my eyes and God's eyes. We only need to have the ceremony preformed legally by a rabbi." Lina's eyes became downcast, "If we can find one who will do it."

Armen gave Joy a worried look. "You don't have to do this, Lina. We can get you to somewhere else to start a new life."

She interrupted him again, "No, you don't understand. I did not have a choice then or now."

"We could get you to...."

"You don't understand who these men are." Lina began to tremble noticeably, part from remembered fear and partly from annoyance. "There is no place in the world that you can get me to that my guardian would not track me down and bring me back." She saw that they still did not believe her assessment of the situation. "My guardian in Iran is the Chief of Secret Police that works for the Revolutionary Guard." She pointed to Nava, "She is his youngest daughter. You think they would not find me? They would find me wherever I went and take me back to that 'place'." Lina began to tremble more noticeably. "Do you know what it is like to be whipped on the bottom of your bare feet with a fiberglass rod until you could no longer scream? It still hurts a little when I walk. That was from the nice guards. The mean guards were like looking into the face of Satan incarnate. They were going to start cutting off my fingers and toes and using a soldering iron on my skin" Joy began to cringe and covered her face with her hand. Lina was beginning to get through to them. "Achmed got me out of that place just before they were to start 'working' on me. Yes, I will do as they tell me. Yes, I will marry Achmed. Yes, I will care for Nava as if she were my own. No, they will never have cause to take me back to 'that' place."

Joy moved forward taking Lina's hand while giving Armen a concerned look. "We know that you will do whatever you feel is the correct path. Armen and I, and the congregation will do anything that we can to help. Armen did not mean to pressure you, he was just trying to determine how we can best help. We will continue to pray for and with you. The Lord God can move in tremendous ways. Have you ever had someone agree with you in prayer before?"

"No, I haven't, other than my parents. I have read about it in The Book, but never have I had it happen before tonight."

"Do you do weddings at the congregation?"

"Yes we do," Joy assured her.

"How much would it cost?"

"Money is not an issue."

"It is if you are me, with my limited resources."

"I meant to say that we can do a wedding very inexpensively. In the past we have held weddings at the congregation on Shabbat. The wedding is incorporated into the service and the oneg, which is the fellowship meal after the service, was the banquet reception. The two getting married only had to supply the wedding cake. There is probably a wedding dress that we can borrow if you would like. You should bring Nava and attend this week's Shabbat service. You will see how a wedding would fit in perfectly."

"When would you hope to have the wedding?"

"The last Shabbat in this month."

"Okay," a pause, "That is quick but doable. We would hope to meet Achmed before the wedding?"

Armen added, "I would be happy to read the contract if you wouldn't mind since your guardian is not here in Israel. We would want to comply with all the provisions if at all possible."

Lina's smile formed and widened as she realized that she was being taken seriously and that they would help. "That would be wonderful. I can bring my copy of the contract on Shabbat. The original is in a safe in Iran. I will contact Achmed and see when he can come to meet you."

"When did you see him last?" Joy asked.

"About three months ago in Tehran when we signed the contract."

Armen and Joy looked at each other both thinking the same thing, "This is getting stranger by the minute."

They talked for some time, and it was too late for Lina and Nava to walk home alone by the time that they were through. Lina knew that it was a one bedroom apartment, and she refused the offer of the bed. She insisted on sleeping on the rug in front of the couch where Nava slept. They brought her an extra blanket and pillow when it was obvious that Lina would not accept anything else.

Joy and Armen considered their visitor quietly when they were alone. "Armen, she believes what she is telling us, and that girl is terrified of not being able to accomplish what they have assigned her to do. She is under stress to arrange the marriage, something a girl that age should never have to do. It is hard to even imagine what she has gone through. We must be ready to help whether Achmed is real and shows up or not. She may look like an almost frail teen on the outside, but she must be as tough as leather to have survived what she described to us. I can't imagine her making this story up."

"Yes, as usual you are right. We must be ready to help. I did not intend to push her into a corner."

"Your counsel would have been valid for most Israeli youngsters, but that is obviously not what we are dealing with here." Joy got up the next morning with the intent of offering breakfast to the two girls but found that they had slipped out earlier, locking the door behind themselves.

***

Nava and Lina stopped at a market on their way home. Their meals and schedule had been sporadic at best. Lina began to think of what a five year old's nutritional needs would be. Since they didn't have a pot or frying pan in the apartment they got milk, dry cereal, and oranges for breakfast. They found a used thrift store on the way where they purchased two bowls and spoons. The store had other things like cleaning supplies that they would return later to purchase.

Mrs. Birg met them as they were unlocking the apartment, "Good morning Lina and Nava." She looked down into the small cardboard box that Nava was carrying. "You were serious when you said that you did not have anything to move in?"

"Good morning Mrs. Birg."

"Please call me Karmia."

"Karmia, no, what you see here and our suitcases is what we have. We have a little money which we will use to buy necessities. We won't spend much because I'm not sure how long it will have to last. And the apartment of course, I am thankful for the apartment. It will clean up nicely." The apartment was on the third floor outside corner which only had the street sound and Mrs. Birg for neighbors.

Mrs. Birg studied them closely for a moment. "Come see me after you have eaten. I have some extra items that I planned to get rid of. You might find something that you can use." Lina and Nava finished and Lina decided to call Achmed before she went back to the neighbors. Her hand trembled as she selected Achmed's name from the speed dial. She would prefer to wait until he called her, but she had no assurance that he had her number, and she needed to talk to him about the arrangements. She would also ask him how much she was allowed to spend setting up the household. They could make do with very little if they had to. The phone rang and the automated voice said, "The owner of this number has not set up a mailbox at this time. Please call back later, goodbye."

Chapter 29 Confession

Nava and Lina went next door to Karmia's. The door was open to allow the morning air in. Mrs. Birg was busy doing something in the kitchen but motioned for them to come in. Nava saw children playing on the ground floor open area which was mostly a parking lot and asked if she could go down. "Would it be safe?" Lina asked Karmia.

Mrs. Burg looked down to see which children were there, "Yes, those kids are fine." Nava sprinted for the door joyfully ."I know them, and their mothers that live on the ground floor. Their mothers watch, or more correctly, listen to what is going on." She directed Lina to sit at the kitchen table, and she poured a cup of tea for them both.

Lina saw several cardboard boxes with many things that she could use. "Karmia, let me tell you a few things that have been happening in my life before you give me anything. I am a Christian. I know this is a predominately orthodox religious neighborhood, but I will be a good neighbor. I know that Achmed will forbid me to speak or pray in the name of the one that you would call the imposter. My husband and I will attend the Synagogue of his choice. I will cause no trouble."

Mrs. Birg sat dumfounded as she listened to Lina's story. At first she felt betrayed as Lina looked exactly as a young orthodox Jewish woman should. She was about to ask Lina to leave her apartment, but her heart melted when Lina's story got to the part about prison and the loss of her parents. What could Lina have done differently? She was to marry a religious Jew. She had to dress and act exactly as she had. Her beliefs had cost Lina a lot already and she would not add to them. If there was any fault it was Achmed's for agreeing to marry a Christian.

Lina told her most everything except the part about Achmed being a Muslim. She could not say that without destroying Achmed's cover story. She did not lie. Achmed was born here and had a Jewish mother. He is Jewish. Lina ended her story with the plea, "Please allow me the opportunity to prove myself a good neighbor."

Karmia paused for some time before she spoke. "If you keep your beliefs to yourself, I will not make them known. If they become common knowledge, you will probably be shunned or possibly openly persecuted here in the neighborhood. Do you wish to keep this to ourselves?" Lina had little choice. It seemed better to her that this woman knew, especially if she did not make Lina's beliefs known.

"Yes, I will keep this to myself. I just could not in good conscience take anything from you with even the appearance of deception, if only in my own eyes." Yet she would be living a life that appeared different than she believed. It bothered her, but her only other choice would be to be taken back to, "that place". She shivered slightly at the thought.

"You will have to see that Nava does not make your beliefs known. What about her?"

"She has not arrived at a conclusion for her life yet. She may wish to follow Judaism. I will not stand in her way." She did not mention that Nava might choose to remain a Muslim.

"OK, now that the confession is out of the way, let's look and see if there is anything that you might want here." Mrs. Birg began to show Lina the items that she could have if she wanted them. There were pots and pans, dish cloths and brushes, cleaning supplies, a mop and bucket, rusty but watertight, some bed sheets which were clean and frayed but usable, and the list went on. Lina was extremely pleased to get every item. Since she had practically nothing, every item was usable. The items would have cost a substantial amount if she were to purchase them. "Your apartment will require a great deal of cleaning. The elderly couple that used to live there were unable to keep things up for the last few years. She had been a very hard worker, and she was offended if I offered to help clean. One advantage of failing eyesight when we get old is not seeing the things that really don't matter anymore."

Lina made a list of things that she would need to purchase to go with what Mrs. Birg had given her. After purchasing them, she and Nava began to scrub and clean. Once Lina had scrubbed the accumulated dirt off the windows she was surprised to be able to see just a sliver of the Al-Aqsa Mosque dome roof. Could she go there? Probably not as a Jew or Christian. She would go to the Western Wall when they had gotten settled in.

The apartment slowly began to take on the appearance of a livable abode. The walls badly needed a coat of paint, but that would cost too much right now. Achmed might allow her to do that later when they could afford it. Lina took some small wooden packing crates and placed them as end tables and bedside tables. They were carefully wrapped in blue cloth that she had found at a near give away price. A white plastic table cloth covered the well-worn and stained kitchen table. She found a few glass jars that she used for holding greenery. She borrowed a screwdriver and tightened up the screws on the rickety chairs, and with a little white glue they were made quite stable. She found another similar used chair at a bargain price. It bothered her to spend the money for it, but she reasoned that it would be appropriate for her to make provision for all that would be dining there. It might shame Achmed to have someone see one of his dependents having to sit on a box while taking meals. Avoiding that possibility was much more important than the potential of being scolded for the expenditure. She made a list of each purchase and kept a running total of the amount remaining so that every NIS could be accounted for. Achmed must not think her a spendthrift.

Lina dialed Achmed's number again; it rang until the same recording started. She would have to call the office number during working hours tomorrow.

The finishing touch to the apartment was stripping the accumulated old grime and wax off the vinyl floor tiles. Four separate scrubbings with a strong ammonia and detergent mixture while changing the water between scrubbings seemed to do the trick. A coat of new wax made a substantial improvement. Her final task was to count the number of burned out light bulbs and purchase that many new ones. The last bulb was added to the lamp that Mrs. Birg had given them, and was placed on the table beside the day bed. To celebrate, Lina and Nava stretched out on the daybed to read some from Lina's New Testament. Nava was soon asleep with her head on Lina's shoulder. Lina did not want to wake her, so she read for a while longer and soon followed Nava in sleep.

***

Lina called the number that she had for Achmed's work. The call was answered, "Thank you for Calling Z N Computer systems. How may I help you?"

"Could I please speak to Achmed Barforoush please?" There was a pause on the line as the person checked to see if Achmed was in. He wasn't. Lina left her name and number.

***

One day they were going to the grocery store to purchase some things that they needed for one of Mrs. Birg's recipes. They rounded a corner and collided with a man that they did not recognize. He stumbled and went down. "Oh, we are so sorry. We did not see you. Are you all right?"

"It was my fault entirely," he said. "If I had not been looking at my paper, I would not have run into you two." The girls were both offering him a hand to help him up. He accepted Nava's. "You have the greenest eyes I have ever seen. Is this your mother?"

"No, she is my sister. We stay together."

"Is she good to you, and does she take good care of you?" the man asked as he dusted himself off.

"Oh yes, she takes the best care of me," Nava said as she put an arm around Lina and laid her head on Lina's side.

"I will watch where I am going next time. Good day to you two ladies." He turned and approached a nearby car that was waiting with its door open. Lina and Nava started off again when the man called back to them, "Nava, your father said to tell you that he loves you very much." He tossed a small but bulky envelope to Lina. He stepped into the car and was then gone. The two stood there stunned. That was one of Mehran's men. He could just as easily have snatched them up, and they could both be on their way back to Tehran.

"What is in the envelope Lina?" Lina opened it and the two found some cash and a checkbook from a Jerusalem bank. The checks had Nava's name listed first and then Lina's listed as the account administrator. The address that was listed was for their apartment. Lina opened the account log and saw the balance 1000 NIS. She was even more stunned. She would go by the bank and confirm the balance before they used any of the checks. She had little doubt that the balance was correct.

"Nava, we have a change of menu. Let's get a couple of pounds of good tender lamb at the market." They had had very little meat recently. The day was suddenly brighter!
Chapter 30 First Shabbat

On Friday evening Mrs. Birg rushed in carrying two small candles and a plate covered with a napkin. "It is time to welcome the Sabbath by lighting the candles. Let's set them here on the table where it will be seen from outside. Now, Lina, light the candles," which Lina did. "Now wave your hands over the candles like this." Mrs. Birg showed Lina the motion. "Cover your eyes with your hands and recite, 'Blessed are you, Lord, our God, Sovereign of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to light the lights of Shabbat. Amen.'" Lina recited the blessing. Mrs. Birg lifted the napkin revealing some bread and juice. "Lina, take the bread and break it and pass it to us. Now the wine, the small one is for Nava."

"Why do I only get a mere taste?" said Nava. Mrs. Birg motioned for her to try it. The wine was very dark blue and very dry like her husband liked it. The little girl scrunched up her face into an almost pucker and had difficulty swallowing it. "Thank you, Mrs. Birg, for only giving me a taste."

Lina was surprised at the taste also since this was the first alcoholic beverage that she had ever had, but she was able to hide her surprise. "You have now properly welcomed the Shabbat." Mrs. Birg was gone as quickly as she had come.

Lina looked out the window and saw candles burning from many of the apartments. Mrs. Birg was helping her fit in. Lina would bake her own bread next Shabbat. Lina's wine serving had been a full one and she was able to get it down by taking small sips as they continued to eat the bread. Nava poured herself a serving of milk. "I don't see how you can drink that stuff." Lina smiled and stood to get something when it hit her. It was definitely not their regular juice. She sat back down. As usual Lina ate slowly until Nava had finished. That way the little one always had all she wanted.

Tomorrow was to be their first Shabbat at the congregation. Lina looked forward to it. She again wondered how they were able to have such a large meeting without the police arresting them. The only trouble that Armen had mentioned was with the Orthodox Jews. They would arrive looking like the enemy. Perhaps Joy would loan them a colorful scarf or something. She started to call Joy when she realized that Shabbat had started, and she did not know if they considered making a call "breaking the Sabbath." Lina looked out her front window; all movement outside the apartments had stopped.

***

Upon arriving at the congregation, Lina immediately sought and found Joy. Joy found two very colorful tallits to make the two more comfortable in spite of the fact that the girls would be accepted no matter how they were dressed. Most of the girls were wearing their hair down, but Lina did not feel comfortable doing that yet.

When the first song started, the ladies gathered in a clear area up front and formed into a circle. They began a carefully choreographed folk dance of some kind. Obviously Jewish, Lina quickly realized. They stopped after the first song and motioned for Lina to join them. Her negative gesture didn't save her. Two of the ladies came for her, taking Lina's hands and pulling her to a place between them. Nava joined some younger girls out of the way in the back for their own version of the dance. Lina stumbled through the movements. They were really patient with her, and by the time it was over she found herself enjoying the experience.

The music was soon over, and the Torah scroll was taken out of its Ark and paraded through the congregation on the shoulder of the tallit clad Armen. Almost all reached out, touching the Torah's elaborate cloth cover and then touched their own lips. Armen explained that they sought to honor the Lord God that gave the Law at Sinai and not the scroll. "Taste and see that the Lord is good," he quoted.

A couple of the new converts spoke about their experience. One had previously been agnostic, the other orthodox. No wonder the orthodox hated the congregation. They saw the congregation as leading their young people astray to worship false gods, the cursed imposter, but to her He was Yeshua, the Maker and Sustainer of all things.

During the main message, Armen spoke about all people being made one in Yeshua. After the message, Armen found Lina and asked her if she had brought the contract. She nodded affirmatively; so he asked her and Nava to hang around to talk to him and Joy. Nava folded the tallits as Lina read and translated her copy since it was in Farsi. "Do you realize how much the dowry is?" asked Armen.

"It was twenty pieces of gold." She remembered Achmed had questioned it, but when he saw the look on Mehran's face, he decided that it 'was an appropriate amount for a daughter of Abraham from Mehran's household.' Nothing else was said about it."

"How much would you guess it would be in NIS?" Armen asked her.

"I don't really have any idea. But I would guess that it is a lot from Achmed's reaction, if they were 50 NIS each that would be 1000, which is more money than I ever expected to have at one time."

Armen realized that she did not have a clue how much money it was. He did not know what the current rate was, but he knew that it was many times that amount. "The contract says that the amount is to be paid into your hands before the marriage is finalized. Has he given you any of that amount?"

"No not yet."

"Do you expect him to?"

"Yes of course! Where would his honor be if he attempted to avoid terms of the contract?"

"He will bring that amount when he comes?"

"He is an honorable man! He will bring it! Do you doubt him for some reason?"

"No, I just wanted to make sure that both of you expected the contract to be strictly honored. I agree. He must have it if he expects to marry you. We will be glad to have the wedding here for the two of you. We still would like to see him in person and see the terms of the contract fulfilled."

Lina replied, "I have been attempting to contact him by phone. When I reach him, I will ask that he bring the dowry with him to our meeting so that you can witness the transfer, fulfilling that part of the contract."

Joy spoke up at that point, "You may want to order your cake soon. You would not want it to become a rush item when the wedding time is so near."

"That's true; could you help me estimate how big it should be and where I could order it." Joy told her of a couple of bakeries nearby, and they talked about the size and cost. Joy had already asked a member of the congregation to bring in the wedding dress next Shabbat for Lina to try on. The mention of the dress made Lina's stomach feel like it was full of butterflies.

Lina tried Achmed's cellphone again with the same result. She called his office and was told the he was still "out". "I must speak with him. There are activities coming up, and there are things that must be done!" The person on the other end was aware that Lina was becoming anxious. They could not have her searching for him blindly or, worse yet, going to the authorities looking for one of their agents. They did not want any attention at all.

She was asked to hold and a male voice finally came on the line, "Miss Malamed, we are sorry for not recognizing who you were and telling you earlier."

"Tell me what!"

"There is no problem. Achmed will be back in the country on the day before the wedding. You will be able to reach him at his cellphone number that morning. I know that is late, and I hope it is soon enough to take care of the details. It could not be helped. Do you have his cellphone number?" They checked, and the number Lina had was correct. Lina was still a little nervous over Achmed being out of the country, but there were others that were aware of the need for him to be back at the assigned time. She had not told them about the wedding or the date, so that information had to have come from Achmed.

***

The next morning, Lina decided to make a trip to one of the bakeries to order her cake. They stood in line for some time among the yummy smells as other patrons purchased the items that they wanted. When their turn came, the elderly clerk called back to the kitchen when he heard that they needed a wedding cake. A very round middle age woman with flour on her apron and dust on top of her hair net came out to meet them. She listened as Lina described what she wanted. The cook had them try different samples of cake and icing until they were sure of the exact combination. They paid half down for the cake and left the bakery with a small box of baked goods, on the house.
Chapter 31 Kotel

Lina and Nava decided to continue on to the Kotel (Western Wall) taking the delicious smelling pastries with them. They stopped a good distance from the wall plaza and consumed the snacks. The Kotel area was bigger than Lina had expected. There were several plaques that Lina read to Nava as they approached. A tour guide was talking to a group of people, so the two lingered. It was almost like listening to a sermon. "The Temple, Solomon's Temple, would have been about there," he pointed to the approximate location. "If the chosen people had not sinned and followed other gods, it would still be there with The Shekinah still dwelling within, and the Jewish people would have been spared 2500 years of heartache. Moshe, the Law giver, told us exactly what would happen. And I paraphrase: if we follow the Lord God with our whole heart, he will bless us as we go in and out. You will be blessed in the fields and blessed in the city. Your flocks will be productive, and you will have large, happy families. He also told us what would happen if we follow our own way, which is the same as following other gods. You will be cursed when you come in, cursed when you go out, and the chosen people will become a scourge and be loathed in the entire earth. Herod's Temple would have been in the same general location. The evil ruler built it only to gain favor with the people. It was destroyed in 70 AD, and the Romans carried off the people and scattered them from one end of the empire to the other. Most were sold as slaves."

The people were silent as they continued to listen to the tour guide. "The nation was over until 1948. The Western Wall area was recovered from the Jordanians in 1967. Both Temples were destroyed on the same day of the Jewish calendar, which we know as a day of mourning, Tisha B'Av, which is the ninth day of the month of Av. The true meaning of the event was lost to me until I was teaching at an uplan (a school for recent immigrants) making aliyah (return). I was explaining the meaning of the Jewish feast and fast days. There was a substantial group that had emigrated from a remote area. They had always practiced Judaism, but somewhere along the way, the knowledge of the Temple's destruction had been lost to them. When I mentioned that the Temples had been destroyed, there was a concerted gasp from the entire group. The most outspoken member of the group asked, 'What you mean the Temple is destroyed?' I told him that they are both gone, destroyed, not one stone upon another. 'Is it really and truthfully so?' the spokesman asked me again as the people began to weep. I nodded that it was so. 'You are sure? You have seen the place with your own eyes?' Yes, I told them. I have been there. The Temple is gone. The people were still weeping bitterly. 'But we were planning to take a lamb to offer as a thanks offering to the Lord God for delivering us.' The crying continued. The class was over for that day, but I finally learned the meaning of Tisha B'Av." Most of the groups were brushing away tears as were Lina and Nava.

Lina and Nava walked on toward the women's side of the Kotel. They could see the men's side where prayers were being said and psalms read. The familiar movement forward and back was most obvious. Lina felt a tug on her skirt. "Lina what are we going to do. The Temple has been torn down. Where will God live?" Lina leaned over as she spoke to the girl.

"The Lord God wishes to live in the hearts of all that will make room for him."

"I want God to live in my heart. Do you think he will?"

"I'm sure He will if you ask him."

"But which one? How do I invite Him? Would he listen?" Nava continued chattering, "I know, I will invite Yeshua into my heart."

A group of Orthodox women went by giving the pair a disdainful sneer. They had obviously overheard the little one. Lina could almost hear their thoughts. "Why don't you backhand the girl for such blasphemy?"

Lina took Nava's hand to lead her away from the indignant Orthodox group. She spotted a vacant bench and headed in that direction. What was she to tell Nava? She couldn't tell her not to believe in and trust Him. She could just imagine her letter to Nava's father:

Dear Mehran,

Your precious youngest daughter that you entrusted to me is no longer a Muslim. She is now a believer in the Carpenter's Son. I provided the information about him, encouraged her, and gave her the opportunity. I obviously can't bring her home now. I would prefer to stay out of Tehran myself and the prison where you would have me tortured to death for my care of Nava.

Sincerely,

Lina

"You know that it is a big step, and something that your father would not approve of. Do you believe in your heart that Yeshua died for you, and that the Father raised him from the dead?"

"You know that I do."

"Are you sure?"

"You know that I am."

"Do you want him to come and dwell in your heart?"

"Yes," Nava said confidently. "Wait, I felt him do it. There is a clean flowing water feeling inside of me." Her face showed the change. It was done. The problem of facing her father was in the future, and Lina could not think of anything that she could have done differently.

They decided to go to the wall to pray. It was a significant feeling as they approached the wall. Lina had heard people say that the Kotel was the best place in the world to pray. The Orthodox were not surprised if a goy (non-Jewish person) felt Adonai's Spirit or had a vision. There were a number of small sheets of folded paper with prayers written on them stuck in the cracks between the stones. There was one note blown by the breeze across the approach to the Kotel. Lina picked it up and glanced at it to be sure that it was a prayer and not rubbish before she stuck it back in the wall.

They stayed at the wall for about an hour. Lina was surprised that Nava was that patient. Nava kept both hands on the wall and Lina could see her lips move as the little one prayed silently.
Chapter 32 It is Here! and THE Dream

After they left the wall, Nava shared. "I was praising Adonai for what He did for me while I was at the wall," Nava said as they walked out of the Kotel plaza. "When I ran out of words, praises in a language that I did not understand began to bubble up inside of me." Lina was amazed that the little one had experienced the new praise language. She wondered if it was the same language that she prayed and praised in.

They would have to get back to the apartment soon to prepare a meal for themselves. They were practicing some Jewish recipes that Mrs. Birg had given them. They walked back by another route to help become familiar with the area. They hadn't gone far up a street cresting a slight rise when Lina landed hard on her knees as if she had been struck. "Restore. Restore. RESTORE your people," Lina said shouting, her hands held high with her palms upwards. "It is near. I can feel it is near."

"What is near, Lina?" Nava asked. "Are you OK?"

"I don't know. I just know that the feeling is very strong and that 'it is near'." They both looked around the unextraordinary street. There were some people looking at them strangely as they passed by.

Lina heard one passerby comment, "She must have missed her morning dose of Prozac." They made it back to the apartment, and Lina made a mental note to stay away from that street. That night, Lina and Nava went to sleep early after they read from the paperback Bible. It had been a busy day, and they were both tired.

Around midnight Lina's dream began:

Yaakov's heart ached. How could the nation have come to such a state as this? The Babylonian army had surrounded Jerusalem long ago. Judah had deserted G-d's Law and was now about to reap the full measure of wrath as Moshe had warned us long ago.

There had been no food in the city for several days. Fights used to break out when someone was suspected of having a little food hoarded. All was quiet now except for the crying of hungry children; all the food was gone.

Yaakov's hair was almost fully gray now. He had been a guard at the Temple of the Lord since his early adulthood. His heart broke a little more day by day as he saw greed and corruption enter the hearts of the Priests and Levites, replacing the desire to follow the Lord G-d of Israel. What could he do other than cry out to G-d in anguish, "Restore. Restore. RESTORE."

The prophets of G-d had been jailed for speaking the truth. They were correct; Yaakov knew it inside. There would be a time of total destruction of this place (Temple), and the people would be exiled to a heathen nation. Serving other masters as slaves would remind them of their failure to serve G-d. The people would repent, and G-d would forgive their sins and return them to the Pleasant Land. If Yaakov was taken away, he would never live to see the time of return. His children were grown, and the wife of his youth was a distant memory. He would die here. When the gates were breached, he would defend the Temple to his last breath.

Everything would be taken away. He thought of the Ark and Place of Mercy that had once been the dwelling place of the Shekinah, the true and living G-d. How could it be carried off to a foreign land? The thought caused tears to flow from his eyes down through his beard. If he could hide it, he would, but where?

The Priests had left for the day. Only his fellow guards were on duty. Most were older like him. The younger ones were with their families. All knew that the end was near. Fighting could be heard in the direction of some of the gates.

"Is it really there?" Yaakov asked as much to himself as one of his fellow guards.

"Is what really there?" replied his friend.

"The Ark and Place of Mercy? I have been here most of my life, but no one has seen it except the High Priest. I just wonder if, in corruption, they have sold it and wasted the money on lust." replied Yaakov.

"I have spoken to no one who has ever actually seen it. But surely it is there," came the reply.

Yaakov turned to walk into the inner court. His friend grasped his arm. "Surely you are not thinking of entering the Most Holy Place? For anyone to look on the Place of Mercy except for the High Priest would mean certain death."

"You know as well as I that the High Priest is far from righteous, and he was not struck down. If G-d strikes me dead for looking on His place, so be it. I would rather die that way than at the end of a Babylonian spear." His friend released his arm, and Yaakov made his way to the Most Holy Place. He walked past the altar, which was now cold like the hearts of so many. There hadn't been any animals for sacrifice for some time now. He paused, took a deep breath and stepped inside. He was taken by surprise at the sight, even in the faint shimmering light. The Ark was there in all its glory. The gold covered carrying poles were still in their place just as they had been placed during the time of Moshe. The cherubim were still in position with their wings outstretched over the Place of Mercy. To see the place where the Glory of G-d had once dwelt looking so cold and empty brought Yaakov hard to his knees. "Restore. Restore your people from their iniquity. Restore the House of Jacob to his first Love. Restore Your Glory to this place." Yaakov wept out loud. A memory of his childhood flashed through his mind. He had spent much time exploring the underground passageways and caves around and under Jerusalem. Yaakov felt a hand on his shoulder. He was surprised to look up into the faces of three of his fellow guards, their eyes filling with tears as well.

"Yaakov. The city will certainly fall tonight or tomorrow at the latest. If there was only a place we could hide the Ark so that at least it will not be carried away to a heathen land."

"There is a place." Yaakov said, surprised at the words that came to his lips.

"Where?"

"A cave accessed by a long passageway. No one will ever find it until G-d makes its location known near the end of days." Again Yaakov was surprised at the words he had spoken.

One of the others spoke, "If we do this, none that know of its location can remain alive to be captured. Agreed?"

One by one the other three voiced their agreement.

The four washed their hands and took their place at the four corners of the Ark in preparation. Yaakov recited the Shema and the other three joined him, all mindful of what happened to Uzzah when he touched the Ark to steady it. Yaakov took off his cloak and carefully wrapped it around the end of the carrying pole at the corner that he had chosen. The others followed his lead and returned their gaze to Yaakov. Yaakov grasped the fringe wrapped pole and paused a moment. "It is OK, I think." The others did the same, wondering if the touch would be the last thing that they did on earth. They started to lift it when Yaakov shouted, "No wait!" The other three trembling companions released their grasp and glared at Yaakov. "The ashes of the red heifer. We must take them also. They will be needed near the end of days." The container was found and wrapped in a cloth, and Yaakov placed it under his left arm.

The four carried the Ark out of the Temple following Yaakov's directions. The sound of fighting was increasing at the walls. It was extremely dark and no one noticed their exit. Finally they entered the passageway. The lamp they had brought barely provided enough light. The men found it exhausting to carry the Ark in the low narrow confinement. After an arduous ordeal taking hours, they came to a wide area. Beyond that the tunnel went only a little further and appeared to stop. "Yaakov. Is this it? Did you make a wrong turn? The Ark would be easily found here," gasped one of the exhausted men.

"We are not there yet," Yaakov gasped through his own shortness of breath. He began to examine the huge stones that appeared to be a foundation of some sort. He pushed hard on a stone and it moved just a little. "Look here. Help me move it." Some of the stones which hid an unseen passageway were only inches thick. The four were able to move the stones enough to open a passageway barely large enough to take the Ark through. After another exhausting trek, they came to a small room. Setting the Ark down, each man found three stones and placed them to form a makeshift stand. The Ark was carefully placed on the stand, and the three stood back, resting momentarily until one of them started reciting the Shema. Yaakov placed the vessel containing the ashes of the red heifer on a small outcrop of stone.

The group reluctantly retreated from the place, tears filling their eyes. Darkness fell on the resting-place of the Ark as the lamp was carried from the area. All the stones were replaced and care was taken to make it appear as solid as it previously had. Departure from the passageways was much easier than it had been entering baring the Ark. There was only one task remaining. "Where shall we do it?' Yaakov asked as they neared the exit of the passage.

"My house is near. We can do it there," replied one of the others. The sound of battle at the wall could be heard as they walked the short distance to the dwelling. Once inside, the owner of the house retrieved some straws. "It would seem proper to draw straws to determine the order. I only pray that I am not last and have to take my own life." He broke four straws into different lengths. "Longest straw is last, agreed?" All agreed. Once they had all drawn straws Yaakov swallowed hard when he saw that his was longest by comparison to the others. He reached into his waistband and pulled out a small dagger. It was about a hand long. The slender blade was barely a finger width wide at the hilt. Both edges were sharp enough to shave with and the tip could scarcely be touched without drawing blood. They recited the Shema, and the one with the next to the shortest straw took the life of the one with the shortest. Death was almost instantaneous as the blade pierced the heart when the Shema was completed. And so it went until there was only Yaakov. He grasped the dagger with both hands pointing the tip at his chest. He made one quick pull with all his might. Yaakov looked down to see the dagger had stopped just short of his chest. He pulled with all his strength, but the point would come no closer as if it were held back by a stronger, unseen hand. He examined the blade and then again tried to plunge it in with all his strength. The blade again stopped short. Becoming frantic, he threw himself against a wall with the handle of the knife and his hands striking the stones first. The impact hurt like crazy and knocked the breath out of him. He fell backward to the floor. The blade rattled across the stones for some distance. He gasped for breath and felt his throbbing chest. Again he had not been pierced.

"Tell the High Priest what you have done," came a soft voice. Yaakov got to his feet and began looking for the source of the voice. The room was empty except for the bodies of his three friends.

"I just want to die."

"Do as I have told you," came the soft voice again.

Yaakov picked up his blade, put it in its sheath and tucked it back in his waistband. He made his way to the street and ran headlong toward the Temple. As he ran up the last steps, the first light of dawn was beginning to show in the east. As he ran in, he tripped and fell, sliding to a stop on the cold, polished stones beyond the Altar. "Lord G-d please don't allow me to be captured and taken away as a captive slave to a heathen land or be tortured for the location of the Ark." Then he just lay there. He was beyond grief. A warm light fell across his face and startled him moments later. The first rays of the morning sun were shining across the Mount of Olives through the tall narrow window in the Temple. There were footsteps coming. The High Priest and his assistants were approaching. Yaakov got to his feet. He looked at his clothing and found them filthy from the night's activities. He was not looking forward to a conversation with the Priest.

After finding the Ark gone, the Priest came to Yaakov, "What have you done with the Ark?"

"It has been hidden in a place where it will be safe until it is needed in the last days. I am the only one still alive who knows of its location," replied Yaakov.

"How dare you touch the Ark?"

Yaakov interrupted the priest's retort as the words came to him with such force that Yaakov felt his bones would be ruptured if the words were not spoken out, "How dare you question what I have done? You stand there in the garments of the High Priest when there has never been a desire within you to follow the ways of the Lord G-d of Israel. Today Jerusalem will fall, and you have helped with her demise."

"Perhaps the Lord will do a miracle like those of past times and we will be delivered," offered the Priest.

"Do you not yet understand? It is over. The city will fall. This place (Temple) will be destroyed, and you will be dead or in chains by nightfall. You have not heard the prophets of our day, and your spiritual descendants will not hear the words of Moshiach Ben Yoseph. The Ark will remain hidden during His days, though the Ark and Place of Mercy will be touched mightily by him. The Ark will remain hidden until just before the appearance of Moshiach Ben David near the end of days. The Lord rebuke you. I have no further words for you. Get out of my way." Yaakov walked through the group and left the Temple. None dared to prevent him. The priest motioned for one of the young men to follow him.

Yaakov made his way to the gate where the heaviest fighting was going on. He happened to see a nephew there. Remembering that his nephew had always admired his dagger, he handed it to him, but ignored the young man's questioning look. He made his way up the steps to the top of the wall where many of Jerusalem's defenders were huddled. It sounded as if the besieging army would break through the gate at any moment. The defenders were trying to keep the Babylonians away from the gate, but their supply of arrows and stones was diminishing quickly. All were weak from hunger. One more step and he topped the wall, his back in plain view of the Babylonians as he faced his people. The first volley of arrows swarmed past him, several pierced his clothing but none touched his body. Both sides of the wall were silenced as first he spoke, "Hear, O Israel, The Lord our G-d, the Lord is One." Another volley of arrows came his way, again with no affect as he turned to face the opposing army. Yaakov spoke enough Aramaic to make himself understood as he addressed the Babylonians, "Be it known to you that Jerusalem will not fall to Babylonian power and might, but will fall because the people of G-d abandoned their Lord. Just as you cannot kill me without the Lord's consent." Another volley missed it's mark. Yaakov laughed heartily as he removed his cloak and tossed it to his nephew. "The Lord G-d will allow one of you to pierce me." Yaakov scanned the army below himself and then pointed, "You, standing beside the tree. The Lord G-d says that you will be allowed to pierce me." The archer realized that Yaakov was referring to him. He took the last arrow from his quiver and placed the nock over the string. He noticed that the arrow was warped but it was the only one he had left. If he could come close he could at least save face and avoid much laughter at his expense. Trembling he drew the bow taunt and released. The arrow veered wildly, but turned at the last moment and struck Yaakov squarely in the chest. Yaakov fell forward slowly, his arms still fully outstretched from the wall, dead before he reached the ground. There was silence on both sides of the wall. The defenders knew that the end was near. The Babylonians knew that the prophet had spoken truthfully. They would not win the battle. It was given to them by the jealous G-d of the Hebrews.

The Ark sat in darkness and silence for hundreds of years. A day came that was somehow different from all others since creation. The rocks began to groan and creak as if the foundation of all that is was being convulsed. A drop of liquid had seeped down through the rocks into the cavern directly above the Place of Mercy. It hung there monetarily until the One above said, "It is finished." The drop then fell to the Place of Mercy, leaving a crimson stain. The rocks continued to groan, and the crevice above the Ark was sealed. One drop was all that came. One drop is all that it ever takes.

When the dream was over, Lina sat straight up in the bed instantly and completely awake. She jumped from the bed; finding her pencil she began to look for something to write on. Her note pad that she used for shopping lists was too small. She had to write the entire dream down while it was fresh in her mind. She found the recipes from Mrs. Birg. They were Xerox copies, and the back sides of the sheets were blank. That would suffice. She took the paper, pencil, and a book back to her bed and wrote from memory as fast as the pencil would go. She did not recall lying back down to go to sleep. When morning came she thought the writing incident had been a dream, but there was her handwritten account of the dream in detail on back of Mrs. Birg's recipes.
Chapter 33 Found

"Mrs. Birg, if a person was to make an archeological discovery of some kind, who would it be reported to? I mean, what authorities here in Israel would want to know?"

"Such a question from you, my dear. You are up to something, and I will know what it is sooner or later." She smiled at Lina, "It should be reported to the Department of Antiquities."

Later in the day, Lina stopped at a phone booth and looked up the street address of the Department of Antiquities. It was there in Jerusalem. It was a longer walk than they were used to, but they made it without much trouble. The street map of Jerusalem made getting around much easier. She should have gotten a map earlier, but it just had not occurred to her. She had written a description of her experience at the street where she had heard, "It is here," repeatedly. She also had a Xerox copy of the portion of the dream that described the hiding of the Ark and the blood spots. She handed the papers over to the person at the desk along with her contact information, "I don't know if this has any value, or if anyone here would be interested, but I just had to tell someone." The person at the desk was looking over the sheets as Lina and Nava exited. "That will surely be the end of that," Lina thought to herself. She had told someone, and her responsibility was completed.

Lina's description and dream ended up on Taavi Rosen's desk. He laughed when he read part of it and pitched it into the trash. Something made him reconsider, and he fished it out. The more he read it, the more it intrigued him. Major discoveries had been based on less concrete evidence than this. Her contact information was there. He would consider giving her a call. He would sleep on it. If the information was true, perhaps that would be revealed to him in a dream. He chuckled at the thought.

The next morning, the official with the Department of Antiquities called. He identified himself as Taavi Rosen, "Ms. Malamed, we have read your story and find it very interesting. Would you be willing to meet with me at the street you mentioned in the description of your experience?" She decided to go in spite of her intention of staying clear of the area. They agreed on time and exact location before hanging up.

Mr. Rosen was on the corner waiting for her when she arrived. She could feel her heartbeat quicken, and a trembling touched her the closer she got. "Ms. Malamed, would you please show me where you had the experience?" he asked.

She pointed and said, "It was the crest of this street."

"Would you mind walking there with me?" She did not want to, but this was her experience, and they were interested enough to send someone to investigate it.

Mr. Rosen did not have to ask when they neared the spot. He could clearly see Lina trembling and could hear her softly repeating, "It is here." She moved about a little and finally pointed down, "HERE!" she said.

Mr. Rosen marked the spot with chalk, and thanked her for her time. "We will be in touch with the results of our investigation. Would you like me to drive you home?"

"No, it is not very far. I would prefer to walk."

***

Mr. Rosen returned later in the day with his crew and their portable seismic system. There was indeed a chamber underneath the spot that Lina had indicated. They spent the rest of the day attempting to follow the tunnel leading to it. It was complicated because of the buildings above the tunnel. They had to jump from one street to the next. It was far from easy as the tunnel made frequent turns causing them to backtrack. The next day they found what looked to be the entrance. It was covered, and it took the archeological excavation crew about an additional day to uncover it.

Mr. Rosen and two other archeologists from the Department of Antiquities entered the cave. It took them about an hour to arrive at the dead end that was described in the dream story. They began looking for the removable stones, which were indeed well hidden by their close fit and the passage of time. They would have been overlooked had they not known to search for them. They continued to take a multitude of photographs to document the exploration. Additional photographs were taken as each stone was moved. The stones were laid out in order so that they could be replaced exactly as before when their investigation was complete. The side cave was exposed enough to allow entry. They rounded the last turn and "IT" was there. They stood utterly shocked as they looked at the greatest archeological find of all times. They would not approach it for fear of destroying evidence. Mr. Rosen was not able to see if there was a spot on the top surface because of the accumulated dust. He did look above the artifact and saw a small crack in the rock with one slight brown stain. "My God," he gasped, "her dream was accurate down to the slightest detail."

Mr. Rosen called Lina. She awoke out of a sound sleep as Mr. Rosen was not cognizant of the time of day in light of the find. "Ms. Malamed, this is Taavi. I don't have much time. I just wanted to tell you that 'IT' was there."

"What was there?" She asked drowsily.

"The Ark of The Covenant, just as your dream indicated. I will be in touch. Good-bye."

The phone went dead as Mr. Rosen went back to the challenges that faced his department. What was to be done with the artifact? Was it to be moved or left in its current location? What would the public response be? It would indeed be worldwide, and the department could not afford to make the slightest error. They had disturbed the site already due to their hasty entrance. Lina sat there in bed stunned and wondering what would become of the Ark.

***

Lina and Nava enjoyed another Shabbat at the congregation. Lina was able to move with the other ladies and girls in the folk dances with more rhythm, but she was still awkward compared to the ones that had been dancing together. After they enjoyed a leisurely Oneg with some excellent food, one of the ladies brought in the wedding dress for Lina to try on. It fit as if it had been made especially for her. The ladies commented that she was going to be the prettiest bride that had ever gotten married in the congregation. She blushed slightly, but no one could see the color change. Lina reflected on the fact that next week at this time she and Achmed would be married.
Chapter 34 Famous Against Her Will

There was a loud scuffling outside the apartment and then a knock at the door. Lina cautiously opened the door to look into bright lights mounted on top of several video cameras. The sound of still camera shutters could be heard. They were pushing microphones toward her and shouting questions. She tried to slam the door, which took several tries due to the fact that someone apparently had their foot in the door trying to keep it open. She and Nava covered the windows as quickly as they could and went into the bedroom, closing the drape that served as a door. They huddled together on the bed trying to understand what was going on. One thing for sure, Lina did not need any publicity. Her cellphone rang, and it was a reporter asking for an interview. She quickly closed it. It rang again almost instantly from another reporter. She closed it again and turned it to silent mode.

Later in the day, Mrs. Birg came to their apartment. She was swinging a mean cane. The photographers backed off when she struck a glancing blow that skipped off the head of one of the news people. Mrs. Birg knocked on the door, calling out who she was. Lina opened it just wide enough to allow Mrs. Birg to enter. Flashes of light could be seen and camera shutters heard in spite of the fact that no one other than Mrs. Birg was visible.

"Lina, I knew that you were up to something. Here take a look at this. They think you are one of us, the Orthodox community." It was a special edition afternoon paper. The headline read, "Ark Of the Covenant." Then on the second line, "LOCATED!" Third line, in much smaller but still bold type, "Young Jerusalem Woman from the Orthodox Community Shown Location of the Ark in Dream." The huge picture under that was of the archeologist's picture of the "ARK". Below the picture, text confirming the headline with quotes from Mr. Taavi Rosen of the Department of Archeology who had "firsthand knowledge of how it was located."

This was the first afternoon "Extra Edition" that Mrs. Birg could remember since the last war. The next picture on the top of the second page was of the newly uncovered cave entrance surrounded by scores of Israeli Defense Force soldiers. In the background was an armored personnel carrier with manned heavy machine guns. Below that was a third picture of a frightened Lina trying to close her front door. Then there was her Hebrew translation of the dream which she had originally written in Farsi. It was an enlargement of her own handwriting with childlike Hebrew characters and many grammatical errors. The writing appeared to be from a marginally literate individual. It was a complete copy of what she had given the Department of Antiquities, except the last segment about the blood. Whatever anonymity Lina had desired was forever gone.

"O my God. What am I going to do? I did not mean to cause this," she sat down on the bed and sobbed. Mrs. Birg sat down with her and held her tightly. She sat there for a while, content to be held, but she had to face whatever came next. She composed herself enough to sit upright and take the paper. She began reading the text immediately after her dream: "The location was submitted to the Department of Antiquities by Miss Lina Malamed, the fiancée of Mr. Achmed Barforoush, an employee of the Z N Computer Systems Company here in Jerusalem. Miss Malamed's parents, who live in Tel Aviv, were not available for comment and are thought to be out of the country for an extended visit. Miss Malamed resides in a predominately Orthodox community here in Jerusalem with her younger sister Nava. Malamed and Barforoush are scheduled to be married here in Jerusalem very soon, but the exact date and location were not reported in order to preserve the couple's privacy. Miss Malamed has not given an interview at this time, but will be reported here when available." Lina had been wrong when she talked to Armen and Joy, she had given them cause to take her back to, 'that' place. Lina retched once and dashed off to the bathroom. She retched a few more times, and then Nava and Mrs. Birg heard whatever Lina had down come up.

"It is not the end of the world, Lina. You say your young man wanted to live a quiet life. This will be different than you two expected, but surely he will not call off the wedding,"Mrs. Birg tried to reason with the pale green tinged girl.

"No, he won't call off the wedding. I won't live that long. They will have me killed," Lina could not make known enough of the details to explain to Mrs. Birg her fears. Mrs. Birg stayed as long as she could, but finally had to get back to her own apartment. The reporters backed off when Mrs. Birg went out the front door with her cane in the lead. They started asking her questions, but stopped after Mrs. Birg took a couple of swings and one connected.

Lina slid off the bed and joined Nava in the shadows of the front drapes. The reporters were still there repeating their request for an interview. There was a sizable group of Ashkenazi Jewish men (black hats) from the neighborhood walking in their direction. Several carried what looked like wooden ax handles less the head. "Oh no," was all Lina could utter. She thought they were joining the group against her. It didn't really matter anymore. Mehran's men would finish the deed soon if they didn't.

Lina was stunned when she heard one of the men call out to the reporters, "You buzzards get out of here. You are destroying the peace and tranquility of the entire neighborhood. This young lady has done nothing to warrant your outrageous behavior."

"We have a right to be here and a responsibility to report on this story." There was a scuffle, then one of the Ashkenazi men had a camera in his fingertips held over the railing. "No, don't drop it!" implored the owner of the camera. The others were still ardent in their right to be here and report the story.

Lina and Nava heard a muffled boom and then the sound of falling glass. They saw another group of Ashkenazi men that had gathered around the news vans, the type with the satellite antennas on top for reporting live news. A swing of one of the wooden handles had shattered a side window. One of the men lit something and tossed it into the van. Smoke began to billow out. The news people quickly deserted their posts in front of her door. They could clearly see similar groups of men gathered around their vans and news cars. Soon the news people were all gone.

Lina had heard that people driving through Orthodox communities on Shabbat often had their car windows broken out by the Orthodox men and boys throwing stones for "breaking the Sabbath". This was the first time Lina had seen anything like this. She had never spoken to any of the men and hadn't even made eye contact, which was apparently the proper thing to do in this community. It was not proper for a young single woman to live here alone, but the fact that she was to marry a religious Jew very, very soon and that Lina and the younger girl had always been very chaste in their appearance and behavior mitigated that circumstance. As long as she remained unmarried, she would not have had to keep her hair covered by the local tradition. She had always used a large gray scarf that covered all of her long hair. That fact was a true feat since her hair was so voluminous. There had been no visitors to the apartment except Mrs. Birg, and she would have told them if anything improper was going on. A group of men kept a presence in the courtyard after the news people left to ensure that the reporters did not return.

They did return in spite of the presence of the men. A couple of the news vans showed up later that night with two of police cars and four police officers. Lina's first thought was, "They have come for us." The news groups and police stayed on the public street. Lina finally realized that Mehran's men wouldn't be posing as Jerusalem police officers and helping the press.
Chapter 35 Facing Achmed

Lina was awakened by the sound of her cellphone early Friday morning. Lina did not want to even look to see if the number was one in her contact list. Her mouth went dry when she saw that it was Achmed's cellphone number. "Hello," she finally managed to get out.

"I saw your picture in the paper."

"Achmed, I am so very sorry about what happened. I don't blame you for being angry with me. I have been expecting one of Mehran's men to come for me. It has been terrifying. Will you please forgive me? I know the wedding is off and that they will be taking me back to Tehran. Would you please ask Mehran not to torture me very much? I beg you to at least do that much for me."

"Lina, calm down, no one is angry with you. The wedding is still on. I don't know why this happened, only Allah knows. We may be able to use this to our advantage. You still want to get married don't you?" Lina was silent for a few moments as she absorbed the news. She had been terrified and had not been out of the apartment all week. She and Nava had resorted to having a local grocery store deliver necessities. Mehran's men probably wouldn't come for her at the apartment with the news people watching, but if she went out they could easily snatch her.

"Why aren't you and Mehran angry with me?"

"Mehran is delighted. You are a celebrity. Your being famous does not matter to me." Lina did not answer. After a few moments Achmed went on, "You are not catching this. You are a celebrity. Your name appeared in most newspapers and online news outlets in the world. Most had your picture. You could get a visit to any world capital with one phone call, The White House in Washington, Kremlin in Russia, or even an audience with the Pope at the Vatican."

"But I don't want to go anywhere," Lina sobbed.

"Mehran wants 'us' to be able to go. Nothing is planned yet, but he is delighted with the possibilities. You still want to get married don't you?"

"Yes, I want to get married," was all she could get out.

"Good. Mehran insisted that I get your engagement ring to you before the wedding. It is to be delivered direct from the jeweler sometime this morning. Did someone come to your apartment yesterday to get the correct measurement?"

"Yes. It was one of Mehran's men. I was terrified. I thought he was going to cut off one of my fingers like they threatened to do in that prison."

"I am sorry that you were scared. Mehran wanted the ring to get to you before the wedding so that it would be yours to keep no matter what happens. It will be yours even under Iranian Law just like the dowry." Lina could not see the significance of the detail, and Achmed went on after Lina did not reply, "My office said that you needed me to complete some details of the wedding. We must also get the marriage registered. We both have to appear at the office here in Jerusalem. Be sure to bring all your documents, I.D. card, passport, and birth certificate. Now, what details must be arranged on your side?"

"The Rabbi that I found to do the wedding wants to meet you beforehand. He also read my copy of our marriage contract. I hope it was all right to show it to him. He specifically wanted to know if the dowry had been paid into my hand as stipulated. He wants to witness the transfer to be sure that the contract is fulfilled as written. You do have it?"

"Yes, I do. The price of gold keeps changing, so I got the twenty gold coins to ensure that the full amount is paid. My time is really tight, and I have much to do today after being out of the country for so long. Do you think the Rabbi would come with you to the office where we get the marriage registered? Say, around two o'clock?"

"I'm pretty sure he will. In any case, Nava and I will meet you there."

Lina began to recall the event yesterday when the man that had bumped into them and had given Nava the message from her father came to Mrs. Birg's apartment. Mrs. Birg came over with him to take the ring measurement. Lina had indeed been terrified. The man took out something and was going to place it over her finger. Her peripheral vision began to go black and her ears to ring. Mrs. Birg had to steady her as she reassured her that they just wanted her ring size, probably for the wedding rings. Lina was out cold by this point. Mrs. Birg and Nava laid her back onto one of the chairs and kept her upright while the measurement was taken. Nava continued to steady Lina. "Do you have a message from my father?" Nava asked him hopefully.

"Yes, I do. I had almost forgotten to tell you. Your father said that you will be the prettiest bridesmaid in the entire Middle East. He also wants to know if you are still enjoying your visit here? Are you homesick at all?"

"Tell father that I still love it here. I'm still needed, also," she pointed to the still fainted Lina.

Mehran's man had been watching the apartment. He knew that Mrs. Birg was the only one that came and went, so he had gone to see her first. He had gone out the back way into an alley. Mrs. Birg and Nava watched one of the news people chase him before he was out of sight. The man lifted his coat so the reporter could see the mini Uzi machine gun in a sling under his right arm. The reporter backed up slowly with his hands in the air.

***

The delivery did come that Friday morning about 9:30. The delivery boy went to Mrs. Birg's apartment first, just as Mehran's man had done. Mrs. Birg escorted him over with the package. Lina signed for it, and the delivery boy was mobbed by the reporters on his way out. Poor boy; Lina felt sorry for him. She had only given him a twenty NIS note for his troubles. The paperwork said 1.38K certified 10X. Mrs. Birg and Nava were anxious for Lina to open the box. It was a gold colored engagement ring with one diamond. "Do you think it is a real diamond?" Nava asked.

"Mr. Birg would know," Mrs. Birg replied. "He worked as a jeweler for many years before he retired."

"Do you think he would come over and look at it?"

"No, he would not enter the apartment of a single woman, even with me escorting him. I could take it over to him for you, it would only take a few minutes." Lina shook her head afermatively. She did not see the point, but it seemed important to the other two.

Mrs. Birg was gone for about fifteen minutes. "Your young man is certainly fond of you if the value of the ring is any indication. Mr. Birg said it is a real diamond, 1.38 is the karat weight, 10X means that no flaws can be seen in the cut or interior of the stone with a 10 power eye loupe. The color is the best: blue. He guesses that the stone alone would retail for between 15,000 and 25,000 NIS."

Lina was stunned. She had slipped the ring on as Mrs. Birg was explaining the value. Her reflex was to take it back off and put it into the box. The other two would not have it, "You must wear your ring on the day before your wedding."

"Mrs. Birg, I hate to ask you for anything else. You have been so good to me, and I have been so much trouble to you, but I need to get out of the apartment this afternoon to meet Achmed and the Rabbi at the license office at 2PM. Can you help me get out and away from the news people?"

"It will be a pleasure, young lady. Be ready to go about 1PM. I will bring some other ladies to help."

Lina wasn't sure what some other ladies could accomplish. They started arriving just before 1:00. They kept coming. There must have been about twenty of them. All dressed in long, dark blue, pleated skirts with white blouses, just as Lina and Nava wore. They started leaving the apartment, in groups of about five each, just as the neighborhood boys started throwing rocks and bottles at the news crew. Lina and Nava went out in the second group of five. They went to the bottom floor center section of the apartments which was the farthest from the street. There was a narrow entry that exited onto the alleyway in back. Mrs. Birg escorted them to the street corner and helped them hail a taxi. Lina kissed Mrs. Birg on the cheek, "How can I ever thank you."

"Just go get the marriage registered and marry that young man. Don't let him get away. You can do some kindness for me in the future if it is only to mourn when the time comes for my funeral."
Chapter 36 Fulfilment of the Contract

Lina, Nava, Armen, and Joy were sitting on a bench outside the office when Achmed arrived. Achmed was dressed like any typical religious Jew with tzitzit showing from his belt, wearing a long sleeve white shirt, and a kippah. He had grown very long trimmed sideburns instead of the usual Orthodox forelocks. Achmed approached the group and addressed Armen, "Are you Rabbi Wein?" Lina wasn't surprised that he showed respect to the Rabbi by speaking to him first.

"I am, and this is my wife Joy; we are from Mt Zion Messianic Jewish Congregation. So you are the young man that wishes to marry our Lina?"

"Yes, Rabbi, and I am glad to meet you. I wish it could have been sooner."

"Are you able to make an adequate provision for her?"

"Yes, Rabbi, I work full time for a computer software company here in Jerusalem. Our apartment where Lina and Nava have been living is modest, but the rent is paid for six months in advance."

"You will love Lina and care for her at all times?"

"Yes, Rabbi."

"You are aware that if you mistreat her, someone from the congregation will show up and break both your knees with a lead pipe?" Lina was most surprised at the protective question.

Achmed looked at Armen to see if there was any chance that this was an attempt at humor. Armen did not flinch as Achmed studied him, "I was not aware of this stipulation before, but since Lina is an orphan it would seem appropriate for someone to see that she is always loved and treated respectfully."

"You have the dowry?"

"Yes, you can witness its transfer into Lina's hand." Achmed stood and moved to Lina. Her eyes had remained down except for an occasional glance. Achmed got down on one knee. He took her right hand in his. Lina glanced at him and then looked down again. It pleased him to see her wearing the engagement ring. The money for it had come from Mehran, sort of a wedding present to her. He would gladly have bought it for her if he had had the money. The dowry had taken all his modest inheritance, savings and every coin that he could scrape together. He had even borrowed a small amount on his future salary in order to have the full amount.

"Lina, I never had the opportunity to properly ask for your hand in marriage. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" Lina sat there while Achmed and the others waited for her reply. She finally recognized that Achmed had asked her a question and was still holding her right hand.

"Yes," she said so softly the witnesses could barely hear.

Achmed kissed her right hand, and then said, "Lina, hold out your other hand." Achmed turned her palms up and started counting out the one troy ounce Maple Leaf Gold coins to her. Once he had placed the last coin in her palm he said, "You have all witnessed the fulfillment of this section of the marriage contract. I also discovered that Lina's parents had a safety deposit box, and that they had put aside savings for her. It was mostly silver coins from various countries. I did not bring it with me since it weighs several pounds. I will have it with me when I move my things into the apartment. I will give it to her then. It will be hers to keep or spend as she sees fit." Lina sat looking at the handful of heavy gold coins. They were beautiful. It had not occurred to her before now that they might be worth much more than she had imagined.

"Achmed, please realize that the wedding is to be held just after the Shabbat service tomorrow morning. It starts about 10:00 AM. The Oneg Shabbat will serve as the wedding reception. Lina has ordered the wedding cake. We will be picking it up as soon as we are finished here. It will be a traditional Jewish wedding taking place under a chuppah. If you come early enough, we will go over the details with you. You will need to arrange for rings yourself. Are these arrangements satisfactory with you?"

"Yes. If there is nothing more, Lina and I should register the marriage." The arrangements were made and the 600 NIS registration fee was paid. Achmed said goodbye to the group as he went back to work.

***

Lina realized that the next time she saw him she would be wearing the wedding dress. They intended to keep her secluded until the wedding part of the service began. "Your young man certainly is handsome," Joy commented when she could do it discretely.

"I had forgotten how handsome he is," Lina said mostly to herself. "I haven't seen him for months until now; I feel like there are butterflies in my stomach."

She seemed unusually quiet for a few moments, "Are you ok, Lina?" asked Joy.

"Yes, I was just thinking about the fact that the contract is completed."

"There is the wedding to do first," Joy offered.

"That may be a technical detail and the legal requirement here in Israel, but at this point no court in Iran would deny Achmed 'al-nikah'." When it was obvious that Joy did not know the term, Lina had some trouble translating, but came up with, "Full conjugal rights. If he had asked me, I would have gone with him now. In Achmed's eyes, my eyes, and we believe in God's eyes, we are already married."

"You are Israeli now," Joy replied.

"I may be Orthodox Israeli on the outside, but I am apparently still Iranian Christian on the inside. The Iranian part may fade if given enough time."

***

Before Lina and the Weins picked up the wedding cake, they took her to the bank where Nava's checking account was and arranged for a small safety deposit box for Lina's coins. The Weins offered to have the two spend the night with them, and they thankfully agreed. The thought of dealing with the press on the way in this afternoon and out again tomorrow was just too much to face. Lina hoped that the time and location of the wedding had not been leaked. She did not relish the thought of getting married in front of the entire Jerusalem press. She had no more worries about Mehran's men coming for her any more, and tomorrow she was to be married. She realized she had not been able to say more than a few words to her betrothed. She thought him a good, kind man. She certainly hoped that he was.

Joy welcomed the Shabbat, praying over the candles, challah, and wine. She broke the bread and passed it along. Armen poured the juice. Nava's eyes widened when she saw that she had a sizable serving. She sipped it cautiously and was glad to discover that it was mild flavored and sweet.

"Were you both satisfied with your meeting with Achmed? I sensed some reluctance before."

Armen offered the opinion, "I will admit I had reservations about the situation before. I feared that someone was seeking to take advantage of you. Your fiancée seems to be a sincere young man, and he apparently holds you in high regard," Armen looked down at her ring. "I would have loved to have had more time to observe his life, but I cannot voice any objections from what I have seen so far." He thought but did not say, "I only wish he was a Christian so you will not be unequal." He knew well her thoughts on that and would not distress her further for no reason.

"Lina, do you know how much your coins are worth?"

"I don't really have any idea. They sure were beautiful, the shiniest things that I ever saw."

"They are about 4500 NIS each."

Lina choked on a sip of juice, coughed a few times and was finally able to croak, "Each!" After a pause she continued, "No wonder Achmed hesitated when he read the amount in the contract. They should be beautiful at that price. Why do I need shiny coins that must be kept in a bank?"

Armen replied, "They intended them as a safe place for you to 'store assets'. The coins are instantly marketable. You could sell one or all when the need arises. Is there anything that you want to buy?"

Lina shook her head and replied, "No."

"If the ring is as expensive as your friend said, Achmed has spent over 135,000 NIS on you."

"Lina, if the look in Achmed's eyes is any indication, the coins and ring are nothing compared to the beauty and value that he sees in you," Joy said sincerely. Lina blushed and could say nothing.
Chapter 37 THE Shabbat

Achmed did come early to the Shabbat service. Armen talked with him for a while about the order of the wedding and asked for any input that Achmed might have. This was the first Jewish wedding that Achmed had ever attended, so he agreed with the plan. If he made a serious gaff during the ceremony, most would attribute it to nervousness. Armen introduced him to several members of the congregation after inviting him to sit up front with him during the ceremony.

Achmed was surprised at the youthful nature of the members and their casual attire. They were dressed respectfully, but not as Jewish looking as he would have expected for a service at a synagogue. They were very friendly, making him feel at ease. He inquired of the small group around him, no individual in particular, "The average age here is quite young. Is there a particular reason that there are few older people here?"

"The congregation is relatively new," one of the young men replied. Achmed had suspected that, it being on the third floor of a nondescript looking building. The speaker went on, "Most of us have been believers for only a short time." Achmed was not sure how that statement was relevant, but the song leader called everyone to order, and the music began before he had a chance for a clarification. He went to the front row and joined Armen.

The music had an upbeat pace and joyous tone that he had not expected. It was not like anything he had been exposed to by the 'Rabbi' back in Tehran. The flurry of ladies and girls forming into intricate patterns and movements of the Jewish dance in front of the congregation was also a surprise. He had expected some segregation by gender, at least sitting on opposite sides of the center aisle. The sexes were evenly mixed. Some were obviously couples very close together. "This wouldn't last long in Iran," he thought. "The morality police would soon be here separating the genders, probably painfully for the entire group." Some of the songs mentioned Yeshua. "How could that be?"

In the side room, a few of the ladies, and Joy, kept Lina busy helping make final preparations of the food that the members brought in. When the music began, they formed up and spent the time going through the dance movements with Lina. They would slow them down, making it easier for Lina to follow and learn the movements.

When the music and dance were over, the ladies set up some folding chairs and opened the door into the main auditorium; the angle out the door was such that they could see the speaker's podium and most of the front without being seen from the congregation.

The elder about Achmed's age that carried the Torah through the congregation, exited the side door, and after a brief delay returned. Achmed thought this extremely strange until he realized that the elder had taken the Torah to Lina and the ladies that were waiting with her. Lina was in seclusion behind the door but so very close by. His hands began to shake slightly.

When Armen stepped behind the podium, the ladies closed the door and began to dress Lina. She had been kept busy by the ladies, but now her heart began to pound. Armen spoke about the body of believers being the bride of Yeshua. Yeshua had given everything He had for His bride. He desired that she might be pure and untouched by sin, chaste until His coming for her. His greatest desire was to be united with His bride. They would then attend the marriage supper of the Lamb. The Bridegroom would have to delay until the last member of the body of believers had joined Him.

Armen motioned, and the marriage chuppah appeared at the front, supported by four teens about Lina's age. The elder who had carried the Torah laid his hand on Achmed's shoulder, bringing him back to the tasks at hand. The elder escorted Achmed to the chuppah. He knew from what he had been taught by the Rabbi back in Tehran that the chuppah symbolized the formation of a new family. Lina entered, and Joy escorted her to the chuppah. The sight of her took his breath away.

She very slowly walked around him three times and then took her place beside Achmed. Armen said, "In spite of what tradition tells us, here at this congregation, the three circles of the bride around the bridegroom represent the Father, Son, and The Ruach HaChodesh." Achmed did not remember that from his classes, and it did not sound right to him, but he was beyond caring at this point. Lina was by his side, and he was intoxicated by her presence.

Seven blessings were read underneath the chuppah, each by a different person. Armen read the translated, Judaized version of the marriage contract. He did not read the amount of the dowry, but did state that he had personally witnessed its physical transfer literally into Lina's hand.

Achmed recited a traditional proclamation as he placed the ring on her finger beside her engagement ring, "You are sanctified unto me by the Law of Moses and the Nation of Israel."

She placed the ring on his finger, "I am my beloved's and he is mine."

Armen took a bottle of wine and filled a glass after opening it. He handed it to Achmed. Achmed held it carefully to avoid spilling any on the dress as Lina drank, He handed it to her, and she held it as he drank the rest. Armen took the glass, wrapped it carefully in a thick white cloth napkin, and placed it in front of Achmed. Achmed stomped it, shattering the wineglass. Everyone shouted, "Mazel tov!"

The chuppah was set aside, and the wedding guests gathered around to offer words of encouragement to the newlyweds. Chairs were stacked out of the way and tables set up with little wasted motion, since they did this as part of Oneg every Sabbath. Music started and dancing began. Food for the banquet streamed out of the side door onto the tables. The wedding cake was brought out.

After the meal, the newlyweds cut the cake and took turns feeding a bite to each other. The music and dancing began again. Achmed and Lina were expected to have the last dance together, which they did. Amid 'ooos' and 'ahhhs', the two moved together. It felt clumsy to both of them, neither having danced before, much less with each other. They departed amongst cheers in the car that Achmed had arranged to take them to the hotel.

Achmed carried Lina across the threshold to the honeymoon suite and sat her down before ducking back into the hall to get their small bags. Lina looked around at the plush surroundings. She blushed at the sight of the king size bed. Neither knew who had secretly paid for their night here. It was a gift, and they might never find out who it was from. Achmed handed Lina her bag as he went to the bed. She could feel her hands shaking as she went to the bathroom to put on her nightgown. There didn't seem like much point in putting it on, other than she couldn't bear to have Achmed see her "strip". Her hands shook so that she had trouble unbuttoning her blouse. She jumped at the sight of herself nude in the huge mirror on the door. Her nightgown was finally on. She took several deep breaths to steady herself. She and Achmed had had almost no time to talk and had never been alone together until now. She took another deep breath, then realized that she might pass out from hyperventilating. There was no more time for delay. She had to go in.

Lina glanced up to see Achmed already in bed slightly raised on his left elbow. He smiled and extended his right arm toward her. She was very cognizant of how little she was wearing as she walked over to him. She sat down on the edge of the bed facing away from him and hoped that he would not be offended at how shy she felt and was acting. He lifted her arms and then slid her gown over her head. He lifted the covers for her and she quickly accepted the opportunity to slip in beside him. Her head landed on his left elbow as he continued to support himself. She glanced up, saw him smiling, and then dropped her eyes. She was sure that he could feel her shaking.

What he did next really surprised her. He gently brushed the hair away and began to gently stroke her face, beginning at her hair line and them downward. He caressed her as softly as a gentle breath of a summer breeze. He traced from the center of her face outward as a gentle person might caress a sleeping kitten. Her trembling subsided somewhat, and she looked up into his smiling face and then into his eyes. She really saw Achmed for the first time. Her trembling slowly stopped and was replaced with short gasps of breath as he continued to caress her.

***

Lina was awakened the next morning by the bright sunlight streaming through the window. Achmed still had his arm around her as they had fallen asleep last night. She knew that she was grinning like some kind of clown, but she could not help it. Last night had been such an intense experience she could hardly believe her memory. She slipped out of Achmed's embrace and wrapped one of the sheets around herself. "No, wait," Achmed grasped her wrist as she was about to get up.

"I have to go, but I will be right back." Lina told him, and he released her. She took one step toward the bathroom and discovered that she was indeed very sore as someone had predicted.
Chapter 38 Meeting the Press

On the Monday morning after the wedding, Achmed took Lina to a photographer's studio. They took some pictures of them together and then concentrated on getting the 'right' shot of Lina. They would turn her head to different angles, have her smile and look up, click. Lina could not understand what the fuss was about. They also took some outside shots overlooking the Kotel. Later in the day, they returned to look at the proofs. One of the other employees from Z N Computer Systems met them, and the two of them picked out what they thought was the best shot. They ordered 100 8"x 10": satin finished prints of three different shots on a rush basis. They also got digitized files for several more of the best shots. Once they left, Lina asked Achmed, "I did not want to question you in front of others, but why could we possibly need hundreds of pictures of me?"

"The news media will be hounding you, now us, if we don't give them something. The story is too big for them to ignore. We will arrange a news conference tomorrow afternoon and give them all pictures and a brief bio about you. We will give them a chance to ask questions. We have also invited that Archeologist from the Department of Antiquities to appear."

"I don't want to answer questions. I just want to go home and be your wife."

"I don't think you have much choice in the matter. I will be there, and if you don't know the answer, or don't want to take a question, you can squeeze my hand, and I will answer it as best I can. Many of the questions will probably go to the archeologist. We have reserved a conference room at the King David Hotel and invited the print and electronic press reporters from every organization that we could think of. Attendance will be limited to the first 200 who arrive. It may be broadcast live."

Lina suddenly felt very nauseated, "I can't do it. I will pass out or embarrass us in some way."

"I am very sorry, Lina, but there is no other choice in the matter. I am sorry it makes you uncomfortable. This decision was made many levels above us." Lina thought of one person: Mehran. Achmed was right. She had no choice. She would have to spend every spare moment praying. She knew she could not do it on her own strength.

***

A van with the computer company name and logo on it came for them. The mass of reporters was sparse compared to before the press conference had been announced. Lina sat beside Achmed in the van as he discussed some details with the other occupants. It was more than she could follow in her nervous state. She had indeed used all her spare time and prayed with all her heart as she did now, "Lord God, please help me get through this."

They were met at an obscure entrance to the building by several men. One was the man that they had run into on the street who had measured her for the ring. He was wearing a shirt with the computer company name in small print and a stylized logo on the front. "One of Mehran's men for sure," she thought, "and the computer company is his, too."

She was escorted by the group of men into the greenroom where they would rest prior to making their entrance. Achmed had been on one side of her and another large man on the other. Lina didn't recall if her feet really touched the floor very often during the short trip.

Achmed was still talking to the other men, and they were looking at Lina's picture and bio. She picked up one of the pictures. It was of her leaning against a railing overlooking the Kotel and the dome of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the background. She was looking to her left where she had heard rumors that the third Temple would soon be built. A couple of wisps of hair had escaped the front of her scarf. The breeze had moved her scarf and exposed much of the hair down her back. She had her weight on her right foot, the left knee bent, her left foot resting on the toe. There was a trace of a smile on her lips as she looked at the site. The composure for the shot was professional. She did not recall them posing her there. It looked like a page from a glossy magazine. She could hardly believe that it was her.

Lina shook Achmed's arm gently. He leaned over where he could hear what she said. "I can't do this."

"You can. I will be there right beside you." Achmed went back to his conversation. Lina looked at the clock on the wall; it was only a few minutes before two. Her peripheral vision began to darken, her ears rang with a high pitch sound, and she felt nauseated. Her escorts practically lifted her from the couch and moved her to the door. Achmed entered beside Lina, a supportive arm around her. He saw that Lina was seated and that she did not miss her chair. Flashes were going off before her eyes. It took a moment to realize that they were photo flashes and not just the symptoms of her fear. There were cameras everywhere. She saw the video cameras with harsh lights at both sides and down the center aisle. Her vision dimmed again at the edges. Taavi Rosen, of the Department of Antiquities, entered behind them and was seated beside Lina in front of a laptop computer.

"I would like to welcome you to this conference. I am Achmed Barforoush."

A shout from the back of the room said, "Lucky dog." The comment was followed by laughter.

Achmed laughed at the comment too as he began again, "I assure you that Lina and I were betrothed long ago, and the wedding took place at the previously agreed on time. I had nothing to do with Lina's dream. But it looks like you are stuck with me now." The comment brought a widespread chuckle. "It is our wish to be open with the news media and that you folks will give us a measure of freedom to move about in pursuit of our daily lives. We promise to provide you with further details should they arise. We ask that you respect our privacy. Our other guest, as most of you know, is Taavi Rosen of the Department of Antiquities. He has some new pictures and information that you will want to see. And now, let me welcome Dr. Rosen."

There was polite applause before Taavi began. He switched on a projector that displayed the picture that was on his laptop screen. There was a high resolution picture of the Ark. The pictures scrolled through different views as he spoke, "As to the update on the Ark, it has not been moved. We have had technicians examine it for signs of authenticity. It is our belief at this time that the Ark is authentic."

There was a flurry of shouted questions. Most were along the line of, "How did you determine that it was authentic?"

"I was just getting to that. I would ask that you hold questions until I have finished. We took just enough wood from the Ark and the carrying poles to conduct carbon 14 dating. They both came back at about 3,000 years." There was a flurry of excitement as some news people bolted from their seats to attempt to be the first with the headline. Others typed feverishly on laptops or worked with other electronic means of transmitting the story. Taavi paused again before he continued, "The bright sheeting on the exterior of the Ark is indeed gold. It was analyzed using X-Ray fluorescence, a nondestructive test. Various locations were analyzed, and all had about the same amount of copper, silver, and other trace elements as would be anticipated from an artifact of this age. The gold does not exhibit any of the characteristics of material refined in modern times. We have not attempted to open the Ark and will not open it until it is removed from the cave. We do not have any idea when the Ark will be moved or where it will be moved to. We do not anticipate leaving it at the current location indefinitely. You are aware that several requests have been made by various Jewish groups, the majority from the Orthodox community. Several suits have been filed in court by groups alleging various claims on the artifact." Taavi continued for some time about the details of the investigation. He pointed out that it was supported on four corners with three stones each. Observers were free to conclude that there was one for each tribe of Israel. Taavi fielded numerous questions about the Ark.

Lina was getting weary from the length of the talk. Her earlier adrenalin had been consumed, and she was beginning to bottom out. The questions finally got around to her. One of the reporters asked a question about her earlier life. She had not read the bio and history that they had generated and given out with her picture. Achmed expected her to hand the question off to him, but she started her answer without delay. Her voice was soft, but the microphone in front of her amplified what she lacked in volume. "My life is not of any significance in this discussion. Next question please."

She picked out a newspaper reporter on the front row. He asked, "How do you account for the lack of refinement in your handwritten account of the dream?"

Lina replied, "I never claimed to be an educated person. My account of the dream was hastily dashed off as quickly as I could write it. I never really expected anyone to read it, much less take it seriously and have it published."

She picked out a lady reporter on the other side of the room. "Why do you think the dream was given to you?"

"I believe the dream came from the Lord God, Creator of the universe. I have no idea why He chose me. You will have to ask Him." Laughter rippled through the group.

"Was your dream printed in its entirety?" Lina leaned over and whispered a question in Dr. Rosen's ear. He whispered a lengthy reply to her.

She then replied to the question, "No." A gasp came from the group and Achmed turned, and looked at her, surprised at the revelation. "There was one paragraph omitted. Dr. Rosen is working on verifying the statements in the paragraph. He will release the details and the omitted section when it is validated."

"Do you believe the omitted section will be verified and, if so, will it be significant?"

"Yes, I believe it will be verified. There is no reason that I should have been given the other information accurately and the last paragraph falsely. As to the significance, I expect it to be as profound as the finding of the Ark itself."

"Have you had any more dreams?"

"No, at least not of any significance. I have been keeping a journal of my random dreams to see if there is any pattern or something that I have overlooked."

The same reporter asked a follow up question, "In your opinion, to what location do you think the Ark should be moved and when?"

Lina considered the question carefully before answering, "I would expect it to remain where it is until the Third Temple is constructed on the Mount to house it. It would then be removed from the cave and transported, as prescribed by the Law of Moses, to the Third Temple."

There was a flurry of shouted questions, but Lina calmly selected a reporter to her right and waited patiently for the uproar to die down. "Do you believe that the Muslims will tolerate a new Temple being built on the Mount?"

Lina's reply was simple, "No." After a pause Lina continued, "I fear that there will be much violence concerning this and wish that the Lord God would have selected someone else to reveal the Ark's location. It may take the coming of the Messiah to settle this."

The meeting lasted the entire scheduled two hours. Achmed closed it by thanking the people for coming. He then led Lina out the door that they had entered. She leaned against him with her arm behind his back, "Did I do OK?"

"You did outstandingly. You answered every question promptly and honestly. I did not have to answer a single question. If I judged the situation correctly, the reporters seemed to like you."

The other computer employees were there and escorted the couple toward the van. Just outside the building there were more reporters. They pushed in holding microphones and shouting questions. The camera people were just behind them with their bright lights. One of their escorts asked them, "Back away and allow them to pass." No one did. The closest reporter soon landed sprawled on the ground. The others backed off when the apparent bodyguard turned toward them.

***

Achmed turned toward Lina in the van, "I did not know about a missing paragraph. Is it really of significance?"

"You can read my original, which is written in Farsi, back at the apartment, but if the dream was accurate, there is one drop of human blood on the top center of the Ark."

Achmed thought for a moment then continued, "The Jews would never have done a human sacrifice. Why is that drop significant? Perhaps it is from one of the workmen that hid the Ark."

"No," Lina stated flatly. "The drop came from the ceiling where there was a crack in the rock."

"Can this theory be proven?"

"There will be a trace of blood on the ceiling exactly above the drop on the Ark. Dr. Rosen saw the stain on the celling of the cave. He is having DNA testing done on the two samples." Achmed was trying to make sense of the details and paused for some time. Lina whispered in his ear, "If the samples are human and match each other and the dream is correct in its entirety, the Jews did offer a human sacrifice."

He looked at her surprised by this conclusion, "Whose blood would it be?" he asked.

"Yeshua's," she replied.

"How would it be proven to be Yeshua's blood?"

"I don't know, but many will believe it, since the rest of the dream was 100% accurate."
Chapter 39 The Blood

Back at their apartment, Achmed sat on the bed reading the last paragraph and then the entire dream from Lina's original Farsi copy. He looked at Lina with a frown, not as a condemnation of Lina; he was trying to understand if there was any chance that her conclusion could be true. Lina, thinking the frown was directed toward her, pleaded, "Achmed, I am so sorry that this happened. I did not do it on purpose. I couldn't have made it up on my own. I would give anything if the dream could have been given to someone else. I don't know why it was given to me."

Achmed paused for some time. Lina's stomach was beginning to feel queasy. He said, "I know why." Lina looked at him surprised. Achmed continued, "Because you did not want it. You would take no pride in the fact that it was given to you. There was nothing for you to gain by it. You have become famous against your wishes. By giving it to you, it increases the likelihood of it being believed and its authenticity." She was surprised by his assessment.

Lina's ringing cellphone startled her. It was Dr. Rosen. They exchanged pleasantries and then he revealed the reason for the call, "I wanted to give you a heads up. We got the results of the blood samples back from the lab. The two samples, one from the lid, and the other from the rock above, were identical. The surprising thing is that this sample was different from all the other human blood samples that the lab has processed. That is the reason that it took so long for them to report the results to us. There were no errors in the chromosomes at any area along the chain. Normal chromosomes are damaged as they are transmitted from one generation to the next. The only other people that have ever lived with chromosomes like this would have been Adam and Eve. This is likely to set off a firestorm of belief by one group and total rejection by the other. The Department of Antiquities will reveal the findings later today. You should be prepared." Lina had no idea what to say. She thanked Dr. Rosen for warning her. She dreaded giving Achmed the news, but she did.

First one rock and then another bounced off the apartment door. There were shouts, the one that Lina heard was, "Come on out, carpenter's whore".

"I have had enough of this," Lina said as she bounded for the door.

"No, wait," Achmed grasped for her, but missed. A couple of steps and the door was opened. A stone narrowly missed the young lady and rattled across the kitchen floor.

She rushed to the railing and shouted as loud as her voice was capable, "Hear me, all of you!" She heard Achmed at the door behind her. She lifted her right arm with her palm out in a gesture imploring him to stay back. She had disobeyed her husband by coming out here, but that was a problem to be dealt with later. "The Lord God, Creator of the universe, blessed be He, revealed the location of His precious Ark in a dream that was 100% accurate. I reported the dream completely, omitting nothing. Ask yourselves: if the dream had been given to you, would you, knowing it was from the Most High, would you have omitted part of it because it did not fit into your understanding of events? Would you have betrayed the trust of the Blessed One? If you examine your conscience and believe that I have sinned in this matter, gather your stones and meet me in the center of the parking lot. I will submit myself to you for stoning. If I have not sinned, then go back to your apartments."

The crowd slowly dispersed. Lina stepped back into the apartment and into Achmed's arms. She was trembling all over, partly from fear, but for the most part from burning anger. "I am sorry, my husband. I disobeyed you. I just had to act."

"You did the right thing. I am proud of you. Facing a crowd that is throwing rocks and calling for your blood would not be easy."

***

Lina jumped up at the first sound of the alarm clock. As her husband showered, she prepared his bag lunch for him and had buttered toast, coffee, and jam on the table by the time he was dressed.

He opened the lunch at the software company conference room that was also used as a break room. The others were jealous as Achmed laid out his lunch. There was a thermos of hot tea, pita bread, cheese, a slice of roast beef, a sliced tomato in a plastic container with a snap-on lid, and a pastry for dessert.

***

When Achmed came home from work on his first day back at the job after the wedding, Lina met him at the door. His arms went around her waist, and her arms went around his neck. She stood on her tiptoes in order to reach him for a kiss as he leaned forward. He was a good bit taller than she, and her being barefoot accentuated the difference. He untucked her scarf and let her thick curls of hair fall free. After that, she always met him at the door with her hair flowing freely. She and Nava could both easily identify Achmed's footsteps approaching. It brought a smile to Nava's face when she saw Lina take off her scarf and shake her hair free. Lina would stand just behind the door to avoid being seen from the outside. Nava would often giggle and tell them, "You two stop it, you are embarrassing me."

Achmed would reply, "Just you wait for another ten or fifteen years, and some nice young man will really make you blush." The giggles would continue. Often, Achmed would sweep Lina into his arms as if she was weightless, and carry her into the bedroom, stopping to pull the curtain that served as a door. Nava's giggles would continue as she shut the front door on her way out.

Lina scurried back to the kitchen one evening to get some lemonade for Achmed, and overheard Nava's conversation with their neighbor, Mrs. Birg, "Are those two at it again?"

"Yes," Nava giggled. "But they don't fight. It gives me a good excuse to go out and play."

"I hope he does not hurt her, she is small you know," Mrs. Birg said playfully.

"Don't worry Mrs. Birg. I see most all of Lina on a regular basis, and I haven't seen any bruises yet. I don't think he is hurting her."

Lina had to cover her mouth to avoid laughing out loud. She and Achmed had a good laugh about the comment later. Lina began to mockingly complain when Achmed approached her, "Please, don't hurt me!"

Achmed would reply, "Just don't let Nava see the bruises," as he took Lina into his arms.

"Did you see that the stove was turned off before you came out?" Mrs. Birg asked.

"It was off," Nava reassured her. More than once their supper had turned into what Mrs. Birg called, "A burnt offering on the altar of youthful passion." Old memories brought a smile to Mrs. Birg's face. She enjoyed having the young ones next door in spite of the fact that one of them was a Christian.
Chapter 40 Caught! and Whipped?

Achmed crept as silently as possible into their apartment. He had been much later at work than usual and knew that Nava would be sleeping on the daybed just inside the door. He hoped that Lina had gone to sleep also. He did not have an opportunity to contact her. He crept toward the bedroom entrance. Lina's voice could be heard very softly from within. She was on her knees with her forehead on their bed praying. Achmed did not mean to intrude and he did not want to interrupt either. "Lord God," she began, "Lord of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." Could he have heard those words coming from her and within his own household? Every Muslim knew that Ishmael was Abraham's child of promise, not Isaac. She was praying to the Jew's and Christian's God, and he would put an end to it. He had instructed her specifically as to what was allowed and what was forbidden. He would leave her back, bottom and legs a crisscrossed pattern of belt marks. He reached for the buckle of his belt but paused when he heard her continue, "I beg you to watch over my husband and keep him safe. I know he is late, and I don't know where he is, but I know that You know. Please keep Your Hand of protection around him. He is such a good man, and I thank You for him. Bless him, Lord, bless him, bless him, bless him. He wants to do the right thing. I know that he loves what he thinks is truth, but Yeshua, he hasn't met You. He does not know that You are Truth. I ask that," she paused. He had not made a sound, she lifted her head from the bed and turned toward him, "You have been listening?"

"Yes."

She got up and walked to the rack which held his few neckties and his old belt. She took the belt to him and stood before him with her head down. "I have intentionally disobeyed your wishes in your household. It is not the first time that I have prayed like this. I expected to be punished if caught. I submit to whatever punishment that you wish to give out." She took the belt and his right hand and placed them against her chest. "You can make my mouth say anything that you wish, but you must know here and now that it will not alter what I BELIEVE in my heart." With that she went to their bed. If she was heard crying out by the neighbors it might shame Achmed, so she laid face down pushing her face into a soft pillow. She reached back and lifted her gown which brushed most of her hair away and exposing most of her slim back.

"Yeshua, You submitted to a severe scourging; can I endure a mere whipping?" She prayed silently as she waited, "Lord God, Yeshua, You bore all things, please help me be able to bear this." The words that she did not recognize began to flow. She knew then that everything was going to be all right. She expected it to be searingly painful, but that wasn't the important part. To be able to humbly bear a whipping well for praying for her husband WAS. She would try to hold still and not make much noise.

He watched as she lay there exposed and gripping the pillowcase beside her head hard enough to make her knuckles turn white. She fully expected him to strike her. He stood there dumbstruck, the belt in his hand. She was willing to accept a whipping with a belt on her bare skin. He knew that he could beat her until she bled, and she would remain as silent as possible, only crying out into the pillow. He had heard her scream in that vile prison in Tehran. The memory of it made him shiver. He also knew that it would be pointless. He could not alter what was in her heart. She would even continue to love him as she bled. That thought brought tears to the corner of his eyes. She was a wonderful woman and an excellent wife. If he did this, it would simply be heartless and he would not, could not, mistreat her.

He sat down on the edge of the bed and gently lifted her head. She didn't know what to expect. She had fully expected many burning belt lashes, but would there be a piece of cold steel at her throat? She stiffened slightly at the thought, but did not resist. She would soon see Yeshua face to face if there was a blade. That thought did not alarm her. He brushed the hair out of her face, "I think that you are wrong, and I fear for your eternal state," he said "But I will not try to change what is in your heart with a piece of leather." With that he kissed her gently on the forehead. The smile that he loved spread across her face as her arms went around his neck.

"But you will not pray like that in my house!"

"I will and you know it!"

"You won't," He said again as he pushed her back on the bed and stifled any reply with a passionate kiss.

Nava had been listening since Achmed came in. Nava knew that Iranian husbands would sometimes whip their wives unmercifully for disobeying. She cringed at the thought that Achmed might strike Lina. She was beginning to understand that Lina's faith in the Carpenter's Son was costly for Lina. "Will it soon be costly for me?" Nava thought. A smile spread across Nava's face when she realized that Lina would not be punished. She soon drifted back to sleep.

***

Achmed completed his evening prayers in their bedroom, kneeling in the direction of Mecca. That was the only room they had that was completely hidden from the outside. His handlers in Iran had advised against Muslim prayers at all in order to preserve his Jewish cover, but Achmed could not take it. When he heard the Muezzin calling the faithful to prayer in the morning and evening he had to join them. During the day, the call had to be ignored, but he would not ignore the call here. Lina and Nava prayed discretely while they sat on the daybed. Achmed came out of the bedroom and joined them.

"Lina, that sure was a strange synagogue that we got married in. I thought all Jews thought that Yeshua was an imposter and hated Christians?" Achmed inquired.

"I suppose most religious Jews do hate him," she had dreaded the question ever since the wedding. She knew that he might be very displeased with her choice. Most Iranian men would have walked out of the wedding, but most Iranian men had not been trained to interact with Jews in a religious setting. If those Jews liked Yeshua, what was that to Achmed. Lina continued her answer, "Some think he was who he claimed to be. They think of themselves as completed Jews, but don't want to become Christian and lose their heritage. I know a good deal about Islam and some about Christianity but very little about Judaism. I thought that I might be better off with a group that I could better identify with." She added softly, "Are you displeased with my choice?"

"No, I think you did the right thing. They made every effort to make us welcome and performed a wonderful wedding service."

Lina was very relieved, and followed her train of thought, "I should probably know more about the Torah and prophets. Would you let me read it here at home if I had one?"

"That would probably be a good idea."

"Do you have a Tanakh that I could read to better understand?" He did have one; it was an exceedingly rare version, a Farsi translation. He gave it to Lina to read. The Torah readings and teaching at the Mt Zion Messianic Jewish Congregation were the most that she had heard. She had never had an "Old Testament" and began devouring it. She knew that it would be better to read one in Hebrew, but this one was available, and she wanted to read it to understand quickly.
Chapter 41 Mother

Lina and Achmed stood in front of the apartment door. Achmed was nervous about what it would be like to meet his mother. He did not remember her or living in Israel at all. He hoped that seeing her face to face would spark a memory in him. He had heard her voice just briefly over the scratchy long distance call months ago. He had no idea how she would react to him just appearing. There was no way for him to know what transpired between her and his father. The split might have been very ugly. Had she given him up, or abandoned him? Achmed knocked and saw a flicker of motion behind the tiny glass peephole as someone inside peered out at them.

The door opened as far as the chain would allow. A lady's face appeared and said, "Yes, can I help you?"

"We are looking for Avera Goldstein."

She recognized that the young couple was not a threat so she said, "Just a moment." She closed the door and unhooked the chain. She opened the door wide enough for all to see each other. Lina could see the resemblance immediately. "My maiden name was Goldstein. My married name is Eberman." Achmed was having a hard time deciding what to say. Avera recognized the young girl that was standing close by the young man. "You look like the young lady that has been in the news about the Ark." Lina nodded affirmatively.

"Do you recall a young boy named Achmed Barforoush from about twenty-three or twenty-four years ago?" Achmed asked.

"Yes, I had a son by that name," Avera started to recall a newspaper article about the famous girl marrying a Jewish man by that name. Why was he Jewish?

"What happened to your son?"

"His father abandoned me and stole the boy away. I never saw him again." Tears were already streaming down her face as she added, "Until now."

There was a lot of catching up to do. Lina sat close to Achmed on the sofa. She didn't say anything except to a direct question from Avera Eberman, "Has my son been good to you?"

"Very much so."

"Where did you meet?"

Lina didn't know quite what to say, "At one of the political prisoner detention facilities in Tehran," would not do, so Achmed took the question.

"We met in Tehran. Her guardian was kind enough to arrange the meeting for us."

"I have someone that you should meet." Avera called for Katriel. The girl had been reading in her bedroom since the visitors came. She bounded out wearing cut off blue jeans and a thin cotton shirt that was not long enough to make it all the way to her waist. Achmed rose to take the girl's hand, as his mother introduced them. "Achmed, I would like you to meet your half-sister, Katriel. Katriel, this is Achmed, your half-brother." Neither had any idea what to say. They stood there looking at each other until Katriel sat down in the other chair and Achmed sat back down beside Lina. He wondered if there was enough resemblance to indicate that they were brother and sister. Lina was as surprised to see her new sister-in-law as they were to see each other. The family resemblance was recognizable here as well.

They both looked at their mother at the same time. Katriel spoke first, "Mother, why in the world didn't you tell me that I had a brother?" The thought had never occurred to Achmed that he might have siblings, and here was his sister from another culture. There was no reason for Katriel to think of her mother having another child.

"I did not intend to hide the fact. He had been taken very young. I thought I was going to die from grief. I sought a way to get him back for years, but they were all dead ends. I just could not stand to talk about him. When you were born, the grief was dulled somewhat. I had half my children, which was better than none." Katriel moved to her mother, and put her arms around the weeping lady. Achmed knelt in front of her and took her hands. Lina was at her place, at Achmed's side.

***

Nava came with them on their next visit. The four had a good evening meal together. "Girl time, let's go!" Katriel grabbed the two girls and led them off to her bedroom. This would be Achmed's and his mother's first opportunity to visit alone. Lina was hesitant to go until Achmed nodded that it was OK.

Katriel encouraged Lina to take off her scarf and relax. Nava was not required to wear a scarf, but she usually did around their home neighborhood. Lina seemed uneasy at first. "Go ahead. It is allowed, even among the strictest orthodox Jews, for girls to relax together isn't it?" Lina complied, shaking her hair free, and began to relax. Katriel was very curious about the new family members. She knew little about any of them. It might be easier to talk to the girls than to her brother.

I want to find out everything about all of you. Do you think my brother is handsome?"

"Oh yes," both Lina and Nava agreed.

"Is my brother a good husband?"

"Yes, he has been very good to me and Nava."

Katriel caught Nava looking away. Katriel pointed down to the bed they were sitting on, "Is he good?"

"Yes, he is very, very good!" Lina said, then blushed and covered her face with her hands. Surely proper wives were not supposed to enjoy such things.

"Have you always been observant (a religious Jew)?"

"No, I was never observant other than it is required to appear so because of Achmed."

Katriel was puzzled and asked, "I am trying to make sense of all this. If I understand this correctly, Achmed grew up in Iran and he is now Jewish, but you are a non-observant sabra with a heavy foreign accent that he met in Tehran." Lina dropped her eyes as she tried to decide how much she could tell Katriel. She told all that she could about their background. Katriel sat almost speechless listening to all the things that had happened to this young girl.

Katriel shared that she had recently become a believer in the Carpenter's Son. Lina was delighted to have another member of the family that was a believer. This was beginning to feel like family, sort of like the feeling at Mt. Zion Messianic Jewish Congregation. "One thing I don't understand," Katriel asked, "How can you be so submissive to your husband, my brother?"

"We are always submissive to someone. I obey Achmed about most matters. Achmed will listen to what I have to say about a matter, and then it is his responsibility to decide. Achmed will stand responsible for his decisions before the One God. I will gladly live with the consequences of his decisions, but I certainly don't want his responsibility. If he is wrong, the Lord God will still bless me for my obedience. I stand under Achmed's cover of protection. I also stand under The Messiah. The only time that there is a problem is when the two are contradictory. Only then will I consider disobeying Achmed. That is when my heart is ripped apart. There is no possibility of a person not being submissive. People who do everything to please themselves are being submissive to the father of lies. Doing their 'own thing' is faithful obedience to him." Katriel considered Lina's answer. Lina was speaking of concepts that had never occurred to Katriel. She realized that she was submissive to her parents to some extent. Beyond that, she realized that her responsibility was to follow The Way. Lina invited Katriel to meet her at the Mt. Zion Synagogue on Shabbat. Katriel intended to go.
Chapter 42 The Witch

Achmed showed the paper to Lina. It had been on the TV and radio news also. Lina dreaded it, but read anyway: "Palestinian government leaders in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank accuse Lina Barforoush of being a witch. She has conspired with the evil one to expose this false Ark and the supposed 'Yeshua Stains'. This is merely an attempt by the Jewish Ultra-Orthodox and extreme Zionists to enlist the Christians to hasten the construction of the third Temple on the site of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Jews believing this will usher in the coming of the Meshiach (Anointed One)." Lina gasped but continued to read: "The witch is a member of the Mt. Zion Messianic Jewish Congregation, a supposed Jewish Synagogue, but in reality is a corrupt den of Yeshua freaks." It went on to list the location of the congregation and their meeting time.

"Oh, my God, what have I done? I have brought persecution down on the Mt. Zion Congregation. There will be protesters and maybe riots this Shabbat." Lina lay back on their bed with her forearm lying over her face covering her eyes, "Why is God doing this to me? Why?"

Achmed offered, "There is something bigger than you in this. It may be that Allah is giving us an opportunity to use your involvement to strike the west and the infidels."

"Do you think Allah will tell me what to say? You know my true beliefs in the Blessed One. Allah will not speak through me!" Lina said as she looked him in the eye. Achmed could see the resistant streak in her, the one that would cause her to act as Lina believed Yeshua would lead her, in spite of the consequences and pain that it might cause.

"I will tell you what to say if necessary," Achmed said as Lina continued to glare at him. "More correctly, Mehran will instruct me on what to have you say." At this point Achmed was considering raising his hand against her, but her eyes finally dropped submissively.

"I don't want to be told what to say. I don't want to act. I don't want to think. I want it to go away. I want to be unknown like I was back in Iran."

"I'm sorry, Lina, but you know there is no going back. There is more in the article. I know that you don't want to hear it, but you need to listen to this," Achmed began to read where Lina had stopped, "Many Christian churches worldwide are experiencing tremendous growth. Apparently previously uncommitted people believe the report from the Department of Antiquities that the blood was unique. Elsewhere, sporadic rioting has taken place between Jewish and Palestinian demonstrators around Israel. There are unconfirmed reports of fatalities. Fighting has broken out between various factions in Iran and in Lebanon. Israeli, Syrian, Jordanian and Egyptian military commands have started calling up reserves. The situation is being watched by nervous USA, Chinese, and Russian leaders."

Lina dashed off the bed to the bathroom. She did not throw up; she just broke out into dry heaves that twisted her stomach into painful knots. Achmed joined her in the small bathroom. He rinsed a washcloth in cold water and wiped Lina's face and neck. Lina came back intending to sit on the bed, but more dry heaves sent her racing back to the bathroom.

"I have had enough. I can't take this. If only I had not written the dream down," Lina sobbed.

"There is a blessing in there somewhere for you. If you had ignored it, whoever gave it to you would have given it to someone else. They would have gotten the blessing."

"That would be great. Let someone else have the blessing and the blame! I would rather be dead than have any responsibility for the violence, death and hard feelings!"

"This may change many things. You must do as you are told. If you say the wrong thing, you won't be able to run. You know how Mehran will react. You know that Mehran will find you," Achmed warned.

"Perhaps he would stop looking eventually," Lina said with her head down, with little conviction in her words.

"He would never stop looking," Achmed told her plainly. "It would be more merciful to die than to fall into his hands if you disobey him. Are you forgetting that you have his daughter? Would she go back to him?"

"No, not willingly. If she did, I would be heartbroken from the loss. Did you know that she has called me 'Mom' several times? I don't think she realized that she had said anything unusual.

"Achmed, how can you just overlook the significance of the Ark and the Blood of the Blessed One?" Lina asked questioningly.

"There is no reason not to believe that the Jews had an Ark. The genuineness of the current artifact and the significance of it are the question. Genuine or not, Allah will not allow the Mosque to be desecrated by a new Jewish Temple," Achmed answered.

"But what about the blood stain? It was confirmed as unique," Lina entreated him.

"Of course it was unique. If only the Christians had not corrupted his teachings. I readily agree that Yeshua was the prophet."

"He was the Son of...," Lina stopped when she looked up and saw Achmed's hand raised ready to backhand her across the face. There was no reason to complete the statement. Achmed knew what she had intended to say and what she believed. A black eye and possibly a bloody nose would prove nothing except her stubbornness. She wisely chose to remain silent and drop her gaze. There was no change in what Achmed believed in spite of the fact that his wife had been chosen to make the location of the Ark known.

"I have been too lenient with you. I should have whipped you severely for praying in that name. I will not allow my love for you to cloud my guidance of this household in the future. You are warned. This will stop here and now."

Lina kept her head and eyes downcast as Achmed spoke. She knew that he meant every word. She had been whipped for what she believed before. "That might have just been the first of many times," she thought.
Chapter 43 A Guarded Prayer

Lina was awake long into the night as she lay in Achmed's arms listening to his regular breathing. She loved him, but how could she obey him in this? She knew that he loved her. He had said so. She felt certain that the Lord God was guiding her to make the complete dream known. She had not previously provided the detailed story about Yaakov and the other guards hiding the Ark. She felt certain that additional people would believe in the Blessed One as a result of the full account, just as some had believed because of the blood stain. She was certain that her story meant nothing outside of the confirmation of ancient events and what the Blessed One would do with His words that she was to speak forth. It would be costly. She might lose Achmed and Nava. She might end up in the room with those men with the cable cutter and soldering iron. They would give her reason to scream. Would the Lord protect her? Would she speak His words unsure of His protection?

Achmed shifted enough for Lina to snuggle away from him. She just had to get away and pray. After she found her well worn New Testament, she fell on her knees and wept quietly.

Lina's guardian angel bristled as additional spiritual darkness entered the room. Her guardian drew the spiritual weapon, which sounded like drawing a long sword from a scabbard and said, "I have been expecting you Fear. Step closer!"

"Not so quick, Servant of Light," Fear hissed, "I have the right to be here."

"Step closer, and we will see about your rights!"

"I'm fine over here." Fear knew better than to approach a chosen vessel too closely. Fear had no idea how close the One would allow. To overstep those bounds would send this spirit of Fear to the abyss. Some influence might be exerted without approaching too closely.

If the angel of darkness could exert its right to be here, Lina's guardian could use Fear's own weapon against it. Lina's spiritual guardian made sporadic quick movements that startled and unnerved Fear to no end. It brought a smile to the guardian each time Fear jumped. "What's wrong, Fear? Losing your nerve?" The guardian knew that Fear could be distracted, but not driven out yet.

Lina prayed, "God, you know that I wish to obey my husband in all appropriate things. God, are you really calling me to do this?"

Doubt quickly entered the room bringing more darkness and whispered, "You can't do it, foolish girl!"

Lies entered quickly also, and said, "God would never ask this of you." Lina's guardian shifted its stance to intercept whatever might move beyond the set limits against this protected one. The Anointed One would only allow so much. The guardian was vigilant for word from The One.

Fear whispered, "You will fail. You will lose it all."

Lina continued her prayer. "I'm so scared. You know that I am not strong enough to face this. Can you make me strong enough? Can you be strong through me? I know for certain that I cannot do it by myself." Lina knew that it was easy to believe and be determined to follow no matter what when things were going good, but she had been on the other side, strapped down with demon possessed torturers readying their tools. The thought made sweat break out on her face. If Mehran brought her back, there would be no release until they were through with her. Would they ever be through with her while she was still alive? Lina knew that they would not.

"You will die a thousand deaths," Fear whispered as the evil spirit extended icy tentacles toward the girl.

She shivered from chills as sweat ran down her face and dripped onto the cover of the New Testament that she clinched close to her heart. "Oh dear, God help me please, please, please!" The girl wept, "Help ME!" She began to sob. Her tears flowed down her face and joined her sweat on the Word that she held.

"Enough," said The One. The guardian swung the spiritual weapon instantly at the command. All evil spirits were driven from the room. They took the darkness with them. Lina knelt quietly rocking forward and back on her knees. She thought she heard something, so she held motionless and listened.

The sound was not coming through her ears, but she could still hear it inside, "Do you love Me?"

"Lord, you know that I do."

"Will you follow Me?"

"Yes, Lord, if you will show me the way."

"When there is confusion and strife will you listen for My still small Voice?"

"Yes, Lord."

"I have something to say to you now. Listen very closely."

"Yes?"

"I have loved YOU from the foundation of the world."

"Thank you, Lord!" Her spirit burst into praise that was like rushing waters of adoration to the Blessed One. The words that she understood intermixed with ones that she only knew were expressions of praise. She noticed that she was saying them aloud with her hands raised over her head. She stopped to see if Achmed had been awakened. Thankfully, he had not. She continued silently but joyously in her spirit.
Chapter 44 Would She Do It

The next morning, Achmed awoke to the sound of their alarm clock, as usual. Lina kissed him gently. "Good morning, Husband." She went to the kitchen to pack his lunch and prepare a light breakfast. Achmed finished his shower just as the Muezzin announced the time for morning prayers. He checked to see that the drapes were pulled and kneeled facing Mecca. Lina went to the daybed gathering the sleepy Nava into her arms. They prayed silently until Achmed entered the kitchen. Lina jumped up to pour some coffee and set it on the table, then got the pastry that was warming in the oven.

Achmed was relieved that the morning was progressing as smoothly as usual. He had feared that Lina might be sullen after the harsh conversation that transpired the night before. "Perhaps Lina is finally recognizing that she will have to follow Allah's ways," he thought.

***

It had been a busy day. Mrs. Birg had helped Lina with the proper wording and writing to put on paper what Lina felt that she had to make known. She swore Mrs. Birg to silence. Mrs. Birg knew that this was trouble. "Lina are you sure that this is all true and that you want to make it known? If Achmed is who you say he is, these people might kill you."

"I know," Lina confirmed that she was aware of the risk. "They probably will kill me. If you would care for Nava for a while until the authorities decide what to do with her, I would appreciate it. That would be one loose end that won't be on my mind as I face this."

"You know that I will," Mrs. Birg hugged her tightly and kissed her on the cheek. "When will you mail the story?"

"Today; I have to do it now. The information must be known, and waiting will only make it harder. It will undoubtedly be in tomorrow's news. We are off to the copy center and then the post office."

Lina and Nava rushed to get home from the post office in order to have something warm to put on the table before Achmed arrived home from work. He came through the door, and Lina greeted him as usual. Lina's guardian angel stood close and ready for action. An evil spirit whispered, "She has done it now."

"What have you done?" Achmed asked as if he had heard the spirit. "There is something different. I can feel it. You will tell me now!"

Lina had not expected this until tomorrow, but it was probably better to get it over with. "Let me send Nava to Mrs. Birg's and then we will talk."

Nava bounded up, "You two love birds are up to something."

Lina hugged her and whispered into the youngster's ear, "Remember that I will always love you." Nava bounded out, and Lina turned to face Achmed.

"I have sent the entire story to the news."

"What story?" Achmed asked angrily.

"Everything, I recounted the entire dream that...."

"Show me what you sent," Achmed demanded. Lina retrieved one of the extra copies that had been printed. Achmed read the detailed dream describing Yaakov and the other guards hiding the Ark. The next page began the entire story of how Lina and Achmed met. It listed Mehran's part of the story of inserting agents into Israel for the purpose of spying. It listed the front computer company that Achmed worked for listing all the names and dates that Lina could remember. There were additional pages that Achmed did not bother to read.

He looked sternly at Lina. "Do you know what you have done?"

"Yes, I have signed my death warrant."

"When and where did you send it? Perhaps we can get it back."

"I sent it just before you got home. It went to Haaretz, Israel Post, The Jerusalem Post, Globes, Israeli TV News channel 2, Al Jazeera, Pravda, BBC..."

Achmed interrupted and cursed her as he turned red with anger. She dropped to her knees and kept her head and eyes down. "We have a few hours." He took out his phone. Lina wondered who he would call. He dialed, then asked for Mehran, "Tell him it is urgent."

Lina remained on her knees where Achmed had left her. She could not concentrate on the conversation between her husband and her former guardian. They did discuss the document that she had sent. Her heartbeat sounded like a drum in her ears. She did hear when Achmed asked Mehran what he wanted him to do with her. Achmed listened carefully with an occasional "uhhuh" to indicate that he understood. "Sure I can do that to her, especially after what she has done to us. What about Nava? Do you want me to bring her out when I come?" Achmed put his phone away and turned to Lina, "I have to go back to work and fax the entire document to Mehran. Everyone will be gone by morning. I will say hello to Mehran for you when I drop Nava off. I have to take care of you first."

Lina realized that if she was going to pray, she had better make it soon. She asked for two things before Achmed reached her. First she asked that the Lord look after Nava. Lina knew that Nava's way would not be easy if she was to follow the Carpenter's Son. She also asked that her end would be relatively quick. It sounded like Achmed was going to take care of it. That was much better than going back to Tehran. She believed that Achmed loved her, but she knew that he would place his devotion to Islam ahead of that. He would also do anything that Mehran said; but the mystery remained. What had Mehran told Achmed?

Achmed walked over to where she still knelt. She did not dare look up to him. He put his hands under her arms and lifted her up. She was then half carried, half dragged into the bedroom. He dropped her onto the bed face down. She remained motionless as Achmed searched through the kitchen cabinets for something. If she did not resist he might make it quick, "I hope the knife is sharp." She could not remember if she had stoned the edge before putting it up.

He returned to the bedroom with the remainder of the clothesline that Lina had used. She did not understand what possible purpose that would have until he started tying her wrist to the bedpost. "That's not necessary. I won't fight you," she spoke submissively.

"It's to hold you still. I know that you would try, but you won't be able to hold still for what Mehran has in store for you."

On hearing this, Lina's ears started ringing and she felt very nauseous. This could be almost as bad as going to Tehran, only Achmed would be doing it. It would be better to get it over with and Achmed only had hours. In Tehran they might take days to torture her. The Lord had apparently not decided to answer the second part of her prayer, the part about it being quick. She consoled herself that it would only be a relatively short time before she saw the Creator of the Universe.

"Achmed, I forgive you." She told him.

"I don't want your forgiveness. You may not give it so freely by the time we are finished here."

"I give it to you anyway. I do love you in spite of what you are going to do."

"Keep your forgiveness. If you truly loved me you would not have insulted me with your letters. We could have had a good life together and you threw it away."

"I had to do it. I could not live knowing what I was contributing to. THAT life wasn't worth living."

"You didn't really love me after all then, did you?" Achmed asked.

"I did, and still do love you, but do what you have to do. You have my forgiveness if you want it or not. I pray that the Lord God spare your eternal soul."

The evil spirits jeered at Lina's guardian angel as they celebrated the scene. They had not taken her spirit, but they would enjoy her earthly end. They danced as Achmed finished tying her wrists and ankles to the bedposts and began to gag her. Achmed could not permit a lot of screaming if he was to do what Mehran had said. He grasped the neck of Lina's light cotton dress with both hands and ripped it down the back all the way to the hemline. Achmed got his extra belt from the rack and approached the girl. There was no way to stop this. No way to submit. He was just going to punish her until he decided to kill her. Achmed said that he had to go to the office next. "Would that be soon or midnight?" She started reciting the 23rd Psalm as Achmed approached, "The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want."

Lina was having difficulty breathing through only her nose as air went one way and screams tried to go the other. She could not help screaming, or at least trying to, each time she was struck. Her nose and throat were beginning to fill with fluid. When Achmed rested, it gave her a little chance to catch up on her breathing. She tried her best to hold the nausea down. She knew that she would suffocate if she threw up.

Achmed stopped to rest several times. He was sweating profusely. After having some lemonade that Lina had made to go with their evening meal, he continued using the belt on his errant wife. He had been too lax on her. He should have punished her severely for praying in that Name. If he had, it might not have come to this. He would not make the same mistake when he remarried in Iran.
Chapter 45 Go or Stay, an Answer for Two

She made a gurgling sound and stopped reacting to the strike of the belt. He noticed that she was not breathing. Achmed swore. She had died, and he could not complete Mehran's instructions. She had crisscrossed whelps and raw overlapping red stripes from her neck down her back all the way to her ankles. Mehran had said to do the same to her front. He was new at this. Mehran needn't find out about his error. He untied her gag and listened for any breath sounds. There were none. Her eyes were open and unblinking. He had an idea. He took out his cellphone and took several pictures of Lina's ragged back and then one of her obviously vacant eyes. Mehran would be well satisfied that her passing had not been quick or pleasant in spite of his failure to complete his instructions to the letter.

Lina looked down on the scene from above Achmed and her earthly body. She looked up to see her guardian beside her, "I could feel your presence near me many times while I was alive."

Her guardian replied, "Humans often know that we are around. I'm glad that you did. You now have a choice. What do you want to do, go or stay?" They both looked down on the scene as Achmed untied the gag and took the pictures. Achmed took the papers and his jacket and left the apartment.

When Lina looked up, they had been joined by the most massive angelic being that she could ever have imagined. "My partner here will escort us to the Presence of the Blessed One, if that is your choice. Not even Lucifer himself can prevent a Transport Messenger from completing the duty of delivering your spirit safely." The angel continued in a whisper close to Lina's ear, "They don't like being called, you know, Death Angel. You still have the choice."

"Yes, I'll go. I'm glad this is over." Lina said. Then she turned to see a third angel, another guardian. Lina looked around to see whose it was when she noticed something cradled in the guardian's hand. It looked like a miniature blue blanket. "Who.......,"Lina started to ask and made one step closer to the other angel when her guardian reached out grasping her arm and preventing it.

"But who...," Lina started to ask, when it dawned on her. "I'm pregnant."

"Yes, your decision will be for you and your son," came the reply.

Lina had had no idea, "How can I go without completing this task that the Blessed One has given me?"

"The Lord God is pleased with you and the little one is innocent," the angel offered as guidance.

"Yes, but a baby is not a gift to be thrown away. Will his spirit be given to and born to someone else?"

Her guardian shook his head, "I cannot tell you that. The little one was to be taught about the love of the Lord God and then have his own choice who to serve."

Lina considered the possibility, "How can I shirk that responsibility?" The thought that his spirit might be born to someone that was an unbeliever was entirely untenable.

"Your rearing and teaching the little one was the intent," the angel agreed. "Achmed made his choice, and now, in this rare occasion you, have a choice."

"Could I see what it looks like in the presence of The Blessed?"

"No, that would take away your choice. You would never willingly come back." Her guardian paused as if listening closely for a faint sound. "Listen closely. The Lord wants you to hear." Lina did not hear anything at first but she finally began to recognize what The One had intended. It was the sound of all the redeemed praising the Lord God. The sound was coming from eternity, outside the restraint of time, a time in her future. The sound filled all her senses. She could hear her own voice and that of other family members. She fell to her knees and lifted her hands toward Heaven. She wanted to join them, not just listen. Her guardian stepped closer to Lina and touched her ears. "Now listen very closely." There was a male voice that she had never heard before but recognized. It was that of her son. Tears streamed down her face. Her heart ached to be this close but also knowing that she could not join all the redeemed now. She had to go back to hear that voice on earth and teach him about God's love.

"You two will be near us?" she inquired of the angels. Both guardians nodded their heads in the affirmative. Lina was afraid to delay. This was a hard choice to make. She knew the right thing to do, but it was so hard to say it. "OK, send us back."

Lina's guardian warned her, "Brace yourself. The landing may be rough."

Celebrating demon spirits reveled in the darkness at the loss of the life of one belonging to the Anointed. Several of the evil ones cursed as their victory faded when the room began to fill with spiritual light. The guardians were back with weapons drawn. Darkness was the first cast out, cursing the pair as it went. One of the largest demons rasped, "Lord Lucifer has won this battle, so why are you back here? Do you intend to guard a corpse since you failed to protect her life?" The two guardians smiled but did not answer. The question would be answered to everyone's satisfaction momentarily.
Chapter 46 The Rough Landing

Lina's eyes blinked once, and then she felt every nerve ending in the entire back of her body and her starving lungs send the sensations. She inhaled once and gave a gurgling scream that was heard over the entire end of the apartment complex. She continued less intense screams as she cleared her airways and her breathing caught up.

"Yeshua can't keep doing this!" protested the strongest evil one. "We know the Lamb turned Lion took the keys to the grave. He claimed that he would use them on the Last Day to resurrect all the dead that are pledged to him. He won't be able to bring off that pledge then, and it cannot happen now. We won't let it. We demand her life, NOW!"

There was a roar of approval from the demon hoard surrounding the room. They all started chanting, "Death now."

The Guardians readied their stance and raised their weapons which quieted the hoard, "He can bring life wherever and whenever it pleases Him. If you want her life you are welcome to try to take it."

Attacking with the two guardians at the ready would be useless and probably fatal. The ones of darkness had no interest in being cast into the abyss before their appointed time. The demon asserted vehemently, "This is a violation of Spiritual Law that we shall protest in the court of Heaven. Know this Guardians, it won't work on the Last Day. There will be too many to awaken."

Lina's guardian replied, "All of His will rise on the Appointed Day. The victory was won long ago." One of the guardians started humming a tune that was familiar and repulsive to the hoard. None could quite remember the words. Some of the lesser evil ones started to desert the area as they tired of shading their eyes from the brightness and of hearing the tune. The guardian continued to hum the tune in a slower tempo as the other guardian joined in with the words in a resonant baritone voice. The words were that of an old spiritual song, "Ain't no grave going to hold their body down." Most of the remaining evil ones left the area shrieking as they departed. The remainder cringed as the song continued, "They'er going to come up out of that ground. Ain't noooooo graaaaaaaaaaave goin-ta holllllllllld their bodeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeey downnnnnnnnnnnn." The demons were infuriated to frenzy, but could do nothing about the return of the girl's spirit or the "repulsive" song.

Mrs. Birg came running into the apartment. She scanned the interior for Achmed as she entered the bedroom. Lina was still gasping for breath. She quickly found something and cut the girls raw wrists and ankles free. After making sure that the girl wasn't in imminent danger of dying, Mrs. Birg started to call the police. Lina was able to gasp, "Is Nava OK? Achmed was going to come for her! He is going to try to take her back to IRAN!" Mrs. Birg assured the injured girl that Nava was safe playing with her usual friends in another wing of the apartment complex. The call to the police was completed.

***

Achmed put his hand into his jacket pocket and found a small note. It was from Lina. It said, "I love you." He wadded it up and tossed it away. The documents would be faxed soon, and he would be on his way back home. He would not admit to himself that he had made a huge mistake regarding Lina. He told himself that he had had enough of this country and deceitful women.

***

Lina started to get up, but was prevented by her neighbor. "Lie still," she told her.

"Would you at least get something to cover me?" Lina sobbed.

"No," Mrs. Birg had some idea of wound care. She could see that most of the stripes on the girls back were leaking a clear fluid. Some had red speckles mixed in. "We don't want to get anything in the wounds." She did not add, "that they will have to scrape out later." As the neighbor suspected, the emergency personnel treated the young patient as if the injuries were burn wounds. They placed "tent" supports that prevented the sheet from touching her as they transported her to the hospital.

The doctor in the admitting room examined Lina for other wounds besides the obvious marks when she told him, "My husband did this. He left me for dead. If he finds out that I am still alive, he may come here to finish the job. If he brings his friends, it won't be safe for anyone near me."

"Don't worry, Mrs. Barforoush. You are in a secure facility. It takes someone on the inside and the outside to open the steel reinforced security door. Your case will be treated as a domestic violence crime. You will be protected," replied the doctor. He was appalled, as usual, at serious wounds of this type, intentionally inflicted and obviously over an extended period of time. "Who else do you think might come with your husband to try and kill you?"

"Iranian secret police spies," she replied.

"Are you injured anywhere other than your backside where you were beaten?"

"My throat is sore where I was having trouble breathing."

"You said he left you for dead. How were you able to convince him that you were deceased? Did you lose consciousness at any time?"

"I did not convince him. I WAS dead."

The doctor looked at her questioningly, "So you did lose consciousness?"

"No, I'm sure I was dead. I could see my body lying there after I strangled on the mucus in my nose and throat. My body stopped jerking when he struck me. That's how he knew that I was dead, that and the look in my eyes. He took a picture of my face and my back on his cellphone to prove that I had been punished and killed. The folks that he works for are pretty good at identifying when someone is dead."

"You had an out of body experience?"

"That is one way to say it when your body is dead and you are looking down on the scene, while talking to your guardian angel. I forgot to mention, I am pregnant."

"How long have you known?"

"What time is it now?"

The doctor looked at the clock on the wall humoring Lina's state, which he was beginning to doubt was as lucid as he first thought, "It's about 10:30 PM."

"In that case, I've known for about 2 hours."

The doctor looked at her questioningly after her answer, as if to ask, "How did you know?"

"My son's guardian angel was there as well."

The doctor started to make some smart comment thinking that Lina was toying with him. He decided against it. She had been through enough and was still obviously in pain as she grimaced each time she shifted slightly. He did not know what to think of the strange reply. She seemed lucid enough earlier. "Was there anyone there with you and the two angels?"

"There was another angel, which makes three in all. The other one was a Transport Messenger," she continued when he looked up at her from writing in the chart, "That's a Death Angel. They apparently don't like to be called that, according to my guardian."

"Why didn't he take you?"

"I was given the choice."

"You chose to stay because...?"

It appeared to Lina to be a question about the obvious, "I couldn't leave my baby son to die!"

The doctor's expression appeared that he was having trouble believing her story. After thinking about it, she did not blame him. "You don't believe me do you?" Lina asked him. He raised an eyebrow as he considered her question. He had not intentionally revealed his doubt. "You don't believe me because your spiritual heart is broken, and you are not a believer in the Lord."

"Which one?" the doctor sounded a little haughtier than he had intended.

"Creator of the Universe, Adonai, YHWH Yirah, Heavenly Father, Prince of Peace, The Beginning and The End, Lamb of God, Yeshua, Carpenter's Son, Mary's Lamb, The Presence, The Blessed, or The Lord My Healer; take your choice, they are all the One God."

He did not answer her concerning his belief or lack thereof. He ordered sterile bandages with colloidal silver antiseptic, the continuation of the IVs, started by the emergency tech, and an additional pain killer injection. He added a pregnancy test as an afterthought, just in case. "The police have been wanting to question you. Do you feel up to it?"

Lina watched him go and grieved for his brokenness. She prayed, "Lord, help him to believe, and heal the broken places in his heart."
Chapter 47 Questions

The pain killer was working. She did not feel nearly as bad as before. She was in and out of sleep as nurses came and went. Lina did not know how long it had been before the police detective came in and showed her his badge, "Can you answer a few questions?"

"Yes, but no one has been able to tell me what has happened to Nava. I'm her guardian. I need to know that she is OK. Is she with Mrs. Birg? I need to talk to her, too. My husband will try to snatch the girl, and he may harm Mrs. Birg in the process," Lina replied.

The detective knew that Mrs. Birg was being debriefed now by another detective. They would question everyone individually at length to determine if the stories matched, making it easier to learn the truth. He wanted her to be relaxed for the questioning considering what she had just gone through. He did not know about Nava, so he went to check on the girl. When he returned, he told Lina, "Nava is here at this facility, which has provisions for battered women and children. I have been assured that she is safe and sleeping right now. You will be able to see her tomorrow if the doctor allows it." He did not mention Mrs. Birg's questioning.

"I also have some news about your husband." He did not know if he should describe it as good news or bad news, so he just told her, "Your husband was killed here in Jerusalem tonight in a shootout with security forces." She was silent for a few moments and then the detective saw a tear fall down her cheek and heard the few soft sobs. He got a tissue for her.

She finally said, more to herself than the detective, "I'm glad I forgave him. He knew that I did before he died. It may not have made much difference to him, but it does to me. My conscience is clean; I could easily appear before God concerning this."

"Can you start telling me about what has happened to you? You might want to start by telling me tonight while it is fresh in your mind. We will want to know everything that has happened to you. This will take some time. We can take frequent breaks as you need to." He started a small tape recorder and set it on the table between them.

"Will you believe me? The doctor didn't," Lina commented sadly. The thought of hours or days of questioning by someone who did not believe her was not pleasant.

The detective stopped the tape recorder and held up the file. It undoubtedly had a copy of her press release. "I have read what you have written. I believe it. I will surely believe what you say."

A broad smile spread across the girl's face, "You are a follower of The Way?"

"Yes, I'm the only one where I work." He reached up and turned the tape recorder back on. "Mrs. Barforoush, your maiden name was "Malamed" and you are from Tel Aviv. How do you account for your heavy accent?"

"My full maiden name was Lina Tanaz Vahbiz; I was Iranian. I was smuggled into Israel by some agents going by the names of Joel and Rinna Malamed. Also, Nava is not really my sister. I was assigned to act as her guardian by her father, a man named "Mehran". He is a high official in the secret police for the Iranian Republican Guard." The detective sat there dumfounded. This case was going to be much more complex than he could have ever imagined. Lina saw his stunned face. It was no surprise to her that things were going to be complicated.

***

In Tehran, Mehran again read the information that Achmed had sent as well as the translation of the news story about what had happened. He had already recalled his daughter Neelan and her husband Kursheed. There was now no need to smuggle items into Israel appearing as Bedouins. Mehran's face turned red with anger as he considered what he would do to Lina if he could ever get hold of her, in spite of Nava's feelings for the girl. He had treated the little witch as a daughter, and she repaid him with this treachery.

Neelan entered Mehran's study and dropped to her knees before her father. "Is it true that Lina's actions have resulted in Achmed's murder at the hands of the Israelis?"

"Yes, my daughter, it is regrettably true."

"Father, I have a request." Mehran was not accustomed to having his impulsive, strong-willed daughter approach him in such a manner. Her time in the desert must have had a good influence on her. She continued, "Please, father. Get me close to Lina and I will slit her throat and watch her bleed out. Please, father?"

***

The nurse warned Nava that Lina would be sore and that the little one should be gentle when touching Lina. Lina happened to be standing when Nava tentatively entered the room. Nava ached to bound over to Lina and wrap her arms around her. Lina saw the hesitance and dropped to her knees with her arms outstretched to the little one. Nava was wrapped in Lina's embrace as the little one sobbed into Lina's chest, "I was so scared when they told me that you had been hurt. Mrs. Birg said that Achmed hurt you. Did he?" Lina moved Nava to the side where she could see the marks on the back of her legs. Tears formed in the little one's eyes. She could hardly believe what she was seeing. "How far up do the marks go?" Lina turned her head to expose the marks on the back of her neck. The little one stood stunned as she recognized the extent of the beating.

"Nava, I am OK. I will heal quickly and we can get out of here."

"Will they let us go?" Nava sobbed. "Mrs. Birg said that the authorities know that we are Iranian. Won't they try to send us back? You know what they will do to us!"

"Nava, it is OK. I was legally married to a Jewish man and they want to question me about everything that I know."

"Yes, but what about me. I can never go back. They will know that I am a believer in the Anointed One. They will make my back look like yours."

"No, stop, Nava. Don't worry. I won't let them send you back. If we can't stay in Israel, we will find some other place to go. We can run if we have to." Lina decided that it would be best to find out about their true status before sharing any additional information with the authorities.

***

The detective that she had spoken to the previous day returned for another interview with Lina. "Are you feeling up to some more questions?"

"I do, but I need some information first. Are we going to be allowed to stay here in Israel, Nava and Me?"

"I can't imagine a scenario where you would be deported. You were legally married to an Israeli citizen, in spite of your originally entering the country illegally. You have also acquired the status of a national hero." Lina looked at him questioningly. "More people worldwide recognize your name than would recognize the prime minister's name. Your revealing the location of the Ark remains newsworthy worldwide. You also exposed a security threat that might have caused grave harm to the country. The intelligence for this discovery and related interrogations are ongoing. There is much speculation about what you will reveal next."

Upon hearing the word interrogation, Lina turned pale and felt nauseated. She knew how unpleasant that might be. "Who are you going to interrogate?"

"The secret agents that were working with your husband at the computer company will be imprisoned and questioned."

Lina retched as she asked, "They will be tortured?"

"No. Not what you might think of as torture. I'm sure it won't be pleasant, but it won't be like what happens in Iran."

"You are sure, you swear it?"

"Yes, I swear it."

"You did not mention Nava. What about her? You must know that I will never agree to let her go back. I will do everything within my power to keep her with me. Her father trusted me to be her guardian. I have cared for her all this time. She is all the family that I have left."

"I think I can safely say that Nava will be given asylum." Lina began answering the detective's questions, and the next day Shin Bet's questions, and after that, Mossad's.
Chapter 48 Free?

"When will Nava and I be allowed to return to our apartment?" Lina asked the social worker.

"The doctor will decide your release date from the facility, but you can never go back to the apartment. Your life would be in danger. You know they would try to snatch Nava just to hurt you." Lina knew that this was true. She also knew that the kindly, older, rounder woman was likely an employee of Shin Bet or some other spook agency. "Your personal items have already been removed from your apartment and moved to your new location inside a diplomatic security area."

"Will we be locked up, or are we free to move about?"

"You and Nava will not be prisoners, but it will be necessary for you to have an escort whenever you leave the premises of the compound. Some advance notice will be needed about your intended destination." Lina did not like the sound of this, and her expression showed it. The older lady took Lina's hand, "You would not last an hour on the street. You should know that there have been fatwa's (Muslim religious rulings) calling for your execution on sight, or your return to Iran to stand trial. There have been several rewards offered, the highest for your return alive to Iran, one million dollars. There are pictures of you everywhere."

Lina's expression fell further and the familiar nausea began creeping into the pit of her stomach. "I will never again be able to move about freely."

Her visitor nodded, regrettably agreeing with her, "It is true that your future movements will be necessarily limited. Your safety is of utmost importance. The Israeli government cannot allow harm to come to you or Nava."

***

She could not help feeling that God was doing this thing to her again, putting her in a very visible position when she wanted nothing more than to live her life quietly. She remembered reading the Farsi language Tanakh (Old Testament) that her husband had given to her. She recalled two reluctant prophets. Jonah had been delivered to his destination by a great fish, probably covered in seaweed and bleached white by the fish's stomach acid. Elijah ran away and prayed to die. She did not think herself important, much less a prophet, but she did draw the conclusion that she could not run, could never run. If she ran, she would only arrive exhausted at God's intended location. "God, what are you going to do to me next?" Lina prayed after her visitor left. "God, let me rephrase that question. What are you asking me to do?"

Armen and Joy Wein quietly entered Lina's room thinking the girl asleep. She was lying face down due to her injuries. They noticed a tear creeping down her face. Joy asked very softly, "Lina, are you in pain?"

Lina had forgotten that she had asked for someone to contact them. Her face brightened immediately at the sound and sight of her dear friends. She considered them her spiritual leaders. "I'm so sorry that I caused so much trouble at your congregation."

Joy stopped her, "Sure, there was some trouble at first, but things have turned out better than we could have dreamed."

Armen continued the thought, "The congregation has grown explosively. Many people that had needed a worship family have joined us. There are new people every Shabbat. We have had to move to a larger location. We can hardly wait for you to come and be with us."

"Everyone wants to see you and hear your story."

"What do they want to hear?"

"Anything: what you have been doing or going through. Your beating has not been on the news. Everyone assumes that you are in hiding due to threats on your life. Is there anything you feel that the Lord God is placing on your heart that needs to be shared?"

"I was praying when you came in about what God is calling me to do next. How can I avoid what He wants me to do? If it were up to me, Nava and I would go home and bake some challah bread. That won't happen. Are you aware that I will have to be escorted by Security? I'm not sure where they will let me go."

"Surely they will let you attend worship service. We will do whatever it takes to work it out with them." Lina shared with the two the events that had been happening to her, including her death and conversation with her angel.

***

The doctor examined Lina's wounds and pronounced that she was healing well. "I normally have a plastic surgeon look at a young lady that will have some cosmetic scarring. I am afraid what they will be able to do may be very limited. We should probably try."

"That won't be necessary. As you can imagine, I'm looking forward to getting out of here."

"You will undoubtedly want to remarry someday. Won't the scarring bother you?"

Lina paused momentarily trying to understand the doctor's question. Her words of reply had an almost angry edge, "If I remarry, it will be to someone that will not be bothered by cosmetic external flaws. The scars are not an inheritable trait and nothing to do with who I am on the inside. I did not mean to sound harsh. How is your heart? I know someone who can fix that."

"And now you are giving me medical advice?"

"No, it is more along the lines of spiritual directions."

"I guess I will just have to remain broken." The doctor arranged for Lina's release. Her nurse later gave instructions for continued at-home wound care.

Nava and Lina were driven by a Security detail to their new living quarters. Nava was fascinated by all the attention. It was great to finally be out in the open again after so many days inside, even if the only view was from the back seat of the car. The gated compound appeared much nicer than anyplace that they had stayed since leaving Mehran's house, Nava's home in Iran. Their quarters were small but very nicely furnished along the line of an upscale hotel room. As the elderly lady had said, all their personal items had already arrived. "Look at this,' Nava said, bubbling with excitement for such a small discovery, "Our tooth brushes are already in the holders in the bathroom." Nava continued her tour of discovery looking out a side window. "And there is a pool." Lina found their clothing already hung or folded in their place. They had been advised of the location of the dining room in the adjoining building.

There was a computer that Lina soon learned to use to study and follow news events. News reports speculated as to her location. The clearance of her apartment had been duly noted and reported by the media. Her hosts warned her not to post anything or reveal her identity in any way. Their safety could be compromised.

There was a mail delivery to their quarters shortly after they arrived. A large canvas bag contained what appeared to be thousands of letters. Most had an attempt at an address. Some only had Lina, Jerusalem, Israel. Lina sat on the floor beside the bag and began to read some of the letters. They were from every country imaginable. She began reading those that were in Hebrew and the few that were in Farsi. Most were from well-wishers. Some had prayer requests. Lina could not understand why people would think her prayers were of any more value than any other believer's prayers. Still, she was touched, and would hold those letters close to her chest and breathe a short prayer. She soon realized that she was unlikely to be able to pray over each request individually. She had Nava to help her hold the bag, and they prayed over the entire lot.

Some of the letters were wishes for Lina's soon painful demise and her soon arrival in the place of the unrighteous dead to spend eternity with the unbelievers. A few were proposals of marriage. Some letters looked somewhat official. Some of those were invitations to speak at one event or another. Several spoke about payment for such events. Lina thought it almost insulting to offer her money for speaking, when she would only speak if she felt that God was directing her, i.e., no way to avoid it. Nevertheless, Lina separated out the requests for speaking engagements. She would ask Armen and Joy Wein about them when she had the opportunity. There was another delivery the following day with another canvas bag of letters. Lina was also told that there were gifts that would be delivered as soon as they were cleared through Security.

***

In the days that followed, Nava joined a few other youngsters for classes. Lina joined in Hebrew language classes whenever available. She was aware that her heavy accent would never go away, but Nava might soon sound like a sabra. They went for walks together, exploring the confines of the community. There was always the presence of a Security Officer. They were not always in sight, but Lina had no doubt that they were watching.

There was a continual change of fellow occupants. Lina had the opportunity to meet some interesting people. Most were ambassadors or elected officials and their families. Lina knew almost none of them. But most recognized Lina from numerous news stories and pictures. The most widely circulated pictures were the ones that Achmed had distributed during the first news conference. The feeling that she was in a type of prison, although a very nice one, began to bother her. She began to retreat into long sessions of reading, study, and especially prayer.

Lina approached one of the security officers and requested to attend a church service at Mt. Zion Messianic Jewish Congregation. The agent had Lina give her the contact information for Armen and Joy Wein. Lina predicted it would probably be an ungainly process which turned out to be true. Security visited the church meeting site examining the pathways in and out, and areas of security vulnerability. Lengthy interviews with the Weins were conducted. A plan for a mid-week service was decided upon. The mid-week service would be much smaller, and would be easier to secure. The building would be swept for security issues immediately before the service. Incoming guests would be scanned by Security personnel in addition to passing through a metal detector. The Weins were excited about the prospects of having Lina speak to the members, and the members would be elated as well. It would be a surprise to the members, since Lina's visit would not be announced ahead of time.

There was one member of the Security detail that Lina felt drawn to. Lina approached her one day and asked, "Are you a follower of The Way?"

"Yes," replied the officer, a young lady in her late twenties. "My name is Gila Cohen. I am a believer originally from the USA. I came to Israel for a visit and stayed. I served in the IDF (Israeli Defense Force), and about 2 years ago, I joined Diplomatic Security. Is there something that I can help you with?"

This was the most conversation that she had been able to coax from her guards. They were always vigilant to an outside threat, and avoided having their attention centered on their charge any longer than necessary. Lina noticed that this young lady carried a mini Uzi slung under her right arm. Gila's eyes had returned to scanning the area around Lina. "I did not know who to ask, but I need some clothes to wear to a meeting. Who should I contact? I will gladly pay for the clothing and the person's time."

"I can probably help you. What do you need?"

Chapter 49 Midweek

The time of the midweek service arrived, and Lina dressed in the clothing that Gila had purchased for her. Gila had selected items that exactly fit Lina's purpose. Gila had also selected a dress for Nava in a matching color. The agents insisted that Lina temporarily wear a long, dark colored overcoat over her new clothing that matched what Security was wearing. They explained that she would be less visible as they entered the building and be a more difficult target to spot. It grieved Lina that there would be no disguising Nava's smaller size, which put Nava at greater risk. Again it was good to be away from the compound. They arrived at a covered side entrance to the building that Lina did not recognize.

***

The sniper watched through his telescopic sight. The remaining heat of the day caused the image to shimmer. The distance was too great, but it was the only hide available on such short notice. The sniper cursed under his breath. Lina and Nava were shielded by agents as they were quickly ushered into the building. They had only been visible for seconds. By the time the sniper identified the one that might have been Lina, they had entered the building. He was a professional, and good at waiting. There would be other and better opportunities. There could be no guessing, and the kill had to be clean.

They entered the Green Room near the stage. Music and singing were already in progress when they arrived. Lina knew that traditional folk dance was going on just outside the door. She longed to join them in praising God in motion in spite of her previous futile attempts. Armen and Joy soon joined them in the Green Room. "This is your first public appearance. Do you feel comfortable speaking to all of us?" Joy asked.

"I don't think I will ever be ready, but I sure want to be here."

"Do you have a specific topic?"

"I thought I would relate what has happened to me recently and address forgiveness. At some point, I would like to talk about the nature of God."

"Don't be alarmed at the bright lighting on stage. We will be videotaping the service and streaming it live, and it will be available later on demand."

Lina did not answer but felt the familiar nausea, "God, you are not going to let me avoid this, are you?"

Armen left them to introduce Lina, "I know you are all wondering about the security measures. As you might expect, we have a guest speaker tonight. She is one of us, but has been causing some excitement lately."

Her name went through the crowd murmuring, "Lina."

"Yes," Armen continued, "Lina Barforoush has agreed to share with us tonight."

Joy had maneuvered Lina close to the door. Lina attempted to shrink back as she heard herself being announced, but Joy was there steadying her. When the applause started, Joy ushered her through the door before Lina could hesitate. Seconds later, she was standing center stage. They had been right. The lights were bright. She could hardly see the congregation. There was a Plexiglas podium with a bottle of cold water, and a stool nearby, should she feel the need to be seated. She walked to the edge of the stage and shaded her eyes as she scanned the audience. "It is so good to be back with family." Tears began to stream down her face. The crowd broke into cheers, whistles, and applause again.

"As most of you have heard, I am now a widow. I loved my husband. I had a hard choice to make. I could remain with my husband or, I could expose the evil that he and others were planning to commit. I knew if I spoke out, I would lose everything, including possibly my life. But I could not allow others, many others, to be harmed. I disobeyed my husband, and, as a result, he was killed. Before he died, he took the opportunity to punish me." Lina stepped back to the stool taking off her light blue jacket that she wore over a white blouse. Her loose fitting matching blue ankle length pants skirt seemed to flow as she walked. She returned to the edge of the stage gathering her substantial amount of hair to one side and down the front. The white blouse almost glowed in the bright lights contrasting with the darkness of hair that tumbled down over it. No one knew that the back of the blouse consisted only of two string ties forming bows on her back and holding it in place. And then she turned around. A gasp went up from the audience.

Lina held motionless for a moment to allow the camera to get a good shot of the red and bluish scars that crisscrossed her back from her neck to the top of her skirt. She held up one leg of her pants dress showing that the scars went all the way down the back of her legs to her ankles. A few sobs joined the gasps, and then there was silence. She retrieved her jacket and continued, "This is only half of what he had intended for me. He was going to make my front match my back. He had gagged me so I couldn't scream. I was having trouble breathing through my nose, and I suffocated before he could do my front. More about the suffocation later, but let's talk about forgiveness first. I expected to see God Face to face shortly after my husband found out what I had done. I wanted to face God with a clean heart. The last thing I said to my husband before he gagged me was that I forgave him for what he was going to do. If it was so important for me to forgive when my time was short, it should be just as important to walk in forgiveness all the time. Unforgiveness looks like darkness, and it only hurts us when we hold it close and carry it around. I suspect that it prevents our guardian angels from acting on our behalf as effectively. Now would be a good time to lay the darkness down." Several people came forward, kneeling to pray, and were soon joined by ministry team members.

"Everyone continue to pray as there is need, but I want to get back to the suffocation part. Yes, I died, my heart stopped, brain activity ceased. I found myself looking down on my body and my husband as he realized that I was gone. I have good news. Believers are surrounded by guardian angels. I saw and talked to my angel. No, I did not see Heaven, but I could hear it. Everyone on that side of time was singing praises to the Lord God. I wanted to go on so badly, but I was given a choice, and I had to stay. The reason is for another time. There was also a Transport Messenger. They don't like to be called "Death Angel", but you want one around when it is your time to go. Nothing can prevent one of those powerful beings from transporting your spirit to The Blessed."

"So much has happened. The Ark has been found, and some observant Jews now rejoice that the Temple can be rebuilt. Jews tend to ignore the blood stain, but Christians rejoice that the evidence strengthens their faith. Muslims fear what may happen on the Temple Mount and raise armies to force their will. Other armies are strengthened as countermeasures. The times are more volatile and dangerous than ever before. The best advice that I can give is to prepare to meet the Creator of all things Face to face. There is so much that I would like to say, but now may not be the time. I thank the congregation for allowing me to be here tonight."

Lina looked forward to talking with the congregation members, but Joy, at the direction of Lina's Security Officers, quickly escorted Lina off the stage and back to the Green Room. They were whisked out the door to the waiting car. Lina noticed that there were other Security vehicles, at least one in front and one in the rear. They were identical to the one in which she was riding. Lina was sad that it took so much effort to protect her, but she certainly did not want to go back to Iran. The thought made her shudder.
Chapter 50 Planning Lina's Departure

Mehran again summoned Neelan and her husband. "There may be a way of getting you close to Lina. But I warn you, it will likely be a one way mission."

Neelan did not have to think long about her answer, "Yes, thank you, Father, I am ready." Kursheed had been reasonably good to Neelan and she had enjoyed the early days of marriage. She had only had to threaten him a few times and only once with a knife. She wearied of Kursheed's constant domestic demands. He had made his intentions plain, to keep her pregnant as much as possible. She did not think childbearing and constant family toil would appeal to her. If only that witch Lina had not been married to Achmed, she would have had a better chance at long term happiness.

"Kursheed, are you willing for Neelan to undertake this task of becoming a martyr?" Kursheed did not have to consider the question very long either. Neelan had been enjoyable, but her short, ill temper was of concern. Trying to tame her had proven to be a real chore and hardly worth the effort. She had threatened him with a knife and once actually sliced through some of his clothing. He feared that during one of her many foul moods she might hide a knife under her pillow as she had threatened before. He certainly could not divorce Neelan with Mehran as his Father-in-law. This might be the best of both worlds. The marriage had allowed him to get close to Mehran, and now there was a way of being rid of the ill woman as well, "Yes, I am willing."

"Getting Neelan into Israel should not be a problem;" Mehran began describing the method that he had in mind for Lina's termination, "Lina is well guarded, but she will undoubtedly appear at public events. A regular knife or gun would set off the metal detectors commonly used there. A finger size ceramic blade would be just as lethal as a surgeon's scalpel and concealable." Neelan smiled at the thought of using it on Lina. But getting that close to her might be a problem. "Our people have been working on something new. It will be tried on an Israeli airliner soon. Watch the news." Mehran placed a small item on his desk. It appeared to be a soft substance inside of a tightly fitting plastic wrapper a little bigger than a caramel candy. Kursheed picked it up to examine and then handed it to Neelan. "It is swallow-able C4 explosive," Mehran explained. "A simple drug can be given to immobilize the digestive tract and a large number of these can safely be swallowed." Mehran produced another item, but a slightly different color in a small well padded box. "The shock sensitive detonator is about the same size. It contains only a minute amount of metal which should not set off a detector. A sharp blow such as throwing yourself flat on the ground would set it off. The first operational use will be running against the cockpit cabin door of an El Al airliner over Tel Aviv. No one will use El Al or any other airlines into or out of Israel after a few of these are used." Mehran watched his daughter examining the tiny package. "Neelan, could you swallow a half kilo of those if you could use them to kill Lina?"

Neelan smiled broadly. "Yes, Father, gladly."
Chapter 51 Time

Armen and Joy were on their way to visit Lina and Nava. Getting access to the compound was much easier since the security people were now familiar with them. "In certain ways Lina reminds me of a new Christian. You know how they are so excited and joyous about meeting Yahweh through Yeshua and feeling so fresh and clean. One new Christian that I spoke to described it as a spring of fresh water flowing out of their being."

"That's true," replied Joy. "So much of what she is reading and studying is new to her. Much of her freshness seems to flow out of her Scripture study. When I talked to her on the phone, she said she had a concept that she wanted to discuss."

Lina and Nava welcomed them warmly. Nava served milk and cookies to the group. After a time of conversation, Joy asked, "What was it that you noticed in your Bible reading lately?"

"I guess the issue that I keep stumbling on is the concept of time. So many places it talks about God's foreknowledge, but I think it is so much more than that. We believe that God is eternal, but what does that really mean? If He is all powerful, He cannot be bound by time. God was eternal before the Bible said, 'In the beginning, God....' The 'In the beginning, God...,' was the first act of Creation. God created time. God is still eternal. The Bible speaks of 'the Last Day'. In John, chapter 6, verse 40, it says, 'And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the Last Day.' After that God is still eternal. So what time is it where God is? We live in time, since we are so finite. It is hard to imagine what God's Presence might be like on temporal or other basis. Surely God can't be hanging around in Heaven with Yeshua seated on His Right Hand, waiting on events to develop as He saw them in His foreknowledge of events."

"In John, chapter 3, verse 13: 'And no man hath ascended up to Heaven, but He that came down from Heaven, even the Son of Man, which is in Heaven.' Some of the Bible commentary authors believe that the 'which is in Heaven' part is an error in transcription. I don't think that is true. To me it appears to be a clue into the eternity in the presence of the Blessed. It is something that is hard to imagine, much less understand. Could it be in God's Sight or Presence we are already there as Yeshua was still there?"

"Do people that have gone on before experience things in Heaven that we are missing out on just because we were born later? Are the people that we loved up there worrying about us? I don't think so. I wonder if they got there at the same time we did, or in our case, will."

Armen and Joy looked at each other, and then Armen spoke, "Well, I don't think either of us thought about it in that way before."

Lina continued, "When I was dead, I heard what to us is in the future in Heaven. All things that have breath were praising the Creator." Lina stammered a few non-Hebrew words that the Wein's assumed were Farsi, but that Lina recognized as words of praise, and then she continued, "I would gladly go through the beating again to hear those few seconds."

"If the tabernacle is an approximation of the court of Heaven, I would like to be there when Yeshua approaches the altar and drips some of his physical blood on it. A wonderful fragrance might be released to permeate Heaven. I can imagine the praises and shouts of joy that will fill Heaven. All creation has been waiting for that moment. And then there might be temporary silence as Yeshua stands before the Father and proclaims, 'Father, I purchase these brothers and sisters with my own Blood.' I wonder if the shouts and singing that I heard while dead were of that instant." Lina again stammered a few words of praise and then found it difficult to continue speaking for a moment.

Joy saw her difficulty, and asked, "You mentioned that you were given a choice about going on to Heaven or coming back to your body, and that there was a specific reason why you chose to return. Can you share that reason?" Lina saw that Nava was not paying much attention to the conversation, but she did not want to reveal the facts to her just yet. Lina sent the young one on an errand before answering, "When I was dead, there was another guardian angel there beside my own." The Wein's looked puzzled about the additional angel just as she had been. "The other guardian was my son's."

Joy started to ask, "You have a son?" before catching the obvious. "You're pregnant! You haven't told anyone?"

"No, only my doctor and you two. I heard his voice when I was listening to the singing in Heaven. It is not time to announce it yet."

Before the visit was over, Armen asked Lina one of the questions that they had specifically come to inquire about, "We have had many favorable comments from the people at the congregation and many who continue to watch the video of the midweek service." Armen continued, "We are receiving many requests for another speaking opportunity for you. Would you be interested in that? What do you feel the Lord leading you to do?"

Lina replied, "I don't wish to ever speak in public again. The thought makes me nauseated. But the things that were revealed through me have caused events to accelerate. More people believing in Yeshua and His second coming. Others want to tear down the Mosque and rebuild the Temple. Others will fight to the death to see that that does not happen. I feel compelled to speak out to all three groups. Could you help me arrange it?"

The Wein's agreed to help arrange a speaking opportunity. They had, in fact, been deluged with requests to approach Lina about written statements and public appearances. They knew that an event at the congregation would be insufficient. A larger facility with broadcast TV capability would be needed. There had been offers by certain groups to finance and help arrange just such an event. This was confirmed again when they looked through some of the requests that had been mailed to Lina. It would take some research and prayer to find the right opportunity. An error here could be very harmful to Lina and the message.

***

Nava had been begging Lina to join her at the pool. The following evening Lina decided to try. She slipped on the one piece swimsuit that Rinna Malamed had purchased for her. She examined her image in the mirror and began to reconsider the wisdom of allowing herself to be seen so openly in public, well, not really in public; but it would be outside. It was one thing for the congregation to see her. But how would others react to the scars? Did she care how they reacted? Did she care more than she had indicated to the doctor? She decided she would have to see what happened.

It was a warm, sunny, late afternoon. Nava rejoiced that Lina joined her splashing and swimming. A couple of mothers with children joined them poolside. When Lina got out of the water, all conversations stopped. "Lina," one of the mothers asked.

"Yes."

"I had heard about the things that you revealed, but I did not know that you had been....," The lady sought for a descriptive term, "harmed so. Would you please join us?" During the conversation that followed, Lina discovered that she could easily talk about what had happened to her and easily share her faith with strangers outside of the congregation.
Chapter 52 To all Monotheists

Armen and Joy had done their homework. A good size auditorium with TV facilities was rented with donated funds. Attendance would easily exceed seating capacity, so a ticket agent was handling the requests for access. The first four rows were reserved for news and media. The remainder was available for general seating. All access was at no charge due to the donated funds. A live TV feed was offered to any network that would show the short speech in its entirety. An internet feed was also available.

***

The sniper had been able to get much closer this time. Any closer, and his chances of escape would be limited. Again they were visible for only seconds. The agents had done an excellent job of shielding her. The darn girl was just too small and short. He would have tried to shoot through one of the agents, but there was no rush. Time was on his side. A clean kill would make more of a statement. He could easily demand more for the next job. It was again time to wait.

***

Lina walked to the center of the stage. Her hands trembled as she picked up the wireless microphone. She reminded herself of their instructions to hold the mike close when she spoke. She wore the same blue pants dress and jacket from her previous engagement, but this time she had a normal white blouse and an embroidered white hair covering. She did not want to unnecessarily offend any of her audience. Again, the lights were bright, and there were multiple cameras which were bigger than the one at the congregation. One had a red light on the front she supposed indicated that the camera was active. She walked to the edge of the stage shading her eyes as she had done at the congregation to get an idea of the audience. They were all strangers. The front rows appeared to be news personnel, but someone struck her as being very familiar. Lina dismissed it as perhaps someone from the congregation. There were also about six Security officers directly in front of the stage. She wished their presence wasn't necessary.

"Thank you for your interest in what has been happening to me. I can assure you that I am not of any consequence one way or another, but the One God has revealed things through me and for the things of God you should be interested. I am just a child merely seventeen years old. So please bear with me."

"I revealed evil things that my husband was going to do. He punished me, and I died." The large screen behind her lit up with a picture that her husband had taken with his cellphone. It was a picture of Lina's lifeless face: eyes fully dilated, her skin a purple shade with blue lips. "My husband took the picture to prove to his handlers in Iran that I had been executed to their specifications." The picture changed to the one of Lina's ragged back. There were gasps in the audience. Lina paused momentarily, and then motioned for the picture to be turned off. "I was with my guardian angel as my husband took these pictures. I was given the opportunity to have my spirit returned to my body. The reason that I chose to return will be announced at a later date."

"A lot has happened to me, but that's not why I am here. I have things that I believe the Lord would have me say. I can sympathize with the prophet that said the message was like fire in his bones. The Lord God will not allow me to run away from the message. I have no interest in fame, and repeatedly prayed begging God to use someone else. He declined my requests."

"This afternoon I speak to all who are of a monotheistic religion, primarily Jews, Christians, and Muslims. I believe that the one thing that grieves the heart of God above all else is that His children are not playing well together. He desires that all should follow a true religion. But what is that you ask? True religion is one that is tolerant of other's beliefs and moves the believer closer to the One God in utter sincerity and innocence."

"We believe that God is merciful. If He is an angry, vindictive God that sees all and forgives little, we cannot please Him for we are already lost. But we can approach a forgiving and merciful Heavenly Father. How can we approach Him in eternity after committing violent acts that harm innocent people and expect to be rewarded? If He is merciful, you have violated His intent and you are condemned. If He is vindictive, you still haven't pleased Him. But you say the others' beliefs are wrong. Is an infinite God not able to deal with His children? Yes, there is a holy struggle, a true jihad. I fight it inside of me every day. It is a jihad to do what God would have me do instead of what I want to do."

"What of this Yeshua? Jews say that he was just an accursed man who claimed to be God. Without Him millions worldwide would not know of Yahweh. Would the Jews have spread the word about Yahweh as Christians have? No, they would not. Jews have historically fallen away from God's plan for them. There is no need to look any further than the exiles and destruction of the Temple, not once but twice. If the demographics are to be believed, most Jews in Israel do not believe in the existence of God. I would caution all Jews to look up and be ready, redemption is drawing near."

"Many also believe that Christians portray God as schizophrenic. The One God is infinite. To assign a size or available power limits God. When in the beginning God created all that exists, His method might be described as pulling back. He pulled back His infinite self and allowed space to exist. He allowed matter to exist. He allowed the universe to form with stars, planets, and all heavenly bodies. If He chooses to manifest Himself as a Man or Spirit in our realm of existence, is He any less One? Ask any mathematician: infinity minus any number is still infinity. He is still infinite, and ONE."

"Muslims say that Yeshua was who He claimed to be, but that the Christians corrupted His testimony as recorded in the Christian writings. What did He say in its purest sense? In the New Testament book of Mathew, chapter 5, verse 6: 'Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.' Who of you would dismiss His teachings as recorded here? For any that follow those teachings, they will be blessed. I do desire to be a DAUGHTER of GOD."

"And then He said, 'I and the Father are ONE.'

'Away with him,' cried the Pharisees in that day and this day, 'How dare He say that His teachings were what He heard from His Father in Heaven. CRUCIFY HIM!'"

Lina shouted the last two words in a voice that should have drawn blood in her throat. It was easy for the front rows of the audience to see the tears streaming down her face. Cameras zoomed in. Then she whispered the words as a question very softly, holding the microphone close, almost touching her lips, "Crucify Him?" Lina repeated more softly, "Crucify Him?" Lina paused again, "You say He did not teach and do the right things. He could not have been the promised Mashiach. But how would you know? It is truthfully written, 'two Jews, three opinions'. You debate endlessly about the Mashiach. Is he Ben Joseph, a suffering servant, or Ben David, a mighty king? The answer is: both. You missed Him the first time He came, and you are ready to miss Him the second time."

"We should desire to please Yahweh with every breath that we take. But do you think that if you observe the 613 mitzvoth (commandments) you can stand before God justified by your own works? I believe the answer is 'no'. All precious things that we have are free gifts from Yahweh. Whoever you are, if you ever obtain it, salvation is a GIFT from the Blessed One. We could never EARN an eternity in his Presence."

"Caution, Christians. If that is merely a title to indicate that you are neither Jewish nor Muslim, you are in grave danger. When you stand before the One God in judgment calling yourself a Christian, will that have any meaning? Would you dare in that day brag proudly to Him saying, 'I wasn't a Jew or Muslim?' If you can't imagine bragging on that day, why would you think the mere designation 'Christian' has any meaning now?"

"Much evil has been done in the name of Christ. Crusaders covered this land with blood, committing innumerable violent acts. If they knew the truth of God's word, and committed these acts anyway, I fear for their eternal souls. The use of violence to spread faith was never Yeshua's way, and if He and the Father are One, it is not Yahweh's Will.

Lina's eyes just happened to land on a person that she recognized. "How could it be her?" Lina questioned herself and then she heard, "Don't worry, she can't harm you."

"Yes, I saw something new recently. I was awake listening to music and praising God. I saw an image. It was just a flash or impression. There was an individual dressed as a high priest from ancient times. He was waving a sheaf of grain in his hands as the early morning sun was visible through a narrow window overlooking the Mount of Olives. I was puzzling about the meaning of this when, in the distance, a figure in brilliant white began to descend off the Mount. He was walking directly in front of the Eastern Gate toward the ancient Temple. I looked it up later and realized that it was the Feast of First Fruits, and the sheaf was the first from the barley harvest. Yeshua was the firstborn of the dead and is prophesied to enter the Temple through the Eastern Gate. The gate has been blocked, but it would not be a difficulty for Yeshua to open it.

"What is the significance of this? If the Temple was aligned with the Eastern Gate, it could be rebuilt on the site without harming the Mosque. I can hear the howl of protests already. 'It wasn't located there!' Are YOU sure? Yes, I'm the one who saw it just as I saw the Ark and the blood stains."

"I call on all to abandon violence. Disband armies. Send the reserves soldiers home. Return weapons to storage. Seek to serve God through nonviolent means. I encourage all individuals to truly seek to know God. If you truly seek Him with all of your mind, body and soul, HE will find YOU. Christians, get to KNOW God by becoming a follower of Yeshua. God is a LOVER of men's souls. He desires intimacy with you above all else. If you try to seek Him by another path, you may find yourself lost in the end. I can assure you that a path of violence will not achieve your desired destination. I would like to thank you all for listening to me. God bless all of His people."

Lina started to walk off stage when she heard the news people shouting questions. She walked toward the extended microphones. Security prevented her from reaching them. "I would speak to that girl." Lina pointed past her protectors. They reluctantly separated the girl from the crowd. Both the girl and Lina were ushered just off stage.

"Neelan, is it really you?"

Neelan answered her in their native Farsi. "Yes, Lina, it is me." Neelan engulfed Lina in what appeared to be an affectionate hug. Neelan knew that throwing herself down on top of Lina would detonate her lethal internal cargo, but would it be more enjoyable to use the small razor sharp ceramic blade? She whispered into Lina's ear, "I've come to kill you for what you did to Achmed."

Lina whispered back, "I know that you loved him. Can you kill his child?" Neelan pushed Lina away to arm's length in order to see her face. "Yes, Neelan. I am pregnant." Neelan released her and made a shrill sound of disgust and failure. Gila and another security officer whisked Lina away, her feet hardly touching the floor. Other agents grasped Neelan and led her to a nearby vacant room. In desperation she threw herself against the heavy locked door. Lina was just stepping outside when the explosion shook the building.

***

The sniper saw his chance. Lina appeared in the doorway. The crosshair settled on her for a perfect head shot. His trigger squeeze was perfect. The crash and leap of the rifle masked the sound of the explosion inside of the building. When the rifle scope again settled on the scene, she was gone, but there should have been a huge red spray mark on the doorpost just beyond her. The sniper only saw the bullet impact mark on the stone and rock dust hanging in the air. How could he have missed? Later he learned about the explosion that occurred just as Lina exited the building.

***

In spite of Mehran's best efforts to the contrary, he had just saved Lina's life again, this time from a sniper seeking the promised reward.
Chapter 53 Newest Arrival

Months later: Lina sat upright in the bed as the midwife handed her the blanket wrapped newborn. "Hello, little one." Lina kissed him on the forehead. "I have a lot of good news to tell you, so let us begin. 'In the beginning, God........"

***

Thank you for reading my Novel.

If you liked it, please consider rating it or writing a review.

Gary Riner

