“And for your permission to take him to Ksar es Souk,” el Ferruch said.
“What makes you think he will want to go to Ksar es Souk?”
“I’ll tell him that I will protect him from the Germans only if he doesn’t attempt to go to the Americans.”
“Will he believe this?”
“Yes, noble Father, I think he will. And he will give me his word of honor to accept the conditions.”
Thami el Glaoui met his eyes, but el Ferruch could not read his expression. Then he signaled for more tea, and poured it when it came with great care and formality.
“Have you considered that your heart and not your head ay be speaking?”
“That is why I come to ask for your wisdom.”
“I must look carefully to see what is immediately evident to d younger men.”
The pasha sipped thoughtfully on his small cup for a long time.
“The answer is always in the Koran,” he said finally. “At the risk of arrogance, I sense what the Lord of Lords would have me do. if takina vour friend within the walls of Ksar es Souk is the way you believe you may best serve Allah and me, my son,” the pasha said, “then you must do that.
“You are in the hands of Allah,” he concluded. “I will pray for you.
Casablanca, Morocco December 10, 1941
When the three-car caravan left Marrakech, there was no way to avoid the attention of the Sdret6, and it was not difficult for the Sfiret6 to guess its destination. Thus when the three cars reached the outskirts of Casablanca very early in the afternoon, a Citro6n sedan was parked beside the Atlantic Ocean road.
It followed them to the H6tei d’anfa near Casablanca, but stopped outside the gate. One of the French Deuxi6me Bureau agents from the Citro6n followed el Ferruch and his entourage of bluerobed Berbers up to the rooftop restaurant of the hotel. He had a glass of wine while el Ferruch ate a leisurely luncheon.
At half past three, Sidi el Ferruch nodded his head at one of his men. He had seen Eric Fulmar coming off the hotel tennis courts five stories below. Najib Hammi went to the men’s room, and a MOMENT later appeared to sneak out, thereby attracting the attention of the alert agent from the Deuxi6me Bureau, who immediately began a pursuit that would lead him up and down stairwells, into the basethrough the garden, around the walls, and ultimately, fifteen ment, minutes later, back up to the roof garden, where he had been instructed to sit down and finish his cr6rne caramel.
The moment Najib Hammi and the man from the Deuxi6me Bureau entered the stairwell, Sidi el Ferruch boarded the elevator and descended to the fourth floor of the hotel, where he kept a six-room apartment.
Sweat-soaked from his tennis, Eric Fulmar was leaning on his dresser, pulling a sock off his foot.
“I wondered when you were going to show up,” he said. “I’m sorry about your father, Ferruch.”
“We Arabs say, “It is the will of God,”‘ el Ferruch said. “Who did it?”
“I don’t know who did it,” el Ferruch said. “But I know who ordered it done.”
“Who?”
“Your German friends,” el Ferruch said. “I have also found out they were after me, and not my father.”
“I’m not surprised.” He laughed. “But tell me why anyway’s “Why do you think?” el Ferruch said. “if they killed me, it would have put you and me out of business, and it would have made it much easier for them to get you back to Germany.”
“Shit, if that goddarnned ship had waited until December eighth to sail, I would be in the middle of the Atlantic by now.”
“What would you do in Argentina?” el Ferruch asked.
“Probably the same thing I do here.” Fulmar chuckled. “Play tennis, and try to get laid.”
“For someone about to be hauled off to Germany, you’re remarkably cheerful,” el Ferruch said.
“I’ve been trying to get through to the American consulate Eric said, turning more serious. “The Rabat lines keep going out, but sooner or later they’re going to make a mistake, and I’m going to yell like hell at whoever answers the consulate phone. In the III meantime, I’m safe.” He saw the look on el Ferruch’s face, and added: “Aren’t IT’