The Most Beautiful Place On God's Earth

28 Salam

Mahmoud surprised them with another change of their schedule:

"You are to do the interview with Colonel Gaddafi on the stage in the hangar at 11 a.m. Please set up your equipment beforehand. You'll spend the rest of the day in the desert, and you'll sleep here tonight, so the program in Benghazi will take place on Wednesday. The concert starts there at nine o'clock, after which you will be taken to your ship."

"The ship has to wait a whole day for us?" asked Hans.

"Of course," replied Mahmoud shrugging his shoulder. "Tom and Martin, will you come with me for a moment?"

Outside, he asked Tom and Martin to get the documents. When they entered the house next door, one of the Berbers with sunglasses from the day before was waiting for them. The room resembled their negotiation room in Benghazi: it was bare. The Libyan greeted them distantly. As they sat, he said without the usual pleasantries:

"You brought me something?"

If Tom had learned anything in the last two years, it was this: don't be intimidated!

"Please forgive me," he said to the Berber. "I don't know the customs in Libya, but in our country, when you make a deal, you look your partner in the eye, but I can't see your eyes at all."

The intelligence agent disguised as a Berber peasant took off his glasses, which made Tom and Martin realize that their cargo was valuable to him, and that their negotiating tactics seemed to be working.

"Do you like me better this way?" the Libyan asked with a sneer.

"In any case, you have no reason to hide your eyes," Tom flattered him. "Please understand us - we do business on the principle of trust for trust. I hope the papers we're giving you will meet your expectations and can help you be prepared for an attack."

The intelligence agent, whose age Tom estimated to be under 30, eyed the two young men.

"You are Germans. How is it that you support the Greek Socialists in their struggle?"

Martin let Tom take the lead:

"We want the military dictatorship to fall and democracy to be reinstated."

The Libyan smiled at Tom:

"You do know that we are also called a military dictatorship? Would you fight us if you were in Libya?"

Tom and Martin felt like they were in an exam situation, so Tom replied cautiously:

"Muammar told us that you have committees all over the country that make the decisions. He calls it 'direct democracy.' Libya has two million people, so I think it can work here. Why should we fight the system when the people decide what happens?"

***

The alleged Berber, who was actually the head of Libyan intelligence, reported to the head of state a short time later. He advised against recruiting any of the group, because he was sure that they wouldn't do it. Colonel Gaddafi saw his own judgment confirmed. He would not try. Not right away, and not so directly. The matter with Dave, the Englishman, was different. He didn't need to convince him. He could force him. He had already forced him, even if Dave didn't suspect it.

***

On the stage in the hangar, three armchairs covered with red velvet were grouped around a small round table, on which tea and water glasses were ready. Hans and Reiner wanted to discuss the interview with Tom and Martin, but the German boys had already worked out a concept. However, Colonel Gaddafi had one too, and he had more experience in implementing it.

The Colonel wore the white cape again. Laughing, he shook hands with everyone - he seemed completely relaxed. Colonel Gaddafi put his staff on the table and sat down while a soldier poured tea. Tom opened the interview: