A Deceit to Die For by Luke Montgomery

subject heading which read simply “Cool Quote”:
Found a really cool quote I think you will like.
     
“A red sunset is preferable to a red dawn”.
     
    A sentient being could hardly have been faulted for expecting to see the name of the author of this enigmatic saying, but they would have been disappointed. This was the sum of the message.
     
     

CHAPTER 10
     
    C AIRO, E GYPT     The horizon was rushing up to meet the sun as Cairo came to the end of another long summer day that had turned this city of seventeen million into a veritable blast furnace. The sunset, however, promised to be spectacular. There was a scattering of cirrostratus clouds in the west above the searing sands of the Sahara, so high above the earth that even in August they were composed mostly of ice crystals, which made them excellent spectral reflectors of the sun’s rays. The result, of course, was brilliant hues of purple and orange that postcard photographers dreamed of.
    From his office on the nineteenth story of the high-rise office building, he had an excellent view. Ahmet’s job had plenty of perks consisting of more tangible worldly compensation, but the natural beauty he witnessed from his office was never lost on him. As the imperceptible movement of the earth produced the sensation that the sun was sinking, a thought flickered across the screen of his mind. The residents of the city would be thankful that Ra was going to bed for the night, giving them some respite from the heat. No one believed that the sun was a god anymore, but some probably cursed it as a devil, especially if they were not one of the privileged few who could afford air-conditioning. He said a brief prayer of thanks for the refreshing breeze that blew from the Korean Samsung air-conditioner, another privilege that came with the job and separated him from the fifteen million in the city who lived without it. Then the muezzin began to sound the adhan , calling the faithful to their prayers and he rose in mechanical obedience to the summons.
    Ten minutes later, he rose from his prayer rug, and sat down at his desk, refreshed from the spiritual exercise. He closed his eyes and promised himself it would only be for five minutes. The first day of a crucial week had come to an end. The project was in the homestretch. All he had to do was push himself and everyone else to finish strong. If all went well, in three weeks, the UN would be announcing a new initiative promoting tolerance and understanding between people of different faiths. For almost five years, he had stealthily applied the pressures necessary to get Islamic governments on board. The faith of the prophet was now viewed by outsiders as an ideology of fanaticism, violence and intolerance. It was time to repair the damage, which required an image make-over. A more obvious fact would have been difficult for him to imagine, but not everyone was convinced. Obstacles abounded, especially in the form of short-sighted traditionalists.
    His phone beeped. He hit the intercom.
    “Sir, it’s the Minister of Foreign Affairs from Yemen.”
    “Put him through.” Ahmet punched the speaker button and leaned back in his chair. “Mr. Secretary, how nice to hear from you. I hope you have good news for me.”
    “Mr. Karaman, the Minister of Culture and Religious Affairs refuses to sign off on the project.”
    “Mr. Secretary, this sounds unacceptably like our last conversation. I thought we had made it abundantly clear how crucial Yemen’s support for this initiative is.”
    “Mr. Karaman, surely you know how much personal effort I have invested in this cause.”
    “Apparently, it has not been sufficient.”
    “The Republic of Yemen is a sovereign nation committed to sharia law. Our jurists are not convinced that your tolerance initiative complies with divine law and the will of Allah.”
    “Mr. Secretary, allow me to be blunt. The worldview of those who oppose this plan hearkens back to seventh-century Arabia. The