The Watchman of Ephraim (Book Club Edition) by Gerard de Marigny Page A

are not alone. It is sad that so many of the true believers are so ignorant when it comes to the history of our faith and of the many heroic battles fought in the name of Allah.”
    Fard bowed his head in embarrassment as Zamani leaned forward and spoke as a professor would to a class of students.
    “ In 1268 Baibars 7 besieged the city of Antioch which was badly defended by the Christian knights and abandoned by most of its inhabitants. The people of the city begged Baibars to spare them if they surrendered but the knights would not give up the city. The knights were led by a man named Simon Mansel, who was Constable of Antioch. Mansel was captured in the failed cavalry attack against the Muslim army and Baibars ordered him to command the knights to surrender, but they would not.”
    Zamani stood up and looked out the window behind his desk. He peered down at the Midtown Manhattan crowds walking to and fro below, as he continued.
    “ The Christians have never changed, Bahman. Even after over 700 years, their weak peoples beg for mercy and want to surrender while their stubborn and arrogant leaders and their armies try and fight hopeless causes.”
    Fard stepped up next to Zamani and joined him looking down at the crowds of people.
    “ What happened then?”
    The question made Zamani smile.
    “ Baibars secretary described it in a letter. He wrote, ‘ Death came among the besieged from all sides and by all roads: we killed all that thou hadst appointed to guard the city or defend its approaches. If thou hadst seen thy knights trampled under the feet of the horses, thy provinces given up to pillage, thy riches distributed by measures full, the wives of thy subjects put to public sale ; if thou hadst seen the pulpits and crosses overturned, the leaves of the Gospel torn and cast to the winds, and the sepulchers of thy patriarchs profaned ; if thou hadst seen thy enemies, the Mussulmans trampling upon the tabernacle, and immolating in the sanctuary, monk, priest and deacon ; in short, if thou hadst seen thy palaces given up to the flames, the dead devoured by the fire of this world, the Church of St Paul and that of St Peter completely and entirely destroyed, certes, thou wouldst have cried out "Would to Heaven that I were become dust! ’” 8
    Zamani smiled at the look of shock and amazement on Fard’s face as he continued.
    “ Baibars reneged on his pledge to Antioch’s inhabitants. Instead of sparing them, he ordered the gates shut and massacred everyone in the city. It is thought that 17,000 Christians were slaughtered and another 100,000 enslaved in that holy siege.”
    Zamani sat again at his desk prompting Fard to take his seat at the other end.
    “ I chose the name Antioch for our great campaign out west because I intend on doing what my predecessor Baibars did seven centuries ago. We will attack an American city with what they most fear; a nuclear bomb and then we will close the gates to that city and kill all the survivors of the blast. Even as we speak, our fighters and the former Spetsnaz mercenaries we hired will soon pour into the United States – to deliver our wedding gift. Then we select our target. Of the six cities our leaders have chosen, one now jumps out to me. This man Cris De Niro lives in it, Las Vegas. I believe I can persuade our leaders to not only allow me to pick the name for this great campaign, but also the target.”
    “ What about this man De Niro, sir? Is he that much of a threat to us?”
    Zamani hit the “forward” button on the email that Payam had sent him about De Niro, forwarding it to Fard. An instant later, Fard’s iPhone made the familiar sound of receiving an email.
    “ I just sent you all the intelligence that Payam dug up on our friend Mr. De Niro. I sent Payam and his men out to his house to prepare a home invasion. I will have them interrogate him to find out if he has any other powerful allies that we should know about. Then they will eliminate him. I want you to