engines of the 212 were laid out neatly, piece by piece, in regimented lines. "it's nothing to do with me, excellency, the foreigners do what they like." then he added quickly, "and although we all know iran-timber belongs to the people, the shah took all the money. i've no authority over them, foreign devils or their regulations. there's nothing i can do."
"when will it be airworthy?" the russian-speaking man asked in perfect turkish.
"the mechanics promise two days," dayati said and prayed silently, very afraid, though he tried hard not to show it. it was clear to him now that these men were leftist mujhadin believers in the soviet-sponsored theory that islam and marx were compatible. "it's in the hands of god. two days; the foreign mechanics are waiting for some spares thattre overdue."
"what are they?"
nervously he told him. they were some minor parts and a tail rotor blade.
"how many hours do you have on the rotor blade?"
dayati checked the logbook, his fingers trembling. "one thousand seventy-three."
"god is with us," the man said, then turned to the mullah. "we could safely use the old one for fifty hours at least."
"but the life of the blade... the airworthy certificate's invalidated," dayati said without thinking. "the pilot wouldn't fly because air regulations requi "
"satan's regulations."
"true," the russian speaker interrupted, "some of them. but laws for safety are important to the people, and even more important, god laid down rules in the koran for camels and horses and how to care for them, and these rules can apply equally to airplanes which also are the gift of god and also carry us to do god's work. we must therefore care for them correctly. don't you agree, mahmud?"
"of course," the mullah said impatiently and his eyes bore into dayati who began to tremble. "i will return in two days, at dawn. let the helicopter be ready and the pilot ready to do god's work for the people. i will visit every camp in the mountains. are there other women here?"
"just... just two wives of the laborers and... my wife."
"do they wear chador and veil?"
"of course," dayati lied instantly. to wear the veil was against the law of iran. reza shah had outlawed the veil in 1936, made the chador a matter of choice and mohammed shah had further enfranchised women in '64.
"good. remind them god and the people watch, even in the foreigner's vile domain." mahmud turned on his heel and stomped off, the others going with him.
when he was alone, dayati wiped his brow, thankful that he was one of the faithful and that now his wife would wear the chador, would be obedient, and act as his mother acted with modesty and not wear jeans like her highness. what did the mullah call her to her face? god protect him if abdollah khan
hears about it... even though, of course, the mullah's right, and of course khomeini's right, god protect him.
in erikki's cabin: 11:23 p.m. the two men sat at the table opposite each other in the main room of the cabin. when the man had knocked on the door, erikki had told azadeh to go into the bedroom but he had left the inner door open so that she could hear. he had given her the rifle that he used for hunting. "use it without fear. if he comes into the bedroom, i am already dead," he had said, his pakoh knife sheathed under his belt in the center of his back. the pukoh knife was a heft knife and the weapon of all finns. it was considered unlucky and dangerous for a man not to carry one. in finland it was against the law to wear one openly that might be considered a challenge. but everyone carried one, and always in the mountains. erikki yokkonen's matched his size.
"so, captain, i apologize for the intrusion." the man was dark-haired, a little under six feet, in his thirties' his face weather-beaten, his eyes dark and slavic mongol blood somewhere in his heritage. "my
"when will it be airworthy?" the russian-speaking man asked in perfect turkish.
"the mechanics promise two days," dayati said and prayed silently, very afraid, though he tried hard not to show it. it was clear to him now that these men were leftist mujhadin believers in the soviet-sponsored theory that islam and marx were compatible. "it's in the hands of god. two days; the foreign mechanics are waiting for some spares thattre overdue."
"what are they?"
nervously he told him. they were some minor parts and a tail rotor blade.
"how many hours do you have on the rotor blade?"
dayati checked the logbook, his fingers trembling. "one thousand seventy-three."
"god is with us," the man said, then turned to the mullah. "we could safely use the old one for fifty hours at least."
"but the life of the blade... the airworthy certificate's invalidated," dayati said without thinking. "the pilot wouldn't fly because air regulations requi "
"satan's regulations."
"true," the russian speaker interrupted, "some of them. but laws for safety are important to the people, and even more important, god laid down rules in the koran for camels and horses and how to care for them, and these rules can apply equally to airplanes which also are the gift of god and also carry us to do god's work. we must therefore care for them correctly. don't you agree, mahmud?"
"of course," the mullah said impatiently and his eyes bore into dayati who began to tremble. "i will return in two days, at dawn. let the helicopter be ready and the pilot ready to do god's work for the people. i will visit every camp in the mountains. are there other women here?"
"just... just two wives of the laborers and... my wife."
"do they wear chador and veil?"
"of course," dayati lied instantly. to wear the veil was against the law of iran. reza shah had outlawed the veil in 1936, made the chador a matter of choice and mohammed shah had further enfranchised women in '64.
"good. remind them god and the people watch, even in the foreigner's vile domain." mahmud turned on his heel and stomped off, the others going with him.
when he was alone, dayati wiped his brow, thankful that he was one of the faithful and that now his wife would wear the chador, would be obedient, and act as his mother acted with modesty and not wear jeans like her highness. what did the mullah call her to her face? god protect him if abdollah khan
hears about it... even though, of course, the mullah's right, and of course khomeini's right, god protect him.
in erikki's cabin: 11:23 p.m. the two men sat at the table opposite each other in the main room of the cabin. when the man had knocked on the door, erikki had told azadeh to go into the bedroom but he had left the inner door open so that she could hear. he had given her the rifle that he used for hunting. "use it without fear. if he comes into the bedroom, i am already dead," he had said, his pakoh knife sheathed under his belt in the center of his back. the pukoh knife was a heft knife and the weapon of all finns. it was considered unlucky and dangerous for a man not to carry one. in finland it was against the law to wear one openly that might be considered a challenge. but everyone carried one, and always in the mountains. erikki yokkonen's matched his size.
"so, captain, i apologize for the intrusion." the man was dark-haired, a little under six feet, in his thirties' his face weather-beaten, his eyes dark and slavic mongol blood somewhere in his heritage. "my
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