arms outstretched, a caring face in a terrible time. The boy wailed and reached out. All the terror and pain of captivity were held in that cry.
Sameh swept the boy into an embrace. They were both crying. It did not matter whether the boy recognized him or not. His comforting arms and caring heart were all the child required.
– – All three females in Sameh’s household were still awake when Major Lahm dropped him off late that night. They met him with more questions than he had breath to answer. Thankfully, his exhaustion saved him from needing to explain precisely what had occurred. He wanted to avoid all such details in front of Leyla’s young daughter, Bisan, who was eleven. All he said was, they had found Abdul, and the boy was now back with his family. Oh, and a few other children had been rescued as well. How many? Sameh was asleep on his feet as he replied. Forty-six.
Chapter Sixteen
T he next morning, Sameh awoke feeling weary in a manner that went far beyond needing more rest. He had known many such times in years past, when chaos ruled and the darkness did not scatter even when the sun rose to its fiercest. But this morning was very different. As he rose from his bed, his mind flashed back to the reunion between Hassan’s family and their small son. Their joy had been so deeply overwhelming, Sameh had felt his chest threaten to explode. Even now, as he padded wearily about the bedroom and dressed, his spirit sang. He even had to shave around a smile.
To his surprise, the women did not feel compelled to pester him with more questions when he joined them in the kitchen. Which was extremely unusual. Miriam, his wife, was the most gently ferocious interrogator Sameh had ever known. She could winnow the truth from a cadaver. But she asked just one question, and that was on the drive to church. “This American, he will be joining us?”
“He said he would.” Several times each week, Sameh attended the morning prayer service. He had invited Marc while still at the hospital, where they had ferried all the rescued children save Abdul. Afterward, he could not say why he had done such a thing. Only that it had seemed right at the time.
The previous night, Major Lahm had called a hospital administrator, who was also a friend, alerting him to their arrival. The hospital staff had responded with tender zeal. A ward had been evacuated. The rescued children had been checked over and comforted and settled two to a bed, in some cases three. Lahm had asked for volunteers from his exhausted men to stand guard. All had wanted the duty. Sameh had watched the policemen argue with quiet intensity over who would hold the honor, and felt his own composure finally unravel. He was unaccustomed to so many miracles in the space of one day.
That had been the moment when he had asked Marc to join him for the next morning’s service. Marc had seemed to find it difficult to respond, his voice sounding rather strangled to Sameh. Or perhaps it was just that he too felt the day’s strain. Marc had thanked him, calling the invitation a gift.
Which was what Sameh related to his three women as he drove through the early morning light. The American, Sameh told them, had called his invitation to wake up and find a taxi and travel across town for a dawn service a gift.
Bisan, Leyla’s daughter, declared from the back seat, “He is nice. I like him.”
Miriam replied, “You have not met him.”
“Mama has. She says he is nice too.”
Leyla said, “Bisan, shah, it is not proper.”
“Well, didn’t you say so last night?”
Sameh asked, “What else did your mother say?”
“Uncle, please. Don’t encourage her.”
Miriam said, “Bisan does not need encouragement. She takes after Sameh. She has all the encouragement she will ever need built inside her. She is like the battery bunny, no? She goes and goes and goes.”
“Mama says the American looks like Omar Sharif.”
“I did not say that.”
“You said he was tall and handsome and had eyes like the Egyptian. I know which Egyptian you meant. There is only the one for you.”
“Now you have embarrassed your mother,” Leyla said.
Miriam chuckled. “What is the embarrassment in this? We all know you moon over Sharif. Someone says his name, she can’t breathe.”
“You go like this.” Bisan sucked in a huge breath through pursed lips.
Sameh decided it was a good time to change the subject. “I am astonished that no one has asked me anything more about what happened last night.”
Bisan, not so easily diverted, added, “Mama said something else about the American. She said he has sad eyes.”
“That I did say,” Leyla agreed. “He carries great sorrow from the death of his wife.”
“When did this happen?” Miriam asked.
“Three years ago. She had a stroke,” Sameh said.
“I thought he was young, this American.”
“He is. His wife was only twenty-nine. He took a leave of absence from his work. He was with the government then. Intelligence.”
“He told us he was an accountant,” Leyla said.
“He is. The director of his agency fired him. He went to night school while taking care of his wife.”
Miriam said, “He told you all this?”
“I asked, he explained.” Sameh hesitated, then added, “I think he’s nice too.”
“I am glad to hear this, since you have never before invited an American to join us for church.” Miriam glanced over at Sameh. “He is truly a Christian?”
“He attends the same church in America as the missing man, Alex Baird. Marc agreed to come this morning. More than that, I cannot say.” When the traffic came to a stop, Sameh looked at Miriam, then again into the rearview mirror. “Why do you not ask me more about last night?”
“First, because you are exhausted. Second, because it is everywhere.”
Bisan announced, “Uncle Sameh is a hero to his people. That is what he said.”
“Who says this?”
“The justice minister.” This from Miriam.
“The justice minister called, and you did not wake me?”
Bisan said, “It wasn’t the justice minister on the phone.”
“And you know this how?”
“He was on television this morning. With Major Lahm.”
“They wanted you on the television with them,” Leyla explained. “I told them what you have always said to tell people who want to interview you. You are successful because you are not in the spotlight. You live to serve. I told them this. They did not like it. But after the second time I said it, they stopped calling.”
“But they talked about you,” Bisan said. “They say you are a great man.”
“Major Lahm phoned as well,” Leyla said. “He and his men are to be reinstated to their previous positions. He wants you to know he owes you a lifetime debt.”
Miriam said, “We are here, husband.”
“Eh, what?”
“The church. Don’t miss your turn.”
Bisan jammed one finger against the window. “There on the top step. Is that the American?”
“Yes, that is Marc,” Leyla softly replied.
– – Marc descended the church steps as Sameh’s car turned into the parking area and was inspected by the guards. When a trio of women emerged, Marc watched them adjust the brightly colored silk scarves around their heads. The little girl could only be Leyla’s daughter. She possessed the same poise as her mother, the same finely sculpted features, the same eyes holding depths of emotion at which he could only guess. Marc felt his chest
