‘So my advisors tell me.’ Khalid knotted his left fist and placed it against the window. ‘I did not wish to see you today, but they told me I must.’
‘Perhaps it might be better if we came back at a later time,’ Webster suggested.
Khalid turned to face them and fury tightened his face. ‘That wouldn’t do, would it? As soon as it was found out, and it would be found out because you have brought Ms DeAngelo with you, that I refused to meet you, my choice would be seen as weakness. Isn’t that true?’
‘Your Excellency, I mean no disrespect, but these are trying times for us all. The world has grown more tightly knit over the past few decades. Your father’s death-’
‘It was murder,’ Khalid’s snapped. ‘Call it what it was or don’t speak of it at all.’
Stung, Webster had to remind himself that this was the attitude he needed from the young prince. Still, it was hard to take. He nodded. ‘Your father’s murder is going to impact the world.’
‘Strange, isn’t it? That no one thought to tell him that his life impacted the world.’
‘I enjoyed a good friendship with your father.’
‘He talked of you a lot,’ Khalid agreed. ‘If not for your diplomacy in this area, your country might not have had the oil agreements they currently enjoy.’
‘What’s been good for my country has also been good for your country.’
‘I’m afraid that’s where we’re going to have to disagree.’ Khalid paused. ‘With all due respect intended, of course.’ He waved to the city on the other side of the polarized glass. ‘It has taken time for my people to realize that our future lies here, not with the United States or the Western world.’
‘What do you mean?’ Vicky asked. ‘Many of your people love the United States and the Western world.’
‘That is because your country and others have seduced my people for generations,’ Khalid said. ‘Outsiders have shown them a way of life that can never be theirs. We live under Allah and the teachings of his prophet, Muhammed, not the god of excess and extravagance as you people live.’
‘Your father never felt-’
Khalid’s voice rose in anger. ‘My father and many of his advisers were just as seduced as those fools who follow your ways. He harboured vipers in his breast, and in the end they murdered him.’
‘I don’t remember anyone saying they knew who murdered your father,’ Webster said.
‘It was the Shia. I have no doubt of this. They have grown more emboldened since your country invaded Iraq and put those godless people into power.’ Khalid’s dark eyes blazed. ‘You were warned about what you did, yet your government chose to do it anyway.’
‘Forgive me, Your Excellency, but I didn’t come here to argue over the war in that country. That war doesn’t have anything to do with this.’
‘If you think that, you’re a fool. That war is part of the war that has gone on between the Sunni and the Shia since those unworthies chose to name prophets of their own and reject the will of Allah and his prophet, Muhammed.’
‘Saddam Hussein was a sadistic dictator who menaced the world,’ Hamilton snarled, taking a step forward. ‘If we’d let him be, he might eventually have put his boot on the back of your neck. Brave American servicemen put their lives on the line to preserve the peace in the Middle East. I won’t have you talking ill of them.’
One of Khalid’s personal guards took a step forward, but Webster threw out a hand to stop Hamilton, and Khalid gestured to his men to stay back. The prince’s right hand wrapped round the butt of one of his pistols.
‘No man will put his boot on my neck,’ Khalid said in a low, threatening voice. ‘I promise you that.’
‘Perhaps we could all take a step back,’ Webster suggested. The situation was getting out of control faster than he’d thought it would. Part of him was glad to see that, but he knew he had at least to appear to keep control of things.
‘What your government did was mask its villainy and greed as patriotism,’ Khalid growled. ‘China’s economy has been steadily rising, and they’ve been able to match your dwindling American dollars for oil. My country, in fact all the Middle East, would be better served to sell oil to China and India than to the United States. Our profits will be greater and the risk will be less.’
‘Until the Chinese decide to annex the Middle East,’ Napier said evenly. ‘It’s been a habit with them for millennia, you know.’
‘Ah, Mr Napier, I was wondering when you would have something to say. To counter your supposition, the United States never managed to annex the Middle East, although they certainly succeeded in making their presence felt, so what makes you think the Chinese would be any more fortunate?’
‘Americans aren’t inclined to pursue war unilaterally -’ the prince snorted in derision – ‘with a very few exceptions,’ Napier continued smoothly. ‘And our recent experiences in that arena have confirmed our reluctance to do so as good policy.’
‘The Chinese can roll an army right into your country,’ Hamilton said. ‘Do you really think you’ve got soldiers and hardware that will stand up to them? Or even be willing to stand up to them?’
‘I would sooner choose to believe that than that the United States would stay to protect us. Your country doesn’t have a good record of defending other nations when the price gets too high.’ Khalid said. ‘And your people, your soldiers, wouldn’t be fighting for my people. They would be fighting for the oil.’
‘Common interests,’ Hamilton said. ‘That’s what makes brothers of people.’
Khalid lifted his eyebrows. ‘So now we’re brothers? Then I suppose it was your father and brother who were murdered also?’
Hamilton cursed beneath his breath.
‘Familial relationships notwithstanding,’ Webster said, ‘we do have common interests.’
‘We sell, you buy,’ Khalid said. ‘We could have that relationship with anyone. The United States, however, can’t. Your people depend on us for oil, but now we find ourselves surrounded by people who could depend on us for the same thing without having any of them meddle in our business and seek to impose restrictions on how we handle our relations with other nations in this area.’
‘We have domestic oil wells that can pony up and deliver more oil if we need to,’ Hamilton threatened.
‘So you say. Yet, when oil prices soared, your country paid and didn’t aggressively seek to increase domestic production.’ Khalid shook his head. ‘No, your government worries about the domestic supply of oil and they hoard what they possess like a fearful widow.’
Hamilton turned to Webster. ‘It ain’t worth it to talk to this joker.’
‘Your country,’ Khalid went on, ‘has made a habit of becoming friends with an oil-producing country, forcing economic treaties on them through bribery and coercion, rewarding the handful that hold the most power in that country while ignoring the struggling masses, then siphoning the oil away until there’s nothing left. When the oil is gone, so is the goodwill. My country is not some road kill waiting for carrion birds to pick her bones clean.’
‘Your Excellency,’ Webster said, ‘that’s not what we’re here to do.’
‘Nonsense,’ Khalid said. ‘That’s exactly what you’ve been doing for years. Let’s fantasize for a moment. Let’s say that China does indeed decide to take advantage of us and invade because we insist on trading with United States and our output cannot meet the demands of both countries. Let’s fantasize further and say that the United States even chooses to enter a land war against the Chinese.’ He turned his attention to Napier. ‘And let’s say Mr Napier’s corporation became successful in finding an alternative fuel energy source that is competitive in price – maybe even slightly higher than the cost of oil.’ The prince’s voice became even quieter but had a harder edge to it. ‘How long do you think it would take America to withdraw its armies?’