“There are still a few days to be certain,” she was saying. “I think it’s three or four. Let me think. Yes, including today, Tuesday, four more days to be certain. That would make it the day after, after seeing her father,” she said delicately. “You were to see him this Holy Day, Friday, the sixteenth, by your counting, weren’t you?”
“Yes.” Lochart said. As if I could forget. “You knew about that?” “Of course.” Annoush was astonished by his question. “Such an extraordinary request from you, and such an important decision would have to be known by all of us. Oh, wouldn’t it be wonderful if she is with child - didn’t you tell Excellency Bakravan you wanted children? I so hope she has been blessed by God for that will surely pass the days and nights happily for her until we can get her out. Kuwait’s not far. I’m only so sorry she didn’t come with us - that would have made everything perfect.”
“Kuwait?”
“Yes, but we won’t stop there - we’ll go on to London.” Again the torment showed. “I don’t want to leave our home and friends and… I don’t…” Behind her, Lochart saw the door of the house open. Valik and Seladi came out, Ali with them. He noticed the three of them wore sidearms now. Must have had a cache of weapons here, he thought absently as Ali saluted and hurried down the path toward the lake. Bursting with glee the two children charged from the back of the shed into Valik’s arms. He swung the little girl into the air and set her down.
“Yes, Annoush?” he asked his wife.
“You wanted me and the children to be here exactly at this time.” “Yes. Please get Setarem and Jalal ready. We’ll be leaving soon.” At once the children ran off into the house. “Captain, is the chopper ready?” “Yes. Yes, it is.”
Valik glanced back at his wife. “Please get ready, my dear.” She smiled and did not move. “I just have to fetch my coat. I’m ready to leave.” The rest of the officers were approaching now. Several carried automatic rifles.
Lochart tore his mind off Sharazad and Holy Day and four days more and broke the silence. “What’s the plan?”
Valik said, “Baghdad. We’ll take off in a few minutes.”
“I thought we were going to Kuwait,” Annoush said.
“We’ve decided to go to Baghdad. General Seladi thinks it’ll be safer than to head south.” Valik kept watching Lochart. “I want to be airborne in ten minutes.”
“I’d advise you to wait until two or three in the morning and th - ” Seladi interrupted coldly. “We could be trapped here. Soldiers could ambush us - there’s an air base nearby, they could send out a patrol. You don’t understand military matters. We leave for Baghdad at once.” “Kuwait’s better and safer, but in both places the chopper’ll be impounded without an Iranian clearance,” Lochart said.
“Perhaps, perhaps not,” Valik said calmly. “Baksheesh and a few connections will make all the difference.” You, interloper into my family, he thought benignly, you along with the gift of the 212 will be a sop to satisfy even the Iraqis, for we certainly agree you have flown it illegally - even the clearance you obtained from Tehran was illegal. The Iraqis will understand and they won’t harm us. Most of them hate and fear Khomeini and his version of Islam. With you, the 212 and a little extra on the side, why should they give me trouble?”
He saw Lochart watching him. “Yes?” “I think Baghdad’s a bad choice.” General Seladi said curtly, “We will leave now.” Lochart flushed at the rudeness. Some of the others shifted nervously. “No doubt you’ll leave when the aircraft is ready and the pilot ready. Have you flown in these mountains?”
“No… no I haven’t, but the 212 has the ceiling and Baghdad’s where we will go. Now!”
“Then I wish you luck. I still advise Kuwait and waiting, but you do what you want, because I’m not flying you.”
There was an even bigger silence. Seladi went red in the face. “You will prepare to leave. Now.”
Lochart said to Valik, “On the way to Isfahan I told you I wouldn’t be flying the last leg. I’m not flying you onward. Ali can do that - he’s fully qualified.”
“But you’re as wanted as any of us now,” Valik said, astonished with his stupidity. “Of course you will fly the last leg.”
“No, no I won’t. I’ll backpack out of here - of course you can’t waste time landing me somewhere. Ali can fly you - he’s been based in this area and knows the radar. Just leave me a rifle and I’ll head for Bandar Delam. Okay?”
The others stared from Lochart to Seladi and Valik. Waiting. Valik thought through this new problem. So did Seladi. Both men came to the same conclusion: Insha’Allah! Lochart had chosen to stay and therefore Lochart had chosen the consequences. “Very well,” Valik said calmly. “Ali will fly us.” He smiled and then because he respected Lochart as a pilot, he added quickly, “As we’re a very democratic people, I suggest we put it to a vote - Iraq or Kuwait?”
“Kuwait,” Annoush said at once, and the others echoed her before Seladi could interrupt.
Good, Valik thought, I allowed myself to be overruled because Seladi claimed to know the chief of police in Baghdad and said that safe passage for me and my family and him would be no more than $20,000 in U.S. notes which would be immeasurably cheaper than Kuwait - how much the others will have to pay will be up to them; I hope they have money with them or the means to get enough quickly. “Of course you agree, Excellency Uncle? Kuwait. Thank you, Captain. Perhaps you’ll tell Ali he’ll be flying us - he’s down by the lake.” “Sure. I’ll just get my gear. You’ll leave me a rifle?” “Of course.” Lochart went to the shed and disappeared inside. Seladi said, “Some of you get the chopper out and we’ll be off.” They went to obey him. Lochart came out, put his flight bag and carry bag beside the door and walked down the path toward the lake. Seladi watched him go, then impatiently walked over to the 212. Valik saw his wife watching him. “Yes, Annoush?” “What’s planned for Captain Lochart?” she asked softly though they could not be overheard. “He’s… you heard him. He refuses to fly us and wants to stay. He’ll walk out.”
“I know how your mind works, my dear. Are you going to have him killed?” There was a nice smile on her face. “Murdered?”
“Murder would be the wrong word.” His mouth smiled. “I’m sure you’d agree Lochart represents a great danger now. He knows us all, all our names - all our families will suffer when he’s caught and tortured and sentenced. It’s the Will of God. He made the choice. Seladi wanted it done anyway - a military decision - I said no, that he should fly us onward.” “To be a sacrifice in Kuwait, or Baghdad?” “Seladi gave orders to Ali, I didn’t. Lochart’s marked, poor man. It’s tragic, but necessary. You agree, don’t you?”
“No, my dear, I’m sorry but I don’t. So if he’s hurt, or touched here, there will be many who live to regret it.” Annoush’s smile did not change. “You as well, my dear.”
His face flushed. Behind him men had pulled the 212 into the open and now they were loading her. He dropped his voice. “Didn’t you hear me, Annoush, he’s a threat! He’s not one of us, Jared barely tolerates him and I promise you he’s a great danger to us, to those we’ve left behind - your family as well as mine.” “Didn’t you hear me, husband? I promise you I know only too well the dangers, but if he’s killed here - murdered - you will be killed too.”
“Don’t be ridiculous!”
“Sometime you will sleep and you will not awaken. It will be the Will of God.” The smile never changed nor the gentleness of her voice. Valik hesitated, then his face closed and he hurried down the path. The children barreled out of the house toward her and she said kindly, “Wait here, my darlings, I’ll be back in a moment.”