Chapter 69

Kabir Al-Brahkhan received us dressed in white, with his ghutra and dark glasses, surrounded by his bodyguards on the private court of his estate in Libya, just as we had arranged by phone.

They already had everything prepared for us: armored trucks and special outfits for Hilda and Nika. They were not allowed to get off the plane until they dressed in black robes, which covered their hair, a good part of their faces, and the rest of their bodies up to their knees. Ami had sent us detailed instructions by e-mail on how to behave, how to dress (again, formal attire), polite greetings, and especially what Hilda and Nika could not do in Muslim land (a rather extensive list). Richie and Christian immediately went on alert, moving not only around me, but also around our companions.

The worst of all was the temperature. I loosened my tie a little, because I was suffocating and the perspiration was dripping down my shirt; the air conditioning in the vehicle was of no use. It mu