‘I guess not,’ Kate agreed, ‘and if they come up with reports and facts that don’t support this Administration’s policy the White House will blow their cover anyway,’ she added ruefully. Her cynicism towards politicians who so easily turned on their own was deepening. ‘Do you know O’Connor well?’ she asked, intrigued by the charming and intelligent man who worked in the shadows.
‘Only by reputation, and if that’s anything to go by, he’s one of the best. He’s not only highly intelligent but he’s also one of the few non-Muslims in this Administration who understand that it is not Islam that threatens the West, but the fundamentalists who misinterpret it.’
‘Do you think this Kadeer really wants everyone to be under Islamic rule?’ Kate asked, keen to explore her mentor’s knowledge of a subject she knew little about.
Imran shook his head. ‘Some of his more fanatical lieutenants are convinced that’s the only path. If they have their way, ultimately western countries like the United States and Australia will be taken over by pan-Islam and subjected to Sharia law. To counter that we need ordinary Muslims onside. O’Connor knows that in addition to preparing defences against biological attacks, which is where you and I come in, the key to getting those moderate Muslims onside is to take a more even-handed approach.
‘To Muslim countries generally?’
Imran nodded. ‘Starting with Palestine. Those who support the fanatical view come from desperately poor backgrounds like the Israeli Occupied Territories. The West should have given much more support to the Palestinians,’ Imran explained, ‘because to escape from the misery imposed by the Israelis and the West, young Palestinian men and women are now attracted to madrassas like those on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
‘I know very little about Islam,’ Kate admitted, ‘but I’ve sometimes wondered if the Qu’ran encourages suicide bombings.’
‘Quite the opposite, and if you’re interested, I’ll give you one of my Qu’rans. Verse 46 from Chapter 29 in the Qu’ran is called “The Spider”. It should be compulsory reading for anyone who wants to understand Islam, although I don’t want to turn dinner into a lecture on it,’ he said with a smile.
‘You’re not,’ Kate assured him, intensely interested.
Imran quoted the verse. ‘“Do not argue with the People of the Book unless it is in the politest manner, except for those of them who do wrong. Say: We believe in what has been sent down to us and what has been sent down to you. Our God and your God is the Same One, and we are committed to observe peace before Him.” In essence, what Muhammad is making very clear is that Muslims must respect other religions unless the people that profess those faiths attack Islam. Unfortunately the huge numbers of innocent Muslims who’ve been killed since we invaded Iraq is enough to convince even the moderates that Islam is under attack from the West, and particularly from the United States, Britain and Australia.’
‘I think Islam is under attack, Imran. President Harrison’s on the record as saying he’s on a mission from his Christian God and the Australian Prime Minister is backing him all the way.’
‘God’s entitled to be a little confused,’ Imran replied with a grin. ‘Were you ever religious?’
‘My father was and so was my ex. The President would get along very well with both of them,’ Kate said, shuddering at the memory of it all. ‘I agreed with your opinion piece. For me, religion is an accident of birth. If I’d been born in Baghdad, I’d probably be a Sunni or a Shiite or if I’d been born in Jerusalem I might be a Jew. Yet people like Jerry Buffett storm the airwaves claiming that if you’re not a Christian, when the Christian “rapture” comes around, you’re stuffed. What sort of a God would create six billion people, only to condemn most of them in the afterlife?’
‘You think there is an afterlife?’
‘I think there’s a force around us, and forgive me, Imran, but for me it’s not what the various religions call Yahweh or God or Allah…’
Imran waved his hand with a deprecating smile to indicate that far from being offended, he was enjoying the depth of their friendship and conversation.
‘I don’t think you can immerse yourself in what you and I do, Imran, without giving some thought to the exquisitely intricate design of cells that can’t be seen by the naked eye. I don’t think the design of the universe is just some gigantic accident, which is what makes this threat from Kadeer so scary. If he ever harnessed the microscopic world I think it has the potential to destroy the human race.’
Imran nodded. ‘It is hard to get that across to those in power. It underlines the need for negotiation more than ever. Did Curtis mention the Beijing Olympics?’
‘No, did he raise it with you?’
‘Only in passing. If I were going to mount a biological attack, the Games would be my first choice as a target because of the huge number of different nationalities the airlines are going to fly in and out.’
‘Thousands of those will be from Muslim nations, Imran.’
‘So were the workers in the Twin Towers,’ Imran replied, ‘but Curtis O’Connor may have a point. However much you and I disagree with trying to get something like smallpox to jump species, unless we try and find out what is possible, it might be too late.’
For the next hour the two of them quietly talked about the deadly proposal. Save for a Georgian biochemist working in Koltsovo, no two scientists had more experience or more ability.
‘If it were anyone else, Imran, I doubt that I would have anything to do with this,’ Kate said finally. ‘I want you to know that, but I guess you’re right. They’re going to go ahead with this anyway and it’s better to be inside the tent. If this ever got into the hands of the terrorists…’ Kate let her words trail off before she took another sip of wine.
‘O’Connor wants to brief us tomorrow on what he thinks al-Qaeda might be able to achieve. Thank you,’ Imran added, taking her hand.
Their eyes met and their hands lingered together.
‘Another time, another life,’ Imran whispered, conscious of their difference in age. Kate nodded, turning away to hide the tears in her eyes.
CHAPTER 43
C urtis O’Connor opened Kate Braithwaite’s security file. It contained the results of the exhaustive checks that were required for her clearance to work at USAMRIID, and he read them with more than a passing interest. Dr Braithwaite’s scientific credentials were impeccable and her research was at the cutting and dangerous edge of microbiology. Looking at her photograph again, Curtis recalled how he had long ago drawn a boundary around himself. For a CIA agent affairs of the heart were a dangerous distraction
The young scientist had been positively vetted and Curtis skipped over the thin reports on her financial affairs, unusually conscious that he was intruding into her private life. The reports on the FBI interviews of her referees however, including one from Professor Sayed, were something that he did need to know about, and they were all overwhelmingly positive, except one. Kate Braithwaite, Curtis discovered, had once been married to an up-and-coming Australian politician from the Liberal Party. It was an episode in her life that Kate had been completely honest about. The long reach of the US security system had gone into the US Embassy in Canberra and from there to the US Consulate in Martin Place in Sydney. Malcolm Braithwaite, the former President of the Young Liberals and now member of the NSW Legislative Council, had painted a scathing picture of his ex-wife, but the FBI’s man in Sydney had reached some skillful conclusions about the divorce. During the interview Malcolm Braithwaite had asked the FBI agent if he was a Christian, quoting the letter of the Apostle Paul to the Ephesians at him: ‘Just as Christ was the head of the church, a husband was the head of the wife.’ Braithwaite had let slip this was something that Kate had not been too keen on. Can’t imagine why, Curtis thought, smiling to himself as he closed the file and headed down to the entrance foyer to greet Kate and Professor Sayed.