Bethlehem and Jericho
349
down, and worshipped Him." Near by were the steps—eleven
steep stone steps—said to have been used by Mary and Joseph
in their flight to Egypt.
"Will you join me in prayer?" Father Depoyan said.
Together we knelt at the altar of the Prince of Peace. I
prayed for peace in the Holy Land, and for peace in the world,
after which Father Depoyan gave me a dozen holy wafers and
bade me Godspeed. "When you return to America," he
pleaded, "please strive to bring peace to us. Asdvadz parin
gadareh. May God perform the good."
I promised to do the impossible when I arrived in America.
MOUSTAFA AND HIS MEN OF THE SABOTAGE
IT WAS high noon when I walked into the Egyptian headquarters again. Moustafa was still away, but was expected back
any minute. I sat under a tree and waited for him. Soon I
heard him down the road. His rough, barking voice hadn't
changed, and he was in top form—boasting of his prowess to
a gang of men walking with him, among them Captain Zaki.
Moustafa's skin had grown darker; his face and moustache
wilder than ever; he had the same old uniform, which looked
as though it hadn't been taken off since our last meeting. I
liked this wild, shaggy Arab: he was earthy.
"Moustafa!" I extended my hand.
He ignored it. "Zaki has been telling me about you. I must
go tell Colonel Azziz." He sounded deeply hurt.
"Let us first sit and talk together for old friendship's sake,
Moustafa, after which you can do anything. Hang me, if you
wish. I'm at your mercy."
We talked for an hour. I refuted Zaki's charges and showed
Moustafa my new credentials from Major Abdullah el Tel.
"Zaki is jealous because Ismail has been smiling at me. He is
also angry because I have not given him my watch."