Karl's Last Flight, Part 7

Karl's Last Flight, Part 7
©2006, Basil Sands

He awoke with a start, not sure of the time or even what day it was for a moment. 

"You were certainly tired." Said the soft voice in the corner.

He turned to see Esther standing at the doorway, smiling at him.  He rubbed his eyes and thought to himself, "I am dreaming, I must be dreaming."

He couldn't get over the feeling that  she seemed to be simply out of place in this whole scene that his life had become in the past two days.  Her beauty was too perfect to be real.   As far as he could tell, she was in her late twenties to early-thirties.  Remembering the comments her father had made in the morning he assumed she was still unwed.  There must be some flaw in her somewhere to be this attractive and not yet married.

"How long was I asleep?" Karl asked.

"Only about six hours, it is 4 pm now.  But I must say that you seemed to sleep very deeply.  You look much better now."

Karl looked over to a mirror that hung on the wall above a small bureau.  The dark lines were gone from under his eyes, and he really needed a shave.  The grey stubble of his beard made his face look like some picture of a grizzled old sailor you might see in a National Geographic photo essay.

Esther approached the bureau with a tray that held a bowl of water, soap, a towel and a razor. 

"Sorry, we do not have an American style shower to soak in, you can wash with these for now.  Perhaps later you can take a bath."

As she walked out of the room, she turned back to him.  Pointing to a bench beneath the window she said, "There are some clothes over there, they should fit you.  They were my brother's, he was about your size."

"Was?"

She stood still for a moment, as if his question triggered something in her brain.  The gentleness vanished from her face, the glow from her eyes became cold like steel.

"He died seven years ago, he was young, only 26."

"I am sorry."

"He is the reason we are fighting against our own government.  He died for his faith in God." She paused, "We are Christians."

"I understand."  Karl said.

"Do you?" She glared at him.

"You come from a country where people never have to take their religious life as seriously as we must here.  Technically, it is not illegal to be a Christian in Iran.  But we are the dogs of our society.  If anyone wishes to hurt us, they are never punished.  My brothers murderers were led by the Clerics who claim to be peaceful teachers of Muhammad.

"You may wonder why a girl like me has never been joined in, as you say, "wedded lunacy".  It is because I am from a Christian family, and I would not renounce my faith.  The same men who killed my brother, raped me and my mother on that day, right in front of my father's eyes. They branded me with a cross on my breast, marking me so that no man would ever find me suitable for marriage.  My mother died from the humiliation.

"The police did nothing.  They showed up a few hours later and told us to bury my brother and mother outside of the town, not in the public cemetery which was reserved only for Muslims.

"This is why we are helping Liam, to stop these insane people from destroying our beautiful country.  I am not ashamed of my faith.  I am grateful I was allowed to suffer for Christ.  Now, though, God will take vengeance on those who have destroyed my life and that of my father."

Karl looked at her intently, reading the expression on her face.  He was impressed.  She was a woman of powerful strength and commitment. 

"Well, now that you know we are serious about our mission, you need to get to yours.  After you have washed and changed come to the main room.  Liam will be waiting for you."

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