Free A Gentleman's Game by Greg Rucka

was not an Egyptian, not even an Arab, just a Muslim. After the past two weeks with other pilgrims, wrapped in the
ihram,
he had forgotten such distinctions mattered. But returning to Cairo reminded him, and he did not want to leave.
    So when Abdul Aziz came to the house for a second time, Shuneal knew it was his only chance.
    •
    A cassette player rested on the dining table this time, and once everyone was seated and still, Abdul Aziz moved to it and, without a word, set the tape to play.
    The voice that filled the room was immediately familiar to Shuneal.
    “You who have come to make Hajj, give thanks to Allah, all praise to Him,”
Dr. Faud bin Abdullah al-Shimmari told them. His voice crackled, distorted through the tiny speaker on the cassette player.
“You who have come to secure your place in Paradise, know that you have spared yourself Hellfire. You have achieved the fifth pillar of our faith, but there is a sixth, and who of you dare to reach it?
    “To be
muwahhidun,
to be the greatest advocates of oneness, should be your highest aspiration. Jihad is a great deed, indeed, and there is no deed whose blessing, whose reward, is that of it. For this reason, if none other, it is the greatest thing you, any of you, can volunteer for.
    “The warrior who gives his life in a true jihad becomes
shahid,
guaranteed that rarest place in Paradise. You must rub the sleep from your eyes, my brothers, and rise to jihad! Find the ember in your soul, and let your breath give life to the flame! Let that flame feed your hatred of those who defile and damn us, of those Jews and Christians and infidels who would steal from you that which is yours, your future as the One True Religion! We know the Jews are the objects of Allah’s avowed wrath, all praises sung unto Him, while the Christians have long since fallen from the path of righteousness. The
Qu’ran
tells us the Jews are a nation cursed by Allah, a nation he turned into apes and pigs, who worship idols.
    “You live in great times, the days before the Days of Judgment, with civilizations in conflict, with the civilization of the corrupt West on the verge of collapse. While the West seeks to steal our youth from us, to diminish our heritage as the One True Religion, we see they are weak, immoral, and corrupt. The battle before you is not one simply of ideas, but one to be fought with bloodshed, with the rifle, the airplane, the word, the bomb. This is a new phase in our great Crusade, to accelerate that collapse, to return in kind a thousandfold what they have laid at our feet.
    “Allah will take revenge against the tyrants with His sword in this world, and in the world to come. We beseech Allah to grant
Mujihadin
everywhere speedy victory, and forsake America, and those who help and are allies with her, and bring destruction upon her and her friends. It is Allah’s will, and it will be done.
    “Allah’s prayers upon you, you who would be
jihadi.”
    •
    The silence after the tape ended was heavy, broken only by the sound of their breathing, the students seated on the floor. Abdul Aziz did not move, letting the cassette run out, and there was a shocking snap as the button on the player popped up once more. From the corner of his eye, Shuneal saw several of the students start at the noise, surprised.
    Abdul Aziz took the cassette player from the table, tucked it beneath his arm, and, still without uttering a word, turned and walked out of the room. Shuneal could hear him moving away, the echo of his steps on the tile floor, and then the sound of the door opening and closing. Around him, other students exchanged looks of confusion and loss.
    Shuneal moved first, taking a step forward, then stopping, looking back. Aamil, still seated, hesitated, then rose to follow. Shuneal heard the rustle of cloth as more of the students got to their feet, but he didn’t wait, and he didn’t look back, now moving faster, suddenly afraid that Abdul Aziz wouldn’t wait for him. He reached