His gold mine

An excerpt of my 10th book "An irretrievable step".

During the morning hours of this same day Amina was writing a full report on her surprising relationship with Raymond Magdi, since the fiasco about two weeks ago and up to this morning.

Right after Abed Al Azam returned from the lunch break he summoned her to his office. Since yesterday when she brought him the prints of Raymond Magdi's passport and the letter of introduction to the Pope of Alexandria, folded within the subject matter's passport, Amina soared to become his glowing star despite her rashness and a few more of her deficiencies.

'Had he anything to say when he checked the bill at 'La Pergola'. He asked her without raising his eyes from her report.

'Oh no sir he was very composed and calm, not a sign of unpleasantness appeared on his face, and he left them a generous tip of about fifteen percent I believe.'

'Did he say anything about his future plans?'

'He told me that he was offered to import Egyptian antiques and artifacts by traveling to Alexandria and Cairo…'

'Really that's very interesting, has he accepted their offer?'

'No sir, he says he doesn't want to do it but he didn't answer them yet.'

'What is his reason then? Did he explain it to you?'

'Yes of course sir at first he said he's afraid that such a deal may include stolen goods, and when I asked him if he wants to visit Egypt he said not now; he said that the nationalization of the Suez Canal last week would create an international havoc and it's too risky to visit Egypt now.'

'I see,' Al Azam muttered and kept silent, he had no intentions to share his conclusions with Amina of course. 'Well Amina you'll spend a few more days with him, and then we'll see how to proceed. You may go now.'

This bright young man may turn into my gold mine. Abed Al Azam concluded while he sat alone in his office buried in his thoughts. I'll have to check his background very carefully, although his meeting with Amina was an obvious coincidence. But this haphazard meeting proved that checking Rome's Coptic community is a waste of efforts, it's the Venice community that offered the dubious deal to the subject matter that should be checked.

© Haim Kadman July 2013 �" all rights reserved.