Sari Abu Amineh
Anxiety had taken hold of the Basha.
He was intent on preempting events by getting rid of his illegitimate son before the reverse could happen. He started asking me from time to time if my plan had worked and how it was progressing. I would tell him everything was fine, and when I said to him, “But the plan is going to be costly,” he answered in a tone not lacking in expertise, “Does a fishing rod catch a fish without some bait attached?”
Whenever the Basha clasped his hands behind his back and started pacing back and forth it became difficult to look him in the eye while listening to him.
He told me once that pacing gave rise to new ideas and facilitated conversation. I had no choice but to agree with what he said. He stopped pacing and faced me, saying, “Are you just
