Chapter Two - part five

   James watched as the first two groups arrived. They both immediately stopped and began to whisper when they saw no clear seating arrangement marked. Before they could do anything the Lion arrived and walked in past them. He too stopped to survey the seating. He frowned at first and then he began to smile. He didn't say anything. In fact he silenced his associate when he started to speak. Then without hesitation he took the center two seats on Aadila's side of the table. He looked at neither end of the table. He simply sat down and had his associate take the seat to his right. Then he waited. By then the last three groups had also arrived. They didn't take long to choose a spot. The most powerful of those groups took the spots immediately across the table from the Lion. Another took the spots between the Lion and the U.N. people. The other one took the seats between Sabella and the other major group. The first two groups to arrive suddenly found themselves with little choice left. One group, the most in favor of hard core Muslim law for a government took the seats between the Lion and Aadila. The other group was the most pro-western in their views and they took the seats on the opposite side, but on the U.N. end of the table.

   Once everyone was seated Ambassador Raffia made a welcoming speech. He had hardly finished speaking when the leader seated next to Aadila spoke up. "Before we go further I want to know what has happened to the others. Were not two more of the factions among my people to have been here? Where are they and why are they not here?" Again the Ambassador spoke up. He quickly explained that both groups had been attacked and driven back before they reached their assigned NATO escorts.  This brought a great deal of complaints and accusations from everyone who had arrived safely, everyone except for the Lion. He remained silent and actually seemed to be pleased with all the disruption. Suddenly Asu Hussain the man who had asked the questions first turned on the Lion. "You sit there in silence, with a smile. Were you the one responsible for those attacks? Did you break the peace and turn against us even before we had arrived? Speak now! I would hear your answer!"

   Sargon Najjar turned to face his accuser and just smiled for a moment. Then he gave a slight shrug and spoke. "I wasn't aware of any peace outside the safe zone. I too was attacked on my way here and I think you know by who it was done. What has that to do with this? Are we here to talk or just accuse one another of what we already know we would do ourselves given the right opportunity?" Now the pro-western leader Abdel fattah Kassab spoke out as he came to his feet. "You dare speak so? You would use our travel here to talk of peace as a chance to ambush us and kill us? I won't remain here to talk with killers about peace for our nation.  You have no interest in peace. You only want blood and power, not peace. These talks are a waste. If we must fear for our lives to even come to talk of peace with the likes of you, then how can there ever be peace? This is foolishness, I will stay no longer." The entire room of people were suddenly on their feet shouting and pointing. Some were already starting towards the door. Only James and Aadila had remained seated. Even Sabella had stood up at first, but she had taken her seat again when she saw that James and Aadila had remained seated. The meeting had lasted only a few moments and looked to have totally fallen apart in a matter of seconds.

   Suddenly, before anyone could actually get to the door James slammed his hand down on the table top, making a tremendously loud bang in the large room. The entire room of people jumped away from the table and turned all their attention towards that sound. James smiled and spoke very softly as he began to rub his hand. "Gentlemen, now that I have your attention. I want to say just a few words before you leave or do whatever you were about to do. I am new to all of this, but I see why it has been such a waste of time. You are all more interested in fighting, and blaming the others for that, than you are in talking about peace or anything else for that matter. I was under the impression that you had asked me to be here and yet you haven't even let me speak. Now if you will sit down and listen to me for a moment I would very much like to tell you what else I, a stranger to all of this, have seen today." James sat there watching and waiting. Once again the Lion was the first to sit down. Slowly the rest followed his lead. The Ambassador started to speak, but once more James slammed his hand down. James spoke sharply immediately after that.

  "I will speak now! You have all asked me to come here and now I intend to be heard!" He was looking at the Ambassador first, but he let his eyes range over everyone. Once he was certain they were going to remain silent for a moment he spoke again. "As I said, you show no real interest in peace, none of you. If you truly want to have peace in this land then it must begin with listening not shouting. Sargon Najjar, I knew when I met you that you knew the others weren't coming. I suspected that you were to blame. Now I would hear you deny that or explain it. I ask the rest of you to remain silent as he does. I have things to ask each of you; when it is your turn you may speak, but I ask that you only answer my questions and remain silent while the others speak. I will give each of you a chance to ask me a question when you have answered mine. Perhaps by the time I have spoken to each of you and you to me we will be ready to do something more than scream at each other. Now, will you answer my question or will you continue to sit and smile Sargon Najjar?"

   The Lion laughed and leaned forward to look around the table before he spoke. "I will answer. Yes, I am responsible for the attacks. I had warned both of them that I wouldn't allow them to interfere with the work Captain Farah was doing in my area and theirs. I told them I would be watching and if they did interfere I would find them and kill them. Before this meeting I had told them if they ever left their section of the country I would kill them. I am a man of my word. They are finished. You will hear no more from those men." James just smiled and nodded his head. He waited for Sargon to ask a question, but got only a smile and a shake of the head. Then he turned his attention to Asu Hussain. "Asu Hussain you accused him of this when you already knew it was true. I believe that he wasn't the only one to make threats and carry those threats out. Were you responsible for attacking him today?" The Ambassador started to protest, but this time Sargon slammed his hand down. Then, without ever saying a word, he indicated that Hussain was to speak. Asu Hussain had grown red and looked around as if for a way to escape, but he finally stood up and spoke. "Yes! Yes I did order my men to try and kill him. His bands of thugs rule the countryside with fear and torture. He doesn't dare come into the city where he would be forced to answer for his crimes. He deserves to die!" Then Hussain turned on the Ambassador. "I won't stay here to be treated like a criminal, while you allow the real criminals to come and go freely. This truly is a waste!" He turned to storm out the door. Kassab had risen to follow him out, but James next words stopped them both short of the door. He spoke the words softly, but they hit hard.

   "You can leave. Nobody will stop you, but I will talk with those who remain. I was asked to come here. I don't know why. I have nothing to offer any of you, nothing except my words and my honor. I am here to listen to all of you. I am here to listen to all sides fairly, because I have no side. I will listen and I will speak, but if you leave I cannot hear your side and you cannot hear what I say about any of this either. Go if you wish, but that will help nothing in the end. Sit down and listen with me! Sit down and talk with me! I promise nothing more than to listen to all of you and to speak honestly to all of you.  I know that isn't much, but it is more than you have now. You are right. There can be no peace like this. It is a waste, but it does it have to be? Each of you has people who will follow you to war, but wouldn't it be better if they followed you to peace? They will die for you, but you could help them to live with you instead. Stay and listen! Stay and talk! If you must scream then scream at me, but I ask you to listen first. The sound of peace is much harder to hear than the sounds of war. Peace comes with a whisper, but war comes with the screams of the dying and the wails of the widows and orphans."