I needed to clear my head and think. The night air was cold and the sky was clear as I looked up. I could see Orion rising above Baghdad. I closed my eyes. I tried to clear my mind, but the thought of 10 million deaths loomed over me like the stars.

It wasn’t Michael who was trying to kill all those people. He just provided the means. If I wanted to figure this out, then I had to try to get inside the minds of the people behind Michael.

On the day of Ashura, the Muslim Brotherhood would strike, like the prophet Gideon. What did Gideon do? I thought back to the stories I was told as a kid. Gideon in the winepress, threshing wheat. Hiding from the Midionites. He cut down the altar of baal and the pole of … somebody. Then he raised an army and god had him reduce it to 300. They surrounded the enemy and with a shout and blowing of trumpets they caused the enemy to attack each other in confusion. Attack each other in confusion….

Who are the enemies of the Brotherhood? The crusaders and the apostates.