is doing with organizing the investment club. I suggest you use the time to start the ball rolling on your end. You start organizing that meeting. If you want me there however, it will have to take place after graduation. I will try to make it as soon as I can, but for now, it appears as if it will not be until after graduation.”

“Yussef, you must be there, I want you there, even if you only act as a translator. You see our partnership is progressing. Have I told you how happy you have made me? I can not wait until we are together again,” he said and added, “please try to see me sooner. I was so frustrated that you had to leave when and how you did last night that I wanted to kill your army and stomp on the cell phone. I was furious until I realized that it was because of my driver that you had to rush back to base. I could have killed that idiot for forgetting his gun permit.”

“Well I may never speak to him again,” the soldier said smiling into the phone, “my balls were hurting all the way back to the base and I had to take a long cold shower. Habibi, don’t think about it too much. I love you and I will make it up to you. That’s a promise!”

“Just hearing you say that, lover, makes me feel better. Kisses and hugs to you. And until next time, remember that I love you too.” Joseph placed a call to Kassie and had to listen to her complain about not being able to see him and all about the midnight raid from the FBI and the police, again. He explained that he would be busy studying and would not be able to see her until graduation. He also said that he thought that Fazzi would agree to just about anything he would now suggest. He might even let Kassie and Mary go.

“I know that I can arrange a legal separation within a few weeks. I will even get Fazzi to pay for everything, including very generous support payments,” Joseph said. Then he asked, “Do you think your relatives in Michigan would be willing to give you a place to stay until you can find a place of your own?”

“Yes most likely they can and will. But what is to become of you? You are not coming with us, are you? I will never see you again. You are staying with him! Is that the price of our freedom Yussef?” she asked him. “Did you sell your soul to him?”

“For now the important thing is for you to be free. That is all you ever wanted. Take your chance now. You may never get another. As for my soul, if I did sell it to him as you suggest, I think it is worth it. Don’t worry about it. I will be happy just seeing you and Mary free of him.”

“I can not ask you to do that, habibi. I never wanted you to become his…”

“You didn’t ask! What I’m doing is because I want to do it, not because you asked me to,” he said. Then he told her they would talk about it later as he had to make a few more calls before class began.

The next call was to Rich. It was good to talk to him again and Joseph