Midnight Sun (76 page)

Leka
nodded
.
“
As
long
Farrah
switches
the
valves
in
time.
”

“
Let's
give
him
the
benefit
of
the
doubt,
” Kreshnik said with an exasperated tone.

“
I'm
trying,
but
I
don't
like
him
.
”

Kreshnik
glanced
up
at
his
cousin
.
“
W
hy?
”

“
He's
not
one
of
us.
”

“
What
do
you
mean
,
not
one
of
us
?
”
Kreshnik
grimaced
as
he
struggled
with
the
bolts
on
the
pipe
segment.
“
He's
Albanian
,
just
like
we
are.
His
parents
are
Kosovar,
just
like
ours.
”

“
No
.
”
Leka
shook
his
head
.
“
H
e
is
British.
They
are
friends
to
the
Americans.
”

“
His
parents
were
killed
by
the
Americans,
blown
to
pieces
on
a
Kosovo
mountainside.
He
is
not
their
friend.
”

“
Every
time
he
opens
his
mouth
,
I
hear
the
sound
of
an
Englishman
.
”
Leka
spat
a
sticky
glob
on
the
opposite
wall.
“
He
is
too
polite,
too
courteous
to
these
infidel
bastards
and
their
fat
whores.
Even
in
Albanian
,
he
will
not
curse
them.
”

Kreshnik
let
out
a
sigh
.
“
You
are
too
hard
on
him.
He
has
been
in
the
Jihad
long
enough
that
he
should
have
gained
your
trust
by
now.
”

“
If
he
would
only
curse
those
filthy
English
and
their
way
of
life.
Or
even
curse
the
Americans.
Hell,
”
Leka
gestured
with
his
hands.
“
I
f
he
would
simply
stop
smiling
at
them
or
opening
doors
for
their
women
,
I
would
feel
better
about
him.
”

“
He
is
doing
his
part.
He
did
not
grow
up
like
we
did,
but
he
is
doing
his
part
.
”
Kreshnik
signaled
to
his
cousin
to
help
him
lift
the
four
-
foot
steel
segment.
“
We
have
to
finish
this
one.
The
other
six
are
done
already.
And
the
special
valves
are
done.
Then
we
come
back
tomorrow
night
and
install
the
devices
on
the
ceiling,
”
he
pointed
to
the
ceiling
light
fixture
directly
above
the
pipe
segment,
“
and
we
are
done.
”

They
hefted
the
thick
piece
of
pipe,
veins
bulging
beneath
the
skin
of
their
temples
at
the
effort.
They
inched
it
to
the
side
and
carefully
set
it
on
the
floor.

“
A
field
of
blood
will
be
his
proof
for
me,
”
Leka
said.
“
I
want
him
to
see
the
infidels
die,
screaming
like
babies
,
and
then
I will watch
his
reaction.
That
is
when
I
will
know
he
is
really
one
of
us.
And
perhaps
we
can
kill
that
crazy
man
,
too.
”