"What?" His head turned slowly, the anger dissolving into a puzzled expression, the cold hard eyes boring into my face.

"Koyannisqatsi. It's a Hopi Indian word meaning world out of balance. That's what we're facing here, a world completely out of balance."

Hans shook his head ruefully, the gray mane flying around his large head.

"No Palladin, it's you and your world that is out of balance. Using a word from a people your ancestors subjugated, killed and restricted to a tiny portion of the land they once owned and occupied? Sound vaguely familiar? For once the capitalistic world you adore so much is trembling at a force it has no idea how to contain, to occupy, to destroy. It is a force that is unstoppable and you only have a finger in the dike and already the torrent of Islam is overflowing around you, an ideal unlike the tired Communist doctrines of the workers party that was always doomed for failure. No, this new ideal has a force of not only the belief in its leaders but also in the beliefs of a both newer and older higher power guiding every move."

I chuckled lightly slowly shaking my head. "You just don't get it Hans, I guess you never will. You were a true believer in the old Commie line for years until they didn't go along with all your ideas and blew your wife away and then you hated them. The Communist Manifest then became a piece of shit for you to wipe your ass on and decry as useless. Now, you're chasing another new phantom, something that you can only see the very edge of and believe it exists but when you get close, poof, it's gone. Your main problem is you can't recognize that your Islamic terrorist pseudo cause has no real purpose in the modern world, it's like anti-progress, trying to keep everyone in the horse and buggy era while the rockets are spinning around the planets."

Hans looked even more flustered and glared at me before lighting another one of his ever-present Cubans.

"You can't bait me Palladin, brighter minds than yours have tried. I am not a slave to my new alliance, they are not my masters. I hold things they can't have. I have what they crave, the ability to move between countries sightlessly without raising an alarm by my appearance. The training I have received and my own experiences in recruiting and training is far advanced than any religious Madras school for terrorists they would hope to graduate into an effective force."

"That's all admirable Hans but whatever you do it won't topple the spirit of all those who worship a real freedom of life away from religious fanaticism and totalitarian regimes, the will to see you and your new un-Holy frigging alliance go down in flames just like your Nazi party did in the big one. My grandfather fought for that one, house-by-house, tree-by-tree. I'm willing to fight this one wherever or whatever it takes."

I glanced around the room. Maria sat on the bed next to Hans as he sat down puffing his cigar, her eyes going between each of us, the fear there as she looked at Hans, new hope showing when she looked at me. I hoped I was not one of those lost causes she had kneeled and prayed to each night to deliver her from the evil terrorists and his men.

"Koyannisqatsi Hans, that's what you and your friends are. Out of balance with the rest of humanity accusing America of fighting the Crusades while you are really the ones doing the Crusader thing. Freeing the Holy Land of the devil Muslims was the core of the Crusades but really most of those knights that led out of England and France were out to sack and pillage, burn and rape, destroy the Muslim presence in the Middle East. It would seem to me today that is now the ultimate goal of your friends, to deny the rights of the Israelis to live in peace and practice their religion."

Hans spat on the floor, his face now dark with anger.

"The Jews, always with the filthy Jews." His German accent suddenly became more pronounced as he voiced his hatred. "They are always the vermin stirring up trouble wherever they go, them with their money grubbing ways and their insidious gutter religion."

"I am not saying the Israelis are perfect by any means especially in dealing with the Palestinians nor am I saying our policy has been the most effective either. Mistakes are made by all governments, no one will deny that. But all rules of human dignity abhor the senseless killing of innocent men and women with children by fanatics brainwashed into thinking they are going to some great spiritual reward by blowing things up including themselves. Even you are not that stupid, I see no suicide bomb vest strapped around your fat waist."

"You know I've fucked both your daughters?" His voice was even and calm as he looked up and into my face, a slight smile curling at the corners of his mouth. It was his turn to try and bait me into anger and frustration at my own situation.

"So what fat ass, so have I," I said trying to keep my voice calm but this bastard brought my Irish blood boiling ......(cont)