Scorpion Sanction

Egypt is preparing to welcome the President of the United States when the body of a Palestinian terrorist is found in the Nile. Cause of Death: radiation poisoning. In his office, the Egyptian president, flanked by top security officers, reaches for the phone.
In Israel, a Mossad commander turns his jeept into an orange grove, where an old man contemplates the graves of his parents, brother and son.
In the dessert, at an oasis, a American businessman and his assistant, who doubles as his mistress, race agains time to put the finishing touches on what will be the most opulent luxury hotel evry built.
In Cairo, at Al-Azhar, the oldest university in the world, a professor of islamic thought kneel on a prayer rug, the fingers of his hand brushing the image of a scorpion branded on the instep of his foot.
In 10 days all of these people will find themselves at Aswan, their fates inextricable linked.