Summary

In Chapter 26, in Washington, Denise looked unhappy when Betsy and Pete asked her to step outside the room while they discussed what they had found. They suspected she had been sent to watch them and report back to Whitehead. Because Ellen was not answering her phone, Betsy sent Ellen a coded message: “A synonym strolls into a tavern” (255). Pete commented he believed there was a typo, but Betsy explained it was their way to communicate when there was trouble.

In Tehran, turbans symbolize power and status, the larger the turban, the more status. The Ayatollah wore a black turban that “resembled the outer ring of Saturn” (256). The fact that it was black meant that he was a direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammed.

The Ayatollah claimed Iran had already stopped Shah by killing the physicists who were tasked with building nuclear bombs. He...