Ezel el Ayadi could hardly wait to join his victorious fighters in the Place Royale. He already relished the pride he would feel as he walked through the gilded halls and lavish salons whose decadent splendour had, for so long, mocked the sanctity of Islam. The hour of reckoning had come. Before long, they would even reconquer proud Spain, which had driven them out so ignominiously centuries earlier. Nothing seemed capable of standing in their way anymore.
Yet there was still much to be done. Countless practical matters demanded attention, and a mountain of urgent questions remained to be resolved. Events had unfolded at breakneck speed, and he knew they now had to be brought under control through method and discipline. It was time to organise everything while continuing the struggle. He scanned the area until he found the person he was looking for. He had ordered young Selim never to let him out of his sight, and there he was, standing a few paces away, patiently awaiting his instructions.
Phase II has begun. The struggle continues.
