“When pigs fly!”

“Be careful what you say.”

 “Why must I expert more caution that you? I’d say we are equals here. Do as I ask. Release me, help me get my father and uncle in Kuwait, pay what you owe us, then I’ll tell you how to start the Vixen.”

“My dear Miss Kang, I am unable to grant any of your requests. You may not leave this house to go anywhere. Your father cannot leave Al Kuwait any more than my own father can at this very moment. Lastly, the money you demand is now being held frozen by banks worldwide because of the aggression of Saddam Hussein. All Iraqi and Kuwaiti assets have been frozen. Our oil tankers sit in American, Japanese and English ports, seized by customs agents. Kuwaiti gold and currency in foreign banks cannot be touched. Until the situation ends, you are stuck where you are. My guest Sora Kang.”

“Your prisoner, Sheik Leeteuk Park Haji Haaris.”

“You are a foolish woman to taunt me.”

“I would be more foolish to accept you word regarding anything we have just discussed. My autonomy is much too important to surrender into a stranger’s hand.”

“You do not have a choice.”

“There is always a choice.”

“So, we are at a standoff.”

“Oh, would I definitely say so.” Sora frowned, digesting all he had stated. “Wait a minute, did you just say that Iraqi and Kuwaiti assets have been frozen worldwide? What about automatic banking?”

“Frozen, to all intents and purposes.”

“But surely, you have monies in the banks elsewhere.”

“And at this very moment your president is telling King Fahd that American forces must be allowed to take over the defence of Saudi Arabia.”

Sora’s eyes widened. “It’s that big of a crisis?”

“Much bigger. It has been implied by your government the we Arabs do not have the right to set the price on oil from our wells, that we must sell oil at the price American is willing to pay. This much is at issue, yes.”

“Who listens to political rhetoric?” Sora shook her head. “It has nothing to do with what takes place in the boardroom when business is conducted. Producers sell, customers buy. I came here to sell planes.”

Leeteuks eyes widened, again passing over her slender body in a manner that was just short of insulting. “First you claim to be a pilot, next the planes designer, now you’re on the sales staff. Just what is your purpose in Kang Industries?”

“Forget the insults and have the bedroom, eyes. They don’t work on me. You’ll just waste your time. How serious is the crisis? Are we taking war, here, between Saud Arabia and America, or what?”

“Forget the insults and have the bedroom, eyes. They don’t work on me. You’ll just waste your time. How serious is the crisis? Are we taking war, here, between Saud Arabia and America, or what?”