Code Nili

By Ronald Blake

This is a love story set in the turbulent times surrounding the First World War (1914-1918) that is based on a true story involving T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia), Zionist rebels in Ottoman controlled Palestine and an unintentional romance between a beautiful Jewish spy and a Turkish General.

Through the medium of flashbacks a journalists investigations carries the audience from one clue to another in order to unravel the mystery surrounding the disappearance of a diplomat on a peace mission years after the Great War had ended.

The conclusion ties the mystery pieces together and closes the pages on an epic romance that tipped the scales in favor of the Allied war efforts and wrote the Aaronson name into history forever.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Mar 27, 2013
• ISBN: 9781481707060

Ronald Blake

Ron Blake lives in central Indiana with his beautiful and loving wife of 41 years. Their married son, after one tour in Afghanistan is now part of an elite military unit that must remain unmentioned. Their daughter and her husband have blessed them with 5 of the most wonderful and loving grandchildren on earth. Ron still love the water, and slips under its surface whenever the opportunity allows, and he also loves spending time with his horse April. As the great Winston Churchill once said, "There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of man". He is also blessed with many loving and caring friends. Scuba diving is still a passion for Ron, and he encourages everyone to try it for their own reasons, safely, and only after receiving the proper training. The rewards are wonderful to each of us for our own reasons.

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© 2013 by Ronald Blake. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 01/14/2013

ISBN: 978-1-4817-0707-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4817-0706-0 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013900709

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Contents

Synopsis

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Synopsis

T his is a love story set in the turbulent times surrounding the First World War (1914-1918) that is based on a true story involving T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia), Zionist rebels in Ottoman controlled Palestine and an unintentional romance between a beautiful Jewish spy and a Turkish General.

Through the medium of flashbacks a journalist’s investigations carries the audience from one clue to another in order to unravel the mystery surrounding the disappearance of a diplomat on a peace mission years after the Great War had ended.

Mark Ellis,a journalist for an American newspaper happens upon Lawrence at an airfield in Britain making a fuss over a package that did not arrive as expected. Following him to a pub in London, Mark gains the confidence of Lawrence and receives two keys to the mysterious disappearance of diplomat Aaron Aaronson: Lawrence’s book The Seven Pillars of Wisdom is dedicated to S.A. Sarah Aaronson, Aaron’s sister. Both brother and sister were spies for British Intelligence. Lawrence tells Mark his side of the story about how before the war he was an archeologist in the Middle East while secretly employed by British Intelligence to spy on the Turks. While supposedly digging up artifacts he came across Aaron Aaronson, the world famous botanist and through Aaron’s sister secretly employed Aaron to spy on the Turks, using the Hebrew word NILI as their code name agreeing in return to help create a homeland for the Jews. That agreement would later become the Balfour Agreement; foundation agreement for the creation in later times of the modern state of Israel.

Sarah is employed by Lawrence to spy on Djemal Pasha the Turkish military governor of Palestine whereupon a romance is unexpectedly generated between Sarah and Djemal which later would prove painful to both.

Through Rivka Aaronson, Sarah’s sister, Mark learns more of the story. Gifts were lavished on Sarah by Djemal; clothes, jewelry and a white Arabian stallion. The war has started, Lawrence is ensconced in Cairo creating his legendary military escapades, never to see Sarah again. All goes well until later in the war when things are going badly for the Turks Achmed Kuprilli, Djemal’s second-in-command decides it is time to catch the lovebird-spy he has suspected all along. Capturing a messenger pigeon sent from the Aaronson home Kuprilli sets up a ruse to trap Sarah and save his master’s honor. Djemal is sent on a wild goose chase while Kuprilli traps Sarah and tries to get her to commit suicide in order to prevent a trial which would dishonor Djemal Pasha and force Sarah into life imprisonment for treason. Abhoring prison and not wanting to bring shame onto her beloved Djemal she shoots herself in her bedroom and dies.

Her efforts help win the war for the British. Afterwards Aaron becomes a diplomat and dies trying to ensure Britain’s compliance with the Balfour Agreement; Djemal Pasha is assassinated by Armenian terrorists in Germany and Lawrence goes home to relative obscurity. The conclusion ties the mystery pieces together and closes the pages on an epic romance that tipped the scales in favor of the Allied war efforts and wrote the Aaronson name into history forever.

END

Chapter 1

T he cutting wind and blustery coldness of a March winter morning in Chicago could not deter Mark Ellis from his 9 a.m. appointment, despite the snow drifts piled higher than usual, so it seemed to him. He pulled his overcoat closer to his body and wrapped his muffler across his face, as he hurried along the slippery muddy slush that had been formed by the heavy horse drawn delivery wagons, leaving deep ruts in the streets. He rounded the corner of a building and a gale of wind whipped the muffler from his face, his nostrils felt a frigid twinge of Pain that throbbed in his head, He could not bring himself to retrace his steps to collect the muffler which lay in a bank of grey and dingy snow, his pace was faster now as he saw in the distance the old Tribune building against a haze of soot that trickled down from chimneys engulfing the surrounding landscape, the clock on the tower of the Tribune read 8:55 He stepped in closer to the edge of the buildings, as he gathered more traction and shelter from the harsh forbidding wind and snow. Finally, he felt a sense of relief as he entered the Tribune Building.

It took only a second or two for him to remove his top coat and rubbers, to shake himself vigorously and feel his body return to normal, as the old building was heated only in certain areas. The high vaulted ceilings and stairs that wound around the four story building let no warmth escape in winter or summer. He made his way up the stairs two at a time to the second floor which was entirely occupied by the newly purchased Tribune. The newspaper already with a circulation of a hundred thousand weekly, and Europe was rumbling with rumors of a new war verging on the horizon.

The editor and chief was waiting for Mark with his gold pocket watch in hand. Right on time, my boy. Jefferson Lambert roughly remarked. I like punctuality in my people. Lambert walked around his desk, extended his hand to Mark, the greeting was unmistakably different than any previously given. Lambert’s black cigar had the pungent odor of hemp, as Lambert had chewed the end where tobacco stains had intermingled with his mustache and graying beard.

Mark stood attentively in front of the cluttered oak desk that served a number of purposes, the editor and chief had been eating a piece of hard bread. Blackberry jam tinged the edges smeared and crusty, which now lay amongst the newspaper scattered from the desk to the floor. In the corner of the office was a pot bellied coal burning stove Mark moved closer to the warmth of it and the boiling coffee pot sitting on a single lid atop the stove. Lambert causally offered Mark a cup of coffee along with one of his finest cigars. Mark accepted graciously and set down on the only comfortable chair in the room near the stove. The pungent strong coffee and cigar along with the comfortable chair and the warmth of the stove had given him a new interest in what Lambert was purposing, as Lambert lay a number of maps and diagrams on a side table next to the chair.

Lambert rambled on about a new world adventures and war. Mark sat back in the chair relaxed, now he had a new sense of security. His lanky five foot ten inch frame left very little room in the chair in spite of the snugness. Lambert brought a pile of books and clippings dumping them into Marks lap. His hazel eyes glistened as he took a serious inventory of Lambert as he moved about the room, his demeanor was that of a mighty warriors, he stroked His grey beard. He was direct and to the point. Mark had been engaged to Liza Lambert last April on her twentieth birthday the engagement was announced at a lavish dinner party held at the Lamberts Home. Often Lambert would chide Mark for wanting to marry his only child, stupid and selfish, cold and uncaring, she cared more for the latest fashions, trips to Europe, parties and her friends from that girls school in Switzerland. They are all empty headed vain young women. Forget her go on with your life, your work, love is a fragile thing. But almost as quickly as the engagement was announced and printed in the society section if the Tribune Liza stormed into Marks office denouncing him for abandonment and being a part of her own fathers conspiracy to make her wait until Mark had completed his new assignment, which would keep them apart for a year or perhaps longer. She pouted and cried and screamed in despair like a sullen child her temper flared provoking Marks usual mild attempt to calm her, out of respect for the women he thought he loved. He put his arms around her and tenderly kissed her. She would not have any of it, She shoved him away from her, she was furious. Before I would marry you and be left alone in Chicago I’d rather be dead and in hell. Mark extended his hand to her, Her dainty hand gave him a resounding slap to his face. She turned and walked toward the office door And here’s your damn ring. Father will approve of his under handed deceit. Good bye Mark Ellis. I never want to see you again. She threw the ring. It landed at Marks feet. He felt the sting of her slap, His shock and amazement at her temperament cooled his passion for her indifference as he no longer could validate his feelings about her. Liza had her revenge. Humiliation in front of the entire staff. Mark sat down at his desk to resolve his problem. What the hell, it could be worse I could be assigned to cover a bakery fire or some waterfront murder or a lost child. Only a week ago he had worked on a piece dealing with a group of nuns that had defied Pope Leo, leaving Italy to begin their own order in New York, They had expanded the order and gathered many new novices, moving fourteen chattering poor women to Chicago without shelter, they Turned to begging on the streets, the police had arrested the leader of this renegade group who put up a terrible ruckus when they were caught red handed on the south side of Chicago, selling beer by the Barrel at auction to the general public and to policemen. They hawked their goods with half