26  J I M C A R R O L L She has written me now she is pregnant. I am sure the baby is mine, and she writes, too, she is sure of the same. She only stated this as a fact. She did not ask anything of me, nor did she inform me of her plan. She is a brave girl and would not ask for help. So, I must ask for your help in this. I am embar- rassed to bring you into this but I feel I have no oth- er choice. I know you know many people in London, someone who could handle this sort of thing, a doctor who is able and willing to do what is practical. Let me know the cost, and I will wire the money. As you have been to her apartment with me on several occasions, you are able to reach her. Please go to her with the necessary information as to where to proceed and give her the funds for the procedure. It is important this occur before she is more than four months along. Please know that I have not responded to her letter and will not do so. For my family, I want to stay out of it. I’m afraid your opinion of me will be fractured even further by my seeming coldness, but I want to put this behind me. If you can take care of this, I will be forever grateful. As Ever, Yacoub I read the letter over. I was upset by its tone. I was appalled at how cruel I now perceived myself. I started with the Quran, and I had devolved to this. Was there any absolute knowledge in this matter? I found support for the plan in my study of the hadith versus the Quran. Is this where my doctoral thesis was headed?