I'm an Amateur Haggler, but I Don't Have the Money With Me

I'm an amateur haggler. I don't have the money with me, he says. Not all of it anyway, enough for an upfront payment should we reach that level of agreement. And I have the letters. With a flourish, he opens the briefcase. His hand emerges with a set of papers, yellowing with age and frayed around the edges. Mr. Nasser's grandfather asking for what was promised but never delivered. My fingers run over the rough paper and I shiver. The inherent risks won't deter me outright and like money too much for that, but it has to be a risk worth taking.