Part 4 (2/2)

Only he and Jake Armstrong wore western clothing. Kenny Ballalou, Bey-ag-Akhamouk and Elmer Allen were in native dress, similar to that of Homer Crawford. Elmer Allen even bore a pilgrim's staff.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Crawford, glad that the edge of tenseness had been taken off the group by the banter with Isobel, turned serious now.

He said, ”This is where we each take our stand. You can turn back at this point, any one of you, and things will undoubtedly go on as before. You'll keep your jobs, have no marks against you. Beyond this point, and there's no turning back. I want you all to think it over, before coming to any snap decisions.”

Elmer Allen said, his face wearing its usual all but sullen expression. ”How about you?”

Homer said evenly, ”I've already taken my stand.”

Kenny Ballalou yawned and said, ”I've been in this team for three or four years, I'm too lazy to switch now Besides, I've always wanted to be a corrupt politician. Can I be treasurer in this El Ha.s.san regime?”

”No,” Homer said. ”Bey?”

Bey-ag-Akhamouk said, ”I've always wanted to be a general. I'll come in under those circ.u.mstances.”

Homer said, his voice still even. ”That's out. From this point in, you're a Field Marshal and Minister of Defense.”

”Shucks,” Bey said. ”I'd always wanted to be a general.”

Homer Crawford said dryly, ”Doesn't anybody take this seriously? It's probably going to mean all your necks before it's through, you know.”

Elmer Allen said dourly, ”I take it seriously. I spent the idealistic years, the school years, working for peace, democracy, a better world.

Now, here I am, helping to attempt to establish a tyranny over half the continent of my racial background. But I'm in.”

”Right,” Homer said, the side of his mouth twitching. ”You can be our Minister of Propaganda.”

”Minister of Propaganda!” Elmer wailed. ”You mean like Goebbels? Me!”

Homer laughed. ”O.K., we'll call it Minister of Information, or Press Secretary to El Ha.s.san. It all means the same thing.” He looked at Jacob Armstrong and said, ”How old are you, Jake?”

”That's none of your business,” the white-haired Jake said aggressively. ”I'm in. El Ha.s.san is the only answer. North Africa has got to be united, both for internal and external purposes. If you ...

if we ... don't do the job first, somebody else will, and off hand, I can't think of anybody else I trust. I'm in.”

Homer Crawford looked at him for a long moment. ”Yes,” he said finally. ”Of course you are. Jake, you've just been made our combined Foreign Minister and Plenipotentiary Extraordinary to the Reunited Nations. You'll leave immediately, first for Geneva, to present our demands to the Reunited Nations, then to New York.”

”What do I do in New York?” Jake Armstrong said blankly, trying to a.s.similate the curves that were being thrown to him.

”You raise money and support from starry eyed Negro groups and individuals. You line up such organizations as the Africa for Africans a.s.sociation behind El Ha.s.san. You give speeches, and ruin your liver eating at banquets every night in the week. You send out releases to the press. You get all the publicity for the El Ha.s.san movement you can. You send official protests to the governments of every country in the world, every time they do something that doesn't fit in with our needs. You locate recruits and send them here to Africa to take over some of the load. I don't have to tell you what to do. You can think on your feet as well as I can. Do what is necessary. You're our Foreign Minister. Don't let us see your face again until El Ha.s.san is in control of North Africa.”

Jake Armstrong blinked. ”How will I prove I'm your representative?

I'll need more than just a note _To Whom It May Concern_.”

Homer Crawford thought about that.

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