Part 8 (1/2)
The Russian chuckled. ”Nothing is illegal in Tangier, my dear Anton, except the Party.” He laughed at his own joke and handed the other his gla.s.s. He poured himself a jolt of vodka and returned to his chair.
”To the world revolution, Anton.”
The Negro saluted with his drink. ”The revolution!”
They drank.
The Russian put down his gla.s.s and sighed. ”I wish we were some place in our own lands, Anton. Dinner, many drinks, perhaps some girls, eh?”
Anton shrugged. ”Another time, Kirill.”
”Yes. As it is, we should not be seen together. Nor, for that matter should you even return here. The imperialists are not stupid. Very possibly, American and Common Europe espionage agents know of this headquarters. Not to speak of the Arab Union. I shall try to give you the whole story and your a.s.signment in this next half hour. Then you should depart immediately.”
The man they called Anton sipped his drink and relaxed in his chair.
He looked at his superior without comment.
The Russian took another jolt of his water-clear drink. ”Have you ever heard of El Ha.s.san?”
The Negro thought a moment before saying, ”Vaguely. Evidently an Arab, or possibly a Tuareg. North African nationalist. No, that wouldn't be the word, since he is international. At any rate, he seems to be drawing a following in the Sahara and as far south as the Sudan. Backs modernization and wants unity of all North Africa. Is he connected with the Party?”
The espionage chief was shaking his head. ”That is the answer I expected you to give, and is approximately what anyone else would have said. Actually, there is no such person as El Ha.s.san.”
Anton frowned. ”I'm afraid you're wrong there, Kirill. I've heard about him in half a dozen places. Very mysterious figure. n.o.body seems to have seen him, but word of his program is pa.s.sed around from Ethiopia to Mauretania.”
The Russian was shaking his head negatively. ”That I know. It's a rather strange story and one rather hard to believe if it wasn't for the fact that one of my operatives was in on the, ah, _manufacturing_ of this Saharan leader.”
”Manufacturing?”
”I'll give you the details later. Were you acquainted with Abraham Baker, the American comrade?”
”Were? I _am_ acquainted with him. Abe is a friend as well as a comrade.”
The Russian shook his head again. ”Baker is dead, Anton. As you possibly know, his a.s.signment for the past few years has been with a Reunited Nations African Development Project team, working in the Sahara region. We planted him there expecting the time to arrive when his services would be of considerable value. He worked with a five-man team headed by a Dr. Homer Crawford and largely the team's task was to eliminate bottlenecks that developed as the various modernization projects spread over the desert.”
”But what's this got to do with _manufacturing_ El Ha.s.san?”
”I'm coming to that. Crawford's team, including Comrade Baker, usually disguised themselves as Enaden smiths. As such, their opinions carried little weight so in order to spread Reunited Nations propaganda, they hit upon the idea of imputing everything they said to this great hero of the desert, El Ha.s.san.”
”I see,” the man called Anton said.
”Others, without knowing the origin of our El Ha.s.san, took up the idea and spread it. These nomads are at an ethnic level where they want a hero to follow, a leader. So in order to give prestige to their teachings the various organizations trying to advance North Africa followed in Crawford's footsteps and attributed their teachings to this mysterious El Ha.s.san.”
”And it s...o...b..lled.”
”Correct! But the point is that after a time Crawford came around to the belief that there should be a real El Ha.s.san. That the primary task at this point is to unite the area, to break down the old tribal society and introduce the populace to the new world.”
”He's probably right,” the man called Anton growled. He finished his drink, got up from his chair and on his own went over and mixed another. ”More vodka?” he asked.
”Please.” The Russian held up his gla.s.s and went on talking. ”Yes, undoubtedly that is what is needed at this point. As it is, things are trending toward a collapse. The imperialists, especially the Americans, of course, wish to dominate the area for their capitalistic purposes. The Arab Union wishes to take over _in toto_ and make it part of their Islamic world. We, of course, cannot afford to let either succeed.”