Border, Breed Nor Birth
Page 5
Allen said, "I have an account with the Bank of Jamaica inKingston. About four hundred pounds, I think. I'll have ittransferred."
Cliff took up the money and began counting it, making notations on anotebook pad as he went.
Bey said, "We're only going to be able to give Jake part of this."
"How's that?" Elmer growled. "What use have we for money in theSahara? Jake's got to put up a decent front in Geneva and New York."
Bey said doggedly, "As Defense Minister, I'm opposed to El Hassan'sfollowers _ever_ taking anything without generous payment. We'll needfood and various services. From the beginning, we're going to have topay our way. We can't afford to let rumors start going around thatwe're nothing but a bunch of brigands."
"Bey's right," Homer nodded. "The El Hassan movement is going to haveto maintain itself on the highest ethical level. We're going to takeover where the French Camel Corps left off and police North Africa.There can't be a man from Somaliland to Mauretania who can say thatone of El Hassan's followers liberated him from as much as a date."
Kenny Ballalou said, "You can always requisition whatever you need andgive them a receipt, and then we'll pay off when we come to power."
"That's out!" Bey snapped. "Most of these people can't read. And eventhose that do don't trust what they read. A piece of paper, in theireyes, is no return for some goats, or flour, camels, horses, orwhatever else it might be we need. No, we're going to have to pay ourway."
Crawford raked a hand back through his wiry hair. "Bey's right, Kenny.It's going to be a rough go, especially at first."
Kenny snorted. "What do you mean, _at first?_ What's going to happen,_at second_ to make it any easier? Where're we going to get all thismoney we'll need to pay for even what we ourselves use, not to speakof the thousands of men we're going to have to have if El Hassan isever to come to power?"
Bey's eyebrows went up in shocked innocence. "Kenny, dear boy, don'tmisunderstand. We don't requisition anything from individuals, orclans, or small settlements. But if we take over a town such as Gao,or Niamey, or Colomb-Bechar, or wherever, there is nothing to say thata legal government such as that of El Hassan, can't requisition thecontents of the local banks."
Homer Crawford said with dignity, "The term, my dear Minister ofDefense, currently is to _nationalize_ the bank. Whether or not wewish to have the banks remain nationalized, after we take over, we canfigure out later. But in the early stages, I'm afraid we're going tohave to nationalize just about every bank we come in contact with."
Cliff Jackson said cautiously, "I haven't said whether or not I'llcome in yet, but just as a point, I might mention issuing your ownlegal tender. As soon as you liberate a printing press somewhere, ofcourse."
Everyone was charmed at the idea.
Isobel said, "You can see Cliff was _meant_ to be Minister ofTreasury. He's got _wholesale_ larceny in his soul, none of thispicayunish stuff such as robbing nomads of their sheep."
Elmer Allen was shaking his head sadly. "This whole conversationstarted with Bey protesting that we couldn't allow ourselves to bethought of as brigands. Now listen to you all."
Kenny Ballalou said with considerable dignity, "See here, friend.Don't you know the difference between brigandage and internationalfinance?"
"No," Elmer said flatly.
"Hm-m-m," Kenny said.
"Let's get on with this," Homer said. "The forming of El Hassan'sbasic government is beginning to take on aspects of a minstrel show.Then we've all declared ourselves in ... except Cliff."
All eyes turned to the bulky Californian.
He sat scowling.
Homer said, easily, "You're not being urged, Cliff. You can turn backat this point."
Elmer Allen growled, "You came to Africa to help your race develop itscontinent. To conquer such problems as sufficient food, clothing andshelter for all. To bring education and decent medical care to apeople who have had possibly the lowest living standards anywhere. Canyou see any way of achieving this beyond the El Hassan movement?"
Cliff looked at him, still scowling stubbornly. "That's not why I cameto Africa."
Their eyes were all on him, but they remained silent.
He said, defensively, "I'm no do-gooder. I took a job with the Africafor Africans Association because it was the best job I could find."
Isobel broke the silence by saying softly, "I doubt it, Cliff."
The big man stood up from where he'd been seated on the bed. "O.K.,O.K. Possibly there were other angles. I wanted to travel. Wanted tosee Africa. Besides, it was good background for some future job. Ifigured it wouldn't hurt me any, in later years, applying for somefuture job. Maybe with some Negro concern in the States. I'd be ableto say I'd put in a few years in Africa. Something like a Jew in NewYork who was a veteran of the Israel-Arab wars, before the debacle."
They still looked at him, none of them accusingly.
He was irritated as he paced. "Don't you see? Everybody doesn't havethis _dream_ that Homer's always talking about. That doesn't mean I'mabnormal. I just don't have the interest you do. All I want is a goodjob, some money in the bank, security back in the States. I'm notinterested in dashing all over the globe, getting shot at, dying forsome ideal."
Homer said gently, "It's up to you, Cliff. Nobody's twisting yourarm."
There was sweat on the big man's forehead. "All I came to Africa forwas the job, the money I got out of it," he repeated, insisting.
* * * * *
To Homer Crawford suddenly came the realization that the other neededan out, an excuse. An explanation to himself for doing something hewanted to do but wouldn't admit because it went against theopportunistic code he told himself he followed.
Homer said, "All right. How much are you making as a field worker forthe Africa for Africans Association?"
Cliff looked at him, uncomprehending. "Eight thousand dollars, plusexpenses."
"O.K., we'll double that. Sixteen thousand to begin with, as ElHassan's Minister of Treasury and whatever other duties we can thinkof to hang on you."
There was a long moment of silence, unbroken by any of the others.Finally in a gesture of desperation, Cliff Jackson waved at the moneyand checks sitting on the center table. "Sixteen thousand a year! Thewhole organization doesn't have enough to pay me six months' salary."
Homer said mildly, "That's why your pay was doubled. You have to takerisks to make money in this world, Cliff. If El Hassan does come topower, undoubtedly you'll get other raises--along with greaterresponsibility."
He looked into Cliff Jackson's face, and although his words had dealtwith money, a man's dream looked out from his eyes. And the force ofpersonality that could emanate from Homer Crawford, possiblyunbeknownst to himself, flooded over the huge Californian. The othersin the room could feel it. Elmer Allen cleared his throat; Isobel heldher elbows to her sides, in a feminine protest against naked malepsychic strength.
Kenny Ballalou said without inflection, "Put up or shut up, Cliff oldpal."
Cliff Jackson sank back onto the spot on the bed he'd occupied before."I'm in," he muttered, so softly as hardly to be heard.
"None of you are in," a voice from the doorway said.
The figure that stood there held a thin, but heavy caliberedautomatic in his hand.
* * * * *
He was a dapper man, neat, trim, smart. His clothes were those ofGreater Washington, rather than Dakar and West Africa. His facialexpression seemed overly alert, overly bright, and his features weremore Caucasian than Negroid.
He said, "I believe you all know me. Fredric Ostrander."
"Of the Central Intelligence Agency," Homer Crawford said dryly. He aswell as Bey, Elmer and Kenny had risen to their feet when the newcomerentered from the smaller of the hut's two rooms. "What's the gun for,Ostrander?"
"You're under arrest," the C.I.A. man said evenly.
Elmer Allen snorted. "Under whose authority are you working? As aJamaican, I'm a citizen of the West Ind
ies and a subject of HerMajesty."
"We'll figure that out later," Ostrander rapped. "I'm sure theappropriate Commonwealth authorities will co-operate with the StateDepartment and the Reunited Nations in this matter." The gununwaveringly went from one of them to the other, retraced itself.
Bey looked at Homer Crawford.
Crawford shook his head gently.
He said to the newcomer, "The question still stands, Ostrander.