by James A. Cox
predictions. When he does, it almost always winds up with ajihad, a holy war. Don't you remember in history the anti-BritishMahdi at Khartoum, the killing of Chinese Gordon and so forth? ThatMahdi was the son of a Dongola carpenter and he managed to conquer twomillion square miles in two years."
"But, what has this got to do with this Abd-el-Kader?"
"He's evidently proclaimed himself sort of a reincarnation of theoriginal Mahdi. He's out to do the same thing we are--to unite NorthAfrica. But in his case he doesn't exactly have the same dream andhe's working under the green ensign of the Pan-Islamic Arab Union."
"And has Elmer Allen captive."
"Yes, he has Elmer." El Hassan's tone of voice turned sharp. "Cliff,go get Bey. Tell him we're forming a flying column and heading north."
Cliff was gone. El Hassan turned back to the girl. "You know, Isobel,"he said softly, slowly, "in history there is no happy ending, ever.There is no ending at all. It goes from one crisis to another, butthere is no ending."
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