by James A. Cox
Underwhose authority are you operating? I don't think you have jurisdictionover us. We're in Africa, not in the United States of the Americas."
Ostrander said tightly, "Right now I'm operating under the authorityof this weapon in my hand. Dr. Crawford. Do you realize that all ofyou Americans here are risking your citizenship?"
Kenny Ballalou said, "Oh? Tell us more, Mr. State Department man."
"You're serving in the armed forces of a foreign power."
Even the dour Elmer Allen laughed at that one.
Crawford said, "The fact of the matter is, we _are_ the foreignpower."
"You're not amusing, Dr. Crawford," Ostrander said. "I've kept up withthis situation since you had that conference in Timbuktu. The StateDepartment has no intention of allowing some opportunist, backed byknown communists and fellow travelers, to seize power in this portionof the world. In a matter of months the Soviets would be in here."
Isobel said evenly, "I was formerly a member of the Party. I no longeram. I am an active opponent of the Soviet Complex at the moment,especially in regard to its activity in Africa."
Ostrander snorted his disbelief.
Elmer Allen said, "You chaps never forget, do you?" He looked at theothers and explained. "Back during college days, I signed a few peacepetitions, that sort of thing. Ever since, every time I come incontact with these people, you'd think I was Lenin or Trotsky."
Homer Crawford said, "My opinion is, Ostrander, that you've had tomove too quickly to check back with your superiors. Has the StateDepartment actually instructed you to arrest me and my companions hereon foreign soil, without a warrant?"
Ostrander clipped, "That's my responsibility. I'm taking you all in.We'll solve such problems as jurisdiction and warrants when I get youto the Reunited Nations headquarters."
"Ah?" Homer Crawford said. "And then what happens to us?"
Ostrander jiggled the gun, impatiently. "Sven Zetterberg is of theopinion that you should immediately be flown out of Africa and thecase brought before the High Council of the African DevelopmentProject. What measures will be taken beyond that point I have no wayof knowing."
Bey took a step to the left, Kenny Ballalou one to the right. HomerCrawford remained immediately before the C.I.A. operative, his handsslightly out from his sides, palms slightly forward.
Ostrander snapped, "I'm prepared to fire, you men. I don'tunderestimate the importance of this situation. If your crazy schememakes any progress at all, it might well result in the death ofthousands. I know your background, Crawford. You once taught judo inthe Marines. I'm not unfamiliar with the art myself."
Isobel had a hand to her mouth, her eyes were wide. "Boys, don't ..."she began.
Elmer Allen had been leaning on his pilgrim's staff, as though wearywith this whole matter. He said to Ostrander, interestedly, "So you'vebeen checked out on judo? Know anything about the use of thequarterstaff?"
Ostrander kept his gun traversing between the four of them. "Eh?" hesaid.
Elmer Allen shifted his grip on his staff infinitesimally. Of asudden, the end of the staff, now gripped with both hands near thecenter, moved at invisibly high speed. There was a crack of the wristbone, and the gun went flying. The other end of the staff flicked outand rapped the C.I.A. operative smartly on the head.
Fredric Ostrander crumbled to the floor.
* * * * *
"Confound it, Elmer," Crawford said. "What'd you have to go and dothat for? I wanted to talk to him some more and send a message back toZetterberg. Sooner or later we've got to make our peace with theReunited Nations."
Elmer said embarrassedly, "Sorry, it just happened. I was merely goingto knock the gun out of his hand, but then I couldn't help myself. Iwas tired of hearing that holier-than-thou voice of his."
Kenny Ballalou looked down at the fallen man gloomily. "He'll be outfor an hour. You're lucky you didn't crack his skull."
"Holy Mackerel," Cliff Jackson said. "I'm going to have to learn tooperate one of those things."
Elmer Allen handed him the supposed pilgrim's staff. "Besthand-to-hand combat weapon ever invented," he said. "The Britishyeoman's quarterstaff. Of course, this is a modernized version. Madeof epoxy resin glass-fiber material, treated to look like wood. Thatstuff can turn a high-velocity bullet, let alone a sword, and it canbe bent in a ninety degree arc without the slightest effect, althoughit'd take a power-driven testing machine to do it."
"All right, all right," Homer said. "We haven't got time for lessonsin the use of the quarterstaff. Let's put some thought to thissituation. If Ostrander here was able to find us, somebody else would,too."
Isobel licked the side of her mouth. "He was probably following me.Remember, I told you Homer?"
Kenny said, "If he had anyone with him, he'd have brought them alongto cover him. You've got to give him credit for bravery, taking on thewhole bunch of us by himself."
"Um-m-m," Homer said. "I wish he was with us instead of against us."
Jake Armstrong said, "Well, this solves one problem."
They looked at him.
He said, "Just as sure as sure, he's got a car parked somewhere. A carwith some sort of United States or Reunited Nations emblem on it."
"So what?" Kenny said.
"So you've got to get out of town before the search for you _really_gets under way. With such a car, you can get past any roadblock thatmight already be up between here and the Yoff airport."
Elmer Allen had sunk to his knees and was searching the fallen C.I.A.man. He came up with car keys and a wallet.
Homer said to Jake Armstrong, "Why the Yoff airport?"
"Our plane is there," Jake told him. "The one assigned Isobel, Cliffand me by the AFAA. You're going to have to make time. Get somewhereout in the ah, boondocks, where you can begin operations."
Bey said thoughtfully, "He's right, Homer. Anybody against us, likeour friend here"--he nodded at Ostrander--"is going to try to get usquick, before we can get the El Hassan movement under way. We've gotto get out of Dakar and into some area where they'll have their workcut out trying to locate us."
Homer Crawford accepted their council. "O.K., let's get going. Jake,you'll stay in Dakar, and at first play innocent. As soon as possible,take plane for Geneva. As soon as you're there, send out pressreleases to all the news associations and the larger papers. Announceyourself as Foreign Minister of El Hassan and demand that he berecognized as the legal head of state of all North Africa."
"Wow," Cliff Jackson said.
"Then play it by ear," Homer finished.
He turned to the others. "Bey, where'd you leave our two hover-lorrieswhen you came here to Dakar?"
"Stashed away in the ruins of a former mansion in Timbuktu. Hired twoSonghai to watch them."
"O.K. Cliff, you're the only one in European dress. Take this walletof Ostrander's. You'll drive the car. If we run into any roadblocksbetween here and the Yoff airport, slow down a little and hold thewallet out to show your supposed identification. They won't take thetime to check the photo. Bluff your way past, don't completely stopthe car."
"What happens if they do stop us?" Cliff said worriedly.
Kenny Ballalou said, "That'll be just too bad for them."
Bey stooped and scooped up the fallen automatic of Fredric Ostranderand tucked it into the voluminous folds of his native robe. "Here wego again," he said.
III
The man whose undercover name was Anton, landed at Gibraltar in a BEAroco-jet, passed quickly through customs and immigration with hisCommonwealth passport and made his way into town. He checked with aBobby and found that he had a two-hour wait until the Mons Capa ferryleft for Tangier, and spent the time wandering up and down MainStreet, staring into the Indian shops with their tax-free cameras fromCommon Europe, textiles from England, optical equipment from Japan,and cheap souvenirs from everywhere. Gibraltar, the tourist's shoppingparadise.
The trip between Gibraltar and Tangier takes approximately two hours.If you've never made it
before, you stand on deck and watch Spainrecede behind you, and Africa loom closer. This was where Herculessupposedly threw up his Pillars, Gibraltar being the one on theEuropean shore. Those who have made the trip again and again, sit downin the bar and enjoy the tax-free prices. The man named Anton stood onthe deck. He was African by birth, but he'd never been to Moroccobefore.
When he landed, he made the initial error of expecting the localcitizenry to speak Arabic. They didn't. Rif, a Berber tongue, was thefirst language.
