it, Homer!"
Homer Crawford spun on him and now the force they all knew wasemanating from him. He laughed his scorn. "A month ago we were half adozen fugitives. Now we're an army besieging a city. And you say we'vehad it? Listen, Kenny, if we have to we'll go back to being half adozen fugitives again--those of us that are left. But the dream goeson! However, we're not going to have to. We're too near victory inthis stage of the operation to sit down on the job because of athreatened reverse. Now then, let's kick it around. Jimmy! Dave!Kenny! Ostrander!"
Fredric Ostrander raised his eyebrows only slightly at being includedin their number.
* * * * *
Bey, for once, was seemingly too exhausted to be brought to newenthusiasm. He tossed a detail map of Tamanrasset to the table. "AndI'd just worked out a bang-up scheme for infiltrating into town,joining up with our adherents there, and seizing it while most ofIbrahim's men were out in the desert, trying to capture our nearerwater holes."
Homer snapped, "It sounds like it still might have possibilities."
Ostrander looked down at the map, his face very tight. "How long wouldit take?"
Bey scowled at him, defeat dulling his mind. "What?"
"How long do you figure it would take to infiltrate Tamanrasset andcapture it? Behind Ibrahim's back, so to speak."
Bey grunted. "A couple of hours in the early morning. I had abeautiful picture of the colonel's armor out in the desert, cut offfrom its petroleum supplies and ammunition dump while we held thetown. Some of our men, the former veterans of the French West Africanforces, could have even operated the antitank guns he has mounted atFort Laperrine."
The C.I.A. man's mouth worked.
Homer Crawford's eyes pierced him.
Ostrander walked over to the radio before which Kenny Ballalou sat."See if you can raise Colonel Ibrahim for me."
Kenny scowled at him. "Why?"
"Do it."
Kenny looked at Homer Crawford.
Homer said, "O.K. Do it."
Kenny shrugged and turned to the set. While the others watched,Crawford's face alert, his eyes narrowed, the rest of them dull inapathy, the face of Colonel Ibrahim finally faded in on the screen.
Fredric Ostrander took his place at the instrument. He nodded,formally. "Greetings, Colonel, it seems a long time since last we metin Amman."
The Arab Legion officer smiled politely. "I had heard that yourepresented the State Department in this area, Mr. Ostrander, and havebeen somewhat surprised that you failed to make Tamanrasset yourheadquarters. It would have been pleasant to have renewed oldfriendship."
Ostrander cleared his throat. "I am afraid that would have beendifficult, Colonel, particularly in view of the stand of my governmentat this time."
On the screen, the other's eyebrows went up.
Ostrander said evenly, "Colonel, we have just been informed that aregiment of paratroopers has been put at your disposal and that theyplan to land at various points in the Sahara in the morning."
The colonel said stiffly, "This is military information which I am notfree to discuss, Mr. Ostrander."
Frederic Ostrander went on, his voice still even. "We have furtherbeen informed that the Reunited Nations has withdrawn its ban onaircraft, which would seem to free your paratroop carrying planes."
The colonel remained silent, waiting for the bombshell. It was obviousthat he expected a bombshell.
Ostrander said, "As representative of the State Department I warn youthat if these paratroop carrying planes take off tomorrow morning, theSeventh Airfleet of the United States of the Americas will enter theconflict on the side of El Hassan. Good evening, Colonel."
The C.I.A. man reached out and flicked the switch that killed the set.Then he took the snowy white handkerchief from the breast pocket ofhis jacket and wiped his mouth.
Isobel said, "Heavens to Betsy."
Kenny said indignantly, "Good grief, you fool, it won't take more thanhours for your superiors to repudiate you. Then what happens?"
"By then, I assume, the battle will be over and Tamanrasset in ElHassan's hands. The Arab Union will then think twice before committingtheir paratroopers, particularly with captured armor in El Hassan'shands."
"And your name will be mud," Kenny blurted.
Ostrander looked at Homer Crawford. "Gentlemen, you must remember thatI, too, am an African. I had thought that perhaps there would be aposition for me on El Hassan's staff."
Crawford reached for the Tommy-Noiseless that leaned up against theimprovised desk at which he worked. He said, "Let's get moving, Bey.We haven't much time. We're going to have to be able to announce itscapture _from_ Tamanrasset in a couple of hours."
"Not you," Bey said, grabbing up his own weapon and motioning with hishead for Kenny and Cliff to come along. "You're El Hassan and can't berisked."
"I'm coming," Homer said flatly. "It's about time El Hassan begantaking some of the same risks his followers seem to be willing toface. Besides, the men will fight better with me out in front. Got agun, Fred?"
Ostrander said, "No. Where am I issued one?"
"I'll show you," Homer said, stuffing extra clips in his bush jacketpockets. "Come on, Dave."
The whole group began heading for the open air, Bey already yellingorders.
Fredric Ostrander looked at Dave Moroka. "Strange bedfellows," hesaid.
Moroka grinned wryly. "My long view hasn't changed," he said. "It'sjust that this African matter takes precedence right now."
"Nor mine, of course," Ostrander said. He cleared his throat."However, I hope you last out the night. El Hassan needs strong men."
"Same to you," Moroka said gruffly. "Let's get going, or the fightwill be over while we hand each other flowers."
_Epilogue_
El Hassan stood in the smoking, war-wasted ruin of Fort Laperine, hismind empty. The body of Jack Peters was ten feet to his left, burnedbeyond recognition and crumpled over a flame thrower which he'deliminated in the last few moments of the fighting. Had he let hiseyes go out the gun port before which he stood, it might have beenpossible for El Hassan to have picked out the bodies of David Morokaand Fredric Ostrander amidst those of the several hundred Haratinserfs who had swarmed out of the souk area at the crucial moment andstormed the half manned fort--unarmed save for knives and farmimplements.
To his right, Dr. Warren Harding Smythe supervised two Tuareg who werecarrying off the broken body of Kenny Ballalou; there was still faintlife in it.
The doctor looked at him. "You are satisfied, I assume?"
El Hassan failed to hear him.
Smythe turned and stomped off, following his impressed nurses.
In the distance, Bey-ag-Akhamouk called hoarse orders from anover-strained throat, placing guns for a counterattack that wouldnever come. The Arab Legion was broken and Colonel Ibrahim a prisoner.Large numbers of the survivors were defecting to the banner of ElHassan.
He threw his empty Tommy-Noiseless to the side. All he wanted now wassleep, the surcease of a few hours of oblivion.
Isobel, her face wan from the horror of the agony of the combat whoseresult was everywhere visible, was picking her way through thewreckage with Cliff Jackson.
El Hassan looked at her absently. Whatever message she bore heldlittle interest to him.
Cliff said, "India has recognized El Hassan as legal head of state ofall North Africa. It is expected that Australia will follow before theweek is out."
El Hassan nodded. For the time, not caring.
Isobel said, "We have other word. It came by messenger." She closedher eyes in pain and handed him a small box.
He opened it and recognized the ring on the enclosed finger. He lookedup at them.
Cliff Jackson growled low in his throat. "Elmer Allen. He's beencaptured by a leader of the Ouled Touameur clan of the Ouled Allouchtribe. You know this Abd-el-Kader?"
El Hassan was staring down at the finger, his mind slowly clearing ofits fatigue. "He belongs to the Berazga division of the
Chaambraconfederation. I had a run-in with him a few months ago and had himjailed. He's nothing but a desert bandit on the make."
Cliff said, "He's escaped, has thrown his weight behind the ArabUnion, proclaimed himself the Mahdi and is uniting Algeria and partsof Morocco and Tunisia like a wildfire. The marabouts and Shorfa arebacking him."
"Proclaimed himself the Mahdi?" Isobel said in question.
El Hassan turned to the girl and took a deep breath. "The originalMahdi was the holiest prophet since Mohammed and according to the moresuperstitious Moslems, he's still alive. According to Islamictradition, he periodically shows up again in the desert and makesvarious