happens at the hall meeting of ringleaders? What do Jake, Cliff and I
do?"

"What comes naturally," Homer said. "We'll elect each other to the most
important positions. But everybody else that seems to have anything at
all on the ball will be elected to some committee or other. Give them
jobs compiling reports to El Hassan or something. Keep them busy. Give
Reunited Nations headquarters in Dakar time to come up with something."

She said worriedly, "Suppose some of these ringleaders are capable,
aggressive types and won't stand for us getting all the important
positions?"

Crawford grunted. "We're _more_ aggressive and more capable. Let my team
handle that. One of the boys will jump up and accuse the guy of being a
spy and an enemy of El Hassan, and one of the other boys will bear him
out, and a couple of others will hustle him out of the hall." Homer
yawned. "It's all routine, Isobel."

Abe was driving up the truck.

Crawford said, "O.K., let's go, gal."

"Roger," she said, climbing first into the back of the vehicle and then
up onto the roof of the cab.

Isobel held her hands high above her head and in the cab Abe bore down
on the horn for a long moment.

Isobel shrilled, "Hear what the messenger from El Hassan has come to
tell us! Hear the friend and devoted follower of El Hassan!"

At the same time, Jake, Kenny, and Cliff discontinued their own
harangues and themselves headed for the new speaker.

* * * * *

They stayed for three days and had it well wrapped up in that time. The
tribesmen, bored when the excitement fell away and it became obvious
that there were to be no further riots, and certainly no violence,
drifted back to their villages. The city dwellers returned to the
routine of daily existence. And the police, who had mysteriously
disappeared from the streets at the height of the demonstrations, now
magically reappeared and began asserting their authority somewhat
truculently.

At the hall meetings, mighty slogans were drafted and endless committees
formed. The more articulate, the more educated and able of the
demonstrators were marked out for future reference, but for the moment
given meaningless tasks to keep them busy and out of trouble.

On the fourth day, Homer Crawford received orders to proceed to Dakar,
leaving the rest of the team behind to keep an eye on the situation.

Abe groaned, "There's luck for you. Dakar, nearest thing to a good old
sin cit