m. "What's so funny?"

"Well, nothing," Abe admitted. He looked to Homer Crawford.

Crawford said to the Swede carefully, "Why?"

Zetterberg said impatiently, "Isn't it obvious, after the conversation
we've had here? Possibly this El Hassan is the man we're looking for.
Perhaps this is the force that will bind North Africa together. Thus
far, all we've heard about him has been rumor. We don't seem to be able
to find anyone who has seen him, nor is the exact strength of his
following known. We'd like to confer with him, before he gets any
larger."

Crawford said carefully, "It's hard to track down a rumor."

"That's why we give the assignment to our best team in the field," the
Swede told him. "You've got a roving commission. Find El Hassan and
bring him here to Dakar."

Abe grinned and said, "Suppose he doesn't want to come?"

"Use any methods you find necessary. If you need more manpower, let us
know. But we must talk to El Hassan."

Homer said, still watching his words, "Why the urgency?"

The Reunited Nations official looked at him for a long moment, as though
debating whether to let him in on higher policy. "Because, frankly, Dr.
Crawford, the elements which first went together to produce the African
Development Project, are, shall we say, becoming somewhat unstuck."

"The glue was never too strong," Abe muttered.

Zetterberg nodded. "The attempt to find competent, intelligent men to
work for the project, who were at the same time altruistic and
unaffected by personal or national interests, has always been a
difficult one. If you don't mind my saying so, we Scandinavians,
particularly those not affiliated with NATO come closest to filling the
bill. We have no designs on Africa. It is unfortunate that we have
practically no Negro citizens who could do field work."

"Are you suggesting other countries have designs on Africa?" Homer said.

For the first time the Swede laughed. A short, choppy laugh. "Are you
suggesting they haven't? What was that convoy of the Arab Union bringing
into the Sahara? Guns, with which to forward their cause of taking over
all North Africa. What were those Cubans doing in Sudan, that someone
else felt it necessary to assassinate them? What is the program of the
Soviet Complex as it applies to this area, and how does it differ from
that of the United States? And how do the ultimate programs of the
British Commonwealth and the French Community differ from each other and
from bot