f the Moslem world as
particularly civilized."

Cliff said defensively, "The Bible doesn't encourage original thinking
either. A fundamentalist ..."

"Sure," Crawford interrupted. "Those elements who take the Bible the
way Islam took the Q'ran wind up in the same rut. But _as a whole_,
Europe was sparked enough by the original Islamic explosion that the
Renaissance resulted, with what world results we all know. Be ..."

* * * * *

There was a roar of confusion outside. A blasting of guns, a shrieking
of _Ul-Ul-Ul-Allah Akbar!_

Crawford came to his feet unhappily. "Another contingent of Tuareg,"
he said. "I'll have to give them a quick welcoming to the colors
speech."

The guns outside continued their booming.

"Confound it," he growled, "I wish I could break them of that habit of
blasting away their ammunition. They'll have better targets before the
week is out."

He pushed open the tent flap and, followed by Isobel and Cliff,
emerged into the stretch of clearing between his tents and the
hovercraft, and the growing Tuareg encampment. His diagnosis had been
correct. A contingent of possibly two score Tuareg camelmen had come
a-galloping up, shaking rifles above their heads in a small scale
gymhana, or fantasia as the Moors called them.

"At least it's a larger group than usual," Cliff said from behind.
"But at this rate, it'll still take a month for us to equal the Arab
Legion in Tamanrasset." He added in disgust, "And look at this bunch
of ragamuffins. Half of them are carrying muzzleloaders."

The booming muskets and the cracking rifles suddenly began to fall off
in intensity and the camelmen and the hordes of Tuareg women and naked
children who had swarmed from the tents to greet them were falling
silent. Here and there a hand pointed upward.

Homer, Cliff and Isobel swung their own eyes up to the sky in dreaded
anticipation. The hover-lorry was camouflaged to blend in with the
sands and rock outcroppings of this area, but it was possible that an
aircraft might have determined that this was El Hassan's base,
possibly through some act of a traitor, in which case ...

They found the spot in the sky that the tribesmen were pointing out.
It seemed to move slowly for a military craft, but for that matter it
might be a helio-jet and considerably more dangerous, so far as they
being spotted was concerned, than a fast moving fighter.

[Illustration]

Guemama, was barking to