explanation of this cavalier attack upon--"

His face expressionless, Homer held up a hand to quiet the smaller
man. He looked at Jack Peters and raised his eyebrows. "_Kion li la
fremdul diras?_"

Jack, serious as ever, replied in Esperanto, then turned to the
American C.I.A. man and said, "El Hassan has requested that I
translate for him. He speaks only the official language of North
Africa to foreign representatives. Undoubtedly, sir, you have proper
credentials?"

Had Fredric Ostrander been of lighter complexion, his color would have
undoubtedly gone dark red.

"Look here, Crawford," he snapped. "I'm in no mood for nonsense. The
State Department has sent me to your headquarters to make another
attempt to bring some sense home to you. As an American citizen,
owing alliance--"

Homer Crawford spoke in Esperanto to Jack Peters who nodded seriously
and said to Ostrander, "El Hassan informs you he owes alliance only to
the people of North Africa whose chosen leader he is."

Ostrander knew they were kidding him, but at the same time the stand
being taken was actuality. He glared at the Americans present whom he
knew, Bey, Isobel, Cliff and Kenny. He snapped, "Very well, but I
repeat what I told you when last we met. The State Department of the
United States of the Americas will not stand idly by and see this area
taken over by elements dominated by red subversives."

"Holy Mackerel," Cliff growled, "are you still tooting that horn?"

Dave Moroka said sarcastically, "It's an old wheeze. The definition of
a red subversive is anybody who doesn't see eye to eye with the United
States. They've been pulling the gag for decades. Remember Guatemala
and Cuba? Do anything that interferes with American business abroad
and the cry goes up, _he's an enemy of the free world!_"

Ostrander spun on him, his eyes narrowing.

Dave laughed. "The definition of members of the free world, of course,
being anybody who follows the American line. Anybody is free, Spanish
and Portuguese dictators, absolute monarchs in Arabia, Chinese
warlords, if they're on the American side."

Ostrander snapped, "I don't believe we've met."

Moroka made a sweeping bow. "I'm afraid we don't move in the same
circles. I've spent possibly a third of my life in prison--"

"Undoubtedly," Ostrander snorted.

"... Put there by people such as yourself--in various
countries--because I was fighting for my own version of freedom."

"Communism, undoubtedly!"