r entered the
tent. "You know," he said, seriously, "I'm beginning to wonder if the
world can afford nationalistic patriotism. Haven't we gone too far
along the road to think of ourselves any longer as Americans, or
Russians, or French, or West Indians, or whatever? Hasn't the human
race grown up beyond that point?"

Kenny said mockingly, "What! Aren't you proud of being a West Indian,
and a loyal subject of Her Majesty?"

Peters ignored his tone. "Why should I be proud of my country? It was
an accident of birth with which I had nothing to do, that made me a
West Indian, rather than a Canadian, a Chinese, a Norwegian, or
whatever. Intelligently, I should be proud only of things that I,
myself, have accomplished."

Bey said, "If we can stop waxing philosophic for a while and get back
to how most efficiently to clobber these Arabs--"

* * * * *

The Hindu entered Kirill Menzhinsky's small office behind the Indian
souvenir shop in the Tangier Zocco Chico and said, "The operative
Anton is on the receiver."

The agent superior of the _Chrezvychainaya Komissiya_ for North Africa
looked up from his desk and grunted acceptance of the message. He came
to his feet and followed the other into a back room and took his place
before a mouthpiece and screen.

The man whose party name was Anton nodded a greeting.

Kirill Menzhinsky said, "It's about time I heard from you, Anton."

"Yes. But the situation has been such that it was not easy to report."

"And now?"

"Briefly, I am at El Hassan's headquarters. You were correct. He is in
actuality Homer Crawford. The others you mentioned are also with him,
including the traitor Isobel Cunningham."

The Soviet Complex's agent allowed his eyebrows to rise.

Anton said flatly, "The dame has evidently renounced the party and now
holds high rank in Crawford's inner circle."

"And you?"

"I am rapidly becoming his right-hand man. I am his press secretary
and in charge of communications. Early in our acquaintanceship I was
able to engineer an attempted assassination. I was able to, ah, save
the life of El Hassan."

The Russian's eyes narrowed. "The assassins? Is there any chance that
they might reveal your little trick?"

Anton grimaced. "I am not a fool, Kirill. Both of them were killed in
the assassination attempt. El Hassan was most grateful."

"I see. And how would you sum up the present situation?"

"This area is swinging rapidly to El H