sing amusement, but that fell off. He added,
"As a young sociologist, I never expected to wind up a literal
tyrant."

Elmer Allen said, "Wait a minute. See if I can remember this. Comes
from Byron." He closed his eyes and recited:

"The tyrant of the Chersonese
Was freedom's best and bravest friend.
That tyrant was Miltiades,
Oh that the present hour would lend
Another despot of the kind.
Such bonds as his were sure to bind."

Isobel, pouring coffee, laughed and said, "Why Elmer, who'd ever dream
you read verse, not to speak of memorizing it, you old sourpuss."

Elmer Allen's complexion was too dark to register a flush.

Homer Crawford said, "Yeah, Miltiades. Seized power, whipped the
Athenians into shape to the point where they were able to take the
Persians at Marathon, which should have been impossible." He looked
around at the others, winding up with Elmer. "What happened to
Miltiades after Marathon and after the emergency was over?"

Elmer looked down into his coffee. "I don't remember," he lied.

* * * * *

There was a clicking from the first hover-lorry, and Cliff Jackson put
down his coffee, groaned his resentment at fate, and made his way to
the vehicle and the radio there.

Bey motioned with his head. "That's handy, our still being able to
tune in on the broadcasts the African Development Project makes to its
teams."

Kenny said, "Not that what they've been saying is much in the way of
flattery."

Bey said, "They seem to think we're somewhere in the vicinity of Bidon
Cinq."

"That's what worries me," Homer growled. He raked his right hand back
through his short hair. "If they think we're in Southern Algeria, what
are these planes doing around here? We're hundreds of miles from Bidon
Cinq."

Bey shot him an oblique glance. "That's easy. That plane that tried to
clobber us, and these others that have been trying to search us out,
aren't really Reunited Nations craft. They're someone else."

They all looked at him. "Who?" Isobel said.

"How should I know? It could be almost anybody with an iron in the
North African fire. The Soviet Complex? Very likely. The British
Commonwealth or the French Community? Why not? There're elements in
both that haven't really accepted giving up the old colonies and would
like to regain them in one way or the other. The Arab Union? Why
comment? Common Europe? Oh, Common Europe would love to have a f