Ostrander, the C.I.A. operative, snorted. "Do you think they would admit
it?"
"Or from the Arab Union?" Crawford pursued. "Whether or not the Soviet
Complex has agents in this part of Africa, we know that the Arab Union,
backed by Islam everywhere, has. Frankly, we of the African Development
Project seldom see eye to eye with them which results in considerable
discussion at Reunited Nations meetings."
There was continued silence.
Elmer Allen came to his feet and looked at Ostrander, his face surly. "I
am not an advocate of what the Soviets are currently calling communism,
however, I think a point should be made here."
Ostrander stared back at him unblinkingly.
Allen snorted, "I know what you're thinking. When I was a student I
signed a few peace petitions, that sort of thing. How--or why they
bothered--the C.I.A. got hold of that information, I don't know, but as
a Jamaican I am a bit ashamed of Her Majesty's Government. But all this
is beside the point."
"What is your point, Elmer?" Crawford said. "You speak, of course, as an
individual not as an employee of the Reunited Nations nor even as a
member of my team."
"Our team," Elmer Allen reminded him. He frowned at his chief, as though
surprised at Crawford's stand. But then he looked back at the rest. "I
don't like the fact that the C.I.A. is present at all. I grow
increasingly weary of the righteousness of the prying for what it calls
subversion. The latest definition of subversive seems to be any chap who
doesn't vote either Republican or Democrat in the States, or
Conservative in England."
Ostrander grunted scorn.
Allen looked at him again. "So far as this job is concerned--and by the
looks of things, most of us will be kept busy at it for the rest of our
lives--I am not particularly favorable to the position of either side in
this never-warming cold war between you and the Soviet Complex. I have
suspected for some time that neither of you actually want an ending of
it. For different reasons, possibly. So far as the States are concerned,
I suspect an end of your fantastic military budgets would mean a
collapse of your economy. So far as the Soviets are concerned, I suspect
they use the continual _threat_ of attack by the West to keep up their
military and police powers and suppress the freedom of their people.
Wasn't it an old adage of the Romans that if you feared trouble at home,
stir up war abroad? At any rate, I'd like to have it on the record that
I protest the Cold War being dragged into our work in Africa--by either
side."
"All right, Elmer," Crawford said, "you're on record. Is that all?"
"That's all," Elmer Allen said. He sat down abruptly.
"Any comment, Mr. Ostrander?" Crawford said.
Ostrander grunted, "Fuzzy thinking." Didn't bother with anything more.
The chairman looked out over the hall. "Any further discussion, any
motions?" He smiled and added, "Anything--period?"
Finally Jake Armstrong came to his feet. He said, "I don't agree with
everything Mr. Allen just said; however, there was one item where I'll
follow along. The fact that most of us will be busy at this job for the
rest of our lives--if we stick. With this in mind, the fact that we have
lots of time, I make the following proposal. This meeting was called to
see if there was any prospect of we field workers co-operating on a
field worker's level, if we could in any way help each other, avoid
duplication of effort, that sort of thing. I suggest now that this
meeting be adjourned and that all of us think it over and discuss it
with the other teams, the other field workers in our respective
organizations. I propose further that another meeting be held within the
year and that meanwhile Mr. Crawford be elected chairman of the group
until the next gathering, and that Miss Cunningham be elected secretary.
We can all correspond with Mr. Crawford, until the time of the next
meeting, giving him such suggestions as might come to us. When he sees
fit to call the next meeting, undoubtedly he will have some concrete
proposals to put before us."
Isobel said, _sotto voce_, "Secretaries invariably do all the work, why
is it that men always nominate a woman for the job?"
Jake grinned at her, "I'll never tell." He sat down.
"I'll make that a motion," Rex Donaldson clipped out.
"Second," someone else called.