Cliff said from behind the aircraft's controls, "If you believe what
you're saying, how do you justify being here yourself?"
"I don't know," Crawford said unhappily. "I don't know what started me
on this kick, but I seem to have been doing more inner searching this
past week or so than I have in the past couple of decades. And I don't
seem to come up with much in the way of answers."
"Well, man," Abe said. "If you find any, let us know."
Jake said, his voice warm, "Look Homer, don't beat yourself about this.
What you say figures, but you've got to take it from this angle. The
plains Indians had to go. The world is developing too fast for a few
thousand people to tie up millions of acres of some of the most fertile
farm land anywhere, because they needed it for their game--the
buffalo--to run on."
"Um-m-m," Homer said, his voice lacking conviction.
"Maybe it's unfortunate the _way_ it was done. The story of the
American's dealing with the Amerind isn't a pretty one, and usually
comfortably ignored when we pat ourselves on the back these days and
tell ourselves what a noble, honest, generous and peace loving people we
are. But it did have to be done, and the job we're doing in North Africa
has to be done, too."