"How's that?" Elmer growled. "What use have we for money in the
Sahara? Jake's got to put up a decent front in Geneva and New York."
Bey said doggedly, "As Defense Minister, I'm opposed to El Hassan's
followers _ever_ taking anything without generous payment. We'll need
food and various services. From the beginning, we're going to have to
pay our way. We can't afford to let rumors start going around that
we're nothing but a bunch of brigands."
"Bey's right," Homer nodded. "The El Hassan movement is going to have
to maintain itself on the highest ethical level. We're going to take
over where the French Camel Corps left off and police North Africa.
There can't be a man from Somaliland to Mauretania who can say that
one of El Hassan's followers liberated him from as much as a date."
Kenny Ballalou said, "You can always requisition whatever you need and
give them a receipt, and then we'll pay off when we come to power."
"That's out!" Bey snapped. "Most of these people can't read. And even
those that do don't trust what they read. A piece of paper, in their
eyes, is no return for some goats, or flour, camels, horses, or
whatever else it might be we need. No, we're going to have to pay our
way."
Crawford raked a hand back through his wiry hair. "Bey's right, Kenny.
It's going to be a rough go, especially at first."
Kenny snorted. "What do you mean, _at first?_ What's going to happen,
_at second_ to make it any easier? Where're we going to get all this
money we'll need to pay for even what we ourselves use, not to speak
of the thousands of men we're going to have to have if El Hassan is
ever to come to power?"
Bey's eyebrows went up in shocked innocence. "Kenny, dear boy, don't
misunderstand. We don't requisition anything from individuals, or
clans, or small settlements. But if we take over a town such as Gao,
or Niamey, or Colomb-Bechar, or wherever, there is nothing to say that
a legal government such as that of El Hassan, can't requisition the
contents of the local banks."
Homer Crawford said with dignity, "The term, my dear Minister of
Defense, currently is to _nationalize_ the bank. Whether or not we
wish to have the banks remain nationalized, after we take over, we can
figure out later. But in the early stages, I'm afraid we're going to
have to nationalize just about every bank we come in contact with."
Cliff Jackson said cautiously, "I haven't said whether or not I'll
come in yet, but just as a point, I might mention issuing your own
legal tender. As soon as you liberate a printing press somewhere, of
course."
Everyone was charmed at the idea.
Isobel said, "You can see Cliff was _meant_ to be Minister of
Treasury. He's got _wholesale_ larceny in his soul, none of this
picayunish stuff such as robbing nomads of their sheep."
Elmer Allen was shaking his head sadly. "This whole conversation
started with Bey protesting that we couldn't allow ourselves to be
thought of as brigands. Now listen to you all."
Kenny Ballalou said with considerable dignity, "See here, friend.
Don't you know the difference between brigandage and international
finance?"
"No," Elmer said flatly.
"Hm-m-m," Kenny said.
"Let's get on with this," Homer said. "The forming of El Hassan's
basic government is beginning to take on aspects of a minstrel show.
Then we've all declared ourselves in ... except Cliff."
All eyes turned to the bulky Californian.
He sat scowling.
Homer said, easily, "You're not being urged, Cliff. You can turn back
at this point."
Elmer Allen growled, "You came to Africa to help your race develop its
continent. To conquer such problems as sufficient food, clothing and
shelter for all. To bring education and decent medical care to a
people who have had possibly the lowest living standards anywhere. Can
you see any way of achieving this beyond the El Hassan movement?"
Cliff looked at him, still scowling stubbornly. "That's not why I came
to Africa."
Their eyes were all on him, but they remained silent.
He said, defensively, "I'm no do-gooder. I took a job with the Africa
for Africans Association because it was the best job I could find."