"You're serving in the armed forces of a foreign power."
Even the dour Elmer Allen laughed at that one.
Crawford said, "The fact of the matter is, we _are_ the foreign
power."
"You're not amusing, Dr. Crawford," Ostrander said. "I've kept up with
this situation since you had that conference in Timbuktu. The State
Department has no intention of allowing some opportunist, backed by
known communists and fellow travelers, to seize power in this portion
of the world. In a matter of months the Soviets would be in here."
Isobel said evenly, "I was formerly a member of the Party. I no longer
am. I am an active opponent of the Soviet Complex at the moment,
especially in regard to its activity in Africa."
Ostrander snorted his disbelief.
Elmer Allen said, "You chaps never forget, do you?" He looked at the
others and explained. "Back during college days, I signed a few peace
petitions, that sort of thing. Ever since, every time I come in
contact with these people, you'd think I was Lenin or Trotsky."
Homer Crawford said, "My opinion is, Ostrander, that you've had to
move too quickly to check back with your superiors. Has the State
Department actually instructed you to arrest me and my companions here
on foreign soil, without a warrant?"
Ostrander clipped, "That's my responsibility. I'm taking you all in.
We'll solve such problems as jurisdiction and warrants when I get you
to the Reunited Nations headquarters."
"Ah?" Homer Crawford said. "And then what happens to us?"
Ostrander jiggled the gun, impatiently. "Sven Zetterberg is of the
opinion that you should immediately be flown out of Africa and the
case brought before the High Council of the African Development
Project. What measures will be taken beyond that point I have no way
of knowing."
Bey took a step to the left, Kenny Ballalou one to the right. Homer
Crawford remained immediately before the C.I.A. operative, his hands
slightly out from his sides, palms slightly forward.
Ostrander snapped, "I'm prepared to fire, you men. I don't
underestimate the importance of this situation. If your crazy scheme
makes any progress at all, it might well result in the death of
thousands. I know your background, Crawford. You once taught judo in
the Marines. I'm not unfamiliar with the art myself."
Isobel had a hand to her mouth, her eyes were wide. "Boys, don't ..."
she began.
Elmer Allen had been leaning on his pilgrim's staff, as though weary
with this whole matter. He said to Ostrander, interestedly, "So you've
been checked out on judo? Know anything about the use of the
quarterstaff?"
Ostrander kept his gun traversing between the four of them. "Eh?" he
said.
Elmer Allen shifted his grip on his staff infinitesimally. Of a
sudden, the end of the staff, now gripped with both hands near the
center, moved at invisibly high speed. There was a crack of the wrist
bone, and the gun went flying. The other end of the staff flicked out
and rapped the C.I.A. operative smartly on the head.
Fredric Ostrander crumbled to the floor.
* * * * *
"Confound it, Elmer," Crawford said. "What'd you have to go and do
that for? I wanted to talk to him some more and send a message back to
Zetterberg. Sooner or later we've got to make our peace with the
Reunited Nations."
Elmer said embarrassedly, "Sorry, it just happened. I was merely going
to knock the gun out of his hand, but then I couldn't help myself. I
was tired of hearing that holier-than-thou voice of his."
Kenny Ballalou looked down at the fallen man gloomily. "He'll be out
for an hour. You're lucky you didn't crack his skull."
"Holy Mackerel," Cliff Jackson said. "I'm going to have to learn to
operate one of those things."
Elmer Allen handed him the supposed pilgrim's staff. "Best
hand-to-hand combat weapon ever invented," he said. "The British
yeoman's quarterstaff. Of course, this is a modernized version. Made
of epoxy resin glass-fiber material, treated to look like wood. That
stuff can turn a high-velocity bullet, let alone a sword, and it can
be bent in a ninety degree arc without the slightest effect, although
it'd take a power-driven testing machine to do it."
"All right, all right," Homer said. "We haven't got time for lessons
in the use of the quarterstaff. Let's put some thought to this
situation. If Ostrander here was able to find us, somebody else would,
too."
Isobel licked the side of her mouth. "He was probably following me.
Remember, I told you Homer?"
Kenny said, "If he had anyone with him, he'd have brought them along
to cover him. You've got to give him credit for bravery, taking on the
whole bunch of us by himself."
"Um-m-m," Homer said. "I wish he was with us instead of against us."