"Yes. As it is, we should not be seen together. Nor, for that matter
should you even return here. The imperialists are not stupid. Very
possibly, American and Common Europe espionage agents know of this
headquarters. Not to speak of the Arab Union. I shall try to give you
the whole story and your assignment in this next half hour. Then you
should depart immediately."
* * * * *
The man they called Anton sipped his drink and relaxed in his chair.
He looked at his superior without comment.
The Russian took another jolt of his water-clear drink. "Have you ever
heard of El Hassan?"
The Negro thought a moment before saying, "Vaguely. Evidently an Arab,
or possibly a Tuareg. North African nationalist. No, that wouldn't be
the word, since he is international. At any rate, he seems to be
drawing a following in the Sahara and as far south as the Sudan. Backs
modernization and wants unity of all North Africa. Is he connected
with the Party?"
The espionage chief was shaking his head. "That is the answer I
expected you to give, and is approximately what anyone else would have
said. Actually, there is no such person as El Hassan."
Anton frowned. "I'm afraid you're wrong there, Kirill. I've heard
about him in half a dozen places. Very mysterious figure. Nobody seems
to have seen him, but word of his program is passed around from
Ethiopia to Mauretania."
The Russian was shaking his head negatively. "That I know. It's a
rather strange story and one rather hard to believe if it wasn't for
the fact that one of my operatives was in on the, ah, _manufacturing_
of this Saharan leader."
"Manufacturing?"
"I'll give you the details later. Were you acquainted with Abraham
Baker, the American comrade?"
"Were? I _am_ acquainted with him. Abe is a friend as well as a
comrade."
The Russian shook his head again. "Baker is dead, Anton. As you
possibly know, his assignment for the past few years has been with a
Reunited Nations African Development Project team, working in the
Sahara region. We planted him there expecting the time to arrive when
his services would be of considerable value. He worked with a five-man
team headed by a Dr. Homer Crawford and largely the team's task was to
eliminate bottlenecks that developed as the various modernization
projects spread over the desert."
"But what's this got to do with _manufacturing_ El Hassan?"
"I'm coming to that. Crawford's team, including Comrade Baker, usually
disguised themselves as Enaden smiths. As such, their opinions carried
little weight so in order to spread Reunited Nations propaganda, they
hit upon the idea of imputing everything they said to this great hero
of the desert, El Hassan."
"I see," the man called Anton said.
"Others, without knowing the origin of our El Hassan, took up the idea
and spread it. These nomads are at an ethnic level where they want a
hero to follow, a leader. So in order to give prestige to their
teachings the various organizations trying to advance North Africa
followed in Crawford's footsteps and attributed their teachings to
this mysterious El Hassan."
"And it snowballed."
"Correct! But the point is that after a time Crawford came around to
the belief that there should be a real El Hassan. That the primary
task at this point is to unite the area, to break down the old tribal
society and introduce the populace to the new world."
"He's probably right," the man called Anton growled. He finished his
drink, got up from his chair and on his own went over and mixed
another. "More vodka?" he asked.
"Please." The Russian held up his glass and went on talking. "Yes,
undoubtedly that is what is needed at this point. As it is, things are
trending toward a collapse. The imperialists, especially the
Americans, of course, wish to dominate the area for their capitalistic
purposes. The Arab Union wishes to take over _in toto_ and make it
part of their Islamic world. We, of course, cannot afford to let
either succeed."
The Negro resumed his chair, sipped at his drink and listened, nodding
from time to time.
Kirill Menzhinsky said, "As you know, Marx and Engels when founding
scientific socialism had no expectation that their followers would
first come to power in such backward countries as the Russia of 1917
or the China of 1949. In fact, the establishment of true socialism
presupposes a highly developed industrial economy. It is simply
impossible without such an economy. When Lenin came to power in 1917,
as a result of the chaotic conditions that prevailed upon the military
collapse of Imperial Russia, he had no expectation of going it alone,
as the British would say. He expected immediate revolutions in such
countries as Germany and France and supposed that these more advanced
countries would then come to the assistance of the Soviet Union and
all would advance together to true socialism."
* * * * *
"It didn't work out that way," the man called Anton said dryly.
"No, it didn't. And Lenin didn't live to see the steps that Stalin
would take in order to build the necessary industrial base in Russia."
Kirill Menzhinsky looked about the room, almost as though checking to
see if anyone else was listening. "Some of our more unorthodox
theoreticians are inclined to think that had Lenin survived the
assassin's bullet, that Comrade Stalin would have found it necessary
to, ah, liquidate him."
The Russian cleared his throat. "Be that as it may, basic changes were
made in Marxist teachings to fit into Stalin's and later Khrushchev's
new concepts of the worker's State. And the Soviet Union muddled
through, as the British have it. Today, the Soviet Complex is as
powerful as the imperialist powers."
The espionage leader knocked back his vodka with a practiced stiff
wristed motion. "Which brings us to the present and to North Africa."
He leaned forward in emphasis. "Comrade, if the past half century and
more has taught us anything, it is that you cannot establish socialism
in a really backward country. In short, communism is impossible in
North Africa at this point in her social evolution. Impossible. You
cannot go directly from tribal society to communism. At this historic
point, there is no place for the party's program in North Africa."
The man called Anton scowled.
The Russian waggled his hand negatively. "Yes, yes. I know.
Ultimately, the whole world must become Soviet. Only that way will we
achieve our eventual goal. But that is the long view. Realistically,
we must face it, as the Yankees say. This area is not at present soil
for our seed."
"Things move fast these days," the Negro growled. "Industrialization,
education, can be a geometric progression."
His superior nodded emphatically. "Of course, and as little as ten or
fifteen years from now, given progress at the present rate, perhaps
there will be opportunity for our movement. But now? No."
The other said, "What has all this to do with El Hassan, or Crawford,
or whatever the man's name is?"
"Yes," the Russian said. "Homer Crawford has evidently decided to
become El Hassan."
"Ahhh."
"Yes. At this point, in short, he is traveling in our direction. He is
doing what we realize must be done."
"Then we will support him?"
"Now we come to the point, Anton. Homer Crawford is not sympathetic to
the Party. To the contrary. Our suspicion, although we have no proof,
is that he killed Comrade Abe Baker, when Baker approached him on his
stand in regard to the Party's long view."
"I see," the man called Anton said.
The Russian nodded. "We must keep in some sort of touch with him--some
sort of control. If this El Hassan realizes his scheme and unites all
North Africa, sooner or later we will have to deal with him. If he is
antagonistic, we will have to find means to liquidate him."
"And my assignment...?"
"He will be gathering followers at this point. Many followers, most of
whom will be unknown to him. You will become one of them. Raise
yourself to as high a rank as you find possible in his group. Become a
close friend, if that can be done...."
"He killed Abe Baker, eh?"
The Russian frowned. "This is an assignment, Comrade Anton. There is
no room for personal feelings. You are a good field man. Among the
best. You are being given this task because the Party feels you are
the man for it. Possibly it is an assignment that will take years in
the fulfilling."
The Negro said nothing.
"Are there any questions?"
"Do we have any other operatives working on this?"
The frown became a scowl. "An Isobel Cunningham worked with Comrade
Baker, but it has been suspected that she has been drifting away from
the party these past few years. Her present status is unknown, but she
is believed to be with Homer Crawford and his followers. Possibly she
has defected. If so, you will take whatever measures seem necessary.
You will be working almost completely on your own, Comrade. You must
think on your feet, as the Yankees say."
The man called Anton thought a moment. He said, "You'd better give me
as thorough a run down as possible on this Homer Crawford and his
immediate followers."
* * * * *
Menzhinsky settled back in his chair and took up a sheaf of papers
from the desk. "We have fairly complete dossiers. I'll give you the
highlights, then you can take these with you to your hotel to study at
leisure."
He took up the first sheet. "Homer Crawford. Born in Detroit of
working-class parents. In his late teens interrupted his education to
come to Africa where he joined elements of the F.L.N. in Morocco and
took part in several forays into Algeria. Evidently was wounded and
invalided back to the States where he resumed his education. When he
came of military age, he joined the Marine Corps and spent the usual,
ah, hitch I believe they call it. Following that, he resumed his
education, finally taking a doctor's degree in sociology. He then
taught for a time until the Reunited Nations began its African
program. He accepted a position, and soon distinguished himself."
The Russian took up another paper. "According to Comrade Baker's
reports, Crawford is an outstanding personality, dominating others,
even in spite of himself. He would make a top party man. Idealistic,
strong, clever, ruthless when ruthlessness is called for."
Menzhinsky paused for a moment, finding words hard to come by from an
ultra-materialist. His tone went wry. "Comrade Baker also reported a
somewhat mystical quality in our friend Crawford. An ability in times
of emotional crisis to break down men's mental barriers against him. A
_force_ that ..."
The other raised his eyebrows.
His superior chuckled, ruefully. "Comrade Baker was evidently much
swayed by the man's personality. However, Anton, I might point out
that similar reports have come down to us of such a dominating
personality in Lenin, and, to a lesser degree, in Stalin." He twisted
his mouth. "History leads us to believe that such personalities as
Jesus and Mohammed seemed to have some power beyond that of we more
mundane types."
"And the others?" Anton said.
The Russian took up still another paper. "Elmer Allen. Born of small
farmer background on the outskirts of Kingston, on the island of
Jamaica. Managed to work his way through the University of Kingston
where he took a master's degree in sociology. At one time he was
thought to be Party material and was active in several organizations
that held social connotations, pacifist groups and so forth. However,
he was never induced to join the Party. Upon graduation, he
immediately took employment with the Reunited Nations and was assigned
to Homer Crawford's team. He is evidently in accord with Crawford's
aims as El Hassan."