be free
to develop his own possibilities, be they strength of arm or of brain.
Let no man exploit another, nor suppress another's abilities. If a Bela
slave has more ability than a Surgu Tuareg noble, let him profit to the
full by his gifts."

There was a cold silence.

Omar finished gently by saying, "Or so El Hassan teaches, and so they
teach in the new schools in Tamanrasset and Gao, in Timbuktu and Reggan,
in the big universities at Kano, Dakar, Bamako, Accra and Abidian. And
throughout North Africa the wave of the future flows over the land."

"It is a flood of evil," Moussa-ag-Amastan said definitely.

* * * * *

But in spite of the antagonism of the clan headman and of the older
Tuareg warriors, the stories of the smiths continued to spread. It was
not even beyond them to discuss, long and quietly, with the Bela slaves
the ideas of the mysterious El Hassan, and to talk of the plentiful
jobs, the high wages, at the dams, the new oases, and in the
afforestation projects.

Somehow the news of their presence spread, and another clan of nomad
Tuareg arrived and pitched their tents, to handle the wares of the
smiths and to bring their metal work for repair. And to listen to their
disturbing words.

As amazing as any of the new products was the solar powered, portable
television set which charged its batteries during the daylight hours and
then flashed on its screen the images and the voices and music of
entertainers and lecturers, teachers and storytellers, for all to see.
In the beginning it had been difficult, for the eye of the desert man is
not trained to pick up a picture. He has never seen one, and would not
recognize his own photograph. But in time, it came to them.

The programs originated in Tamanrasset and in Salah, in Zinder and Fort
Lamy and one of the smiths revealed that the mysterious waves, that fed
the device its programs, were bounced off tiny moons which the Rouma had
rocketed up into the sky for that purpose. A magic understandable only
to marabouts and such, without doubt.

At the end of their period of stay, the smiths, to the universal
surprise of all, gave the mystery device to two sisters, kinswomen of
Moussa-ag-Amastan, who were particularly interested in the teachers and
lecturers who told of the new world aborning. The gift was made in the
full understanding that all should be allowed to listen and watch, and
it was clear that if ever the set needed