e door securely,
put his handgun beneath his pillow and fell off to sleep. When and if
Abe returned, he could bang on the door.

* * * * *

In the morning, clad in American business suits and frankly feeling a
trifle uncomfortable in them, Homer Crawford and Abraham Baker presented
themselves at the offices of the African Development Project, Sahara
Division, of the Reunited Nations. Uncharacteristically, there was no
waiting in anterooms, no dealing with subordinates. Dr. Crawford and his
lieutenant were ushered directly to the office of Sven Zetterberg.

Upon their entrance the Swede came to his feet, shook hands abruptly
with both of them and sat down again. He scowled at Abe and said to
Homer in excellent English, "It was requested that your team remain in
Mopti." Then he added, "Sit down, gentlemen."

They took chairs. Crawford said mildly, "Mr. Baker is my right-hand man.
I assume he'd take over the team if anything happened to me." He added
dryly, "Besides, there were a few things he felt he had to do about
town."

Abe cleared his throat but remained silent.

Zetterberg continued to frown but evidently for a different reason now.
He said, "There have been more complaints about your ... ah ... cavalier
tactics."

Homer looked at him but said nothing.

Zetterberg said in irritation, "It becomes necessary to warn you almost
every time you come in contact with this office, Dr. Crawford."

Homer said evenly, "My team and I work in the field Dr. Zetterberg. We
have to think on our feet and usually come to decisions in split
seconds. Sometimes our lives are at stake. We do what we think best
under the conditions. At any time your office feels my efforts are
misdirected, my resignation is available."

The Swede cleared his throat. "The Arab Union has made a full complaint
in the Reunited Nations of a group of our men massacring thirty-five of
their troopers."

Homer said, "They were well into the Ahaggar with a convoy of modern
weapons, obviously meant for adherents of theirs. Given the opportunity,
the Arab Union would take over North Africa."

"This is no reason to butcher thirty-five men."

"We were fired upon first," Crawford said.

"That is not the way they tell it. They claim you ambushed them."

Abe put in innocently, "How would the Arab Union know? We didn't leave
any survivors."

Zetterberg glared at him. "It is not easy, Mr. Baker, for we who do the
paper work