feet and his scales put him over the
three hundred mark. He was in his mid fifties and almost a quarter
century of autocratic position had marked his face with permanent scowl.
He stomped now into the western style hotel.

His counselor, Ahmadu Abdullah, had already procured the information
necessary to locate the source of the Emir's ire and now scurried before
his chief, leading the way to the suite occupied by the mysterious
strangers. He banged heavily on the door, then stepped behind his master
as it opened.

One of the strangers, clad western style, opened the door and stepped
aside courteously motioning to the large inner room. The Emir strutted
arrogantly inside and stared in high irritation at the second and elder
stranger who sat there at a heavy table. This one came to his feet, but
there was no sign of acknowledgment of the Emir's rank. It was not too
long a time before that men prostrated themselves in Alhaji Mohammadu's
presence.

He looked at them. Though both were of dark complexion, there seemed no
manner of typing them. Certainly they were neither Hausa nor Fulani,
there being no signs of Hamitic features, but neither were they Ibo or
Yoruba from farther south. The Emir's eyes narrowed and he wondered if
these two were Nigerians at all!

He barked at them in Hausa and the older answered him in the same
language, though there seemed a certain awkwardness in its use.

Emir Alhaji Mohammadu blared, "You dare summon me, Kudo of this city?
You presume--"

They had resumed seats behind the table and the two of them looked at
him questioningly. The older one interrupted with a gently raised hand.
"Why did you come?"

Still glaring, the Emir turned to the cringing Ahmadu Abdullah and
motioned curtly for the counselor to speak. Meanwhile, the ruler's eyes
went around the room, decided that the couch was the only seat that
would accommodate his bulk, and descended upon it.

Ahmadu Abdullah brought a paper from the folds of his robes. "This lying
letter. This shameless attack upon the Galadima Dawakin!"

The younger stranger said mildly, "If the charges contained there are
incorrect, then why did you come?"

The Emir rumbled dangerously, ignoring the question. "What is your
purpose? I am not a patient man. There has never been need for my
patience."

The spokesman of the two, the older, leaned back in his chair and said
carefully, "We have come to demand your resignation and self-exile."

A vein b