'I have been for years up and down in Africa--Uganda and the Congo and
the Upper Nile. I know the ways of the Kaffir as no Englishman does.
We Afrikanders see into the black man's heart, and though he may hate
us he does our will. You Germans are like the English; you are too big
folk to understand plain men. "Civilize," you cry. "Educate," say the
English. The black man obeys and puts away his gods, but he worships
them all the time in his soul. We must get his gods on our side, and
then he will move mountains. We must do as John Laputa did with
Sheba's necklace.'

'That's all in the air,' said Stumm, but he did not laugh.

'It is sober common sense,' I said. 'But you must begin at the right
end. First find the race that fears its priests. It is waiting for
you--the Mussulmans of Somaliland and the Abyssinian border and the
Blue and White Nile. They would be like dried grasses to catch fire if
you used the flint and steel of their religion. Look what the English
suffered from a crazy Mullah who ruled only a dozen villages. Once get
the flames going and they will lick up the pagans of the west and
south. This is the way of Africa. How many thousands, think you, were
in the Mahdi's army who never heard of the Prophet till they saw the
black flags of the Emirs going into battle?'

Stumm was smiling. He turned his face to the official and spoke with
his hand over his mouth, but I caught his words. They were: 'This is
the man for Hilda.' The other pursed his lips and looked a little
scared.

Stumm rang a bell and the lieutenant came in and clicked his heels. He
nodded towards Peter. 'Take this man away with you. We have done with
him. The other fellow will follow presently.'

Peter went out with a puzzled face and Stumm turned to me.

'You are a dreamer, Brandt,' he said. 'But I do not reject you on that
account. Dreams sometimes come true, when an army follows the
visionary. But who is going to kindle the flame?'

'You,' I said.

'What the devil do you mean?' he asked.

'That is your part. You are the cleverest people in the world. You
have already half the Mussulman lands in your power. It is for you to
show us how to kindle a holy war, for clearly you have the secret of
it. Never fear but we will carry out your order.'

'We have no secret,' he said shortly, and glanced at the official, who
stared out of the window.

I dropped my jaw and looked the picture of disappointment. 'I do