human
What're the latest developments? Obviously, I haven't seen a paper or heard a broadcast for over a week.
gpt
Not much. More trouble with the Portuguese down in the south.
human
There's going to be a bloodbath there before it's over.
gpt
There's been some hope that fundamental changes might take place in Lisbon.
human
In that case the bloodbath would take place there instead of in Africa. He added,
gpt
Which is all right with me.
human
What else?
gpt
Continued complications in the Congo.
human
That's hardly news.
gpt
But things are going like clockwork in the west. Kenya, Uganda, Tanganyika. Cliff took his right hand away from the controls long enough to make a circle with its thumb and index finger.
human
Like clockwork. Fifty new fellows from the University of Chicago came in last week to help with the rural education development and twenty or so men from Johns Hopkins in Baltimore have wrangled a special grant for a new medical school.
gpt
All ... Negroes?
human
What else?
gpt
Tell her about the Cubans.
human
Cubans?
gpt
Over in the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan area. They were supposedly helping introduce modern sugar refining methods--
human
Why supposedly?
gpt
Why not?
human
All right, go on,
gpt
Somebody shot them up. Killed several, wounded most of the others.
human
Who ... and why?
gpt
Nobody seems to know, but the weapons were modern. Plenty modern. He twisted in his bucket seat, uncomfortably.
human
Listen, have you heard anything about some character named El Hassan?
gpt
Why, yes. The people there in Gao mentioned him. Who is he?
human
That's what I'd like to know, Jake said.
gpt
What did they say?
human
Oh, mostly supposed words of wisdom that El Hassan was alleged to have made with. I get it that he's some, well you wouldn't call him a nationalist since he's international in his appeal, but he's evidently preaching union of all Africans. I get an undercurrent of anti-Europeanism in general, but not overdone. Isobel's expressive face went thoughtful.
gpt
As a matter of fact, his program seems to coincide largely with our own, so much so that from time to time when I had occasion to drop a few words of propaganda into a conversation, I'd sometimes credit it to him.
human
That's a coincidence, he said.
gpt
I've been doing the same thing. An idea often carries more weight with these people if it's attributed to somebody with a reputation.
human
Well, I can't find out anything about him. Nobody seems to know if he's an Egyptian, a Nigerian, a MOR ... or an Eskimo, for that matter.
gpt
Did you check with headquarters?
human
So far they have nothing on him, except for some other inquiries from field workers.