human
I have an account with the Bank of Jamaica in Kingston. About four hundred pounds, I think. I'll have it transferred.
gpt
We're only going to be able to give Jake part of this.
human
How's that? Elmer growled.
gpt
What use have we for money in the Sahara? Jake's got to put up a decent front in Geneva and New York.
human
As Defense Minister, I'm opposed to El Hassan's followers _ever_ taking anything without generous payment. We'll need food and various services. From the beginning, we're going to have to pay our way. We can't afford to let rumors start going around that we're nothing but a bunch of brigands.
gpt
Bey's right, Homer nodded.
human
The El Hassan movement is going to have to maintain itself on the highest ethical level. We're going to take over where the French Camel Corps left off and police North Africa. There can't be a man from Somaliland to Mauretania who can say that one of El Hassan's followers liberated him from as much as a date.
gpt
You can always requisition whatever you need and give them a receipt, and then we'll pay off when we come to power.
human
That's out! Bey snapped.
gpt
Most of these people can't read. And even those that do don't trust what they read. A piece of paper, in their eyes, is no return for some goats, or flour, camels, horses, or whatever else it might be we need. No, we're going to have to pay our way.
human
Bey's right, Kenny. It's going to be a rough go, especially at first.
gpt
What do you mean, _at first?_ What's going to happen, _at second_ to make it any easier? Where're we going to get all this money we'll need to pay for even what we ourselves use, not to speak of the thousands of men we're going to have to have if El Hassan is ever to come to power?
human
Kenny, dear boy, don't misunderstand. We don't requisition anything from individuals, or clans, or small settlements. But if we take over a town such as Gao, or Niamey, or Colomb-Béchar, or wherever, there is nothing to say that a legal government such as that of El Hassan, can't requisition the contents of the local banks.
gpt
The term, my dear Minister of Defense, currently is to _nationalize_ the bank. Whether or not we wish to have the banks remain nationalized, after we take over, we can figure out later. But in the early stages, I'm afraid we're going to have to nationalize just about every bank we come in contact with.
human
I haven't said whether or not I'll come in yet, but just as a point, I might mention issuing your own legal tender. As soon as you liberate a printing press somewhere, of course.
gpt
You can see Cliff was _meant_ to be Minister of Treasury. He's got _wholesale_ larceny in his soul, none of this picayunish stuff such as robbing nomads of their sheep.
human
This whole conversation started with Bey protesting that we couldn't allow ourselves to be thought of as brigands. Now listen to you all.
gpt
See here, friend. Don't you know the difference between brigandage and international finance?
human
No,
gpt
Hm-m-m,
human
Let's get on with this, Homer said.
gpt
The forming of El Hassan's basic government is beginning to take on aspects of a minstrel show. Then we've all declared ourselves in ... except Cliff.
human
You're not being urged, Cliff. You can turn back at this point.
gpt
You came to Africa to help your race develop its continent. To conquer such problems as sufficient food, clothing and shelter for all. To bring education and decent medical care to a people who have had possibly the lowest living standards anywhere. Can you see any way of achieving this beyond the El Hassan movement?
human
That's not why I came to Africa.
gpt
I'm no do-gooder. I took a job with the Africa for Africans Association because it was the best job I could find.
human
I doubt it, Cliff.
gpt
O.K., O.K. Possibly there were other angles. I wanted to travel. Wanted to see Africa. Besides, it was good background for some future job. I figured it wouldn't hurt me any, in later years, applying for some future job. Maybe with some Negro concern in the States. I'd be able to say I'd put in a few years in Africa. Something like a Jew in New York who was a veteran of the Israel-Arab wars, before the debacle.
human
Don't you see? Everybody doesn't have this _dream_ that Homer's always talking about. That doesn't mean I'm abnormal. I just don't have the interest you do. All I want is a good job, some money in the bank, security back in the States. I'm not interested in dashing all over the globe, getting shot at, dying for some ideal.
gpt
It's up to you, Cliff. Nobody's twisting your arm.
human
All I came to Africa for was the job, the money I got out of it,