Ostrander was scowling at him, but his face was thoughtful.
Homer said quietly, "It's not always an easy thing, to have power thrust into your hands. Not always a desirable thing." His voice went quieter still. "Only a short time ago it led me to the necessity of ... killing ... my best friend."
"And mine," Isobel said softly, almost under her breath.
Dave Moroka said, "Abe Baker," before he caught himself.
Kenny Ballalou looked at him strangely. "Did you know Abe?"
The South African recovered. "I've heard several of you mention him from time to time. He was a commie, wasn't he?"
"Yes," Homer said without inflection. "And a man. He saved my life on more than one occasion. As long as we worked together with only Africa in mind, there was no conflict. But Abe had a further, and, to him, greater alliance."
He turned his attention back to the C.I.A. man. "A man does what he must do," he finished simply. "I did not ask to become El Hassan."
Ostrander said, "Your motivation is possibly beside the point. The thing is that the battle for men's minds continues and your program, eventually, must align with the West."
"And get clobbered in the stampeding around between the two great powers," Kenny said dryly.