Vixen 03 (Dirk Pitt 5)

"Hiram is on the threshold of greatness, you know."

He smiled at her high-toned statement. "I imagine the same might have been said once of Attila the Hun."

"I can easily see why Washington correspondents crowd your press conferences, Congressman." Her hand remained on his arm.

"Your tongue stabs."

"I believe they refer to it as 'Daggat's shaft.' "

"The better to screw the white establishment with, perhaps?"

He took her hand and exerted an increasing pressure until there was a tiny widening of her huge mahogany eyes. "Tell me, Ms.

Collins, what brings a beautiful and renowned black entertainer to the jungle?"

"The same thing that brings the black enfant terrible of the United States Congress," she countered. "To help a man who is fighting to advance our race."

"I'm more inclined to believe Hiram Lusana is fighting to advance his private bank account."

Felicia smiled derisively. "You disappoint me, Congressman. If you'd bothered to do your homework, you'd know that is simply not true."

Daggat stiffened. The gauntlet had been thrown.

He released her hand and moved until his face was only a few inches from hers. "With half the world watching the African nations, waiting and wondering when they are going to get their circus act together and remove the last bastion of white supremacy, who should appear like a messiah from the wilderness, offering a proverb for every occasion, but none other than your friendly international drug smuggler Hiram Lusana. Like a revelation in the night, he unloads his thriving operation and takes up the cause of the poor foul-smelling black rabble of South Africa.

"Reinforced now by gullible black opinion and touted by a world press hungry for a personality, any personality, handsome Hiram suddenly finds his smiling face on the covers of no fewer than fourteen magazines with a combined circulation of over sixty million. Thus the sun shines down from heaven and Hiram Lusana is adored by Bible beaters everywhere for his devout piety; foreign state departments vie for his presence at parties; he demands and receives fabulous fees on the lecture circuit; and suckers like you, Ms. Collins, from the entertainment world, kiss his ass and scratch for a percentage of the box-office limelight."

Anger flared in Felicia's lovely features. "You're being deliberately offensive."

"Nakedly honest, perhaps." Daggat paused and enjoyed Felicia's uneasiness for a moment. "And what do you think will happen 29

if Lusana should win his war and the white racist government in South Africa surrenders? Will he, like Cincinnatus, renounce his generalship and return to the plow? Not likely. There is little doubt in my mind that he'll proclaim himself president and launch a virtual dictatorship. Then, with the enormous resources of Africa's most advanced country in his pock-et, he'll shift the grand crusade into reverse and either by force or by subterfuge gobble up the weaker black nations."

"You're blind," she said harshly. "Hiram guides his life by high mor-als. I find it unthinkable that he would ever consider selling out his ideals for personal gain."

Felicia did not see the caution in Daggat's eyes. "I can prove it, Ms. Collins, and all it will cost you-financially, that is-if you lose is one Yankee dollar."

"You're fishing in a barren lake, Congressman. You obviously do not know the general."

"Bet me."

She thought a moment and then looked up. "You're on."

Daggat bowed gallantly and escorted her to where Lusana was talking tactics with an officer of the Mozambique Army. Lusana broke off his conversation at their approach and greeted them. "Ah, my two fellow Americans. I see you've met."

"May I talk with you and Ms. Collins alone for a moment, General?" asked Daggat.

"Why, yes, of course."

Lusana excused himself from the Army officer and led the way into a small study comfortably furnished in an Afro-modern motif.

"Very nice," said Daggat.

"My favorite style of decor." Lusana motioned them to sit down. "And why not? Is it not based on our ancestral native designs?"

"Personally, I prefer the new Egyptian creations," said an indifferent Daggat.

"What is it you wish to discuss?" asked Lusana.