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" "So we deal directly with the old Sultan who is being a well-known Latah. After that everything is plain sailing you might say." "But you wouldn't believe it, certain disgruntled ele- ments chased us right down to our launch." "Handicapped somewhat by lack of legs." "And a condition in the head." (Ergot is a fungus disease grows on bad wheat. Dur- ing the Middle Ages Europe was periodically deci- mated by outbreaks of Ergotism, which was called St. Anthony's fire. Gangrene frequently supervenes, the legs turn black and drop off. ) They unload a shipment of condemned parachutes on the Ecuadorian Air Force. Manoeuvres: Boys plummet streaming 'chutes like broken condoms splash young blood over pot-bellied generals... shattering wake of sound as Clem and Jody disappear over the Andes in jet getaway.... The exact objectives of Islam Inc. are obscure. Need- less to say everyone involved has a different angle, and they all intend to cross each other up somewhere along the line. A. J. is agitating for the destruction of Israel: "With all this feeling against the West a chap has a spot of bother scoring for the young Arab amenities.... The situation is little short of intolerable.... Israel consti- tutes a downright inconvenience." Typical A. J. cover story. Clem and Jody give out they are interested in the de- struction of Near East oil Belds to boost the value of their Venezuelan holdings. Clem writes a number to the tune of "Crawdad" (Big Bill Broonzy). What you gonna do when the oil goes dry? Gonna sit right there and watch those Arabs die. Salvador emits a thick screen of international finance to cloak, at least from the rank and file, his Liquefac- tionist activities.... But over a few stiff yages he lets his hair down among friends. "Islam is jellied consomme already," he says, dancing the Liquefactionist Jig.... And then, unable to contain himself, he bursts into a hideous falsetto: It's trembling on the brink One push and down it sink Hey, Maw, get ready my veil. "Well, these citizens have engaged the services of a Brooklyn Jew who passes himself off as the second coming of Mohammed.... In fact Doctor Benway delivered him by Caesarian section from a Holy Man in Mecca. |
