Loren Smith rose from behind her desk and held out her hand as Frederick Daggat was ushered into her office. He smiled his best politician’s smile. “I hope you’ll forgive my intrusion … ah … Congresswoman.”

Loren grasped his hand firmly. It never failed to amuse her to see a man stumble over her title. They never seemed to get the hang of saying ” Congresswoman.”

“I’m happy for the interruption,” she said, motioning him toward a chair. To his surprise, she held out a box of cigars. He took one.

“This is indeed a treat. I hardly expected … do you mind if I light up?”

Salvage I 115

“Please do,” she said, smiling. “I grant that it looks a bit incongruous for a woman to pass out cigars, but the practical value becomes apparent when you consider that my male visitors outnumber the females by twenty to one.”

Daggat expelled a large blue cloud toward the ceiling and fired his first broadside. “You voted against my initial proposal to budget aid to the African Army of Revolution.”

Loren nodded. She didn’t speak, for she was waiting for Daggat to make his full pitch.

“The white government of South Africa is on the verge of self-destruction. The nation’s economy has plummeted in the last few years. Its treasury is exhausted. The white minority have cruelly and ruthlessly treated the black majority as slaves far too long. For ten years, in the time since blacks took over the government in Rhodesia, Afrikaners have become hardened and completely merciless in their dealings with their Bantu citizens. Internal riots have taken over five thousand lives. This bloodbath must not continue any longer. Hiram Lusana’s AAR is the only hope for peace. We must support it, both financially and militarily.”

“I was under the impression that Hiram Lusana was a communist.”

Daggat shook his head. “I’m afraid you labor under a misapprehension, Congresswoman Smith. I admit that Lusana allows the use of Vietnamese military advisers, but I can personally assure you that he is not and never has been a pawn of international communism.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” Loren’s voice was toneless. In her mind Daggat was trying to sell a bill of goods and she was determined not to buy.

“Hiram Lusana is a man of high ideals,” Daggat continued. “He does not permit the slaughter of innocent women and children. He does not condone indiscriminate bloodthirsty attacks on cities and villages, as do ‘he other insurgent movements. His war is aimed strictly against government installations and military targets. I, for one, feel that Congress should back the leader who conducts his affairs with virtuous rationality.”