"William W Johnstone - Ashes 22 - Chaos in the Ashes (txt)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Johnstone William W)

"Ah . . . no, not at this time," Simon said quickly. He hated rap music
and everything connected with it- including blacks-but he kept that
concealed. "Some other time, perhaps. Issac Africa? Ah, yes. Isn't he
the militant who now thinks he controls what was once the state of
Missouri?"

"He doesn't think he controls it," Rita said proudly. "He does control
it. Issac and his ANA-that's the Army of the New Africa-will show Ben
Raines who is really the meanest cat on the block."

"Army of the New Africa," Simon muttered. "And this, ah, Issac person is
the commanding general of the ANA?"

"Not really, but sort of. He's actually the Premier of New Africa.
Mobutomamba is the head of the army."

"Mobutomamba? He's from Africa?" Simon questioned.

"Naw," Rita said. "He's from South Carolina. But he's descended from
kings. His grandmother told him that."

"How interesting. Well, I wish them the best of luck in fighting Ben
Raines." They are certainly going to need all the luck they can get,
Simon silently added.

Although Simon Border despised Ben Raines and everything he stood for,
he would never make the mistake of underestimating the man, or his Rebels.

Simon Border's face looked remarkably like a cot-tonmouth snake, and he
was just about as dangerous. Simon played all angles: to some he was the
great eman-

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cipator, to others he sat on the right side of God. Others saw him as
the salvation of America. Before the Great War, Simon had been an
advocate of wealth redistribution, womb-to-tomb health insurance for
everybody (no matter that it would bankrupt the country), midnight
basketball, a Bible in every home, death to any who practiced abortion.
That was one side of the man. The other side was much darker. Of course,
Simon was a racist, a hypocrite, a womanizer, a fraud, a snake-oil
salesman disguised as a preacher, and a charlatan. He could be all
things to all people at a second's notice.

But Simon really did think of himself as the savior of freedom-freedom
as he narrowly denned the word, that is.

Simon shook his head. Mobutomamba? It was so sad. Another