"You can’t come all this way to North Africa without seeing Marrakesh--an oasis in the North African desert," Churchill said. 

"Why don’t we spend two days there?”

“This is a time of war," Roosevelt said. "I don’t think it would be appropriate for us to be vacationing in the midst of it.”

“Nonsense. You must see the sunset on the snows of the Atlas Mountains. It’s a breathtaking sight."

"But where will we stay?" Roosevelt asked.

"Vice-consul Pendar has a villa there, La Saadia, that will accommodate us."

Roosevelt was envious of the fact that Churchill wrote his own speeches and his enticing arguments to make the excursion was an example of how persuasive he could be. The good Prime Minister already laid much of the necessary groundwork for the trip and Roosevelt hated to disappoint him. Roosevelt turned his wheelchair toward the door.

"Very well then, Marrakesh it is."

Thousands of American troops were assembled and lined the one hundred fifty-mile route to Marrakesh. The planes of the Army Air Corp protected it from the skies.

An aide helped the crippled President into the olive drab Daimler limousine where he would share the ride with Churchill. The limousine pulled out onto the road, leaving behind a wake of sand and dust.

"I’m glad that you decided to come,” Churchill said.

“You made it sound tantalizing. Tell me more about Marrakesh--I have only a political knowledge for the city.”

“Marrakesh is the Paris of the Sahara. For centuries caravans have been coming from central Africa. Along the way tribes in the mountains would heavily tax them and when they finally made it to Marrakesh they would be swindled in the markets.”

“Why did they go then?”

“It didn’t matter to them for they were able to take in the gay life of the city. Food and drink were plentiful. The snake charmers, fortune-tellers and the like captivated them. They have the largest and most elaborately organized brothels in the African continent. A true oasis from many points of view."

"It sounds both mystical and intriguing."

"You won't be disappointed." Churchill reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a cigar. "Do you mind if I smoke?"

"Be my guest as long as you don’t mind if I do too."

Churchill turned the end of the cigar in his mouth, moistening the tip. "It’s a Cuban--Romeo y Julieta--liberated from the oppression of the Spaniards by your most honorable cousin, Teddy Roosevelt, and his Rough Riders."

"I’m glad America was able to indulge your smoking pleasure," Roosevelt said, inserting his cigarette into the holder.

Churchill took a long wooden match and poked a hole through the moistened end of the cigar. He blew through the other end.

"This one will give me a good draw."

The rough Moroccan roads bounced them in their seats. Churchill struck a match and struggled to hold it steady as he lit Roosevelt’s cigarette. He brought the match to his cigar and puffed.

"What do you think of the French generals de Gaulle and Giruad?" Churchill asked as the driver rolled down his window.

"You know as well as I that we need to show unity in the grand alliance, especially in French Morocco. It’s obvious that there’s a power struggle between the two Frenchmen. We had such a difficult time getting those two generals together that I thought we were trying to arrange a meeting between Grant and Lee."

"I had to have Mister Eden threaten de Gaulle’s removal as the head of the French Liberation Committee in London if he didn't come."

"We have an expression in America for a forced marriage such as this one between de Gaulle and Giraud--a shotgun wedding."

"Well if a shotgun wedding is in order than a shotgun wedding it will be. What troubles me though is this statement of unconditional surrender for all our enemies. I can’t help but think that Italy should have been excluded from the statement. I feel they are more apt to cease fighting without such a supposition."

Roosevelt hadn't discussed his unconditional surrender statement beforehand with Churchill and assumed Churchill was of a like mind on the matter.

"Russia has been taking the brunt of this war," Roosevelt said. "I felt the need to use the term unconditional surrender to send a message to Stalin that we are in this war to the end. As for the Italians, their capitulation has been assured. We are arranging with the Italian Mafia to make our invasion of Sicily go smooth. They will cooperate and support us provided that we let them go about their business with little harassment.”

"Sometimes such dealings with undesirables must be made to insure victory."

"The Elliot Ness’ of the world will be less than happy."

Roosevelt looked at the array of soldiers guarding their route in the hot desert sun.

"I want to make sure that our boys fighting in this war have their government doing everything in its power to make it go well for them," Roosevelt said.

"The unseemly arrangement with the Mafia will have to do. We have a war to win and enemies of more import to vanquish," Churchill reassured Roosevelt as their limousine traversed through the sand dunes along the desert road.

"The Mafia promises to cooperate fully with our Civil Affairs soldiers."

"This will certainly help our quest." Churchill gestured at the array of Sherman tanks on the side of the road. “I’m surprised that you have any tanks left after Montgomery received 300 of them from you last September and October.”

“America has been retooled for the war economy.”

“Splendid.”

Their five-hour journey ended in the early evening at the light red stucco villa with black marble fountains in the courtyards. The interior was decorated with glazed and cut tiles arranged in complex geometries. The floors were covered with plush oriental carpets. Aides placed the President in a chair and brought him up to the tower. Roosevelt marveled at the sunset that tinted the snows of the Atlas range to varying shades of pink.

“You were right," Roosevelt said. "This sunset is breathtaking.”

“I knew you would enjoy it.”

Electric lights turned on in the top of every mosque minaret, summoning the faithful to prayer as the sun began to disappear. 

Churchill placed a coat over Roosevelt’s shoulders. "It’s the most lovely spot in the world." 

Roosevelt could not disagree and savored the sight until it was dark.

"A good meal is in order," Churchill said.

"Let's find our host."

Vice-consul Pendar sat himself between Roosevelt and Churchill in the grand dining room of the villa.

"Mr. President, what are your thoughts about the situation in Morocco?" Pendar asked.

"The Moroccans," Roosevelt said, "exude a will to become independent. Nationalism is on the rise here. Its days as a colony are numbered."

Churchill was a nineteenth-century colonialist and raised his eyebrows at this remark.

"What is needed here," Roosevelt continued, "is compulsory education, medicines and birth control."

"Yes, all these things are fine Mr. President," Pendar said, "but do you think your New Deal will work well here?"

“It's hard to say. You might want to give it a try.”

“Let’s not forget our purpose here,” Churchill said then drew on his cigar. “We are making a wide encircling movement in the Mediterranean, to recover command of that vital sea, but also to expose the under-belly of the Axis, especially Italy, to heavy attack.”

“Of course, of course,” Roosevelt agreed. “A little diversion never hurt anybody.”

The alcohol had thoroughly loosened the guests' lips by the time desert and coffee was served. One of Pendars aides began to sing and others around the table joined him. Roosevelt participated in one of the choruses and was about to attempt a solo when a guest interrupted.

“A toast to our American and British friends. May our mutual cooperation benefit us all.”

“Hear hear.”

At the end of the evening Roosevelt and Churchill retired together and composed a summary of the Casablanca meeting. Roosevelt had especially felt a need to send a message to their allies who were not at the conference, Stalin and Chiang Kai-Shek.

"They should be pleased by this," Roosevelt said.

"Stalin especially," Churchill replied. "He has been clamoring for a second front and has questioned our resolve with our hesitation in creating one."

"This message is good, but he won't be satisfied until the second front is made a reality."

Churchill's face became rigid. "He must be patient."

"This has been an eventful day," Roosevelt said. "What I need now is some rest."

"You shall have it," Churchill said, excusing himself.

Early the next morning Roosevelt arrived at Churchill’s bedroom.

"I've come to say farewell," Roosevelt said.

Churchill jumped out of bed. "I will ride with you to your plane."

"But you're not dressed," Roosevelt protested.

"Nonsense."

Churchill hastily put on his zip: a blue flannel coverall and a dressing gown with a velvet collar and red dragons. He slipped his feet into a pair of initial embroidered black velvet slippers and placed a cap of a chief marshal of the Royal Air Force on his head. Roosevelt looked at Churchill in astonishment then smiled.

"Very well. Let's go."

The pair rode together to the runway where the press had been assembled for Roosevelt's departure. The photographers took one look at the Prime Minister in his outrageous outfit and raised their cameras.

Churchill waved them off with his ever-present cigar. "You simply can’t do this to me."

The photographers howled and lowered their cameras. 

"Thank you."

The President was eased into the plane and Churchill followed close behind. Roosevelt looked up from his seat.

"I have a long journey ahead of me through Lagos, Dakar, across to Brazil and finally up to Washington."

"Sit tight and keep well," Churchill said.

"You too," Roosevelt replied.

Churchill returned to the edge of the tarmac and watched the plane, carrying the man responsible for shifting the tide of war, taxi down the runway. The aircraft lifted up into the sky and disappeared over the horizon.

"Sit tight and keep well," Churchill said again.

The Prime Minister returned to the villa and had his painting things set up in the tower. Dressed in a smock and an enormous wide-brim hat, he painted the scenery that he and Roosevelt admired the day before. It would be the only painting Churchill would attempt during the entire war. He spent the next two days on Holiday in Marrakesh and corresponding with his War cabinet.