Thus absolved of responsibility, and flashing a big smile, Mahmoud shifted into a lower gear, floored the gas pedal and propelled the 4x4 out of the well-marked track. Now they were driving on a smooth section, where the desert ground was made of almost horizontal slabs of limestone. Little by little the terrain changed as they moved, until they found themselves driving through a maze of ravines and small valleys.
Suddenly, the closely pressing rock walls opened up, and before them lay a vast flat area. Filled with waves of sandy and gravelly soils, the opened space seemed to form a kind of earthen "lake," so large and with banks so flat that the eye could find nothing to grasp until the sky met the earth. Although he had expected the change, Zeno was awestruck, and for a moment forgot where he was. Such forgetfulness was easy in desert so vast, and it was for this reason that he had carefully recorded the position of the vehicle at regular intervals on the G.P.S. He glanced at the machine in his lap. Reassuringly, a light yellow beam on the screen charted their path as it was superimposed over satellite imagery of the area that Zeno had retrieved from his CD-ROM.
They drove almost to the middle of the basin, periodically stopping to take samples of the surface soil for later analysis, and to set signals - square sheets of aluminum for use in satellite pictures. This was work for which Zeno was certainly overqualified, but since he was there to get a general feel for the development potential of several sites, it would have been ridiculous not to perform the sampling. After all, mused Zeno as he dug his sixth sample, engineers are not like lawyers. Engineers know what reasonable fees are, they look for constructive solutions to human problems, they are humble from working with the forces of nature, and, above all, they generally know that when they mess up, they are putting the lives of people at risk. Of course, thought Zeno, looking on as Mahmoud watched the clouds passing overhead, it is for this last reason that some engineers feel to do everything by themselves...Smiling to himself, Zeno glanced up at the horizon.
Clouds. Clouds in the desert. Zeno interrupted his train of thought to look at this odd phenomenon. Mahmoud looked pensive, then called to Zeno, "Mister, we should be heading back...look at the weather! It is early for the season, but I would not be surprised if we get a storm."
Then, as if to punctuate and confirm his statement, a distant clap of thunder slowly rumbled across the desert. Zeno ignored Mahmoud and kept on digging. Soon, however, he glanced up at the horizon to see a line of dark clouds could in the distance, advancing quickly. Zeno hurriedly finished his last sampling, and as he climbed back into the 4x4 the first huge, warm drops started to hit the desert floor. In seconds the ground was soaked.
Mahmoud was not pleased. "Now. Let's go, Mister! We are right in the middle of the Wadi. By the time we get out of here, there will be water everywhere. It will come here, too, and it will flood. We must get to the top of the jebel!
As he spoke, he revved the engine, and pulled a fast "U-turn," setting them exactly on the same course they had come from. The visibility had dropped considerably as heavy sheets of rain engulfed them.
By now, the sun had disappeared. Based on the information stored the G.P.S. Memory, Zeno adeptly gave directions allowing Mahmoud to backtrack the route they had taken.
Then, without warning, the yellow line on the GPS became faint, and began to undulate across the screen. A series of random figures and characters followed on the display. When the screen finally stabilized, the yellow line meandered wildly, not at all reflecting the course Zeno had remembered taking. Only the background satellite imagery was still there, showing just how wrong the new yellow line was. They had never crossed jebels by climbing and descending cliffs, nor had they taken so many turns. They were lost, and at such a moment!
Zeno turned to Mahmoud, “ I'm afraid the G.P.S. is gone."
November 4th, Zeno and Mahmoud collide with a Hagari knights posse in the desert, No 32
They were now on a windy stretch of the track, pushing into a rougher terrain. Rounding a blind curve on a jebel (hill) Mahmoud brutally hit the brakes of their 4x4.
A group of at least 30 Hagari knights with their camels, obstructed the road.
Mahmoud had trouble stopping the car, skidding to a stop to avoid striking one of them. Running over a Hagari would have meant sure death for Mahmoud and most likely for Zeno too. Even hitting a camel would probably have had the same consequence, unless the Hagari believed that they could get enough money to assuage the pain of losing of a beloved and most certainly a unique animal.
Zeno knew that anytime a camel collided with a car, that precise animal suddenly became the "best racing camel around since generations" and was, of course, very very valuable.
The Hagari, he knew, would not tolerate any offense to their dignity real or perceived, regardless of the situation. The desert was their home, and they were not ready to accept any infringement from a non Hagari, no matter who he was.
As the dust settled around the car, Zeno and Mahmoud stared at each other.
Zeno asked quietly:
"So...should we step out of the car?"
"No, do not move...they like to take the initiative".
Immediately one of the men came towards them, his camel wand in his hands
"Salaam wha alekum"
"Alekum salaam" Mahmoud and Zeno responded in chorus.
"Where are you taking this foreigner?" demanded the man pointing at Zeno with his camel wand.
Zeno had a lot of trouble understanding the Hagari intonation...he had acquired some basic knowledge of Arabic, but the Omani accent was really something else. He did not move, looking as stupid as possible, believing it as the appropriate posture for the situation.
"My friend is working for the water conservation program" explained Mahmoud.
"We are going to inspect a site where trees could be grown".
The Hagari slapped the side of the 4x4 with his long camel wand: "You cannot go any further! We have set camp not far from here, behind this jebel. You may not even come close to it. Women and children are there! Turn around your car and get back to Qurum!"
The weapons of his comrades glinted ominously in the sun.
Mahmoud nodded consent, humbly conceding with a string of polite phrases. The Hagari remained in a motionless wall across the road.
"Well,” said Mahmoud to Zeno in a whisper, “it looks like we have received our orders for the day. I do not think that you want to challenge these people. Halas, let's go."
He put the 4x4 in reverse.
They started to retrace their route. Zeno waited for a few minutes until the Hagari were out of sight, then turned his anger and frustration on Mahmoud: "Look, I understand that they have set a camp there and I have no intention of challenging them, but they do not own the whole Al Wusta desert! Take the north path through these jebels and reach the Wadi Zherat basin. We can do our our inspection there; we have the GPS to make sure we do not get lost".
"Mister,” replied Mahmoud evenly as he fixed his eyes on the road, “I really do not want to have trouble with the Hagari. I have heard that they have destroyed a village in Al Wusta a few days ago, apparently for no reasons. They waited until the Wali was not there so that no one would dare to stop them, and they killed everybody, women, children. They are dangerous barbarians!"
"I understand Mahmoud, but if we go in the direction of Wadi Zherat there is no chance of encountering them. They have told us that their camp was in the other direction."
Mahmoud slowed the vehicle to a stop.
He thought for a few moments.
Then he said, "OK, Mister, let's go, but let's not take too long. I do not want to be caught in a storm, and the sky shows signs of getting upset. Also, we didn't mark our intention to go there on the travel plan blackboard at the camp. If we get into an accident, no one will look for us in Wadi Zherat, and if we are late and the night comes, the Operation Manager in Qurum is going to start emergency procedures to fetch us. They have lost many people because of stupid accidents in the desert, and have become very strict about travel and security."
"OK Mahmoud,” said Zeno with a wink at his driver, “I understand, and I do not want you to get into trouble because of me. Let's go and be quick!"
A group of at least 30 Hagari knights with their camels, obstructed the road.
Mahmoud had trouble stopping the car, skidding to a stop to avoid striking one of them. Running over a Hagari would have meant sure death for Mahmoud and most likely for Zeno too. Even hitting a camel would probably have had the same consequence, unless the Hagari believed that they could get enough money to assuage the pain of losing of a beloved and most certainly a unique animal.
Zeno knew that anytime a camel collided with a car, that precise animal suddenly became the "best racing camel around since generations" and was, of course, very very valuable.
The Hagari, he knew, would not tolerate any offense to their dignity real or perceived, regardless of the situation. The desert was their home, and they were not ready to accept any infringement from a non Hagari, no matter who he was.
As the dust settled around the car, Zeno and Mahmoud stared at each other.
Zeno asked quietly:
"So...should we step out of the car?"
"No, do not move...they like to take the initiative".
Immediately one of the men came towards them, his camel wand in his hands
"Salaam wha alekum"
"Alekum salaam" Mahmoud and Zeno responded in chorus.
"Where are you taking this foreigner?" demanded the man pointing at Zeno with his camel wand.
Zeno had a lot of trouble understanding the Hagari intonation...he had acquired some basic knowledge of Arabic, but the Omani accent was really something else. He did not move, looking as stupid as possible, believing it as the appropriate posture for the situation.
"My friend is working for the water conservation program" explained Mahmoud.
"We are going to inspect a site where trees could be grown".
The Hagari slapped the side of the 4x4 with his long camel wand: "You cannot go any further! We have set camp not far from here, behind this jebel. You may not even come close to it. Women and children are there! Turn around your car and get back to Qurum!"
The weapons of his comrades glinted ominously in the sun.
Mahmoud nodded consent, humbly conceding with a string of polite phrases. The Hagari remained in a motionless wall across the road.
"Well,” said Mahmoud to Zeno in a whisper, “it looks like we have received our orders for the day. I do not think that you want to challenge these people. Halas, let's go."
He put the 4x4 in reverse.
They started to retrace their route. Zeno waited for a few minutes until the Hagari were out of sight, then turned his anger and frustration on Mahmoud: "Look, I understand that they have set a camp there and I have no intention of challenging them, but they do not own the whole Al Wusta desert! Take the north path through these jebels and reach the Wadi Zherat basin. We can do our our inspection there; we have the GPS to make sure we do not get lost".
"Mister,” replied Mahmoud evenly as he fixed his eyes on the road, “I really do not want to have trouble with the Hagari. I have heard that they have destroyed a village in Al Wusta a few days ago, apparently for no reasons. They waited until the Wali was not there so that no one would dare to stop them, and they killed everybody, women, children. They are dangerous barbarians!"
"I understand Mahmoud, but if we go in the direction of Wadi Zherat there is no chance of encountering them. They have told us that their camp was in the other direction."
Mahmoud slowed the vehicle to a stop.
He thought for a few moments.
Then he said, "OK, Mister, let's go, but let's not take too long. I do not want to be caught in a storm, and the sky shows signs of getting upset. Also, we didn't mark our intention to go there on the travel plan blackboard at the camp. If we get into an accident, no one will look for us in Wadi Zherat, and if we are late and the night comes, the Operation Manager in Qurum is going to start emergency procedures to fetch us. They have lost many people because of stupid accidents in the desert, and have become very strict about travel and security."
"OK Mahmoud,” said Zeno with a wink at his driver, “I understand, and I do not want you to get into trouble because of me. Let's go and be quick!"
November 4th, Zeno and Mahmoud leave Qurum, travelling to the desert, No 31
Zeno met Mahmoud, his driver, in front of the Operations Building. The air was cool and there was no trace of light in the eastern sky. The heat would come in about half an hour, when the morning sun began caressing the Omani.
After filing their travel plan data on the Operation Building blackboard, a safety rule strictly enforced on the camp, they left, they left, traveling northeast. By six thirty, they were already at least fifty kilometers away from Qurum. Mahmoud was fighting a particularly nasty stretch of the track, as Zeno's mind drifted towards Irina, and the incredible story she had revealed to him. Shifting in his seat, he felt uncomfortable about his confused feelings for her.
Without taking his eyes away from the track, Mahmoud's voice brought him back to reality: "Mister, the device that you have in your bag, it is one of these things that tell you where you are?"
Zeno smiled "Yes, Mahmoud, this is a Global Positioning System, a G.P.S."
"But Mister, this is big, too big. Other men have smaller DPX"
"GPS Mahmoud, GPS"
"OK, Mister. They told me you are important, but important people have small things. Yous have big GPS. Then you are not so important?"
Mahmoud flashed a witty smile erasing any possible bad feeling from what he had just said. Zeno chuckled. Here we go, he thought, miniaturized technology correlated to the importance of people as seen by an Omani driver in the desert. Enough for a sociology PhD. He remembered the kind of debates that some kids have in school -at least in Italy: "mine is bigger than yours.." Now, entire generations' wisdom destroyed by technology! Even a driver in the desert knows it, smaller is now the way to go, not bigger!
Before replying to Mahmoud, Zeno extracted his device from its protective bag and turned on the machine.
"Mahmoud, you are right, this is a very big machine when compared to others you may have seen, but, you see, this is a prototype of a new model developed by my brother Carlo"
"Mister, you mean that people make these machines"
"Yes, of course, they do not grow on trees!"
"Well, no, I know, but I thought that they were made by machines"
"Not this one. See this machine is a complex integration of several devices, that is why it is so big. I am sure in a few years machines similar to this one will be built in large series by machines and sold to many people, but for the moment it is a very expensive prototype. It is a GPS, a fax, a powerful satellite telephone, a CD-ROM and a rather large screen. There is no keyboard, because the tactile screen is used to communicate with the machine."
"Mister, I do not understand, can you explain to me what all this things are?"
"Yes, of course. For the GPS, you know already. The fax..."
"I know what a fax is"
"Ok, a satellite telephone is a telephone that can work in any place you are by using a direct telecommunication satellite link. I used it to query databases that are in my office"
"What is a data base?"
"Well, it is like a closet full of drawers, and every drawer contains, for example, a map of a region or information."
"OK, it is like a picture book, on a computer"
"Yes, exactly, do you know about computers?"
"Yes, my cousin works for the company, he has explained to me; there are even games, one can play cards".
"Exactly. As far as the CD-ROM, that's basically like a disc that has music on it, but it contains numbers and images instead. I can travel around with maps and other information stored in my CD-ROM, without needing to used the satellite phone all the time. Obviously the screen shows you the information from the CD-ROM or from the satellite phone. There is no keyboard because this screen can "feel" your fingers and accept instructions when you point to things that are displayed on it"
"Mister, after all, you must be very important if your brother gives you this thing" said Mahmoud very seriously. Satisfied with Zenos explanations, he turned his attention back to the road.
After filing their travel plan data on the Operation Building blackboard, a safety rule strictly enforced on the camp, they left, they left, traveling northeast. By six thirty, they were already at least fifty kilometers away from Qurum. Mahmoud was fighting a particularly nasty stretch of the track, as Zeno's mind drifted towards Irina, and the incredible story she had revealed to him. Shifting in his seat, he felt uncomfortable about his confused feelings for her.
Without taking his eyes away from the track, Mahmoud's voice brought him back to reality: "Mister, the device that you have in your bag, it is one of these things that tell you where you are?"
Zeno smiled "Yes, Mahmoud, this is a Global Positioning System, a G.P.S."
"But Mister, this is big, too big. Other men have smaller DPX"
"GPS Mahmoud, GPS"
"OK, Mister. They told me you are important, but important people have small things. Yous have big GPS. Then you are not so important?"
Mahmoud flashed a witty smile erasing any possible bad feeling from what he had just said. Zeno chuckled. Here we go, he thought, miniaturized technology correlated to the importance of people as seen by an Omani driver in the desert. Enough for a sociology PhD. He remembered the kind of debates that some kids have in school -at least in Italy: "mine is bigger than yours.." Now, entire generations' wisdom destroyed by technology! Even a driver in the desert knows it, smaller is now the way to go, not bigger!
Before replying to Mahmoud, Zeno extracted his device from its protective bag and turned on the machine.
"Mahmoud, you are right, this is a very big machine when compared to others you may have seen, but, you see, this is a prototype of a new model developed by my brother Carlo"
"Mister, you mean that people make these machines"
"Yes, of course, they do not grow on trees!"
"Well, no, I know, but I thought that they were made by machines"
"Not this one. See this machine is a complex integration of several devices, that is why it is so big. I am sure in a few years machines similar to this one will be built in large series by machines and sold to many people, but for the moment it is a very expensive prototype. It is a GPS, a fax, a powerful satellite telephone, a CD-ROM and a rather large screen. There is no keyboard, because the tactile screen is used to communicate with the machine."
"Mister, I do not understand, can you explain to me what all this things are?"
"Yes, of course. For the GPS, you know already. The fax..."
"I know what a fax is"
"Ok, a satellite telephone is a telephone that can work in any place you are by using a direct telecommunication satellite link. I used it to query databases that are in my office"
"What is a data base?"
"Well, it is like a closet full of drawers, and every drawer contains, for example, a map of a region or information."
"OK, it is like a picture book, on a computer"
"Yes, exactly, do you know about computers?"
"Yes, my cousin works for the company, he has explained to me; there are even games, one can play cards".
"Exactly. As far as the CD-ROM, that's basically like a disc that has music on it, but it contains numbers and images instead. I can travel around with maps and other information stored in my CD-ROM, without needing to used the satellite phone all the time. Obviously the screen shows you the information from the CD-ROM or from the satellite phone. There is no keyboard because this screen can "feel" your fingers and accept instructions when you point to things that are displayed on it"
"Mister, after all, you must be very important if your brother gives you this thing" said Mahmoud very seriously. Satisfied with Zenos explanations, he turned his attention back to the road.
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Book One
The Santucci Brothers Trilogy, 1999, F. Oboni
