Excerpt from The Camels Dream

One night, Oliver walked out into the desert, following the smell of Acacia, and Orange Blinter. He walked for hours, it seemed, and came into an oasis of sorts never seen by any common camel driver. It was glorious. The trees glimmered in the moonlight, and all around were springs of fast moving, crystal clear water. He tasted it, and it was unlike any water he ever tasted before. One good drink was enough. It could quench the thirst of a camel, goat, donkey, and even an elephant, in one brief second. Oliver never had such an experience. He was very excited with this finding, and went on further. Almost at once, appearing a few feet from him were the fields of sweet green hay. Just like he always wanted his stingy driver to give him. He ate only a few mouthfuls, and became filled at once. Never before had hay tasted so good. He moved on, recognizing the herb of Anziggia, a favorite for all camel drivers. It was thick and heavy, and cool to walk in. Oliver wondered if this was a good place to sleep, but worried that he would sleep too long and his driver would beat him if he came home too late in the morning. But it was so soft, and his feet felt great. Well, I could just kneel in it; I will not fall asleep if I do just that much, he thought. Oliver kneeled in the lush green, and it was so comfortable...so comfortable. One eye closed, than the other, and Oliver was fast asleep.

He dreamed of a place like this almost every night for his whole life. Now he s there and it was great. Oliver awoke almost as the vultures crowed, with the terrible thought that his driver will find him there, and it would be all over. He jumped up and dashed back on the trail, almost invisible in the daylight. He noted an old shoe by the side of the trail, stuffed half way into the Orange Blinter and it reminded him of his unreasonable driver, and worried for sure he was going to be discovered. Within an hour he arrived at the bleak dry oasis, only to find his driver, still under the ledge





Excerpt from The Dates of Petra



One of the most efficient ways to travel on the desert is by riding on a camel. Camels seem to have endless energy, and need to drink only when theyre thirsty. This may be every day but they could do without for many days. They need some hay, and a poor grade will suffice. Sometimes, depending on the location, it is all they are able to get. Why does man try to get more out of what he thinks is an indifferent, ugly tempered beast?

To straighten this out once and for all, the camel is not indifferent. It has a perfect nervous system, unlike man. A temper given and taught by man, sometimes ugly, is a reflection of those that trained him. Very few are given the chance to be loving and patient with their owner.

What animal can be given one order, only one, and remember it weeks later? Most humans cannot remember things told a few minutes before. How many times has your mother told you to wipe your feet when entering the house? Obviously, you forgot the first command. A camel learned to wipe his feet when he was an infant. For his whole life, he wipes his feet.

You get what you pay for in a camel. Pay big and you get a big camel. They are the trucking industry of the desert, and have to follow the rules set forth by the Time Honored Society of Working Camels. This is the THSOWC. A camel must be at least three years old to be a member. His driver, in order to own one, must be certified by the GWHP commission, which means Good Watering and Haying Practices. It all sounds great, but in this world, it may never exist.

In upper Wadi Musa, near Petra, a tomb was being cut into the rock. Camels were the transporters of tools, materials and the precious water. A camel named, Hace, which in Arabic is written, ???? had an ability not found in most four footed beasts. This camel was about eleven years old, and knew every driver in all of the territory. He had favorites, and worked without stopping for hours after the others left. You might say he was a camel holic. He worked hard in order to show that he was thankful that his driver treated him kindly.

The team had been working on a tomb that required tools not found in most of Egypt at that time. Required in the process, was very fine sharp sand for the cement. Hace was able to convince the other camels that this job was special. The tools that were needed, were found, at other tomb sites, and were delivered on time. It was like a modern day shipment, considered to be as valuable as gold.