章節 226: Chapter 226: Heading for the desert (Edited)
Yushadu is not young; he is at least 60 years old. It is said that when he was young, he fought in several tough battles with President Nasser in the Sinai Peninsula.
This collusion lasted for almost forty years.
Alhaya was once a small Soviet stronghold from which scientific research teams with various objectives ventured into the desert. Yushadu often served as their guide.
In fact, Yushadu didn't go by that name when he was young. In his line of work, he couldn't use his real name, so he used a pseudonym. The pseudonym was fitting since Yushadu means "guide" in Arabic, and he has done this job well for decades. Over time, his real name became unknown.
Yushadu leaned against the broken door, holding his Egyptian water pipe. "Peter, I'm sorry, but I won't accept this. It's not the right time to venture into the desert, and God will punish me if I knowingly do so."
Suddenly, both sides were at a stalemate.
But the stalemate was broken by the cry of a baby in the backyard.
Peter looked at Yushadu. "My daughter-in-law's belly is as big as a sheep's, and she has given birth to another baby."
"In a few years, I fear she'll eat your old bones to death." Peter chuckled.
Yushadu ignored him and took puffs from his hookah.
Finally, he looked at Peter with cloudy eyes and said, "Forty years ago, I would have dared to reject you. You were a group of men with ideals. But now, I lack the guts. Not only now, but twenty years ago, I wouldn't have dared to disobey."
"I'll give you a large sum of money, enough to support your three grandchildren until they reach adulthood." Peter made a promise, throwing three bundles of dollars to Yushadu.
"Well, I'll sell you my old bones," said Yushadu, aware of the consequences of refusing after receiving the benefits. He accepted Peter's offer. It was a good deal for him. At his age, he didn't know how many years of life he had left, and the $30,000 would be enough to cover his family's expenses for the next ten years.
After accepting, Yushadu made a request, "We cannot enter the desert by car. We can only go by camel, which are the messengers of God. Besides, the desert is not friendly to cars, even if the gods are not taken into account."
Silence fell upon the group. If they couldn't drive, their speed and carrying capacity would be reduced significantly.
Tom recalled his dream and couldn't help but speak on behalf of the old man, "True, camels are more reliable."
Alyosha frowned, but Peter tugged at his coat, and he fell silent and nodded.
Dr. Hunter agreed. The old Yushadu was more experienced than anyone when it came to venturing into the desert, so it was only natural to listen to him.
In the desert, a camel that can go without water for ten days or more is undoubtedly an excellent mount. Once this was agreed upon, the old Yushadu was able to gather thirty sturdy camels for the group in a matter of hours. Most of the city's camels were dromedaries, and all the camels selected by the old man were dromedaries as well.
There are dromedaries and Bactrian camels, with one hump for dromedaries and two for Bactrian camels. The old man chose dromedaries because they are better adapted to the desert. Bactrian camels are more suited to cold climates. Dromedaries, domesticated for thousands of years in the Arab region, are better adapted to this environment.
The old Yushadu herded thirty camels in front of his house. The camels were three meters long and two meters tall, with thick lashes and small furry ears. After gathering the camels, the old man struggled to bring out a large bucket, which Alyosha quickly took charge of.
Alyosha's face didn't even change upon seeing the 70-80-kilogram bucket.
The bucket was filled with clear spring water. The old man added a bag of salt to it.
In addition to the water, Alyosha had prepared plenty of fodder for the old man.
"Eat! When you finish eating, you'll have to go to the desert." As if they understood the old man's words, the camels devoured the fodder and drank water.
A camel's stomach has three chambers, the first of which has 20 to 30 bladders to store water, and their red blood cells can expand significantly to absorb water. This enables camels to go days without drinking and to drink over 50 liters of water at once when well-hydrated.
The old man took a long time to feed the camels. Meanwhile, Alyosha took charge of the group and loaded the prepared equipment onto the camels, carrying a large amount of fodder and salt bricks, as well as his own provisions.
Tom thought of bringing a bag of tea and a pack of dried dates. Dates are a good thing, and there is a local saying in Egypt that one date is enough to sustain you for three days in the desert: on the first day, you eat the skin, on the second day, the flesh, and on the third day, the core.
Although it may be an exaggeration, dates are a gift from nature. In both Eastern and Western cultures, dates are considered sacred, a gift from the gods. In the East, dates were associated with immortals. The alchemist An Qisheng of the Qin Dynasty told the First Emperor that he had been to Mount Penglai, where the immortals on the mountain treated him to dates as big as melons. The First Emperor believed him to be truthful and rewarded him with tens of thousands of pieces of gold.
Of course, Tom and his group carried an abundance of water, and to prevent it from spoiling, Dr. Hunter added a bit of rum to each bladder. Alyosha and his camels carried liquor bags around their necks: vodka, rum, and the local white herb wine.
Tom's group, somewhat resembling an ancient camel caravan, had enough food for a month and water for half a month without revealing their identity as wizards. The role of the old Yushadu was to find oases and underground rivers to stay hydrated along the way.
But to be honest, with the speed of the wizards' "Aguamenti" spell, Tom and Hermione couldn't provide enough fresh water for the thirty camels. Only eighteen of them were truly loaded, while the rest were the team's mounts. The old Yushadu had brought some blackened gunpowder, which was said to be a special drink that could be prepared to alleviate the heat.
According to the ancient texts found by Dr. Hunter, the ancient city they were searching for was in the direction of the Gerberto ruins. The ancient human remains are located in a remote area of the Sahara, in the heart of the Tenere Desert, known as the "desert of deserts." Scientists have discovered over 200 human tombs here. They also include skeletons of animals, large fish, and crocodiles, as the area was once a lake.
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