章節 25: Tour Guide
"Does anyone here speak Arabic?" Qin Chuan asked in English.
An Italian lieutenant, who was arguing with German soldiers over the requisition of all their vehicles, paused and answered in English, "I know a bit. What's the problem?"
As Qin Chuan had suspected, since Italy had been a colonial power in Libya for over thirty years, there were bound to be some Italian soldiers who could communicate with the locals.
"Lieutenant!" Qin Chuan snapped to attention and offered a symbolic salute. "I'm looking for a guide in Agdabia who knows the desert terrain and lifestyle. I need someone who can communicate with the locals."
"Forget it!" the lieutenant fumed, gesturing toward the German soldiers around them. "Look at them... they're taking all our vehicles! Is this the thanks we get for bringing you food?"
"Lieutenant," Qin Chuan replied calmly, "first of all, we're here to help you fight. Providing us with food is only fair, isn't it? We're risking our lives for this cause!"
The lieutenant was momentarily at a loss for words. "But you can't just take everything!"
"We're desperate," Qin Chuan explained. "We're doing this to defeat the British, which is also your goal. Lieutenant, I can make sure they leave one vehicle for you, so you won't have to walk back, and I'll try to get them to issue a requisition certificate, so you'll have something to show when you return."
The lieutenant was visibly moved by Qin Chuan's words. After a moment's thought, he nodded. "Alright, in exchange, I'll help you find a guide, right?"
"Exactly," Qin Chuan said.
Soon, the lieutenant, Qin Chuan, and a few others were driving around the streets of Agdabia. Qin Chuan was surprised to see that the locals seemed to be returning to their daily routines, at least partially. Some shops were open, and there were a few people walking in the streets.
Just two days earlier, this place had been a battlefield, with bullets flying everywhere. There were likely still some uncleared mines or unexploded bombs in parts of the city.
Qin Chuan thought that perhaps the Libyans had grown accustomed to war, or maybe they had no choice... They didn't have much stored food, and if they didn't quickly return to normalcy, they could starve.
However, Qin Chuan could see the fear and anger in the eyes of the locals as they watched their vehicle barreling down the street, especially the women, who were covered from head to toe with only their eyes visible.
"Where are we going?" Qin Chuan asked, trying to distract himself.
"I don't know," the lieutenant replied.
"What?" Qin Chuan looked at the lieutenant in surprise. "You realize we have less than half an hour, right?"
"I know," the lieutenant answered.
"Then..."
"Sergeant," the lieutenant interrupted, "you need someone who knows the desert and the terrain, right?"
"Yes."
"Then watch for camels," the lieutenant explained. "If you see camels, you'll find the people you're looking for."
Qin Chuan let out a small "Oh" in realization. It was a good idea.
With a screech, the car came to a halt in front of a house. Qin Chuan noticed a few camels chewing on hay behind the building.
The lieutenant jumped out of the car and approached the man feeding the camels. "As-salamu alaykum," the lieutenant greeted in Arabic.
"Wa alaykum as-salam," the man replied.
The two engaged in a conversation that Qin Chuan couldn't understand. He could tell, however, that the Libyan man was wary of them. His eyes frequently darted to the soldiers' helmets and rifles, showing a mix of fear and suspicion.
After a while, the lieutenant returned, looking disappointed. "He says he just takes care of the camels and doesn't know much about the desert terrain around here."
Qin Chuan didn't believe the man. His nervous demeanor and evasive eyes suggested otherwise.
"Tell him," Qin Chuan said, "that if he agrees to help, we'll give him a vehicle."
The lieutenant relayed Qin Chuan's offer, and the man's eyes immediately lit up. A vehicle was a significant asset, but he still didn't agree.
"No, he says he can't do it," the lieutenant translated. "He insists he's not the person you're looking for."
"Two vehicles," Qin Chuan offered.
The lieutenant grudgingly conveyed the new offer. To his surprise, the Libyan man agreed, but only on the condition that the vehicles be given to him first.
"I've been swindled!" the Italian lieutenant muttered in frustration.
"Is he worth two vehicles?" Captain Three-Fingers Basil asked skeptically when Qin Chuan brought the Libyan man to him. Basil looked the man up and down with a disdainful eye. "Sergeant, you know we're in dire need of vehicles right now."
"I know," Qin Chuan replied. "But what he knows might be the key to getting our entire force safely through the desert."
"Hmm. What's his name?" Basil asked.
"Bushra," Qin Chuan answered, having learned a few basic details during the drive back.
"And what does he have to offer?" Basil asked. "Then I'll decide whether he's worth two vehicles."
Bushra, after hearing Basil's question, reached into his robe and pulled out a sheepskin map, laying it out before Basil. Basil took a glance at the map and immediately froze in shock—drawn on it was a route, a path through the desert...
"You won't make it through the desert like this," Bushra said. "You've calculated that it will take twelve days based on the mileage, but in reality, it might take you twenty days, or you might never make it through. The water you're carrying won't last that long. Unless you follow this path..."
"We didn't find any roads in the desert," Basil said. "We sent scouts."
"Of course you didn't find it," Bushra replied. "This is an ancient trade route. It doesn't exist anymore, and we only know its approximate location. But if we follow it, we can reach the oasis at Mersa Matruh, where we can replenish our water."
Basil knew exactly what this meant and, without hesitation, nodded. "Alright, those two vehicles are yours."
After a pause, Basil turned to the Italian lieutenant and added, "Lieutenant, you'll have to come with us as well."
"What?" The Italian lieutenant was taken aback. "Why?"
"Because we don't have an Arabic interpreter," Basil explained.
The Italian lieutenant stood there, his mouth half-open in shock, and then looked at Qin Chuan with pleading eyes.
Qin Chuan could only shrug, indicating there was nothing he could do.
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