Chapter 4 Chapter Three of "The Shepherd Boy's Fantastic Journey"

After almost a month of working for the crystal merchant, the boy knew it wasn't the kind of job that would make him happy.The crystal merchant spent all day behind the counter muttering, reminding the boy to handle the crystals carefully and not break any of them. But he continued to do the work, because the Crystal Merchant was very kind to him, even though the Crystal Merchant was too whiny.Moreover, whenever he sold an item, the crystal merchant really gave him a very generous commission, and now he has saved a lot of money by his side.One morning he calculated that if he continued to work like this every day, he would be able to buy some sheep in about a year.

"I want to make some display stands for the crystals," the boy said to the merchant, "so that we can place our wares outside the store and attract people who pass by down the slope." "I've never done that," replied the merchant, "so people passing by would bump into it, and the crystal would be broken." "Oh, when I used to drive sheep through the grassland, if I met a snake, some sheep would die, but for sheep and shepherds, life is like this." The merchant turned to greet a customer who wanted to buy three pieces of crystal glass.The business of his store is much better than it used to be... It seems to be back in the days when this street was the main tourist point of Tangier.

"Business is indeed better than before," he said to the boy when the guests had gone. "I'm doing better now, and you'll be home soon. Why ask for more?" "Because we have to respond to the omens that appeared before us." The boy said without thinking, and regretted it after he finished speaking, because the merchant did not meet the king. "It's called wishing things come true, good luck for beginners, because life requires you to fulfill your destiny." The old man once said so. But the merchant understood what the boy meant.The boy's presence in the store was a good omen, and over time, after the money poured into the cash register, the merchant never regretted hiring the boy.He paid the boy more money than the boy won, because the businessman didn't expect the business to be so good at first, so he offered a high percentage.He thought the boy would soon be back to herd the sheep.

"Why do you want to go to the pyramids?" asked the businessman, trying to divert the subject of the painting from the display stand. "Because I've heard of them," the boy replied, not mentioning the dream he had, and the treasure was now a mere painful memory, and he avoided thinking about it. "I don't know anyone who would go across the desert just to see the pyramids," said the businessman. "They're just a pile of rocks, and you could build one in your backyard." "You never dreamed of traveling." The boy turned to greet a customer who had just walked into the store.

Two days later, the businessman took the initiative to mention the display stand to the boy. "I don't like change very much," he said. "You and I are different from that rich businessman in Haishan. Even if he buys the wrong goods, it won't make much difference, but we have to pay the price." It couldn't be more true, the boy thought sadly. "Why do you think you need to add a display stand?" "I hope I can go back to herding sheep sooner. When luck is good, we must try our best to grasp the way of luck, so we have to work harder. Some people say this is called wish come true, or, novice's way of good luck."

The businessman was silent for a while.Then he said, "The Prophet gave us the Koran and told us to accomplish five things in our life. The first and most important thing is to believe in the one true God; the second is to pray five times a day; You must keep the precepts during Maidan month (Note 1); and help the poor." He shut up.When he mentioned the Prophet, his eyes filled with tears.He is a devout believer, and although he has no patience, he still wholeheartedly hopes that his life will conform to the Sharia law. "And the fifth skill?" "Two days ago you said that I have never dreamed of traveling in my life," replied the merchant, "for every Muslim, the fifth duty is to go on pilgrimage, and we must go to the holy city of Mecca at least once in our life.

Mecca is farther than the pyramids. When I was young, all I wanted was to raise funds to open this store, hoping that one day I would have enough money to go to Mecca.I started making money, but I couldn't let someone else run the shop; crystal is a delicate thing.At the same time, I saw pilgrims coming and going past my shop.There were wealthy pilgrims among them, too, who traveled with servants and camels, but most of the people I saw making the pilgrimage were much poorer than I was. Those people were all happy to complete the pilgrimage.They place tokens of pilgrimage on their doors.One of them, a cobbler who has been repairing shoes for a living, said that he spent almost a year walking through the desert, but this was not the most difficult. When he walked through the streets and alleys of Tangier to buy leather , he felt more tired. " "Well, why don't you go to Mecca now?" ' asked the boy.

"Because I survived on the idea of ​​going to Mecca. It was the idea that allowed me to face the same everyday, these crystals of silence on the shelf, day in and day out in that horrible coffee room. Lunch and dinner in the living room. I was terrified that once I had fulfilled my dream, I would no longer have a reason to live. You dream of your flocks and your pyramids, but you are different from me because you wish to fulfill your dreams.And I just want to dream about going to Mecca.I have dreamed it more than a thousand times: when I cross the desert and reach the Ka'ba (note 2), I will circle the Ka'ba seven times until I can touch the holy stone (note 3).I've fantasized about the people standing next to me, the people in front of me, what we'll talk to, maybe even pray together.But I'm afraid I'm going to be disappointed, so I'd rather dream about it. "

That day, the businessman allowed the boy to make a display stand.Not everyone can fulfill their dreams. Two months later, that display stand brought many customers to the crystal store.The boy figured that if he only had to work another six months, he could go back to Spain and buy sixty sheep, maybe sixty more.Within a year, his flock had doubled, and he was now able to do business with the Arabs, since he could now speak their language.He had not used the Urim and the Thummim since that morning in the Market Square, for the Pyramids were as far away to him now as Mecca was to the crystal merchants.Having said that, the boy likes this job very much now, and he is constantly looking forward to the day when Yi Jinrong will return to Taiwan and Lifa.

"You must always know what you want," that old Wang once said.The boy knew exactly what he meant, and was working toward that goal with all his might.Perhaps his treasure was to come to a strange land, meet a liar, and triple his flock for nothing. He is very proud of himself.He had learned many important things, like how to do important things, like how to do the crystal business, without relying on the language of words... and omens.One afternoon he saw a man come to the top of the hill complaining that he had struggled to get to the top and couldn't find a decent place to sit and have a drink.For boys who have grown adept at recognizing omens, immediately advise the merchant.

"Why don't we also sell tea to those mountain climbers." "There are already enough drinks shops around here," said the businessman. "But we can pour tea into crystal cups for sale. People will definitely feel that drinking it is more atmospheric, and they are willing to buy back the crystal cups. It is said that beauty is the greatest temptation to human beings." The merchant didn't answer, but that afternoon, after he had said his prayers and closed the shop, he invited the boy to sit with him and share his hookah, a strange pipe smoked by Arabs. "What are you looking for?" asked the old merchant. I told you long ago that I wish to buy back my flock, so there must be money. " The merchant puts some fresh coals in the hookah and takes a deep breath. "I've owned this store for thirty years. I can tell the difference between good crystal and bad crystal, and there's all sorts of lore about crystal. I know the angles and facets of it, and how it refracts to show its brilliance. If we start using crystal to Drinks, then the store will expand. At that point, we will have to change the way we live." "Isn't that bad?" "I'm so used to the old way. Before you came, I was always thinking that I was wasting time where I was, while my friends kept going, whether they ended up broke or better. That made me very depressed ...but now I feel that the status quo is not necessarily bad. The size of the store is exactly what I want it to be. I don't want to make any changes because I don't know how to deal with change. I just get used to the original It looks like something." The boy didn't know what to say.The businessman continued: "You are really my lucky star. Today I understand a lot that I didn't understand before: if I ignore my blessing, it will become a curse. I don't want more from life, but you are forcing me To see riches and horizons I didn't know before. Now that I've seen them, I realize how wide my possibilities are, and I'm going to feel worse than before you came here because I know I can accomplish so much more things, but I don’t want to finish them.” It's a good thing I didn't tell the baker in Tailifa anything, the boy said to himself. They sat and smoked a hookah until the sun started to slide down the sky.They chat in Arabic, which the boy is proud to be able to do.There was a time when he thought his flock would teach him all there was to know about the world.But they didn't teach him Arabic. Perhaps there are many things in this world that my sheep cannot teach me, he stared at the old businessman in front of him, meditating.All he did with the flock was to find food and water.Maybe that's not what they taught me, but what I learned from them. "Maktub," said the merchant at last. "what does that mean?" "It's something only Arabs understand," he replied. "It's very similar to what you call 'destined.'" Then, while they cleared the hookahs of coal, he told the boys that they could start selling tea from crystal cups.Sometimes, it is impossible to make the river flow backwards. A group of people climbed a mountain, and when they reached the top, they felt tired.But when they saw a crystal jewelry shop on the top of the mountain serving refreshing mint tea, they rushed in to enjoy the cold drink in a beautiful crystal cup. "It never occurred to my wife to do that," said one man, who also bought a number of crystal glasses -- he was having some guests that evening, and his guests were sure to rave about the beauty of the crystal vessels.Another person commented that drinking tea from a crystal cup makes the tea more delicious, because the crystal can better retain the aroma of the tea.A third said that drinking tea from crystal cups is a tradition in the East because crystals have magical powers. It didn't take long for the news to spread, and more people climbed to the top of the mountain to visit the crystal shop.Although this store is an old industry, it has a new approach.Other crystal shops followed suit and served tea in crystal cups, but none of them were located on the top of the hill and business was not that good. In the end, the old merchant had to hire two more clerks.He began to bring in a great deal of tea, and a great deal of crystal, and his shop was filled with men and women in search of new fashions. And just like that, the months passed. The boy woke up before dawn.Eleven months and nine days had passed since he set foot on this African soil. He put on the African dress of white linen, which he had bought especially for the day.He wears a turban and fastens it with a camel-skin ring.Putting on the newly bought sandals, he quietly walked down the stairs.The whole city is still asleep.He made himself a sandwich and sipped hot tea from a crystal cup before going to sit in front of the sunny door and smoke a hookah. He smoked his hookah in silence, thinking of nothing but listening to the wind, which carried the smell of the desert.When he was done, he picked up a bag and sat there for a while, gazing at what he had taken out. That was a lot of money, enough for him to buy a hundred and twenty sheep, a return boat ticket, and a license to import African goods into his country. He waited patiently for the merchant to wake up and open the shop door.Then the two went out for tea together. "I am leaving today," said the boy. "I have enough money to buy sheep, and you have enough money to go to Mecca." The old man did not speak. "Will you bless me?" the boy asked. "You helped me once." But the old man continued to pour tea without saying a word.Then he turned to the boy. "I'm so proud of you," he said, "that you've brought a new look to my store. But you know I'm not going to Mecca, just as you know you're not going to buy those sheep." "How do you know?" the boy asked in surprise. "Maktub," said the old crystal merchant. Then he blesses the boy. The boy went back to his room to pack his luggage.There are three packs in total.Before leaving, he caught a glimpse of the old shepherd's bag in the corner.It was tied up in a bunch and had been neglected by him for a long time.He pulled out the jacket inside the bag, and was thinking about maybe giving the bag away, when two gems fell out of the bag.Urim and Thummim. It reminded him of the old king, and to his surprise he hadn't thought of him for a long time.For nearly a year, all he could do was work hard and save enough money so that he could return to Spain in style. "Never give up on your dreams." That old Wang once said, "Follow the omens." The boy picked up the Urim and the Thummim, and once again felt inexplicably that the old king was beside him.He had worked hard all year, and now the omens told him it was time to go. I'll go back to doing what I used to do, the boy thought.Even those sheep can't teach me Arabic. But those sheep had taught him something more important: that there was a language in the world that everyone understood, and he had used it many times in the past to change things in the Crystal Shop.It's a language that speaks of passion; that love and purpose can accomplish many things; and that it's part of your pursuit of what you deeply believe in and desire.Tangier was no longer a strange city, and he felt that, as he could conquer this city, he could conquer any other. "When you really desire something, the whole universe will unite to help you achieve it," said the old king. But the old king never said that he would be cheated of money, nor did he mention the boundlessness of the desert, or that some people, although they know their dreams, never expect to realize them.The old king never taught him that the pyramids were just a pile of stones, or that anyone could build a pyramid on their own.He also forgot to mention that if you have enough money to buy more sheep than you used to, you should not hesitate to buy them. The boy picked up the bag and put it among the other things.He walked down the stairs and saw the businessman greeting a foreign couple, and at the same time, two customers were holding crystal cups, drinking tea and browsing the items in the store.It was more lively than usual at this time.From where he was standing, he noticed for the first time that the old crystal merchant's hair was very similar to that old Wang's.He recalled the smile on the candy vendor's face—it was his first day in Tangier, when he had nothing to eat and didn't know where to go—that smile was also like that of the old king. As if he was here and left some mark, the boy thought.These people have never met the old king, however, he also said that he always shows up to help those who want to fulfill their destiny. He left without saying goodbye to the crystal merchant.He didn't want to cry when there was a third party.He will miss this place, and some of the good things he learned.He has more confidence in himself and feels as though he can conquer the world. "But I'll go back to my old place and take care of the sheep," he said firmly to himself, but he was no longer happy with his decision.He had worked hard all year to achieve a dream, but as the minutes passed, he felt more and more that the dream was not so important.Maybe it's because it wasn't really his dream. Who knows... maybe it would be better to be like the Crystal Merchant: never go to Mecca, but always live a life of wanting to fulfill your dreams, he thought, trying to convince himself again.But when he held the Urim and Thummim in his hands, they conveyed to him the strength and faith of the old king.Coincidentally, or rather an omen, he ended up in the same bar he went to the first day.The crook wasn't there, but the barkeep brought him a cup of tea. I could go back to being a shepherd forever, the boy thought.I know how to take care of sheep, and I haven't forgotten how to do it.But I may no longer have the opportunity to go to the pyramids in Egypt.The old king wears a golden helmet, and he knows my past.He is a king, and a wise king at that. The Andalusian mountains were only two hours away, but an entire desert stood between him and the pyramids.It occurred to him, however, that there was another way to look at the situation: that it also meant he was two hours closer to his treasure...even though those two hours had actually taken him a whole year to get there. I know why I want to go back to sheep, he thought.I know sheep, they don't give me trouble, they can even be my good friends.But on the other hand, I don't know if the desert will be my friend, but I must find my treasure in the desert.If I don't find it, I can always go home.I finally have enough money and enough time, why not go? He suddenly felt very happy.He could always go back to being a shepherd, and he could always go back to working in the crystal shop.Maybe there are other treasures hidden in this world, but he had a dream and met a king, which is not for everyone. As he left the bar, his mind was full of plans.He still remembered that a supplier of the crystal merchant mentioned that he transported crystals with the caravan across the desert.The boy held the Urim and the Thummim in his hands, and because of these two gems, he went on a treasure hunt again. "When someone wants to fulfill his destiny, I will always be around." The old king once said to him.There's nothing to lose by just asking the supplier to see if the pyramids are really that far away, is there? The Englishman was sitting in a building that smelled stagnant of animals, fodder, and dust. The house had been used as both a warehouse and a livestock pen.I never expected to be in such a place, thought the Englishman, sitting on a bench, flipping through this chemistry notebook.I stayed in college for ten years, and it turned out that I came to this kind of place. But he had to come anyway, because he believed in omens.He devoted his whole life and research to dig out the true language of the universe.At first he went to study Esperanto (Note 4), then world religions, and now alchemy.He can speak Esperanto and is familiar with all the major religions, but he has not yet become an alchemist.He had already solved some major doubts, but his research took him to places he had never imagined.He had tried in vain to establish a relationship with an alchemist, who were eccentrics who cared only about themselves and never helped him.Who knows?Maybe they can't solve the secret of "Philosopher's Stone" at all, so of course they refuse to tell him the truth! He has almost dissipated the property left to him by his father, but he still can't find the "philosopher's stone".He also spent a lot of time reading all the most important and most precious alchemy classics in all the big libraries in the world.In one of his books he read that an Arab alchemist had gone to Europe.It is said that he was over two hundred years old at that time.And he discovered the "Philosopher's Stone" and "Changshenglu".The British were very impressed with this story, but neither he nor his friends thought it might be true until one of his friends came back from archaeological work in the Arabian desert and told him that he had met a man with incredible supernatural powers. Arab. "He lives in Feom Oasis (Note 5)," his friend said, "I heard that he is over two hundred years old and can turn any substance into gold." The British was so pleasantly surprised that he immediately quit all his jobs and contracts, took some of the most important books, and came here - a dirty and smelly warehouse.Outside the warehouse, a caravan is preparing to set off across the Sahara Desert, one of which will pass through the Feom Oasis.I'm going to find the damned alchemist now, thought the Englishman.This idea made the British feel that the smell of animals around them became more tolerable.A young Arab came in, unpacked his luggage, and greeted the Englishman. "Where are you going?" said the young Arab. "I'm going to the desert." The Englishman replied, turning his head and continuing to read.He doesn't want to talk to anyone right now.It is more important to review what you have learned over the years, because the alchemist will definitely test him to be qualified. The young Arab took out a book and began to read.It was a Spanish book.Very well, thought the Englishman, he spoke Spanish better than Arabic, and if the young Arab was going to Feom too, he would have company to talk to when he had nothing to do on the road. "It's strange," said the boy, and he read again the funeral passage at the beginning of the book. "I've been reading this book for two years, and I can't finish the first few pages." No, this time he still couldn't concentrate. He's still not sure if he's made the right decision, but he knows one thing: making a decision is only the beginning.When a person makes a decision, it is like jumping into a strong current, and the current will take him to a place that the person who made the decision could not have dreamed of at first. When I decided I was going to find treasure, I never thought I'd be working in a crystal shop, he thought.Although joining this caravan is my decision, it is still unknown where the caravan will take me.An Englishman was reading a book nearby.He didn't look very friendly and seemed angry when the boy walked in.They could have been friends, but the Englishman shut up and refused to talk any more. The boy closed the book.He didn't want to do what the Englishman did, so he took out the Urim and the Thummim and played around with it. "Urim and Thummim!" exclaimed the Englishman. The boy immediately put the gem back into the bag. "It's not for sale," he said. "They're not worth much either," replied the Englishman. "They are just made of crystal ore, and there are thousands of kinds of crystal ore on this earth. But those who are skilled know that these are Urim and Thummim, but I didn't know that Urim and Thummim were also produced in this place. " "It was a gift from a king," said the boy. The stranger did not answer. He also took two stones from his bag, the same stones as the boy's. "Do you mean a king?" he asked. "I don't think you can believe that a great king can talk to a man like me. I'm only a shepherd," he said, not wanting to talk any further. "I didn't mean that. It was the shepherd who first recognized the king when the whole world was in doubt, so I don't doubt at all that the king will speak to the shepherd." He was afraid the boy would not understand him, so he went on, "That's what it says in the Bible. It's also the book that taught me about the Urim and the Thummim. They're also the only objects of divination approved by God. Priests always Put them in a breastplate of gold." The boy suddenly felt so happy that he came to this warehouse. "Perhaps it's an omen," said the Englishman, half to himself. "Who told you about the omen." At this moment the boy's interest came. "Everything in life is a portent," said the Englishman, closing the book he was reading. "There is a common prophecy, which is now forgotten. I wanted to find out this language, which is why I came here. I must find someone who understands this language, and that is an alchemist. " Their conversation was interrupted by the warehouse owner. "It's lucky for you two," said the fat Arab, "that a caravan of camels happens to be going to Feom today." "But I'm going to Egypt," said the boy. "Faom is in Egypt," said the Arab. "How did you become an Arab?" "This is a good omen," said the Englishman after the Arabs had gone out. "If I can, I will write a thick encyclopedia in the future, about luck and coincidence, and with these few words." The universal language of words." He told the boy that with the Urim and Thummim at hand, it was no coincidence that they met.He asked the boy again if he was also coming to see the alchemist. "I'm here to find the treasure." After saying that, the boy immediately regretted it.But the Englishman didn't seem to think it was unusual at all. "In a way, so am I," said the Englishman. "I don't even know what an alchemist is," said the boy, as the warehouse owner called them out. "I'm the leader," said a man with dark eyes and a beard. "I hold the life and death power of everyone in this caravan. The desert is a capricious woman, and sometimes she can really push people into the wind." Gathered before him were almost two hundred people, and four hundred animals—camels, horses, and chickens.There were women, children, and men with swords in their belts and rifles slung over their shoulders.The British carry several boxes of books with them.The crowd was so noisy that the leader had to repeat what he said over and over so that everyone could understand him. "There are all kinds of people among us, each of us has his own god, but the only true god I believe in is Allah. In his name, I swear that I will do my best to lead everyone successfully across the desert again. .Similarly, I also ask each of you to swear by the God you believe in, that you must obey my instructions along the way, no matter what I say. In the desert, disobedience means death." There was a murmur from the crowd, each tall and swearing to her or his god.The boy swore to Jesus Christ, and the Englishman said nothing.The murmur of the crowd lasted for a while longer than a simple oath.At the same time, everyone is pleading for God's blessing. A long horn sounded, and everyone set out on the road.Both the boy and the Englishman bought camels and rode on them.The boy felt sorry for the Englishman's camel, because it had to carry the Englishman's bookcase. "There's no such thing as a coincidence," said the Englishman, picking up the conversation they had interrupted at the warehouse. "I'm here because a friend said there was an Arab here..." But the caravan started to move forward at this moment, and the boy couldn't hear what the British were saying.But the boy knew what the English were going to say: the mysterious link that connected everything.It was this mysterious ring that made him a shepherd, made him repeat the same dream, made him go to a city near Africa, found a king, was cheated of money, so he later met a crystal Merchant, and then….When a person is getting closer and closer to the fulfillment of his destiny, his destiny will become more and more the meaning of his existence, the boy thought. The caravan headed east.They set out in the morning and stopped to rest when the sun was strongest at noon.Hit the road again later in the afternoon.Boys seldom talk to English people, who spend most of their time reading. The boy quietly observes the movement of livestock and people in the desert.Everything is different now than it was when we first started pulling out in the morning.As they set out, the chaotic movement was mingled with shouts, cries of children, neighing of animals, and nervous orders from merchants and guides. But in the desert at this moment, only the uninterrupted sound of the wind and the cry of animals can be heard in the ears.Even the guides rarely speak to each other. "I've come and gone across this desert many times," said a camel driver one evening, "but the desert is so vast and the horizon so far away that they feel small and therefore silent." The boy understood That's what he meant, even though he had never been to the desert before.Whenever he saw the sea, or the flames, he fell silent, overwhelmed by their power. "I have learned something from my flock, and I have learned something from the crystal, he mused, and I can learn something from the desert, too, which seems so ancient and wise. The wind never stops, and the boy recalled that day when he was sitting on Tailifa's castle, the same wind was blowing his cheek.The feel of the wind reminded him of the feel of wool... His sheep were now on the Andalusian grasslands, looking for food and water, as they always did. "They're not my sheep any more," he said to himself, without a trace of melancholy. "They must have gotten used to the new shepherd by now, and they've probably forgotten me. That's all right, animals like sheep , very used to traveling, so they all know to go forward." He remembered the merchant's daughter and was sure she was probably married.Maybe marrying a baker, or another shepherd who could read and tell her wonderful stories—he wouldn't be the only one who could tell, anyway.Still, he was excited to immediately understand what the camel driver said: maybe he too was learning the universal language of the past and present of human beings. "Sixth sense," his mother always said.The boy began to understand that intuition is the momentary immersion of the soul in the cosmic present of life, where the entire history of humanity is connected and we can know everything because everything is written there. "Maktub," said the boy, remembering the crystal merchant. A desert is an endless stretch of sand and stone.If there is a big rock blocking the way, the camel caravan will go around it; if there is a large stone area ahead, the caravan will go in a big circle and go the other way; They will also find a smoother path.Some roads are full of dry salt lake salt, and the livestock can hardly move on this bottom, so the camel drivers have to come down, carry all the luggage, and walk a long way on foot until they pass through this area. Then pile the goods on the hump and sit on it.If one of the guides gets sick or dies, everyone must assign a new guide. All of this must meet the most fundamental reason: no matter how many detours and adjustments are made, the caravan will definitely move in the original direction.Once the obstacle is overcome, the caravan must return to its original journey, heading towards the star that points to the oasis.Waking up in the morning and seeing that star shining in the sky, everyone knows they are on the right track, with water, palm trees, houses, and people waiting for them.Only the Englishman didn't know all this, and he was immersed in his reading most of the time. The boy also had a book with him, and he tried to read it the first day of the journey, but he found it more interesting to watch the caravans or hear the wind than to read.When he got to know his camel better and developed a bond with it, he put the book away.Although he subconsciously knew that every time he opened the book he would learn something important, he decided it was an insignificant burden after all. He became friends with a camel driver who rode beside him.At night, as they gathered around the campfire, the boy told the camel driver what had happened to him as a shepherd. During their chat, the camel driver told the boy his story. "I used to live near El Cairum," he said, "with orchards, children, and a wife, and life was supposed to go on like this until I died. One year, the harvest was good, and we My whole family went on a pilgrimage to Mecca, and I finally did the last thing in my life. I could die happily. But one day there was an earthquake and the Nile broke its banks.I thought this kind of thing would only happen to other people, never my turn.My neighbors were worried that their olive trees would be flooded, my wife was afraid that we would lose our children, and I thought, everything I owned would be destroyed. The land was barren and I had to find another way of making a living.So I came to be a camel driver.However, all these disasters made me understand Allah's motto better: People don't need to fear the unknown, but it depends on your ability to pursue your own needs and desires. 我们总是害怕失去，不管是我们的生命、财富，或我们所拥有的一切，可是当我们明了我们的一生和人类历史都是同一只手注写时，恐惧就会消失。 " 有时，他们的商队会和其他商队相遇。奇妙的是，彼此总是拥有对方需要的东西－－仿佛一切万物真是被同一只手注写下来似的。当他们围坐在营火边时，骆驼夫们会交换暴风的讯息，并说起沙漠的种种故事。 偶尔，蒙着头巾的神秘男子会出现，他们是贝都因族人（注7），负责守望着商队行走的路线。他们会告诉商队这附近是不是有小偷或者抢盗部落。他们穿着黑袍，只露出眼睛，总是来无声去无息。有一天晚上，一位骆驼夫来到男孩和英国人坐着的营火边，对他们说，“听说发生了部族战争。” 三人都沉默下来。尽管没人说什么，男孩察觉空气中流荡着恐惧。再一次，他体会到无声的语言……宇宙共通的语言。 英国人问他们是否有危险。 “一旦你步入沙漠就不可能回头了，”那位骆驼夫说，“而一旦你无法回头，你必须只去操心如何前进最好。其余的就交给阿拉，包括危险。” 他用一个神秘的字总结，“Maktub。” “你应该多花点时间注意商队，”等那个骆驼夫走开，男孩对英国人说，“我们这一路上绕了好多弯，可是我们总是朝同一个终点走。” “而你应该多读点书了解世界。”英国人回答，“就这一点来说，书就跟商队一样。” 这一大群人和动物开始加快脚程。以往白日的时光里，大家就一向很安静，如今连在夜晚时刻也变得沉默了－－本来大家已逐渐习惯围着营火聊天的。接著有一天，领队绝对不再燃起营火了，这样才不会招惹别人的注意。 旅客也开始帮忙整顿牲畜，让它们在夜里围成一圈，而人们就睡在圈子内，彼此挤靠着取暖抵御夜间的寒冷。领队还加派武装的守卫在外围守夜。 有一天晚上那个英国人睡不着觉，就叫醒男孩，两人一起沿着营队外围的沙丘散步。那天是满月，男孩告诉英国人他的故事。 英国人对于男孩改进水晶生意的部分特别有兴趣。 “那就是格物的道理。”他说，“在练金术中，叫做'天地之心'。当人全神追求一样东西的时候，也正史人最接近天地之心的时候。它永远是一股正向的力量。” 他又说，不仅人类拥有这种天赋，凡是地球上的万事万物都有其心，不管是矿物、蔬菜，或是动物－－甚至一个简单的念头也有。 “地球上的万事万物一直在变迁改变，因为地球是活的……地球也有心。我们都是这个心的一部分，所以我们极少察觉这个心正为我们而作用着。可是我相信，当你在那家水晶商店工作时，你也许已经发现了，即使是那些水晶玻璃也一起帮助你成功。” 男孩凝望着月色和浸着银白月光的沙地，思索英国人说的话。“我一直观察着商队在沙漠中行进，”他说，“我发现商队和沙漠说着共同的语言，这是商队之所以能够通过沙漠的理由。沙漠检视着商队的每一个步伐，看它是不是按照时间来，如果它是，那么我们就能够抵达绿洲。” “如果我们任何一个人是依靠个人的勇气加入这个商队，却不了解这个语言，那么这趟旅程将会大不相同了。” 他们一起站在那儿看着月光。 “预兆真是神奇，”男孩说，“我观察到领队们怎么解读沙漠的征象，以及整个商队之心如何和沙漠之心交谈。” 英国人说，“我想我得多花点时间观察商队。” “而我得花点时间读你的书。”男孩说。