A large group of armed men gathered yesterday in the main square of the Oasis of Lame Kaiila. They had responded to a call to track down and capture a band of outlaws who, according to caravan leaders from the Oasis of Klima, were hiding near the Exchange Point. Or perhaps near the ruins of the Oasis of Mandara; no one knew for sure.
Those who knew the area waited warily, fearing the dangers, especially the ever-present quicksand and the difficulty of attacking the exchange point should someone happen to be entrenched there.
The expedition was ill-fated from the very beginning. Everyone had hoped that Salt Ubar would send its elite troops, the Guards of the Dunes. But that didn’t happen. They waited in vain. Consequently, there was a lack of organization and experienced military leadership. The men began to grumble in frustration. One heard disrespectful remarks like, “He’s a man who values comfort more than fighting,” or “He just sits in his palace and does nothing.”
At least the ruins of the Oasis of Mandala were reached without incident, and nobody got lost.
But when we reached the enormous rocks that protect the Oasis of Klima from the sandstorms, and passed the well-known rocky outcrop, what many had feared came to pass: the outlaws had prepared and ambushed the expedition.
There was great confusion, and no one knew who was friend or foe because, of course, everyone involved was masked for protection from the sand, and no one was giving proper orders. Unfortunately, all of us were hacked down, shot, and without exception, bound.
Fortunately, it turned out that the band of outlaws had arrived at the Exchange Point purely by chance and had no idea how to get back to an oasis or where the paths were. We pointed out to them that without the help of the locals, they would have perished miserably from thirst.
Someone offered to bring the outlaws back if they simply released the majority of the prisoners. There was supposedly a tunnel system near the ruins to bypass the quicksand. This was, of course, a trick and a lie, but the outlaws fell for it.
In the labyrinth, which had already been explored several times, they managed to lead the outlaws astray. And the few who reached the surface again wandered among the dunes. All the prisoners were freed. No one knows where the outlaws are now. But one cannot be sure that they are still near the ruins, because that is the only place with water.
The men blamed Salt Ubar for his shameful neglect of the dangers posed by outlaws and the safety of the caravans.
