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It was four hours later when the camels approached. There were two of them. One was carrying a tall, stout man with a short black beard and a white cloth protecting his head from the bright sun. The camel behind him was lugging his supplies. He had seen the tent atop the dune from about a mile away, and wondered why in all the Pharos' names someone had decided to camp out on a dune. He brought his camels to a halt, and dismounted. He approached the strange-looking bright orange tent. It was made of a material unlike any he'd ever seen before. "Hello." He called out. "Hello, is anyone in there?" There was no response. If there was anyone inside the tent, they must be asleep or unconscious. He decided he'd better open up the tent. He undid the zipper, and stared inside.
Inside the small shelter, two people were laying on the ground, asleep but not unconscious. One of them was a woman, with thick dark brown hair pulled up in a braid and wound up around a bun in the back. She was dressed in tan clothing. The man noticed that she had a slight bruise on her forehead, and some scabs on her right arm from recently healed cuts. The man next to her also had a scab on his forehead that looked similar. He was about a foot taller than his companion, and had shaggy brown hair. He was wearing black pants, a white shirt, and a dark jacket. He must have been burning up in those clothes, the Arab thought. Suddenly, the man stirred a little. He slowly sat up and blinked his eyes before opening them fully to stare at the newcomer.
Han had awakened to find a tall man at the door of the tent. The man was wearing long white robes, and was obviously a native to this area judging by his tanned skin and desert apparel. As the man focused on Han's face, his jaw dropped in shock. "Indy?" the man said in a strong, yet friendly voice. Han had hoped the man would know basic, but apparently he didn't. Han moaned, 'Great. Just perfect. I had to be rescued by someone on a strange planet speaking a strange language.' Then the man continued, "Indy, is that you? My friend, what are you doing out here? And who is that?"
Han was surprised to hear the man speaking accented Basic. "Who... who are you? You speak Basic?" Han stuttered.
"It's me, Sallah. And it is called English, my friend. You seem to have suffered some dehydration. And you are in great need of a haircut-"
Han waved a hand and stood up slowly, "Listen pal. I don't know who you are, or what English is, or even where I am. I just want a ride to the city. You got a speeder?"
Sallah was very confused by the way Indiana was talking, but he knew what dehydration could do to a man. He decided to get his friend back to full health with as little arguments as possible. "Yes, of course. I have two camels outside to take us back to Cairo. Then we will get you some help, and some rest." Sallah said. Then he noticed that the young women on the ground had been awake and quietly watching the conversation for quite some time now. She stood up, and stretched. "Who is this?" Sallah indicated Leia. Han was tempted to ask him to spare the questions, but decided to humor Sallah.
"This is Leia. And I'm Han. Han Solo." He pointed a finger at his chest.
Sallah smiled at Leia, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Leia." Then he turned a questioning glance at Indy. Sometimes the heat caused temporary memory loss, and he suspected that's what had happened to his friend. He decided to just get him back as quickly as possible and to ask questions later, "And you... Han." They shook hands.
Leia thought the native, Sallah, seemed very nice. And she was relieved that he spoke basic, or as he called it, English. "Come, my friends." Sallah said, leading them out of the tent. "We will get back to Cairo, and then you two can get cleaned up." Leia stopped as she saw what Sallah intended for them to ride on to the city, Cairo. There were two of them. They were quadrupeds, and shaped very oddly. They had long skinny legs with knobby knees and large flat feet for walking on the sand. Their backs were rounded into a large hump. Their necks were long, designed to reach the ground without much bending over. They were covered in shaggy tan fur. Sallah quickly boarded his beast, then looked back at Leia and Han, who were just standing there. "Come on, my friends. Get on. We should not be wasting time." Sallah urged them.
Han surveyed his ride. "Right." he said skeptically. "Get on. Okay..." He approached the animal. The seat on it had mounting straps similar to the ones he had used for the taun-tauns on Hoth. He placed his left foot in the stirrup, and in one powerful move, swung himself onto the animal's back. The stabbing pain in his ribs made him regret this quick movement, but he simply bit his lip and bore it. "C'mon Leia." He called down challengingly. "It's easy. Even an old man like ME can do it." Leia, never one to decline a challenge, stepped over toward the mount. She put her foot in the stirrup, and swung herself up with as much strength as she could muster. She landed easily behind Han on the blanket. "Not bad." Han muttered. Leia smiled at her small victory.
Sallah watched this little display with much amusement. Whoever this Leia woman was that Indy was with, she was obviously very independent. Sallah smiled at the couple. "Come now. We will go to my house. You two shall rest up, and tomorrow you can recount your tale." He turned around and with a sharp 'hut, hut!' urged his camel forward, down the dune toward Cairo.
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It was four hours later when the camels approached. There were two of them. One was carrying a tall, stout man with a short black beard and a white cloth protecting his head from the bright sun. The camel behind him was lugging his supplies. He had seen the tent atop the dune from about a mile away, and wondered why in all the Pharos' names someone had decided to camp out on a dune. He brought his camels to a halt, and dismounted. He approached the strange-looking bright orange tent. It was made of a material unlike any he'd ever seen before. "Hello." He called out. "Hello, is anyone in there?" There was no response. If there was anyone inside the tent, they must be asleep or unconscious. He decided he'd better open up the tent. He undid the zipper, and stared inside.
Inside the small shelter, two people were laying on the ground, asleep but not unconscious. One of them was a woman, with thick dark brown hair pulled up in a braid and wound up around a bun in the back. She was dressed in tan clothing. The man noticed that she had a slight bruise on her forehead, and some scabs on her right arm from recently healed cuts. The man next to her also had a scab on his forehead that looked similar. He was about a foot taller than his companion, and had shaggy brown hair. He was wearing black pants, a white shirt, and a dark jacket. He must have been burning up in those clothes, the Arab thought. Suddenly, the man stirred a little. He slowly sat up and blinked his eyes before opening them fully to stare at the newcomer.
Han had awakened to find a tall man at the door of the tent. The man was wearing long white robes, and was obviously a native to this area judging by his tanned skin and desert apparel. As the man focused on Han's face, his jaw dropped in shock. "Indy?" the man said in a strong, yet friendly voice. Han had hoped the man would know basic, but apparently he didn't. Han moaned, 'Great. Just perfect. I had to be rescued by someone on a strange planet speaking a strange language.' Then the man continued, "Indy, is that you? My friend, what are you doing out here? And who is that?"
Han was surprised to hear the man speaking accented Basic. "Who... who are you? You speak Basic?" Han stuttered.
"It's me, Sallah. And it is called English, my friend. You seem to have suffered some dehydration. And you are in great need of a haircut-"
Han waved a hand and stood up slowly, "Listen pal. I don't know who you are, or what English is, or even where I am. I just want a ride to the city. You got a speeder?"
Sallah was very confused by the way Indiana was talking, but he knew what dehydration could do to a man. He decided to get his friend back to full health with as little arguments as possible. "Yes, of course. I have two camels outside to take us back to Cairo. Then we will get you some help, and some rest." Sallah said. Then he noticed that the young women on the ground had been awake and quietly watching the conversation for quite some time now. She stood up, and stretched. "Who is this?" Sallah indicated Leia. Han was tempted to ask him to spare the questions, but decided to humor Sallah.
"This is Leia. And I'm Han. Han Solo." He pointed a finger at his chest.
Sallah smiled at Leia, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Leia." Then he turned a questioning glance at Indy. Sometimes the heat caused temporary memory loss, and he suspected that's what had happened to his friend. He decided to just get him back as quickly as possible and to ask questions later, "And you... Han." They shook hands.
Leia thought the native, Sallah, seemed very nice. And she was relieved that he spoke basic, or as he called it, English. "Come, my friends." Sallah said, leading them out of the tent. "We will get back to Cairo, and then you two can get cleaned up." Leia stopped as she saw what Sallah intended for them to ride on to the city, Cairo. There were two of them. They were quadrupeds, and shaped very oddly. They had long skinny legs with knobby knees and large flat feet for walking on the sand. Their backs were rounded into a large hump. Their necks were long, designed to reach the ground without much bending over. They were covered in shaggy tan fur. Sallah quickly boarded his beast, then looked back at Leia and Han, who were just standing there. "Come on, my friends. Get on. We should not be wasting time." Sallah urged them.
Han surveyed his ride. "Right." he said skeptically. "Get on. Okay..." He approached the animal. The seat on it had mounting straps similar to the ones he had used for the taun-tauns on Hoth. He placed his left foot in the stirrup, and in one powerful move, swung himself onto the animal's back. The stabbing pain in his ribs made him regret this quick movement, but he simply bit his lip and bore it. "C'mon Leia." He called down challengingly. "It's easy. Even an old man like ME can do it." Leia, never one to decline a challenge, stepped over toward the mount. She put her foot in the stirrup, and swung herself up with as much strength as she could muster. She landed easily behind Han on the blanket. "Not bad." Han muttered. Leia smiled at her small victory.
Sallah watched this little display with much amusement. Whoever this Leia woman was that Indy was with, she was obviously very independent. Sallah smiled at the couple. "Come now. We will go to my house. You two shall rest up, and tomorrow you can recount your tale." He turned around and with a sharp 'hut, hut!' urged his camel forward, down the dune toward Cairo.
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