O) You flick the reins of the onager, urging it to pull your cart faster. You flee the scene, terrified by what has just happened. You search for your father, but he is nowhere in sight. You wonder if he is all right. The desert is quiet again, only an occasional howl, but no thieves. You decide that the best course of action is to head for the city-state of Ur yourself, to trade the items in place of your father. You travel on through the night and into the morning. The sun rises hot and brilliant over the desert plain. Soon you come to the bank of the mighty Euphrates River. There you pay a ferryman 10 dried figs in exchange for passage in a reed boat across the river. The boat is covered in a goat hide to keep the water out. The cart is left on the eastern bank of the Euphrates, while the onager is tied to the boat and encouraged to swim behind. Water fowl swoop and soar looking for fish. Finally, you reach the western bank of the river. As the ferryman docks the boat, you see the large manmade lakes and dams used to control the unpredictable flooding of the Euphrates. You hop on the back of the now soaking wet onager and secure your packs of goods to the sides. You continue your hot, desert journey toward the mighty city of Ur. Along the way you see miles upon miles of irrigation canals. You decide to follow them, after all, they must lead to the city-state. You pass rows of barley and wheat, their roots nourished by the trickles of water from the smaller canals. Like the rising of the sun in the east appear the mighty walls of Ur. Guards roam the tops of the walls, watching for invading armies from other city-states. You feel a little nervous, but proceed.

Do you?

Q) ENTER THE MAIN GATE

R) LOOK AROUND THE OUTSIDE OF THE CITY FIRST

START OVER

copyright Jay D'Ambrosio 1998