What is The Sand in The Desert for?
Discovery College, Jennifer Anderson, Fiction: Group 3
S
anire’s it!” shouted Aria.
Aria’s marbled polecat Sanire grunted as he started the chase for her best friend Arian.
“Hey!” yelled Arian, “Why are you chasing me? Why not Aria?” Looking over his
shoulder, he tripped over a rock, landing head first in the sand. Sanire caught up, pounced
on Arian’s back and trotted back to Aria’s side.
“Come on kids, its dinner time!” shouted a male voice. It was Heon, Aria’s dad, was walking
towards them. “What have you done to yourself Arian?” he asked as he gave the boy a hand up.
They walked back to the main area of the nomad camp and settled down to eat dinner. “Who’s
that?” Aria whispered to Arian.
A strange man was sitting across from them, and was clearly not a nomad. His skin was much
lighter than the rest of the nomads, his hair, a light brown color stood out compared to the black
haired people around him. His eyes were a very dark brown, like mud. They were quite narrow,
like most of the people the nomads came across. He wore 3 gold rings on his right ear and 2 on
his left. His clothes were colorful and aristocratic next to the dull tan and brown clothes of the
nomads. They seemed too grand for traveling the Gobi desert.
“I don’t know,” whispered back Arian.
“Nomads of the Jirun tribe!” Arian’s father, Chief Jibui, was addressing the tribe. “I would like
to introduce a visitor. This is Juan. He is on his way to...”
Jibui didn’t seem to know what to say, and was expecting Juan to continue. Juan stood up and
looked at the nomads. “Yes. I am going to a location where I will use the sand in the desert to make
a glass and sand empire! The sand in this desert is just sitting around, being useless.” Juan started
pacing, his words growing louder. “This would be a wonderful chance for humankind!”
Everyone seemed to stop what they were doing in astonishment. What kind of madman was
this Juan? thought Aria.
“Come help me rule this city, my friends. You are the people with most intelligence and
civility in this desert. Come, and be royal advisers to the glass court.”
Standing now, Juan seemed to be bribing the Jiruns to come with him. Most people were
shaking their heads and muttering what a fool this idiot was, to think of such a mad and crazy idea.
“This man is crazy!”
“He’s lost his mind!”
“Get him out of here!”
“Cowards! All of you! You will bask in my glory and beg me when my empire is finished!”
Juan yelled, his face red now.
“Which is why I will come with you,” Aria’s uncle, Fay, stood up, much to the amazement of
rest of the tribe. “I believe in you.”
Fay was a well liked man. He was always willing to help his fellow nomads. He seemed a little
crazy at times, but the children of the tribe loved him dearly. Juan started to smile. “Ah now, you
see. So long you poor, dirty, suckers!” Sanire, jumped up and bit Juan on his leg, then Fay’s. Both
men yelped and cursed. Now it was the rest of the tribe’s turn to laugh.
Insulted, Juan and Fay rose, and left on their camels. Jibui, his mouth gaping, told the tribe
“
