Ibrahim appeared at one o’clock as if nothing were ready. “You are laughing at me,” he said, “but I tell you the camels are ready.” “Very well then, so am I; let us start tomorrow at dawn.” “Impossible,” he replied, “there are yet many preparations to be made.” “Well then Ibrahim,” I said, “you see I am ready; when the camels are ready, then tell me.”
-St John Philby, The Heart of Arabia: A Record of Exploration and Travel, 1922
Philby was adept at Arabic word play. Ready or not? Today or tomorrow? KhairAllah said he would slaughter a goat when we passed the wells at ‘Iyāl Bakhīt, but on the promised day, when we had not yet arrived and instead paused to pasture the herd, I asked him when, and he answered, “Did you not see that we passed the wells last night? I did not to stop because grass is better than meat.” To graze or to grill?, that is the question.