Since 1928, our world has remained the same. I have no idea how many men we have lost between then and now in the Middle East, but you can be sure it has been a great many. So many, in fact, that I’d rather not count.

I won’t even bother explaining the purpose of all this killing, other than to say it has something to do with drilling. We’ve dug down deep, much more than the required six feet, and still we press on. Heaven only knows how deep that hole goes, but one thing’s for sure, we’ve settled no score.

Now it’s none of my business what things men do for pleasure. It’s none of my business if they dig for treasure. Their desire is for them and them alone to decide. I might venture, however, to share one truth. It matters not the object of your desire, but the heat of its fire.

Safe travels all ye faithful then, this is my last message for you. A safe passage for you and your crew as you chart your course true. Remember, “There are strange things done in the Midnight sun by men who moil for gold,” as Robert Service once wrote.

Jamie Beaulieu, Jay