human
He noisy.
gpt
Do jackals always bark at night?
human
Always. It is their kismet.
gpt
Do they always bark at nothing?
human
No. Sometimes they bark at people. Like now. He bark at us.
gpt
He doesn't like us using his desert. Well, I'd be happy to give it back to him.
human
Also. You know, when our people want to say time go by ... how you say? ... life goes on and no man can stop time or make much change in things, they speak of the jackal.
gpt
Is it a saying of some kind?
human
The little jackal barks--but the caravan passes.
gpt
I'll remember that, Hassan.
human
May I ask a personal question?
gpt
You hired a dragoman, but he has become your friend. Ask what you will.
human
Thank you, Hassan. Scotty and I think of you as a friend, too. I wanted to ask about your English. You've been speaking very good English to me all day, but until we were captured, you spoke sort of broken English.
gpt
It is part of show I put on. My clients talk too simple English to me most of the time. They don't expect me to know good English. So I do not speak as well as I can. Now, with you and Scotty, it is different. My broken English is habit, so I continue to speak it until today. But I knew it would be different with you when we had coffee together, and when we laughed together. That was when I knew I could leave my show clothes at home and dress in a suit.
human
So that's why you wore fancy stuff only that first day. But, Hassan, if you can't read or write, how did you learn such good English?
gpt
I am like a parrot, Hassan replied.
human
I hear, and I repeat. For four years I was houseboy to an American family, from USIS, what you call the United States Information Service.
gpt
They taught you English?
human
I knew some, but we helped each other. I teached them Arab talk, and they correct me when I speak American.