Here in Saudi Arabia the highway is the bread and wine changed to that of the body, blood and soul of God's will. God speaks through the holy spirit of drivers making sudden turns in any direction at top speeds without warning. Traffic lights and speed limits are blasphemous signs of infidelity.

What we call "road rage", drivers in the kingdom think of as His will be done because according to Islam, nothing happens haphazardly or by chance.

Drive from Jeddah to Taif at night, climb the escarpment that winds through the mountain passes. Caution won't protect you from the oncoming eighteen wheelers trying to over take other trucks. Having the right of way is irrelevant. Drivers are not responsible for their actions.

If an eighteen wheeler bashes head on into you, it is no accident. Last night I caught a late ride back to Taif with D. and M. The full moon glowed like a pearl in the handle of a dagger. The road cut through a chain of battered, bald mountains; for thirty miles the road was one wide undivided, unmarked lane with trafic headed in both directions.

Several times, beams of light up ahead shone on both sides of the road forcing D.to swerve onto a gravelled shoulder creating a great cloud of dust. For an instant, I saw myself as nothing more than a mote in that gray dust and I felt my spirit preparing to leave my body behind and head into the light.