Read Chapter 10: — MUSIC WITHOUT TRANSLATION

The party became an unofficial international site festival.

The project manager found a temporary stage, speakers, strings of lights and enough soft drinks to flood a small village. Local musicians came from the nearest town. Engineers were ordered to provide entertainment.

Toby volunteered as host before anyone could stop him.

“Of course you did,” Maya said.

“I was born for a microphone.”

“You were born without a volume control.”

Daniel helped him prepare short introductions in Arabic.

Toby mispronounced half of them so spectacularly that the local crews laughed before the first song began. Instead of taking offence, he bowed dramatically and tried again.

The embarrassment worked better than competence would have.

People relaxed.

An Irish surveyor played fiddle. A Pakistani technician sang a film song. Local drummers pulled British labourers into a circle dance. Maya produced a small flute from her bag, surprising everyone.

“You travel to construction sites with a flute?” Daniel asked.

“Some people pack unnecessary shirts.”

“That was my mother.”

Maya played a quiet traditional melody she had learned from her late biological mother. Daniel sang a simple English folk song over part of it, not because the pieces belonged together, but because Toby insisted the evening needed “cultural fusion.”

To everyone’s surprise, it worked.

Graham watched from the side of the stage with an unreadable expression.

Later he was dragged into a group dance by Toby and objected so loudly that even people who did not know English understood perfectly.

By midnight the men who had nearly fought that afternoon were eating together.

The effect lasted.

Daniel began encouraging smaller team gatherings every few weeks: football matches, shared meals, informal demonstrations where workers taught one another techniques rather than merely receiving instructions from supervisors.

Communication improved.

Productivity improved with it.

“Annoying,” Graham said when Owen showed him the figures.

“What is?”

“Mercer being right.”

Owen smiled. “You’ll survive.”

The first major desert section finished only days behind the original baseline despite the earlier setbacks.

At the recognition meeting, Daniel’s team won the project award. Toby, who had arrived with immaculate trainers and almost no field sense, was recommended for early progression. Evan received a most-improved commendation. Even engineers who had struggled initially were finding their place.

Daniel called Maggie that night.

“I saw the photos online,” she said. “You look thin.”

“Mum.”

“And there’s a nice young woman playing flute beside you.”

Daniel closed his eyes.

“That is my colleague.”

“Single?”

“Mum.”

Across the table Maya heard enough through the phone to laugh.

Daniel had no idea how complicated that laugh would eventually become.