Willem perceived the nature of Jules’s problem. Jules was trying to figure out the riddle of Willem. Not necessarily to be nosy; it’s just that the two of them were going to be in the truck together for quite a few hours, and he was trying to find some basis for friendly conversation. The only conceivable reason a Dutchman would be in this part of the world would be to work for Shell. And yet Willem didn’t know basic facts about sulfur and its status as a by-product of sour crude oil refinement. The only way that this could make sense was if Willem’s role at Shell was something completely impractical in nature.