NOVEL NEXT chapter 14
I woke with a start at the unexpected suggestion.
“A camel?”
“Exactly.”
Kamar nodded and went on.
“It may not be worth as much as your tapestry, but it’ll still fetch a good price.”
“You can’t be serious. A camel must be more expensive.”
I ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) shook my head in denial, and Kamar seized the moment.
“Even better. Just say you’ll take a camel more expensive than your tapestries—who could refuse?”
His logic was airtight. Judging by past trades, a single camel would cost more than one of my tapestries. Even with these times, prices wouldn’t have skyrocketed tenfold.
Still, I hesitated.
“But it’s your camel….”
If we sold it, Kamar would have no ride home. And even if he’d forgotten, the camel might’ve meant something to him once. Parting with it so easily felt wrong. Worried I’d regret it, I couldn’t nod. Kamar spoke again.
“Besides, until I recover my memory, I can’t leave here. And I can’t keep raising a camel indefinitely.”
His cold practicality was true. The camel had already grazed most of the pasture around the oasis. Soon there’d be nothing left. When I still hesitated, Kamar declared with a blank face,
“Fine, if you really can’t decide—let’s kill it. At least we’ll get meat.”
Horrified, I relented to his first proposal.
At our usual hour, Ghurab’s cart appeared over the ridge. I stood nervously clutching the tapestries to give him. Kamar hid in the hut.
‘I’ll speak if you can’t.’
Kamar offered to step forward, but I grasped his sleeve.
‘I can do this. Please stay hidden—if he sees you, we’re in trouble.’
“Ah—hello. It’s been a while.”
I stumbled over my greeting, stammering from nerves. With a bored expression, Ghurab replied,
“How have you been? No problems, I hope.”
Without waiting for my answer, he unloaded our supplies. I watched anxiously, and finally he straightened and offered his hand.
I held out the tapestries—only two. His face soured immediately.
“I thought you said three. What happened?”
“Uh, well… three seemed impossible….”
“That won’t do. A promise is a promise. I need three.”
He reached to reclaim the goods, and I blurted,
“Wait—please, I have something else to offer….”
Ghurab paused. I dashed into the hut and led out the camel. Ghurab looked back and forth between me and the animal, bewildered.
“Take this instead. Surely that can make up for the missing tapestry?”
My heart pounded as I spoke just as Kamar taught me. For a moment Ghurab’s face twisted, and he sighed in exasperation.
“What did you say? A camel?”
He stuttered, planted his hands on his hips, and glared.
“You want me to trade a camel for a tapestry? Are you teasing me? This is outright…!”
He raised his hand as if to strike, and I closed my eyes, shoulders tensing.
“B—but my tapestries aren’t worth much….”
He froze mid-gesture. Seizing the chance, I hurried on.
“They’re cheap, so it takes three to fetch enough money….”
My voice trembling, I looked up. Ghurab’s eyes flickered, then he erupted.
“How many times must I say? Those tapestries are garbage—I only sell them out of pity. Who’d pay for such shoddy work? You need to understand your place….”
He shook my tapestries dismissively, and I swallowed hard.
“Well… a camel is worth more, isn’t it?”
Ghurab stopped mid-rant. Holding the tapestries, he stared at me. I pressed on.
“One camel could buy all three of these… It’s surely worth more, right?”
Ghurab fell silent. The desert air felt heavy. Finally, he exhaled.
“That’s… true. Camels do sell for more. But you promised three tapestries. A promise is a promise. And where did this camel come from? It’s not your master’s property—what right have you to give it? If there’s trouble…!”
I answered exactly as Kamar advised.
“A traveler passed through. I gave him water and food, and he gave me the camel in thanks.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“Believe it or not, it’s the truth. Otherwise, where’d the camel come from?”
Faced with my calm insistence, Ghurab had no response. Silence reigned. At last he glared and growled,
“I’ll let it slide this time. Got it? But next month I want three tapestries. One more stunt like this, and I won’t help again.”
“Y—yes… thank you, Ghurab.”
I managed to nod, and without a word he loaded the camel and drove off. I watched until the dust settled.
When the cart’s track vanished, I called,
“Kamar! Kamar!”
I raced inside. Kamar, anxiously bouncing his leg on the bed, leapt up. Seeing my face, he smiled broadly and spread his arms. I threw myself into his embrace.
“They took the camel! You were right—Ghurab believed me!”
“He believed you… more than that.”
Kamar shrugged, drawing me close and stroking my hair.
“It’s fine. I’m glad it worked out.”
“Yeah—thanks to you, Kamar. Thank you.”
I looked up at him, smiling. His purple eyes softened, and we stood still, gazing at each other. Kamar tilted his head, and I closed my eyes. Our lips met naturally, and he held me tight. Wrapping my arms around him, I thought, This kiss feels more natural than anything in the world.