Shapeling Trilogy Book One: Roth (Sample Sunday #1)

Set up for this scene:  Spoiled heiress and scientist, Rainey Childress, is in the women's tent at a Bedouin camp in the Sahara Desert. She's about to go on an adventure... not of her choosing.

Halima went to a corner of the tent and returned carrying a black dress and black face veil decorated with red cross-stitches. She said something to Rainey with gestures. Rainey gave her a look that conveyed her confusion. The two women closest to Rainey gently pulled her to her feet. They raised her hands and pulled the black dress over her head and clothing. Next, they placed the veil over her face. She peeked out the eye slits and laughed. Okay, I can play their dress-up game. Halima pointed to her own veil and said, "burqa." Rainey pointed to the veil she was wearing and repeated, "burqa." The women giggled and nodded their heads.

Again, a man called from outside the tent, and Nadia motioned for Rainey to follow her. Rainey started to disrobe, but the women quickly stopped her, pushing her toward the tent flap. Confused, she walked outside. The women led her to an open area near some tethered camels. Several men standing near the camels began loosing them. The camels knelt in the sand. About half a dozen men climbed onto the backs of the camels. Rainey thought the sight very interesting. She looked for Roth. Scanning back and forth, her gaze stopped when it reached a tall, muscular Bedouin dressed in white layered robes and a white turban. Huh?

The women guided her toward him. "Why are we dressed like Bedouins, Roth?"

He ignored her and grabbed the reins of a camel. The other camels began to rise with Bedouins on their backs. Roth motioned her forward. She got that uneasy feeling again.

"Rainey, we’re going on a little adventure."

Rainey’s jaw dropped and her mouth hung open. But of course, no one could see her mouth because of her veil. She watched the camel kneel. She looked at the split saddle, apparently for two riders on the same camel. "No way," she whispered, feeling her breath bounce off the veil. Louder, she said, "There is absolutely no way I’m getting on that beast. I don’t know what kind of weird joke this is, but I am not, not, NOT, riding a camel to God knows where with you!" Her voice rose in volume until she was shouting.

The camel nonchalantly watched her while chewing something.