Tale 1: The Camel's Back (Part III)

Adapted by Khidir Mohamed Yazir (Kid Haider)

III

Everyone in Toledo knows that the Howard Tates are the most powerful family in town. Mrs. Howard Tate, formerly a Chicago Todd, now embodies the epitome of American aristocracy with her family. They exude a sense of simplicity that is almost intimidating. The Tates have reached a point where they discuss pigs and farms with a straight face, expecting everyone to be entertained. They now prefer having employees over friends for dinner, quietly spending a lot of money, and have become quite boring as they no longer feel the need to compete with anyone.

The dance tonight was in honor of little Millicent Tate. Although there were people of all ages there, most of the dancers were from school and college. The younger married crowd was off at the Townsends' circus ball at the Tallyho Club. Mrs. Tate was standing near the ballroom, watching Millicent dance and smiling whenever she caught her eye. Next to her were two middle-aged friends who were gushing about how lovely Millicent was.

Suddenly, Mrs. Tate felt a tug on her skirt and her youngest daughter, Emily, who was eleven, threw herself into her arms with an "Oof!"

"Emily, what's wrong?" Mrs. Tate asked.

"Mama," Emily said, wide-eyed and chatty, "there's something on the stairs."

"What?"

"Hey mom, there's something on the stairs. I think it's a big dog, but it doesn't really look like a dog," Emily said.

"What do you mean, Emily?" her mom asked.

The sycophants nodded sympathetically.

"Mamma, it looks like a - like a camel," Emily replied.

Mrs. Tate chuckled. "You probably just saw a weird shadow, dear."

"No, I swear. It was some kind of thing, big. I was going downstairs to see if there were more people, and this dog or something was coming up the stairs. It was kinda funny, like it was limping. Then it growled at me, slipped at the top of the landing, and I ran," Emily explained.

Mrs. Tate's laughter faded. "The child must have seen something," she said.

The sycophants all agreed that the child must have seen something, and suddenly all three women took a step back from the door as they heard muffled steps just outside.

Then, three startled gasps filled the room as a dark brown form appeared around the corner. It was a huge beast, looking down at them hungrily.

“Oof!” Mrs. Tate cried out.

“O-o-oh!” the ladies chimed in together.

The camel suddenly humped its back, causing the gasps to turn into shrieks.

“Oh—look!”

“What is it?”

The music abruptly stopped, catching the attention of the dancers. As they hurried over to see what was happening, they were met with a surprising sight - a camel had made its way into the party. The young people immediately suspected it was a hired entertainer there to liven up the event. The boys, in their long trousers, looked unimpressed and sauntered over with their hands in their pockets, feeling insulted by the unexpected visitor. On the other hand, the girls couldn't contain their excitement and let out little shouts of glee.

"It's a camel!"

"Well, isn't he the funniest!"

The camel stood there, swaying slightly from side to side, as if carefully assessing the room. Then, as if making a sudden decision, it turned and quickly ambled out the door.

Meanwhile, Mr. Howard Tate had just exited the library on the lower floor and was chatting with a young man in the hall. Suddenly, they heard shouting from upstairs, followed by a series of thumping noises. Before they knew it, a large brown beast came barreling down the stairs in a rush.

"Now what the devil!" exclaimed Mr. Tate.

The beast got up with a sense of dignity and, acting like it had somewhere important to be, casually made its way towards the front door. Its front legs even started to run.

"Hey, hold on a minute," Mr. Tate said sternly. "Butterfield, grab it! Grab it!"

The young man quickly wrapped his arms around the camel's rear end, and realizing it couldn't go anywhere, the front end gave in and stood there looking a bit agitated. A bunch of young people started coming down the stairs, and Mr. Tate, thinking anything from a clever thief to a crazy person was at play, told the young man firmly:

"Hold onto him! Bring him in here; let's figure this out."

The camel agreed to be led into the library, and Mr. Tate, after locking the door, grabbed a revolver from a drawer and told the young man to take the camel's head off. Then he gasped and put the revolver back where it belonged.

"Well, Perry Parkhurst!" he exclaimed in amazement.

"Got the wrong party, Mr. Tate," said Perry sheepishly.

"Hope I didn't scare you."

"Well, you gave us a thrill, Perry," realization dawned on him.

"You're headed to the Townsends' circus ball."

"That's the plan."

"Let me introduce Mr. Butterfield, Mr. Parkhurst," then turning to Perry, "Butterfield is staying with us for a few days."

"I got a little mixed up," mumbled Perry. "I'm very sorry."

"No worries; it's a common mistake. I've got a clown outfit and I'm heading down there myself later," he turned to Butterfield. "You should come with us."

The young man declined, saying he was going to bed.

"Want a drink, Perry?" suggested Mr. Tate.

"Thanks, I will."

"Oh, and I almost forgot about your...friend here," he gestured towards the rear part of the camel. "I didn't mean to be rude. Is it someone I know? Bring him out."

"It's not a friend," explained Perry quickly. "I just rented him."

"Does he drink?"

"Do you?" Perry asked, twisting himself around to the camel.

There was a faint sound of agreement.

"Of course he does!" exclaimed Mr. Tate enthusiastically. "A truly efficient camel should be able to drink enough to last him three days."

Perry, looking concerned, added, "He's not really dressed up enough to come out. If you give me the bottle, I can pass it back to him and he can take it inside."

Beneath the cloth, you could hear the sound of approval for this idea. When a butler arrived with bottles, glasses, and a siphon, one of the bottles was handed back. From then on, the silent partner could be heard drinking at regular intervals.

An enjoyable hour passed. At ten o'clock, Mr. Tate decided it was time to leave. He put on his clown costume, Perry put the camel's head back on, and they walked together to the Tallyho Club, just a block away.

The circus ball was in full swing. Inside the ballroom, a large tent had been set up, surrounded by booths representing various circus attractions. The room was filled with a lively mix of people in costumes - clowns, bearded ladies, acrobats, riders, and more. The Townsends had made sure there was plenty of alcohol, with a green line leading to the bar where different types of punch and bottles were available.

Above the bar, a red, wavy arrow pointed to the slogan: "Now follow this!"

Amidst all the fancy costumes and high spirits at the party, the entrance of the camel definitely caused a commotion. Perry found himself surrounded by a curious and laughing crowd, all trying to figure out who this unexpected guest was. The camel stood by the wide doorway, watching the dancers with a hungry and melancholic gaze.

As Perry looked around, he spotted Betty talking to a comic policeman in front of a booth. She was dressed as an Egyptian snake-charmer, with her tawny hair braided and adorned with brass rings, topped off with a glittering Oriental tiara. Her fair face was stained to a warm olive glow, and painted serpents with venomous green eyes writhed on her arms and back. Her feet were in sandals, and her skirt was slit to reveal more painted serpents just above her bare ankles. A glittering cobra was wound around her neck, completing the enchanting costume.

Some of the older women seemed nervous around Betty, while others were quick to criticize her outfit as "disgraceful."

As Perry gazed through the camel's uncertain eyes, all he could see was her face - radiant, animated, and glowing with excitement. Her arms and shoulders moved expressively, making her stand out in any crowd. He was captivated by her presence, which brought him back to reality. Memories of the day flooded back, filling him with rage. He felt the urge to pull her away from the crowd, but he hesitated, forgetting to give the command to move.

Just when Perry thought fate had been toying with him all day, it decided to reward him. Fate directed the snake-charmer's gaze towards the camel. She leaned in towards the man next to her and asked, "Who's that? That camel?"

The man shrugged, clueless. But a man named Warburton, who seemed to know everything, chimed in:

"It came in with Mr. Tate. I think part of it's Warren Butterfield, the architect from New York, who's visiting the Tates."

Betty Medill felt a familiar curiosity stir within her as she watched the visiting man at the party.

"Oh," she said nonchalantly after a brief pause.

As the next dance ended, Betty and her partner found themselves near a camel. Embracing the informal atmosphere of the evening, Betty reached out and gently rubbed the camel's nose.

"Hello, old camel."

The camel shifted uncomfortably.

"Are you afraid of me?" Betty asked, raising her eyebrows playfully. "Don't be. I may be a snake-charmer, but I'm pretty good with camels too."

The camel bowed low, prompting someone to make a comment about beauty and the beast.

Mrs. Townsend joined the group.

"Well, Mr. Butterfield," she said, trying to place him, "I wouldn't have recognized you."

Perry bowed and grinned behind his mask.

"And who is this with you?" Mrs. Townsend asked.

"Oh," Perry replied, his voice muffled by the mask, "he's not a friend, Mrs. Townsend. He's just part of my costume."

Mrs. Townsend chuckled and walked away. Perry turned to Betty, feeling a pang of jealousy.

"So," he thought, "this is how much she cares! On the very day of our breakup, she's already flirting with another man - a complete stranger."

On a whim, he gently nudged her with his shoulder and gestured towards the hall, indicating that he wanted her to leave her partner and go with him.

"Bye-bye, Rus," she called to her partner. "This old camel's got me. Where are we going, Prince of Beasts?"

The majestic animal didn't respond, but walked solemnly towards a secluded spot on the side stairs.

There, she sat down, and the camel, after some confusion and gruff noises, settled beside her - his hind legs awkwardly stretched out across two steps.

"Well, old buddy," Betty said cheerfully, "how do you like our little party?"

The camel showed his approval by rolling his head and playfully kicking his hoofs.

"This is the first time I've had a one-on-one chat with a man's valet," she said, pointing to the hind legs, "or whatever that is."

"Oh," mumbled Perry, "he's deaf and blind."

"I bet that makes things tricky for you - you can't exactly walk around, can you?"

The camel hung his head sadly.

"I wish you could talk," Betty said sweetly. "Say you like me, camel. Say you think I'm beautiful. Say you'd want to be owned by a pretty snake-charmer."

The camel seemed to agree.

"Will you dance with me, camel?"

The camel was willing to try.

Betty spent a good half hour chatting with the camel. She always made sure to give each man who visited her at least that much time. It usually did the trick. Whenever she approached a new man, the other ladies would quickly make themselves scarce, like a group of soldiers dodging bullets. So, Perry Parkhurst got the special treat of seeing his crush in action. She was quite the flirt!