The Day of Naj's Accident

"Like a fading rose that drops its petals one by one, my hopes dwindled with each passing day. The day of Naj's accident was fast approaching and I grew desperate," he writes. "I solicited each of the camel drivers in turn, trying to hire one to take me ahead, alone, but could not persuade any of them." He then struck out on his own: "It will come as no surprise that I made little progress in the storm... But when the winds subsided, I immediately adopted a rapid pace".