cornish & the changeling #6

[adelaidesean]

This is one of my favourite pictures that David drew for The Changeling. It's hard to explain why without giving away the plot, but this picture comes at a relatively upbeat point in what has been up to then a pretty dark story. And it features the camel, which has a character all of its own. While writing this novel as part of Adelaide Uni's Creative Writing Program, the call to spare the camel was overwhelming from my fellow students. That was as surprising as it was gratifying.



"The world was a blur by the time he reached the back door. He slipped twice before reaching the camel and clambering awkwardly onto its back. Whether it recognised the smell of its former master, hoped for better treatment from Ros, or simply responded to the command in his voice, it raised itself up on knobbly knees with a weary sigh and then clambered to its feet."

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Comments

[murasaki-1966.livejournal.com]

I like the camel. I may have to purchase the book, just for the camel...

[ladnews.livejournal.com]

I love the camel and am tempted to write a spin-off series about him. If he survives, of course. :-)

[murasaki-1966.livejournal.com]

Please do.

An Arabic saying about camels is:

Allah has 99 most beautiful names, and the camel looks so superior because he knows the 100th.

My second favourite of the "Just So Stories" (by Rudyard Kipling)is "How the Camel got his hump". However, camels in real life are real bastards, and they stink.

[ladnews.livejournal.com]

My camel head-butts someone, which makes him a bit of a bastard too. When he needs to be. :-)

I love that saying. Thank you!

[murasaki-1966.livejournal.com]

Have you read Small Gods by Terry Pratchett? That has a great camel character, called "You Bstard" who is also a genius level mathematican.

[ladnews.livejournal.com]

You Bastard is one of my favourite characters from all of Pratchett's books. I must go back and read SMALL GODS again. It's been a long while...