The caravan had dates, water and maps, but only one peppercorn left. The merchants argued over it for three days. Some wanted to save it for the prince they hoped to impress. Others wanted to sell it in the next city as a novelty of scarcity.
On the fourth night, the youngest camel driver crushed it between two stones and sprinkled it into the common pot. Everyone shouted until they tasted the stew. After weeks of dust and sameness, the pepper made the meal feel like a destination.
No prince ever paid for that peppercorn, but the caravan reached the city in better spirits than any caravan before it. The merchants learned a profit can be counted in coins, but value is sometimes measured by how many tired people sit up straighter after one shared mouthful.