The Fable of Makë's Appointment

This was a fable about fatalism and the inevitability of death, based on a real-life Mesopotamian parable.
== The Merchant of Sanctum ==
In ancient times, there was an elderly, rich, avaricious merchant who lived in the grand city of Sanctum. Needing supplies, she sent her servant down the canals to the market. When the servant arrived, she saw amongst the crowd a black rider on a pale white horse, and she knew it was Makë. The horse reared suddenly, and the servant was terrified, running back to tell the merchant.
"Master! Master! Among the marketplace, I saw Makë's horse rear menacingly. Death is after you, Master!" the servant exclaimed. Convinced by the terror on her servant's face, the old merchant knew her time had come. Even so, she was confident she could outrun death. She took her fastest horse and sped off northward without a second thought.
She rode, and rode. She rode so fast, the grass behind her crackled with embers, and a curtain of wind followed her as she thundered past. In a single day, she rode further and faster than any person ever could. By dusk, she reached the city of Datria. But when she walked into the market there, she was astonished to see the black rider and the pale horse waiting for her. 
Accepting her fate yet confused, as Makë approached her, she asked, "Why did you scare my servant so much?" 
In a cold voice, the god replied, "It was not meant to frighten him. I was simply very surprised to see you there in Sanctum, when I had an appointment with you this evening all the way in Datria!".
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