Persian Flaw

She examined the Persian rug of the Sheik for several long moments before she finally looked up, unable to hide the smirk from her face.

"It's a fake. Your fancy carbon dating machine must be wrong."

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"But it fits the descriptions, the timeframe matches up, even the location of the damage matches up! This must be the rug!"

"The rug should have a Persian Flaw, a tiny error to avoid insulting Allah. A discolored flower petal or something."

I felt sick.

"I'd used that bit for the sample, since it was off..."