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go to the spirits; so bring me Sufiyeh. Accordingly, he sent for
her and delivered her to the old woman, who placed her with the
other damsels. Then she went in to her chamber and bringing out a
sealed cup, presented it to the King, saying, On the thirtieth
day, do thou go to the bath and when thou comest out, enter one
of the closets in thy palace and drink the liquor that is in this
cup. Then sleep, and thou shalt attain what thou seekest, and
peace be on thee! The King was glad and thanked her and kissed
her hands. Quoth she, I commend thee to God; and he said, When
shall I see thee again, O pious lady? Indeed I love not to part
with thee. Then she called down blessings on him and departed
with the five damsels and the Princess Sufiyeh; whilst the King
fasted other three days, till the end of the month, when he went
to the bath and coming out, shut himself up in a closet,
commanding that none should go in to him. Then he drank what was
in the cup and lay down to sleep. We sat awaiting him till the
end of the day, but he did not come out and we said, Belike he
is tired with the bath and with watching by night and fasting by
day, and sleepeth. So we waited till next day; but still he did
not come out. Then we stood at the closet-door and cried aloud,
so haply he might awake and ask what was the matter. But nothing
came of this: so at last we lifted the door off its hinges and
going in, found the King dead, with his flesh torn into strips
and his bones broken in pieces. When we saw him in this case, it
was grievous to us, and we took up the cup and found in its cover
a piece of paper, on which was written the following, He who
does evil leaves no regrets behind him. This is the reward of him
who plays the traitor with kings daughters and debauches them:
and we make known to all who happen upon this scroll that
Sherkan, when he came to our country, debauched our Princess
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Abrizeh; nor did this suffice him, but he must take her from us
and bring her to you. Then he (Omar ben Ennuman) (debauched her
and) sent her away, in company of a black slave, who slew her and
we found her lying dead in the desert. This is none of kings
fashion, and he who did this is requited with nought but his
deserts. So do ye suspect none of having killed him, for none
slew him but the cunning witch, whose name is Dhat ed Dewahi. And
behold, I have taken the King s wife Sufiyeh and have carried her
to her father King Afridoun of Constantinople. Moreover, we will
assuredly make war upon you and kill you and take your land from
you, and ye shall be cut off even to the last man, nor shall
there be left of you a living soul, no, nor a blower of the fire,
except he serve the Cross and the Girdle. When we read this, we
knew that the old woman had cheated us and carried out her plot
against us: so we cried out and buffeted our faces and wept sore.
However, weeping availed us nothing and the troops fell out as to
whom they should make Sultan. Some would have thee and others thy
brother Sherkan; and we ceased not to wrangle about this for the
space of a month, at the end of which time certain of us drew
together and agreed to repair to thy brother Sherkan. So we set
out and journeyed on till we fell in with thee: and this is the
manner of the death of King Omar ben Ennuman.
When the Vizier had made an end of his story, Zoulmekan and his
sister wept, and the Chamberlain wept also. Then said the latter
to Zoulmekan, O King, weeping will profit thee nothing; nor will
aught avail thee but that thou fortify thy heart and strengthen
thy resolution and stablish thy power; for verily he is not dead
who leaves the like of thee behind him. So Zoulmekan gave over
weeping and causing his throne to be set up without the pavilion,
commanded the army to pass in review before him. Then he sat down
on the throne, with the Chamberlain by his side and all the
arm-bearers behind him, whilst the Vizier Dendan and the rest of
the amirs and grandees stood before him, each in his several
room. Then said Zoulmekan to Dendan, Acquaint me with the
particulars of my father s treasures. Dendan answered, I hear
and obey, and gave him to know the amount and nature of the late
King s treasure and what was in the treasury of money and jewels
and other precious things. So Zoulmekan gave largesse to the army
and bestowed a sumptuous dress of honour on the Vizier Dendan,
saying, I confirm thee in thine office. Whereupon Dendan kissed
the earth before him and wished him long life. Then he bestowed
dresses of honour on the amirs, after which he turned to the
Chamberlain and said, Bring out before us the tribute of
Damascus, that is with thee. So he laid before him the chests of
money and jewels and rarities, and he took them and divided them
all amongst the troops, till there was nothing left. And the
amirs kissed the ground before him and wished him long life,
saying, Never saw we a king, who gave the like of these gifts.
Then they all went away to their own tents, and when it was
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morning, Zoulmekan gave orders for departure. So they set out and
journeyed for three days, till on the fourth day they drew near
to Baghdad. When they entered the city, they found it decorated,
and King Zoulmekan went up to his father s palace and sat down on
the throne, whilst the amirs of the army and the Vizier Dendan
and the Chamberlain of Damascus stood before him. Then he bade
his private secretary write a letter to his brother Sherkan,
acquainting him with all that had passed and adding, As soon as
thou hast read this letter, make ready thine affair and join us
with thine army, that we may make war upon the infidels and take
vengeance on them for our father and wipe out the stain upon our
honour. Then he folded the letter and sealed it and said to
Dendan, None shall carry this letter but thou; and I would have
thee speak my brother fair and say to him, If thou have a mind
to thy father s kingdom, it is thine, and thy brother shall be
Viceroy for thee in Damascus; for to this effect am I instructed
by him. So the Vizier went out from before him and proceeded
to make ready for his journey. Then Zoulmekan set apart a
magnificent house for the stoker and furnished it with sumptuous
furniture and lodged him therein. One day, he went out a-hunting
and as he was returning to Baghdad, one of the amirs presented
him with horses of fine breeds and damsels whose beauty beggars
description. One of the damsels pleased him: so he went in to her
and lay with her, and she conceived by him forthright. After
awhile, the Vizier Dendan returned from Damascus, bringing him
news of his brother Sherkan and that he was then on his way to
him, and said to him, Thou wouldst do well to go out to meet
him. Zoulmekan replied, I hear and obey; and riding forth with
his grandees a day s journey from Baghdad, pitched his tents and
halted to await the coming of his brother. Next morning, the army
of Syria appeared, with King Sherkan in its midst, a bold
cavalier, a fierce lion and a warrior against whom none might
make head. As the squadrons drew nigh and the dust-clouds neared
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