Meanwhile, Amjed awaited his host’s return till the day broke and the sun rose, and when he saw that he came not, he exclaimed, ‘There is no power and no virtue but in God the Most High, the Supreme! I wonder what is come of him?’ As he sat musing, he heard the crier proclaiming aloud Behadir’s sentence and bidding the people to his hanging at midday; whereat he wept and exclaimed, ‘Verily, we are God’s and to Him we return! He means to sacrifice himself unjustly for my sake, when it was I killed her. By Allah, this shall never be!’ Then he went out and shutting the door after him, hurried through the streets, till he overtook Behadir, when he accosted the chief of the police and said to him, ‘O my lord, put not Behadir to death, for he is innocent. By Allah, none killed her but I.’ When the Master of the Police heard this, he took them both and carrying them before the King, told him what Amjed had said; whereupon he looked at the prince and said to him, ‘Didst thou kill the young lady?’ ‘Yes,’ answered he, and the King said, ‘Tell me why thou killedst her, and speak the truth.’ ‘O King,’ replied Amjed, ‘indeed, it is a rare event and a strange matter that hath befallen me: were it graven with needles on the corners of the eye, it would serve as a lesson to whoso can profit by admonition.’ Then he told him his whole story and all that had befallen him and his brother, first and last; whereat the King wondered greatly and said to him, ‘O youth, I know thee now to be excusable. Wilt thou be my Vizier?’ ‘I hear and obey,’ answered Amjed; whereupon the King bestowed magnificent dresses of honour on him and Behadir and gave him a handsome house, with servants and officers and all things needful, appointing him stipends and allowances and bidding him make search for his brother Asaad. So Amjed sat down in the seat of office and governed and did justice and invested and deposed and gave and took. Moreover, he sent out a crier to cry his brother throughout the city, and he made proclamation in the streets and markets many days, but heard no news of Asaad nor happened on any trace of him.
Meanwhile, the Magians ceased not to torture Asaad, night and day, for a whole year’s space, till the day of their festival drew near, when the old man (whose name was Behram) made ready for the voyage and fitted out a ship for himself. When all was ready, he laid Asaad in a chest and locking it, transported it to the ship. As fate would have it, Amjed was at that very time standing looking upon the sea; and when he saw the men carrying the chest and other gear on board the ship, his heart throbbed and he called to his servants to bring him his horse. Then, mounting with a company of his officers, he rode down to the port and halted before the Magian’s ship, which he commanded his men to search. So they boarded the vessel and searched it in every part, but found nothing and returned and told Amjed, who mounted again and rode back to his palace, with a troubled mind. As he entered, he cast his eyes on the wall and saw written thereon the following verses, which when he read, he called to mind his brother and wept:
Belovéd ones, for all you’re absent from my sight, Yet in my
heart and thought you have your sojourn still.
You leave me here to pine and languish for desire; You rob mine
eyes of sleep and sleep yourselves your fill.
Meanwhile, Behram embarked and shouted to his crew to make sail in all haste. So they loosed the sails and departing, fared on without ceasing many days and nights; and every other day, Behram took out Asaad and gave him a little bread and water, till they drew near the Mountain of Fire, when there came out on them a contrary wind and the sea rose against them, so that they were driven out of their course into strange waters and came in sight of a city builded upon the shore, with a citadel whose windows overlooked the sea. Now the ruler of this city was a queen called Merjaneh, and the captain said to Behram, ‘O my lord, we have strayed from our course and come to the island of Queen Merjaneh, who is a devout Muslim; and if she know that we are Magians, she will take our ship and slay us to the last man. Yet needs must we put in here to rest [and refit].’ Quoth Behram, ‘Let us clothe this Muslim we have with us in a slave’s habit and carry him ashore with us, so that, when the queen sees him, she will think and say, “This is a slave.” As for me, I will tell her that I am a dealer in white slaves and that I had with me many, but have sold all but this one, whom I have retained to keep my accounts, for he can read and write.’ And the captain said, ‘This device should serve well.’ Presently they reached the city and slackening sail, cast anchor; when, behold, Queen Merjaneh came down to them, attended by her guards, and halting before the ship, called out to the captain, who landed and kissed the earth before her. Quoth she, ‘What is the lading of thy ship and whom hast thou with thee?’ ‘O queen of the age,’ answered he, ‘I have with me a merchant who deals in slaves.’ And she said, ‘Bring him to me;’ whereupon Behram came ashore to her, followed by Asaad in a slave’s habit, and kissed the earth before her. ‘What is thy condition?’ asked the queen; and Behram answered, ‘I am a slave-dealer.’ Then she looked at Asaad and taking him for a slave, said to him, ‘What is thy name?’ Quoth he, ‘Dost thou ask my present or my former name?’ ‘Hast thou then two names?’ asked she, and he answered (and indeed his voice was choked with tears), ‘Yes; my name aforetime was Asaad, but now it is Muterr.’ Her heart inclined to him and she said, ‘Canst thou write?’ ‘Yes,’ answered he; and she gave him inkhorn and pen and paper and said to him, ‘Write somewhat, that I may see it.’ So he wrote the following verses:
Harkye, O thou that judgest, what can a mortal do, When fate, in
all conditions, doth him to death ensue?
It casts him in the ocean, bound hand and foot, and says, “Beware
lest with the water you wet yourself, look you!”
When she read this, she had compassion upon him and said to Behram, ‘Sell me this slave.’ ‘O my lady,’ answered he, ‘I cannot sell him, for he is the only slave I have left.’ Quoth she, ‘I must have him of thee, either by purchase or as a gift.’ But Behram said, ‘I will neither sell him nor give him.’ Whereat she was wroth and taking Asaad by the hand, carried him up to the palace and sent to Behram, saying, ‘Except thou set sail and depart our city this very night, I will seize all thy goods and break up thy ship.’ When the message reached the Magian, he was sore troubled and said, ‘Verily, this voyage is every way unfortunate.’ Then he made ready and took all he needed and awaited the coming of the night, to resume his voyage, saying to the sailors, ‘Provide yourselves and fill the waterskins, that we may set sail at the last of the night.’ So the sailors did their occasions and awaited the coming of the night.
To return to Queen Merjaneh. When she had brought Asaad into the palace, she opened the windows overlooking the sea and bade her handmaids bring food. Accordingly, they set food before Asaad and herself, and they ate, after which the queen called for wine and fell to drinking with him. Now God (may He be exalted and glorified!) filled her heart with love for Asaad and she plied him with wine, till his reason fled and presently he rose and left the hall, to do an occasion. Seeing a door open, he went out and walked on, till he came to a vast garden full of all manner fruits and flowers and sitting down under a tree, did his occasion. Then he went up to a fountain in the garden and made the ablution and washed his hands and face, after which he would have risen to go away; but the air smote him and he fell back, with his clothes undone, and slept, and night overcame him thus.
One Thousand and One Nights Page 254
