The Arabian Nights II (46 page)

When Bahadir heard Amjad's explanation and knew that he was the son of a king, he felt pity and compassion for him and said, “Listen, Amjad, and do what I tell you, and I will guarantee your safety, but if you disobey me, I will kill you.” Amjad replied, “Command me as you wish. I will never disobey you, for I am deeply indebted to your manly generosity.” Bahadir said, “Go back to the hall and sit down in your place calmly, and I will soon come to you. When I enter, scold me and curse me and ask me the reason for my delay till now. By the way, my name is Bahadir. Don't accept any excuses from me, but rise and beat me, and if you show pity for me, I will kill you. Go back and enjoy yourself, and whatever you desire of me will be immediately before you. Spend tonight here, as you please, and tomorrow you may go your way. I am doing this to honor you as a stranger, for I love strangers and hold myself bound to honor them.” Amjad kissed his hand and went back to the hall, his fair face flushed, and as soon as he entered, he said to the girl, “O my lady, you have brought cheer to this place; this is a blessed night.” She replied, “It is wonderful of you to treat me so cordially!” Amjad said, “By God, my lady, I was worried that my Mamluk Bahadir had robbed me of some jewel necklaces, each worth ten thousand dinars. When I went out now to look for them, I found them in their place. But I still don't know why he is
gone till now, and I must punish him for it.” The girl was satisfied with his explanation, and they drank, sported, and enjoyed themselves till near sunset.

Then Bahadir came in to them, having changed his clothes, girded himself, and put on a pair of shoes of the kind worn by servants. He saluted, kissed the ground before Amjad, and stood with his hands clasped behind his back and his head bowed down, as one acknowledging his guilt. Amjad looked at him angrily and asked, “Why are you so late, you most wretched slave?” Bahadir replied, “O my lord, I was busy washing my clothes and did not know that you were here, for our appointment was for the evening, not for the daytime.” Amjad shouted at him, saying, “You are lying, you most wretched slave. By God, I must beat you.” Then he rose and, laying Bahadir on the floor, took a stick and beat him gently. But the girl rose, and, snatching the stick from Amjad's hand, fell on Bahadir with such hard blows that the tears ran from his eyes, and he ground his teeth together and cried for help, while Amjad cried out to her, saying, “Stop it,” and she replied, “Let me satisfy my anger at him.” At last, Amjad snatched the stick from her and pushed her away from Bahadir, who got up and, wiping off his tears, stood there for some time, waiting on them. Then he swept the hall and lighted the lamps, and every time he went in and out, the girl reviled him and cursed him, while Amjad said to her angrily, “For God's sake, leave my servant alone, for he is not used to such a treatment.”

They continued to eat and drink, while Bahadir waited on them until it was midnight, and being exhausted from the work and the beating he fell asleep, snoring and snorting, in the middle of the hall. The girl, who was intoxicated by then, said to Amjad, “Get up, take the sword hanging there, and cut off this slave's head. If you don't, I will kill you.” He asked her, “Why do you wish to kill my slave?” She replied, “Our delight will not be complete without his death. If you don't kill him, I will do it myself.” Amjad said, “For God's sake, don't do it.” Saying, “I must,” she took the sword and, drawing it, approached Bahadir, intending to kill him, but Amjad said to himself, “This man has been good to us, sheltered us, done us a favor, and made himself my servant. How can I reward him by killing him? This shall never be.” Then he said to the girl, “If my slave must be killed, it is more fitting that I kill him, rather than you.” Then he took the sword from her and, raising his hand, struck her on the neck and severed her head from her body. The head fell on Bahadir, who awoke and, sitting up, saw Amjad standing with the bloodstained sword in his hand and the girl lying dead. He asked Amjad for an explanation, and he told him what had happened, adding, “She insisted on killing you, and this is her reward.” Bahadir rose and, kissing Amjad's head, said,
“I wish that you had forgiven her. Now there is nothing to be done but to get her out of here immediately, before daylight.” Then he girded himself, wrapped the girl in a cloak and, placing her in a basket, carried her and said to Amjad, “You are a stranger here, and you don't know anyone. Wait for me here, and if I return, I will do you a great service, and I will endeavor to find out what happened to your brother. If I don't return by sunrise, assume that I am finished and that is the end of it, except that this house shall be yours with all the wealth and stuffs it contains.”

He carried the basket out of the hall and, passing through the market streets, took the way leading to the sea, where he planned to get rid of the girl. But when he was almost there, he turned and found himself surrounded by the chief of the police and his officers. When they recognized him, they wondered and, opening the basket, found the murdered girl. So they seized him and kept him in chains till the morning, when they took him with the basket to the king and reported the case to him. When the king heard their report, he was extremely angry and said to him, “Damn you, do you always kill people and throw them in the sea and take all their possessions? How many have you killed already?” But Bahadir stood with his head bowed to the ground before the king, who cried out, “Damn you, who killed this girl?” Bahadir replied, “O my lord, I killed her, and there is no power and no strength save in God the Almighty, the Magnificent.” The king was enraged and ordered that he be hanged. So the executioner and the chief of the police descended with him at the king's command and paraded him through the streets and markets of the town, while a crier preceded them, bidding the people to watch the execution of Bahadir, Master of the Horse to the king.

Meanwhile, Amjad waited till sunrise, and when Bahadir failed to return, he said, “There is no power and no strength save in God the Almighty, the Magnificent. I wonder what has happened to him.” While he sat wondering, he heard the crier bidding the people to watch the execution of Bahadir, who was to be hanged at noon, and when he heard this, he wept and said, “We are God's and to Him we return. He risked his own death for me, her murderer. By God, this must never be.” He then went out of the house and, locking it up, made his way through the city until he came to Bahadir and, standing before the chief of the police, said to him, “O my lord, don't hang Bahadir, for he is innocent. By God, no one killed her but I.”

When the chief of the police heard this, he took him, together with Bahadir, and went up to the king and told him what Amjad had said. The king looked at Amjad and asked him, “Did you kill the girl?” Amjad replied, “Yes.” The king said, “Tell me why you killed her, and be truthful.” Amjad said, “O king, my story is so strange and
extraordinary that were it written with needles on the corners of the eye, it would be a lesson to those who wish to consider.” Then he told his story to the king, acquainting him with all that had happened to him and his brother from beginning to end. The king was filled with wonder and said to Amjad, “I know now that you are not to blame. Will you become my vizier?” Amjad replied, “I hear and obey.” And the king bestowed on him and on Bahadir magnificent robes of honor and gave him a handsome house, with servants and officers and whatever was needed, and allocated him stipends and supplies and charged him to search for his brother As'ad. So Amjad began to perform his duty as vizier, administering and doing justice, appointing and deposing and receiving and giving. He also sent a crier to cry his brother throughout the city, and he made proclamation in the streets and markets for many days, but he heard no news nor found any trace of As'ad.

In the meantime, the Magians continued to torture As'ad, day and night, for a whole year, until the day of their festival drew near, when the old man, whose name was Bahram, prepared himself for his voyage and fitted out a ship. Then he put As'ad in a chest and locking it, carried him to the ship. It so happened, according to fate and divine decree, that at that very time, Amjad was standing looking at the sea, and when he saw the men carrying the gear to the ship, his heart throbbed, and he ordered his pages to bring him his horse. He mounted with a company of his men, rode down to the seashore and, stopping by the Magian's ship, ordered his men to board the ship and search it. The men dismounted and searched the entire ship but found nothing and returned and told him. So he mounted again and rode back to his house, feeling depressed. As he entered, he happened to glance at the wall and saw written there the following verses,

Dear ones, if you are absent from my sight,

Your presence in my heart and thought I keep.

You went away and left me languishing

And robbed my eyes of sleep and went to sleep.

When he read these verses, he recalled his brother and wept.

Meanwhile, Bahram the Magian embarked in the ship and called out to the sailors, ordering them to hurry and loosen the sails. They did so and departed, and they continued to sail many days and nights, and every other day, Bahram took As'ad out and gave him a little food and water until they drew near the Mountain of Fire, when suddenly a wind blew against them, and the sea became boisterous, causing them to stray from their course until they came to a city built on the seashore, with a castle with windows overlooking the sea. The ruler of that city was a woman called Queen Marjana. The captain of the
ship said to Bahram, “Master, we have strayed from our course, and we must enter this city to rest, and after that, let God do what He wills.” Bahram said to him, “This is an excellent idea, and I will act according to it.” The captain asked, “If the queen sends to inquire, what shall we tell her?” Bahram replied, “I have this Muslim with us. So we will dress him in the attire of Mamluks and take him with us, and when she sees him, she will think him to be a Mamluk, and I will say to her that I am an importer and trader in Mamluks and that I had with me many Mamluks, but I have sold them all, except this one.” The captain replied, “This is a good idea.”

Soon, they reached the city and slackened the sails, and as soon as they cast anchor, Queen Marjana came down with her guards and, stopping by the ship, called out to the captain, who disembarked and kissed the ground before her. She asked him, “What do you carry in your ship, and whom do you have with you?” He replied, “O Queen of the Age, I have with me a merchant who deals in slaves.” She said, “Bring him to me,” and Bahram came out, followed by As'ad, dressed in the garb of a Mamluk, and when Bahram came up to her, he kissed the ground before her. She asked him, “What is your business?” And he replied, “I am a slave dealer.” Then she looked at As'ad, thinking him to be a Mamluk, and asked him, “What is your name?” And he replied with a voice choking with tears, “My name is As'ad.” She felt tenderness toward him and asked, “Can you write?” He replied, “Yes.” Then she gave him a pen and a sheet of paper and said, “Write something for me to see.” So he wrote the following verses,

How can God's creature alter His decree?

How can he respite from his sentence get?

He bound him, cast him in the sea, and said,

“Beware, beware, don't let yourself get wet.”

When she read this, she felt compassion for him and said to Bahram, “Sell him to me.” He replied, “O my lady, I cannot sell him, for I have sold all my slaves except this one.” Queen Marjana said, “I will certainly take him, either by sale or as a gift.” Bahram said, “I will neither sell him nor give him as a gift.” But she seized As'ad and took him up to the castle. Then she sent Bahram a message, saying, “If you don't sail from our city tonight, I will confiscate your goods and destroy your ship.” When he received the message, he was very unhappy and said, “This voyage has been unfortunate.” Then he prepared himself and, taking whatever he needed, waited for the night to proceed on his voyage, and said to the sailors, “Take provisions for yourselves and fill the water skins, so that we may set sail at the end of the night.” So the sailors went about, preparing themselves for the voyage.

Meanwhile, Queen Marjana took As'ad into the castle, opened the windows overlooking the sea, and ordered her handmaids to bring food. So they brought it, and after she and As'ad ate, she ordered them to bring the wine, and they brought it, and she drank with As'ad. And the Almighty and Glorious God filled her heart with love for As'ad, and she began to fill the cup and give it to him to drink until he was intoxicated. Soon, he rose and went out of the hall, wishing to relieve himself, and, seeing a door open, he went through and walked until he came to a large garden, full of fruits and flowers. He sat under a tree and relieved himself. Then he went up to a fountain in the garden, lay there on his back and, lulled by the breeze, slept into the night.

Meanwhile, when it was night, Bahram called out to the sailors, saying, “Loosen the sails, and let us depart.” They replied, “We hear and obey, but wait until we fill our water skins.” They disembarked with the water skins and went around the castle and, finding nothing but the garden walls, they climbed over and descended into the garden and followed the tracks that led to the fountain. When they reached it, they found As'ad lying on his back, and when they recognized him, they rejoiced. So they carried him, after they filled their water skins and, jumping with him over the wall, hurried back to Bahram the Magian and said to him, “We bring you good news, which is cause for celebration with drums and trumpets, for you have attained your wish and fulfilled your desire; we have found your captive whom Queen Marjana took from you by force, and we have brought him with us.” And they threw As'ad down before him. When Bahram saw him, his heart leapt with joy, and he was pleased and relieved. Then he rewarded the sailors and ordered them to loosen the sails quickly. So they did so, and heading for the Mountain of Fire, they sailed till the morning.