|
"He then swore by the beard of the Prophet that on the day that I did
lie with the King, betimes I would be free. Thus have I come before
thee, O Monarch of the Ages, to request thy favor in holding this evil
man to his covenant."
At this the King's heart leapt within his bosom and he would have futtered the lass forthwith, but restrained himself at the thought of his wazirs and grandees waiting upon him in the outer chambers with matters both weighty and pressing. And he spoke to the woman and said, "It pleaseth me to deliver thee from thy despair, O daughter of my Kingdom. This eventide when the moon is risen, return to the private gate in the East wall of the palace and knock thrice upon it. When the guard challengeth thee, say unto him that thou comest at the bidding of the King.
Then the lass came forward and prostrated herself before the king and taking his feet in her hands bathed them with tears of thanksgiving. "O Liege," said she, "blessed is thine handmaiden for the grace thou shedest upon her. But my evil uncle suspects my plan and watches my comings and goings. Six days hence he will be absent from his house and then it is that thy servant would beg favor of thee. E'en so, the youth who holds thy servant's heart in the palm of his hand is sickened and vexed that his lover should lie with so glorious a one as the King, in the perfumed splendor of the royal bedchamber. Thus have I sworn to him an oath neither to do this thing within the palace walls nor to show my face to our lord the King."
The woman then told of a bower in the shade of three fig trees where they might make assignation undiscovered. And the woman, whose ivory roundness at his feet was like a dagger in his heart, and whose scented body filled his nostrils with fire, prevailed upon the King and he granted all she wished. And she, rejoicing, kissed the ground before him, prostrated herself seven times, and donning her crone's clothing withdrew from the King's presence. The King, though striken with desire like unto the thirst of a desert wanderer, recalled his court and in good countenance performed his royal duties. But that night he tasted not the sweet food of sleep, so hotly did the fires within him burn.
On the morrow Shah Zaraan took his brother's place upon the throne and o'ersaw the business of the realm. And great was the astonishment of the assemblage when again a woman, veiled and dressed in robes of black, appeared and craved private counsel with the King. And again, when all wazirs and grandees had been banished from the room, the woman doffed her outer garments and stood before Shah Zaman, sweet as the gentlest zephyr, in youthful loveliness that smote his heart. She too recounted a tale of anguish and affliction that might only be set right by intimate attention from the king.
Now Shah Zaman was younger and more intemperate than his brother, and as quickly as the lass undraped her supple form his loins moved and straightaway did he rise to manful estate. He paid no heed to the tale she told and made to swive her then and there. But the woman, fearing to be discovered should the King partake of her treasure by light of day, restrained him, saying, "An thy wouldst have thy way with me, O King, it must needs be according to the mighty oath that I have sworn, for only thus may thy servant be released from grief and bondage." So saying, she covenanted with him to meet five days hence in a secret place beside a field of barley. When all was agreed and Shah Zaman had recomposed himself, she prostrated herself before him seven times and, resuming the habit of an old woman, withdrew.
The court was struck with wonderment at these aged creatures who sought to speak in seclusion with their kings, but the royal brothers kept their own counsel and none dared question them. Five days went by and none among the grandees and wazirs gave e'en a passing thought to these events but King Shahryar and Shah Zaman were restless for the days to pass.
When came at last the appointed night, each king arose, girded himself in dark disguise, and brimming with thoughts of amorous sport, set out for his appointed meeting place. And lo, their two queens arose after them and making haste to powder and perfume their bodies, likewise set out beneath the stars, for verily 'twas Dunyazade who had hocussed her sister's master, King Shahryar, with talk of evil uncles, and Scheherazade who had frolicked before Shah Zaman.
Now the two kings, though they thought Scheherazade and Dunyazade each to be that thing so dear and rare, a faithful woman, remembered still the wanton treachery of their former wives. Thus had each commanded a doughty Mameluke, honest as an ax handle, secretly to watch over his queen by night to see that she slipped not away for faithless trysting. And these good men, one armed with a scimitar of keenest Damascus, the other with a spear of seven cubits, followed unbeknownst as the queens hastened forth.
Presently Queen Dunyazade came upon the bower beneath three fig trees, and finding King Shahryar therein, the two fell upon each other with shouts of joy. Thereupon, the Mameluke drew nigh unto the bower and seeing the queen abandon herself to the most lascivious tupping and clipping, did as his king had commanded him and, drawing his scimitar, in one mighty blow cut the two in four pieces. Likewise, when the slave in whose charge Queen Scheherazade had been put came upon the secret place by the barley field and found her in the thoes of lust and lewdness, he lifted up his spear and drove it home with such force that the lovers were skewered to the earth, locked even as they were in carnal embrace.
When, upon the morrow, the people learned of the tragedy that had befallen their kings, they rent their garments and plucked their beards from their faces, saying. "Woe be upon us, for ours was a land of justice and prosperity, but now Allah has struck down our rulers and we have none to govern us." And the grandees and wazirs quarreled among themselves, saying, "Now I shall be King," or again, "Nay, it is I who shall be King." Men rose up in arms against each other, carrying fire and sword through the land, and the fields were wasted, the date gardens left to ruin, and not a cobbler or basket weaver carried on his trade. The land was anon reduced to desolation, and for neighboring peoples it became a hissing and a byword and a symbol of the faithlessness of woman and the foolishness of man.
And so it is, and ever shall be, that the greatness of man is nothing to the greatness of Allah, whose Name be forever magnified. Glory to Him whom the shifts of time waste not away, who rewardest the righteous an hundred-fold and who drivest the wicked through the gates of Hell. All praise be to Allah, the Lord of Creation!
|
