Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 6.djvu/178

154 said they, ‘What is thy will with us?’ ‘I am Gherib, King of Irak,’ answered he, ‘he who slew your warriors; and now Raadshah has embraced the faith of submission and is become a mighty king and ruler over you. So do ye become true believers and all shall be well with you; but, if you refuse, you shall repent it.’ So they pronounced the profession of the faith and were numbered of the people of felicity. Then said Gherib, ‘Are your hearts indeed stablished in the sweetness of the Faith?’ And they answered, ‘Yes;’ whereupon he bade release them and clad them in robes of honour, saying, ‘Go to your people and expound Islam to them. Whosoever accepts the faith, spare him; but, if he refuse, slay him.’ So they went out and assembling the men under their command, expounded Islam to them, and they all professed, except a few, whom they put to death; after which they returned and told Gherib, who praised God the Most High and glorified Him, saying, ‘Praised be God who hath made this thing easy to us without strife!’

Then he abode in Cashmere forty days, till he had ordered the affairs of the country and cast down the shrines and temples of the Fire and built mosques and places of worship in their stead, whilst Raadshah made ready for him gifts and treasures beyond count and despatched them to Irak in ships. Then Gherib mounted on Kailjan’s back and Jemrcan and Saadan on that of Courjan, after they had taken leave of Raadshah, and before daybreak they were in Oman, where their troops met them and saluted them and rejoiced in them. Then they set out for Cufa, where Gherib called for his brother Agib and commanded to crucify him on the city-gate and shoot at him with arrows. So Sehim brought hooks of iron and driving them into the tendons of Agib’s heels, hung him over the gate; and they riddled him with arrows, till he was like a porcupine.