Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 6.djvu/61

41 back in his chair and entreated me contemptuously, neither offered to rise to me. So I began to speak to him and he answered me without stirring, at which passion got the better of me and I drew the mace upon him, thinking to smite him. But he snatched it from me and beat me and my men therewith and overthrew us. So we fled from him and could not prevail against him.’ At this, the King was wroth and said, ‘Let a hundred men go down to him.’ So the hundred men went down to him, but he fell upon them with the mace and smote upon them till he put them to the rout; whereupon they returned to the King and told him what had passed, saying, ‘O King of the age, he beat us and we fled for fear of him.’ Then the King sent two hundred men against him, but these also he put to the rout, and Shems ed Dauleh said to his Vizier, ‘O Vizier, I charge thee take five hundred men and bring this eunuch in haste, and with him his master Jouder and his brothers.’ ‘O King of the age,’ replied the Vizier, ‘I need no soldiers, but will go down to him alone and unarmed.’ ‘Go,’ said the King, ‘and do as thou seest fit.’

So the Vizier laid down his arms and donning a white habit, took a rosary in his hand and set out alone and afoot. When he came to the palace gate, he saw the eunuch sitting there; so he went up to him and seating himself courteously by his side, said to him, ‘Peace be on thee!’ ‘And on thee be peace, O mortal!’ answered the slave. ‘What wilt thou?’ When the Vizier heard him say ‘O mortal,’ he knew him to be of the Jinn and quaked for fear; then he said to him, ‘O my lord, is thy master Jouder here?’ ‘Yes,’ answered the eunuch, ‘he is in the palace.’ ‘O my lord,’ said the Vizier, ‘go thou to him and say to him, “King Shems ed Dauleh salutes thee and bids thee honour his dwelling [with thy presence] and eat of a banquet he hath made for thee.”’ And the eunuch said, ‘Abide here, whilst I consult him.’