Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 8.djvu/186

174 Apostle of God!” And she made hearty profession of Islam. Then said I to myself, “By Allah, I will not go in to her till I have set her free and acquainted the Cadi, [so he may marry us!]” So I betook myself to Ibn Sheddad and told him what had passed and he married me to her. Then I lay with her that night and she conceived; after which the troops departed and we returned to Damascus.

Presently there came an ambassador from the king of the Franks, to seek the prisoners, according to the treaty between the kings. So El Melik en Nasir restored all the men and women he held in captivity, till there remained but the woman who was with me and the Franks said, “The wife of such an one the knight is not here.” So they enquired after her and making instant search for her, found that she was with me; whereupon they demanded her of me and I went in to her, pale and sore concerned; and she said to me, “What ails thee and what hath befallen thee?” Quoth I, “A messenger is come from the king to take all the captives, and they demand thee of me.” “Have no fear,” answered she; “bring me to the king and I know what to say to him.” So I carried her before the Sultan El Melik en Nasir, who was seated, with the ambassador of the king of the Franks on his right hand, and said to him, “This is the woman that is with me.”

Then said the king and the ambassador to her, “Wilt thou go to thy country or to thy husband? For God hath loosed thy bonds and those of thy fellows in captivity.” Quoth she, “I am become a Muslim and am great with child, as ye may see, and the Franks shall