Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 8.djvu/280

268 and keeping my secret from all men, ye shall have of me largesse and favour overpassing your desire.’

The slaves answered him with one voice, saying, ‘All that thou biddest us, O our lord, will we do, nor will we anywise depart from thy commandment, for thou art our lord and master.’ ‘God be good to you!’ said the king. ‘Now will I tell you why I have chosen you out for increase of honour with me. Ye know how generously my father dealt with the people of his dominions and the oath he took from them on my behalf and how they promised him that they would not break faith with me nor gainsay my commandment; and ye saw how they did yesterday, whenas they came all together about me and would have slain me. Now I am minded to do with them somewhat, to wit, I have considered their fashion of yesterday and see that nought but exemplary chastisement will restrain them from the like of this; wherefore I charge you privily to put to death whom I shall point out to you, to the intent that, by slaying their leaders and chiefs, I may ward off evil and calamity from my realm; and the manner thereof shall be on this wise. To-morrow I will sit in this chair in this chamber and give them leave to enter, one by one, coming in at one door and going out at another; and do ye stand, all ten, before me and be attentive to my signs; and whoso enters singly, take him and drag him into yonder chamber and slay him and hide his body.’ The slaves answered, ‘We hearken to thy word and obey thy commandment.’ Whereupon he gave them largesse and dismissed them.

On the morrow he summoned the slaves and bade set up the throne. Then he donned his royal robes and taking the book of the law in his hands, posted the ten slaves before