Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 9.djvu/150

130 ‘I hear and obey,’ answered Abou Ishac and taking with him five thousand horse, set out for Bassora.

When Abdallah heard of his approach, he went out to meet him with his troops and carried him to his palace, whilst the escort encamped without the city, where he furnished them with all of which they stood in need. Abou Ishac entered the audience-chamber and sitting down on the throne, seated the governor beside himself, whilst the notables sat round him, according to their several ranks. After the salutation, Abdallah said to him, ‘O my lord, is there any cause for thy coming to us?’ ‘Yes,’ answered Abou Ishac, ‘I come to seek the tribute; for the Khalif enquireth of it and the time of its coming is past.’ ‘O my lord,’ rejoined Abdallah, ‘would thou hadst not wearied thyself nor taken upon thyself the fatigue of the journey! For the tribute is ready in full and I had purposed to despatch it to-morrow. But, since thou art come, I will deliver it to thee, after I have entertained thee three days; and on the fourth day I will bring the tribute before thee. But now it behoveth us to offer thee a present in part requital of thy kindness and that of the Commander of the Faithful.’ ‘There is no harm in that,’ said Abou Ishac.

So Abdallah dismissed the Divan and carrying him into a saloon, that had not its match, set a table of food before him and his companions. They ate and drank and made merry, after which the table was removed and there came coffee and sherbets. They sat conversing till a third part of the night was past, when they spread Abou Ishac a bed on a couch of ivory, inlaid with glittering gold. So he lay down and the viceroy lay down beside him on another couch; but wakefulness possessed Abou Ishac and he fell to meditating on the metres of verse and composing poetry, for that he was one of the chief of the Khalif’s