Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 9.djvu/61

43 this is a trick that Es Sendelani hath played me.’ And he knew not whither he should go, for he had upon him nothing but his trousers. However, he rose and walked on a little, till he espied the prefect of police coming towards him, with a company of men with swords and staves; whereat he took fright and seeing a ruined bath, hid himself there. Presently, his foot stumbled at something; so he put his hand on it, and it became befouled with blood. He wiped his hand upon his trousers, unknowing what had befouled it, and put it out a second time, when, behold, it fell upon a dead body, and the head came up in his hand. He threw it down, saying, ‘There is no power and no virtue save in God the Most High!’ and took refuge in one of the cabinets of the bath.

Presently, the prefect stopped at the door of the bath and said, ‘Enter this place and search.’ So ten of them entered with cressets, and Ibrahim of his fear retired behind a wall and looking upon the dead body, saw it to be that of a young lady with a face like the full moon. She was clad in costly raiment and her head lay on one side and her body on the other; and when he saw this, terror got hold upon his heart. Then the prefect of police entered and said, ‘Search the corners of the bath.’ So they entered the place where Ibrahim was, and one of them, seeing him, came up to him with a knife, half a cubit long, in his hand. When he drew near him, he said, ‘Glory be to God, the Creator of this fair face! O youth, whence art thou?’ Then he took him by the hand and said, ‘O youth, why slewest thou this woman?’ ‘By Allah,’ replied Ibrahim, ‘I slew her not, nor know I who slew her, and I entered not this place but in fear of you!’ And he told him his case, saying, ‘God on thee, do me no wrong, for I am in concern for myself!’ Then he took him and carried him to the prefect, who, seeing the marks