'Brother,' replied Pari Banou, 'it is too late to go to-day,
therefore stay till to-morrow morning; and in the meantime, as it
is desirable that you should know all that has passed between the
Sultan of the Indies and Prince Ahmed since our marriage, I will
tell you this evening.'
Next morning, after Schaibar had been informed of all that was
proper for him to know, he set out with Prince Ahmed, who was to
present him to the sultan. When they arrived at the gates of the
capital, the people no sooner saw Schaibar than they ran and hid
themselves in their shops and houses, and shut their doors; while
others took to their heels, and communicated their fear to all they
met, who did not wait to look behind them, but ran too; insomuch
that Schaibar and Prince Ahmed, as they went along, found all the
streets and squares deserted, till they came to the palace, where
the porters, instead of preventing Schaibar from entering, also ran
away; so that the prince and he advanced without any obstacle to
the council-hall, where the sultan was seated on his throne giving
audience. Here likewise the officers, at the approach of Schaibar,
abandoned their posts.
Schaibar, carrying his head erect, went fiercely up to the throne,
without waiting to be introduced by Prince Ahmed, and accosted the
Sultan of the Indies in these words:
'You have asked for me, see, here I am: what do you want with me?'
The sultan, instead of answering, clapt his hands before his eyes,
and turned away his head, to avoid the sight of so terrible an
object.
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