The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, vol 9 | Page 9

whereupon she smote him on the nape, that the
sword came out gleaming from his throat tendons and Allah hurried his
soul to the Fire and the abiding-place which is dire. Then Miriam
wheeled about in the battleplain and the stead where cut and thrust are
fain; and championed it and offered battle, crying out and saying, "Who
is for fighting? Who is for jousting? Let come forth to me to-day no
weakling or niderling; ay, let none come forth to me but the champions
who the enemies of The Faith represent, that I may give them to drink
the cup of ignominious punishment. O worshippers of idols, O
miscreants, O rebellious folk, this day verily shall the faces of the
people of the True Faith be whitened and theirs who deny the
Compassionate be blackened!" Now when the King saw his eldest son
slain, he smote his face and rent his dress and cried out to his second
son, saying, "O Batrús, thou who art surnamed Khara al-Sús,[FN#13]
go forth, O my son, in haste and do battle with thy sister Miriam;
avenge me the death of thy brother Bartaut and bring her to me a
prisoner, abject and humiliated!" He answered, "Hearkening and
obedience, O my sire, and charging down drave at his sister, who met
him in mid-career, and they fought, he and she, a sore fight, yet sorer
than the first. Bartus right soon found himself unable to cope with her
might and would have sought safety in flight, but of the greatness of
her prowess could not avail unto this sleight; for, as often as he turned
to flee, she drave after him and still clave to him and pressed him hard,
till presently she smote him with the sword in his throat, that it issued
gleaming from his nape, and sent him after his brother. Then she
wheeled about in the mid-field and plain where cut and thrust are
dealed, crying out and saying, "Where be the Knights? Where be the
Braves? Where is the one-eyed Wazir, the lameter, of the crooked
faith[FN#14] the worthy believer?" Thereupon the King her father
cried out with heart in bleeding guise and tear-ulcerated eyes, saying,
"She hath slain my second son, by the virtue of the Messiah and the
Faith which is no liar!" And he called aloud to his youngest son, saying,
"O Fasyán, surnamed Salh al-Subyán,[FN#15] go forth, O my son, to
do battle with thy sister and take of her the blood-wreak for thy
brothers and fall on her, come what may; and whether thou gain or thou
lose the day;[FN#16] and if thou conquer her, slay her with foulest
slaughter!" So he drave out to Miriam, who ran at him with the best of

her skill and charged him with the goodliness of her cleverness and her
courage and her cunning in fence and cavalarice, crying to him, "O
accursed, O enemy of Allah and the Moslems, I will assuredly send
thee after thy brothers and woeful is the abiding-place of the
Miscreants!" So saying, she unsheathed her sword and smote him and
cut off his head and arms and sent him after his brothers and Allah
hurried his soul to the Fire and the abiding-place dire. Now when the
Knights and riders who rode with her sire saw his three sons slain, who
were the doughtiest of the folk of their day, there fell on their hearts
terror of the Princess Miriam, awe of her overpowered them; they
bowed their heads earthwards and they made sure of ruin and confusion,
disgrace and destruction. So with the flames of hate blazing in heart
they turned their backs forthright and addressed themselves to flight.
When the King saw his sons slain and on his flying troops cast sight,
there fell on him bewilderment and affright, whilst his heart also was
a-fire for despight. Then quoth he to himself, "In very sooth Princess
Miriam hath belittled us; and if I venture myself and go out against her
alone, haply she will gar me succumb and slay me without ruth, even as
she slew her brothers and make of me the foulest of examples, for she
hath no longer any desire for us nor have we of her return any hope.
Wherefore it were the better rede that I guard mine honour and return to
my capital." So he gave reins to his charger and rode back to his city.
But when he found himself in his palace, fire was loosed in his heart
for rage and chagrin at the death of his three gallant sons and the defeat
of his troops and the disgrace to his honour; nor did he abide half an
hour ere he summoned his Grandees and Officers of state and
complained to