Of him, who from the gorgeous vault of Heaven
Can charm the stars? From this mad enterprise
Others have wisely shrunk--and what hast thou
Accomplished by a more ambitious course?
Thy soldiers have slain many, dire destruction
And spoil have been their purpose--thy wild will
Has promptly been obeyed; but thou art now
Without an army, not one man remains
To lift a sword, or stand in thy defence;
Not one to hear thy groans and thy despair."

There were selected from the army twelve thousand of the demon-warriors,
to take charge of and hold in custody the Iránian captives, all the
chiefs, as well as the soldiers, being secured with bonds, and only
allowed food enough to keep them alive. Arzang, one of the
demon-leaders, having got possession of the wealth, the crown and
jewels, belonging to Kai-káús, was appointed to escort the captive king
and his troops, all of whom were deprived of sight, to the city of
Mázinderán, where they were delivered into the hands of the monarch of
that country. The White Demon, after thus putting an end to hostilities,
returned to his own abode.

Kai-káús, strictly guarded as he was, found an opportunity of sending an
account of his blind and helpless condition to Zál, in which he lamented
that he had not followed his advice, and urgently requested him, if he
was not himself in confinement, to come to his assistance, and release
him from captivity. When Zál heard the melancholy story, he gnawed the
very skin of his body with vexation, and turning to Rustem, conferred
with him in private.