march and quickly reached the valley of Rocnabad. Here the poor Santons,
filled with holy energy, having bustled to light up wax torches in their
oratories and to expand the Koran on their ebony desks, went forth to
meet the caliph with baskets of honeycomb, dates, and melons. Vathek
gave them but a surly reception. "Fancy not," said he, "that you can
detain me; your presents I condescend to accept, but beg you will let me
be quiet, for I am not overfond of resisting temptation. Yet, as it is
not decent for personages so reverend to return on foot, and as you have
not the appearance of expert riders, my eunuchs shall tie you on your
asses, with the precaution that your backs be not turned towards me, for
they understand etiquette."

Even this outrage could not persuade Vathek's good genius to desert him,
and he made one final effort to save the caliph from the fate awaiting
him. Disguised as a shepherd, and pouring forth from his flute such
melodies as softened even the heart of Vathek, he confronted him in his
path, and warned him so solemnly against pursuing his journey that when
night fell almost every one of his attendants had deserted him. But
Vathek, in his obduracy, went on, and at length arrived at the mountain
which contains the vast ruins of Istakar and the entrance to the realm
of Eblis.

Nouronihar and he, having ascended the steps of a vast staircase of
black marble, reached the terrace, which was flagged with squares of
marble and resembled a smooth expanse of water. There, by the moonlight,
they read an inscription which proclaimed that, despite the fact that
Vathek had violated the conditions of the parchment, he and Nouronihar
would be allowed to enter the palace of subterranean fire.

Scarcely had these words been read when the mountain trembled, and the