castles, and seek ye news of our King." "Harkening and
obedience!" cried the couriers, who dispersed hither and thither
each over one of the Seven Climes and sought everywhere for
Gharib, but found no trace of him. Now when the tidings came to
Ajib by his spies that his brother was lost and there was no news
of the missing, he rejoiced and going in to King Ya'arub bin
Kahtan, sought of him aid which he granted and gave him two
hundred thousand Amalekites, wherewith he set out for Al-Yaman
and sat down before the city of Oman. Jamrkan and Sa'adan sallied
forth and offered him battle, and there were slain of the Moslems
much folk, so the True Believers retired into the city and shut
the gates and manned the walls. At this moment came up the two
Marids Kaylajan and Kurajan and, seeing the Moslem beleaguered
waited till nightfall, when they fell upon the miscreants and
plied them with sharp swords of the swords of the Jinn, each
twelve cubits long, if a man smote therewith a rock, verily he
would cleave it in sunder. They charged the Idolaters, shouting,
"Allaho Akbar! God is Most Great! He giveth aid and victory and
forsaketh those who deny the Faith of Abraham the Friend!" and
whilst they raged amongst the foes, fire issued from their mouths
and nostrils, and they made great slaughter amongst them.
Thereupon the Infidels ran out of their tents offering battle
but, seeing these strange things, were confounded and their hair
stood on end and their reason fled. So they snatched up their
arms and fell one upon other, whilst the Marids shore off their
heads, as a reaper eareth grain, crying, "God is Most Great! We
are the lads of King Gharib, the friend of Mura'ash, King of the
Jinn!" The sword ceased not to go round amongst them till the
night was half spent, when the Misbelievers, imagining that the
mountains were all Ifrits, loaded their tents and treasure and