god but the God and Abraham is the Friend of God!' " When Ajib
heard Gharib's words, he sparked and snorted and railed at his
god, the stone, and called for the sworder and the leather rug of
blood but his Wazir, who was at heart a Moslem though outwardly a
Miscreant, rose and kissing ground before him, said, "Patience, O
King, deal not hastily, but wait till we know the conquered from
the conqueror. If we prove the victors, we shall have power to
him and, if we be beaten, his being alive in our hands will be a
strength to us." And the Emirs said, "The Minister speaketh
sooth"! --And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
saying her permitted say.

When it was the Six Hundred and Thirty-ninth Night,

She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
Ajib purposed to slay Gharib, the Wazir rose and said, "Deal not
hastily, for we have always power to kill him!" So Ajib bade lay
his brother Gharib in irons and chain him up in his own tent and
set a thousand stout warriors to guard him. Meanwhile Gharib's
host, when they awoke that morning and found not their King, were
as sheep sans a shepherd; but Sa'adan the Ghul cried out at them,
saying, "O folk, don your war-gear and trust to your Lord to
defend you!" So Arabs and Ajams mounted horse, after clothing
themselves in hauberks of iron and skirting themselves in
straight knit mail, and sallied forth to the field, the Chiefs
and the colours moving in van. Then dashed out the Ghul of the
Mountain, with a club on his shoulder, two hundred pounds in
weight, and wheeled and careered, saying, "Ho, worshippers of
idols, come ye out and renown it this day, for 'tis a day of
onslaught! Whoso knoweth me hath enough of my mischief and whoso