what was come of it; whereupon he redoubled in perplexity and
smote hand upon hand and his tears ran down upon his beard, for
that he knew not what had befallen his daughter. So he sent
forthright to fetch the Vizier, who came in to him and seeing him
in that woeful state, said to him, "Pardon, O King of the Age
(God keep thee from harm!) why art thou woeful?" Quoth the
Sultan, "Meseemeth thou knowest not of my affair." And the Vizier
said to him, "By Allah, O my lord, I have no knowledge of aught
whatsoever." "Then," rejoined the Sultan, "thou hast not looked
towards Alaeddin's palace." "Nay, O my lord," replied the Vizier,
"it is yet shut." And the Sultan said to him, "Since thou hast no
news of aught, rise and look at it from the window and see where
it is, this palace of Alaeddin's, whereof thou sayest that it is
yet shut." The Vizier arose and looked from the window towards
Alaeddin's palace, but could see nothing, neither palace nor
aught else; so his wit was bewildered and he was amazed and
returned to the Sultan, who said to him, "Now knowest thou the
cause of my distress and seest Alaeddin his palace, whereof thou
saddest that it was shut." "O King of the Age," rejoined the
Vizier, "I told Thy Grace aforetime that this palace and these
affairs were all of them [the work of] enchantment."

At this the Sultan was fired with wrath and said to him, "Where
is Alaeddin?" And he answered, "He is at the chase." Whereupon
the Sultan bade sundry of his eunuchs and officers go straightway
fetch him bound and shackled. So they went till they came to
Alaeddin and said to him, "O our lord Alaeddin, blame us not, for
that the Sultan hath bidden us carry thee to him, bound and
shackled; wherefore we beseech thee of excusement, for that we
are under a royal commandment and may not gainsay it." When