第70章 KEMEREZZEMAN AND BUDOUR.(32)

And he told him what had passed，adding，By Allah，O my brother，nought but respect for thee withheld me from going in to her and dealing with her even as I dealt with the eunuch！'They passed the rest of the night in trouble and affliction，conversing and cursing false women，and agreed to keep the matter secret，lest their father should hear of it and kill the two women.

On the morrow，the King returned with his suite from hunting and sat awhile in his chair of estate；after which he dismissed the Amirs and went up to his harem，where he found his two wives lying on the bed，exceeding sick.Now they had made a plot against the two princes and concerted to do away their lives，for that they had exposed themselves before them and feared to be at their mercy.When Kemerezzeman saw them on this wise，he said to them，What ails you？Whereupon they rose and kissing his hands，answered，perverting the case and saying，Know，O King，that thy sons，who have been reared in thy bounty，have played thee false and outraged thee in the persons of thy wives.'When he heard this，the light in his eyes became darkness and his reason fled for the excess of his rage；then said he to them，Expound this thing to me.'O King of the age，'answered Budour，know that these many days past thy son Asaad has been wont to send me letters and messages to solicit me to lewdness，and I still forbade him from this，but he would not be forbidden.

When thou wentest forth to hunt，he rushed in on me，drunk and with a drawn sword in his hand，and smiting my eunuch，slew him.

Then he mounted on my breast，still holding the sword，and I feared lest he should slay me even as he had slain my eunuch，if I gainsaid him；so he took his will of me by force；and now an thou do me not justice on him，O King，I will slay myself with my own hand，for I reck not of life in the world after this foul deed.'Queen Heyat en Nufous，choking with tears，told him a like story respecting prince Amjed，after which she fell a-weeping and wailing and said，Except thou avenge me on him，I will tell my father，King Armanous.'Then they both wept sore before King Kemerezzeman，who，when he saw their tears and heard their words，concluded that their story was true and waxing beyond measure wroth，went out，thinking to fall upon his two sons and put them to death.On his way he met his father-in-law King Armanous，who hearing of his return from the chase，had come to salute him and seeing him with the naked sword in his hand and the blood dripping from his nostrils，for excess of rage，enquired what ailed him.Kemerezzeman told him what his sons Amjed and Asaad had done and added，I am now going in to them，to slay them on the foulest wise and make of them the most shameful of examples.'O my son，'said King Armanous，（and indeed he too was wroth with them，） thou dost well，and may God not bless them nor any sons that offend thus against their fathers honour！But，O my son，the proverb says，'Whoso looks not to the issues，Fortune is no friend to him.'In any case，they are thy sons，and it befits not that thou put them to death with thine own hand，lest thou drink of their agony and after repent of having slain them，whenas repentance will avail thee nothing.Rather do thou send one of thine officers with them into the desert and let him kill them there，out of thy sight，for，as says the adage，'When the eye sees not，the heart grieves not.'Kemerezzeman saw his father-in-laws words to be just，so he sheathed his sword and turning back，sat down upon his throne and called his treasurer，a very old man，versed in affairs and in the shifts of fortune，to whom he said，Go in to my sons Amjed and Asaad；bind fast their hands behind them and lay them in two chests and set them on a mule.Then take horse and carry them into the mid-desert，where do thou put them to death and fill two vials with their blood and bring them to me in haste.'

I hear and obey，'answered the treasurer and went out forthright to do his bidding.On his way，he met the princes coming out of the palace-vestibule，for they had donned their richest clothes and were on their way to salute their father and give him joy of his safe return from the chase.When he saw them，he laid hands on them，saying，O my sons，know that I am but a slave commanded and that your father hath laid a commandment on me： will ye obey his commandment？Yes，'answered they；whereupon he bound their hands and laying them in the chests，set the latter on the back of a mule，with which he left the city and rode into the open country，till near midday，when he halted in a waste and desert spot and dismounting，set down the two chests.He opened them and took out Amjed and Asaad；whom when he saw，he wept sore for their beauty and grace；then drawing his sword，he said to them，O my lords，indeed it irks me to deal so foully by you；but I am to be excused in this，being but a slave commanded，for that your father King Kemerezzeman hath bidden me strike off your heads.'

O Amir，'answered they，do the Kings bidding，for we submit with patience to that which God （to whom be ascribed might and majesty） hath decreed to us；and thou art quit of our blood.'

Then they embraced and bade each other farewell，and Asaad said to the treasurer，God on thee，O uncle，spare me the sight of my brothers agony and make me not drink of his anguish，but kill me first，that it may be the easier for me.'Amjed said the like and entreated the treasurer to kill him before Asaad，saying，My brother is younger than I；so make me not taste of his anguish.'

And they both wept sore，whilst the treasurer wept for their weeping，and they said to each other，All this comes of the malice of those traitresses，our mothers；and this is the reward of our forbearance towards them.But there is no power and no virtue but in God the Most High，the Supreme！Verily，we are His and unto Him we return.'And Asaad embraced his brother，sobbing and repeating the following verses：