第22章

'Asked the Wazir，'What is that，O King of the Age？'；and the other answered，'I am resolved to make my son Kanmakan Sultan and rejoice in him in my lifetime and do battle before him till death overtake me.What reckest thou of this？'The Wazir kissed the ground before the King and replied，'Know，O King and Sultan mine，Lord of the Age and the time！ that which is in thy mind is indeed good，save that it is now no tide to carry it out，for two reasons；the first，that thy son Kanmakan is yet of tender years；and the second，that it often befalleth him who maketh his son King in his life time，to live but a little while thereafterward.[62] And this is my reply.'Rejoined the King，'Know，O Wazir that we will make the Grand Chamberlain guardian over him，for he is now one of the family and he married my sister，so that he is to me as a brother.'Quoth the Wazir，'Do what seemeth good to thee： we have only to obey thine orders.'Then the King sent for the Grand Chamberlain whom they brought into the presence together with the Lords of the realm and he said to them，'Ye know that this my son Kanmakan is the first cavalier of the age，and that he hath no peer in striking with the sword and lunging with the lance；and now I appoint him to be Sultan over you and I make the Grand Chamberlain，his uncle，guardian over him.'Replied the Chamberlain，'I am but a tree which thy bounty hath planted'；and Zau alMakan said，'O Chamberlain，verily this my son Kanmakan and my niece Kuzia Fakan are brothers' children；so I hereby marry her to him and I call those present to witness thereof.'

Then he made over to his son such treasures as no tongue can describe，and going in to his sister，Nuzhat alZaman，told her what he had done，whereat she was a glad woman and said，'Verily the twain are my children： Allah preserve thee to them and keep thy life for them many a year！'Replied he，'O my sister，I have accomplished in this world all my heart desired and I have no fear for my son！ yet it were well thou have an eye on him，and an eye on his mother.'And he charged the Chamberlain and Nuzhat alZaman with the care of his son and niece and wife，and this he continued to do nights and days till he fell sick and deemed surely that he was about to drink the cup of death；so he took to his bed，whilst the Chamberlain busied himself with ordering the folk and realm.At the end of the year，the King summoned his son Kanmakan and the Wazir Dandan and said，'O my son，after my death this Wazir is thy sire；for know that I am about to leave this house of life transitory for the house of eternity.And indeed I have fulfilled my will of this world；yet there remaineth in my heart one regret which may Allah dispel through and by thy hands.'Asked his son，'What regret is that，O my father？'Answered Zau alMakan，'O my son，the sole regret of me is that I die without having avenged thy grandfather，Omar bin alNu'uman，and thine uncle，Sharrkan，on an old woman whom they call Zat alDawahi；but，if Allah grant thee aid，sleep not till thou take thy wreak on her，and so wipe out the shame we have suffered at the Infidel's hands；and beware of the old hag's wile and do what the Wazir Dandan shall advise thee；because he from old time hath been the pillar of our realm.'And his son assented to what he said.Then the King's eyes ran over with tears and his sickness redoubled on him；whereupon his brother in law，the Chamberlain took charge over the country and，being a capable man，he judged and bade and forbade for the whole of that year，while Zau alMakan was occupied with his malady.And his sickness was sore upon him for four years，during which the Chief Chamberlain sat in his stead and gave full satisfaction to the commons and the nobles；and all the country blessed his rule.

Such was the case with Zau alMakan and the Chamberlain，but as regards the King's son，he busied himself only with riding and lunging with lance and shooting with shaft，and thus also did the daughter of his uncle，Kuzia Fakan；for he and she were wont to fare forth at the first of the day and return at nightfall，when she would go in to her mother，and he would go in to his mother whom he ever found sitting in tears by the head of his father's couch.Then he would tend his father all night long till daybreak，when he would go forth again with his cousin according to their wont.Now Zau alMakan's pains and sufferings were lonesome upon him and he wept and began versifying with these couplets，'Gone is my strength，told is my tale of days

And，lookye！ I am left as thou dost see：

In honour's day most honoured wont to be，And win the race from all my company Would Heaven before my death I might behold My son in seat of empire sit for me And rush upon his foes，to take his wreak With sway of sword and lance lunged gallantly：

In this world and the next I am undone，Except the Lord vouchsafe me clemency.'