 Chapter 1 of Khalid, A Tale of Arabia. Khalid stood in the third heaven, which is the heaven of precious stones, and of Azrael, the angel of death. In the midst of the light shed by the fruit of the trees, Azrael himself is sitting, and will sit, until the day of the resurrection from the dead, writing in his book the names of those who are to be born, and blotting out the names of those who have lived their years, and must die. Each of the trees has seventy thousand branches, each branch bears seventy thousand fruits. Each fruit is composed of seventy thousand diamonds, rubies, emeralds, carbuncles, descents, and other precious stones. The stature and proportions of Azrael are so great that his eyes are seventy thousand days' journey apart, the one from the other. Khalid stood motionless during ten months and thirteen days, waiting until Azrael should rest from his writing, and look towards him. Then came the holy night called Al-Qadir, the night of peace in which the Quran came down from heaven. In raising his eyes from the scroll saw Khalid standing before him. Azrael knew Khalid, who was one of the Jinnah converted to the faith on hearing Muhammad read the Quran by night, and the valley on Nakla. He wondered, however, when he saw him standing in his presence, for the Jinnah are not allowed to pass even the gate of the first heaven in which the stars hang by chains of gold. Each star being inhabited by an angel who guards the entrance against the approach of devils. Azrael looked at Khalid in displeasure, therefore, supposing that he had eluded the heavenly sentinels and concealed an evil purpose. But Khalid inclined himself respectfully. There is no Allah but Allah. Muhammad is the prophet of Allah. He said, thus declaring himself to be of the Muslim Jinnah, who are upright and are true believers. Al-Qaimist thou hither, asked Azrael. By the will of Allah, who sent his angel with me to the gate, Khalid answered, I am come hither, that thou mayest write down my name, in the book of life and death, that I may be a man on earth, and, after an appointed time, thou shalt blot it out again, and I shall die. Azrael gazed at him and knew that this was the will of Allah, for the angels are thus immediately made conscious of the divine commands. He took up his penderite, but, before he had traced the first letter, he paused. This is the night el-Qadir, he said. If thou wilt, tell me therefore thy story, for I am now at leisure to hear it. Thou knowest that I am of the upright Jinnah, Khalid answered, and I am well disposed towards men. In the city of Riyadh, in Arabia, there rules a powerful king, the Sultan of the kingdom of Najed, blessed in all things, save that he has no son to inherit his vast dominions. And daughter only has been born to him in his old age, of such marvelous beauty, that even the black-eyed virgins, enclosed in the fruit of the Tresadrat, who wait for the coming of the faithful, would seem but mortal women beside her. Her eyes are as the deep water, in the wells of Zobadeh when it is night, and the stars are reflected therein. Her hair is finer than silk, red with henna, and abundant as the foliage of the young cypress tree. Her face is as fair as the kernels of young almonds, and her mouth is sweeter than the mellow date, and more fragrant than ood mingled with ambergris. She possesses moreover all the virtues which become women, for she is as modest as she is beautiful, and as charitable as she is modest. From all parts of Arabia and Egypt, and from Syria and from Persia, and even from Samarkand, from Afghanistan, and from India, princes, and king's sons continually come to ask her in marriage, for the fame of her beauty and of her virtues is as wide as the world. But her father, desiring only her happiness, leaves the choice of a husband to herself, and for a long time she refused all her suitors, for there is in the palace at Uryad a certain secret chamber from which she can observe all who come and hear the conversation and see the gifts which they bring with them. At last there came as a suitor an unbeliever, a prince of an island by the shores of India, beautiful as the moon, whose speech was honey, and who surpassed all the suitors in riches, and in the magnificence of the presence he brought. For he came bearing with him a hundred pounds weight of pure gold, and five hundred ounces of amber-gree, and a great weight of musk and aloes and sandalwood, and rich garments without number, and many woven shawls of cashmere, of which the least splendid was valued at a thousand sheriffs of gold, an innumerable retin new accompanied him, and twenty elephants and horses without a number, besides camels. The sultan's daughter beheld this beautiful prince from her secret hiding-place, and all that he had brought with him. The sultan received him with kindness and hospitality, but assured him that unless he would renounce idolatry and embrace the true faith he could not hope to succeed in his purpose. Therefore he was much cast down, and soon afterwards, having received magnificent gifts in his turn, he would have departed on his way, disappointed and heavy at heart. Zahoa sent for her father, and entreated him to bid the young prince remain. For it is not impossible, she said, that he may yet be converted to the true faith. And have I the right to refuse to sacrifice my freedom when the sacrifice may be the means of converting an idolater to the right way? And if I marry him, and go with him to his kingdom, shall we not make true believers of all his subjects, so that I shall deserve to be called the mother of the faithful, like Aisha, beloved by the prophet, upon whom be peace? The sultan founded hard to oppose this argument, which was founded upon virtue and edified in righteousness. He therefore entreated the Indian prince to remain, and to profess Islam, promising the hand of Zahoa when he should be converted. Then I heard the prince taking secret counsel with a certain old man who was with him, who shaved his face and wore white clothing and ate food which he prepared for himself alone. The prince told all, and then the old man counseled him in this way. Speak whatsoever words they require of thee, he said, for words are but garments wherewith to make the nakedness of truth modest and agreeable. And take the woman, and by and by, when we are returned to our own land, if she consent to worship thy gods, it is good. And if not, it is yet good where thou shalt possess her as thy wife, and her unbelief shall be of consequence only to her own soul. But thy soul shall not be retarded in its progress. And the young prince was pleased and promised to do as his counselor advised him. So I saw that he was false, and that Zahoa's righteousness would be but the means to her sorrow if she were allowed to persist. Therefore, in the night, when all were asleep in the palace, I entered into the room where the prince was lying, and I took him in my arms and flew with him to the mist of the red desert. And there I slew him and buried him in the sand, where I saw that he was a liar and had determined to be a hypocrite. But Allah immediately sent an angel to destroy me, because I had put to death a man who was about to become a believer, thereby killing his soul also, since he had not yet made profession of the faith. But I stood up and defended myself, saying that I had slain a hypocrite who had planned in his heart to carry away the daughter of a Muslim. Then the angel asked the truth of the prince's soul, which was sitting upon the red sand that covered the body. The soul answered weeping and said, These are true words, and I am fuel for hell. Have I then deserved death? I asked. I have killed an unbeliever. The angel answered that I had deserved life, and he would have left me and returned to paradise. But I would not let him go, and I best sought him to entreat Allah that I might be allowed to live the life of a mortal man upon earth. For, I said, thou sayest that I deserve life. And even if thou destroy me not now, I am only one of the geni, who shall all die at the first blast of the trumpet before the resurrection of the dead. Obtained for me, therefore, that I may have a soul and live a few years, and if I do good, I shall then be with a faithful in paradise. And if not, I shall be bound with red hot chains and burn everlastingly like a sinful man. The angel promised to intercede for me and depart it. So I sat down upon the mound of red sand beside the soul of the Indian prince to wait for the angels coming again. Then the soul approached me angrily. But for thee, it said, I should have married Zahoa and returned to my own people. And although I purported to be a hypocrite, yet in time Zahoa might have convinced me and I should have believed in my heart. For I now see that there is no Allah but Allah, and the Muhammad is the prophet of Allah. And I should perhaps have died full of years, a good Muslim, and should have entered paradise. Therefore I pray Allah that this may be remembered in thy condemnation. At these words I was very angry and reviled the soul scoffing at it. No doubt Allah will hear thy prayer, I answered, and will hear also at the same time thy lies. And as for Zahoa, think as thou that she would have loved thee, even if she had married thee. I tell thee that her soul rejoices only in the light of the faith, and that although she might have married thee, she would have done so in the hope of turning thy people from the worship of false gods. And not for love of thee, for she will never love any man. When I said this the soul groaned aloud, and then remained silent. In a little while the angel came back, and I saw that his face was no longer clouded with anger. Hear the judgment of Allah, he said, inasmuch as thou tookest the law upon thyself, which belonged to Allah alone, thou deservedest to die. But insofar as thou hast indeed slain a hypocrite and an unbeliever, thou hast deserved life. Allah is just, merciful, and forgiving. It is not meat that in thy lot there should be nothing but reward or nothing but punishment. Therefore, thy shalt not yet receive a soul. Go hence to the third heaven, and when the angel Azrael shall be at leisure, he will write thy name in the book of the living. Then thou shalt return hither, and go into the city of Riyadh bearing gifts, and Zahua will accept thee in marriage, though she love thee not, for Allah commands that it be so. But if in the course of time this virtuous woman be moved to love, and say to thee, Khalid, I love thee, then at that moment thou shalt receive an immortal soul, and if thy deeds be good, thy soul shall enter paradise with the believers. But if not, thou shalt burn, thus saith Allah. Thus art thou rewarded indeed, but wisely and temperately, since thou hast not obtained life directly, but only the hope of life. Then the angel departed again, leading the way. But the soul mocked me, thou that sayest of Zahua, that she will never love any man, thou art fallen into thine own trap. For now, if she love thee not, thou must perish. Truly Allah heard my prayer. But I was filled with thankfulness, and departed after the angel, leaving the soul sitting alone upon the red sand. Thus have I told thee my history, O Lazrael, and now I pray thee to write my name in the book of the living, that I may fulfill the command of Allah, and go my way to the city of Riyadh. Then Ozzrael again took up his pen to write in the book, Now thou art become a living man, though thou hast as yet no soul, and thou art subject to death by the sword and by sickness, and by all those evils which spring up in the path of the living, and the day of thy death is already known to Allah, who knows all things, but he is merciful and will doubtless grant thee a term of years in which to make thy trial. Nevertheless, be swift in thy journey and speedy in all thou doest, for though mortal man may live forever hereafter in glory, his years on earth are but as a breath which springs up in the desert towards evening, and is gone before the stars up here. Khalid made a salutation before Ozzrael, and went out of the third heaven, and passed through the second which is of burnished steel, and through the first in which the stars hang by golden chains, where Adam waits for the day of the resurrection, and at the gate he found the angel who had led him, and who now lifted him in his arms, and wore him back to the Red Desert, for as he was now a mortal man, he could no longer move through the air like the geni between the outer gate of heaven and the earth, nor could he any longer see the soul of the Indian Prince sitting upon the sand, though it was still there, but the angel was visible to him, so they stood together, and the angel spoke to him, thou art now a mortal man, he said, and subject a time as to death, to thee it seems but a moment since we went up together to the gate, and yet thou wast standing ten months and thirteen days before Ozzrael, and of the body of the man whom thou slewest, only the bones remain, so saying the angel blew upon the red sand, and Khalid saw the white bones of the Prince in the place where he had laid his body, so he was first made conscious of time, nearly a year has passed, and though Allah be very merciful to thee, yet he will assuredly not suffer thee to live beyond the time of other men, make haste, therefore, and depart upon thine errand, yet, because thou art come into the world a grown man, having neither father nor mother nor inheritance, I will give thee what is most necessary for thy journey, then the angel took a handful of leaves from Agata Bush close by, and gave them to Khalid, and as he gave them they were changed into a rich garment, and into linen, and into a shawl with which to make a turban, and shoes of red leather. Clothe thyself with these, said the angel, and broke a twig from the bush and placed it in Khalid's hand. Immediately it became a saber of Damascus steel in a sheath of leather with a belt. Take this sword, which is of such fine temper that it will cleave through an iron headpiece and a shard of mail. But remember that it is not a sword made by magic. Let thy magic reside in thy arm, wield it for the faith, and put thy trust in Allah. Afterwards the angel took up a locust that was asleep on the sand, waiting for the warmth of the morning sun. The angel held the locust up before Khalid, and then let it fall. But as it fell it became at once a beautiful bay mare with round black eyes wide apart, and an arching tail which swept down to the sand, like a river of silk. Take this mare, said the angel. She is of the pure breed of Najed, and as swift as the wind. But mortal like thyself. But how shall I ride her without saddle or bridle? Asked Khalid. That is true! answered the angel. He laid leaves of the God upon the mare's back, and they became a saddle, and placed a twig in her mouth, and it turned into a bit and a bridle. Khalid thanked the angel and mounted. Farewell and prosper, and put thy trust in Allah, and forget not the day of judgment, the angel said, and immediately returned to paradise. So Khalid was left alone in the red desert, a living man obliged to shift for himself, liable to suffer hunger and thirst, or to be slain by robbers, with no worldly possessions but his sword, his bay mare, and the clothes on his back. He knew, moreover, that he was more than two hundred miles from the city of Riyadh, and he knew that he could not accomplish this journey in less than four days. For when he was one of the juni, he had often watched men toiling through desert on foot and on camels and on horses, and had laughed with his companions at the slow progress they made. But now it was no laughing matter, for he had forgotten to ask the angel for dates and water, or even for a few handfuls of barley-meal. He turned the mare's head westward of the goat, in which is the polar star, for he remembered that when he had carried away the Indian Prince, he had flown towards the southeast, and as he began to gallop over the dark sand, he laughed to himself, What poor things are men and their horses, he said, to destroy me. This mare need only stumble and lame herself, and we shall both die of hunger and thirst in the desert. This reflection made him at first urge the mare to her greatest speed, for he thought that the sooner he should be out of the desert among the villages beyond, the present danger would be past. But presently he would thought him that the mare would be more likely to stumble and hurt herself in the dark if she were galloping than if she were moving at a moderate pace. He therefore drew bridle and patted her neck, and made her walk slowly and cautiously forward. But this did not please him either, after a time, for he remembered that if he rode too slowly he must die of hunger before reaching the end of his journey. Truly, he said, one must learn what it is to be a man in order to understand the uses of moderation. Gallop not, lest thy horse fall and thy perish, nor delay walking slowly by the road, lest thou die of thirst and hunger. Yet, though art not safe, for Awalid died from treading upon an arrow, and Oda Ibn Qais perished by perpetual sneezing. Arla is just and merciful. I will let the mare go at her own pace, for the end of all things is known. The mare, being left to herself, began to canter, and carried Khalid onward all night without changing her gait. Nevertheless, thought Khalid, if we are not soon out of the desert we shall suffer thirst during the day, as well as hunger. When there was enough daylight to distinguish a black thread from a white, Khalid looked before him and saw that there was nothing but red sand and ridges with Godabushes here and there, but still the mare cantered on and did not seem tired. Soon the sun rose and it grew very hot, but the air was quite still, and it was summertime. Khalid looked always before him, and at last he saw a white patch in the distance, and he knew that there must be water near it, and the water of the red desert whitens the sand. He therefore rode on cheerfully, for he was now thirsty, and the mare quickened her pace, for she also knew that she was near a drinking place. But, as they came close to the spot, Khalid remembered that the preceding night had been Al-Qadir, which falls between the seventh and eighth latter days of the month Ramadan in which the true believers neither eat nor drink so long as they're as light enough to distinguish a white thread from a black one. So, when they reached the well, he let his mare drink her fill, and he took off the saddle and bridle and let her loose, after which he sat down with his head in the shade of a Godabush to rest himself. Allah is merciful, he said. The night will come, and then I will drink, for he dared not ride farther for fear of not finding water again. Then again he was disturbed, for he had nothing to eat, and he thought that if he waited until night he would be hungry as well as thirsty, but presently he saw the mare trying to catch the locust that flew about. She could only catch one or two, because it was now hot, and they were able to fly quickly. When the night comes, he said, the locust will lie on the ground and cling to the bushes, being stiff with the cold, and then I will eat my fill and drink also. Soon afterwards he fell asleep, being weary, and when he awoke, it was night again, and the stars shone overhead. Khalid rose hastily and drank at the well, and made ablutions and prayed, prostrating himself towards the kibla. He remembered that he had slept a long time and that he had not performed his devotions for a day and a night, so that he repeated them five times to a tone for the omission. The mare was eating the locust that no laying great black patches on the sand unable to move and save themselves. Khalid threw his cloak of a great number of them and gathered them together. Then he kindled a fire of gata by striking sparks from the blade of his sword, and when he had made a bed of coals he roasted the locust after pulling off their legs and ate his spill. While he was doing this he was much disturbed in mind. I have only just begun to live as a man, he thought. Did I not stand ten months and thirteen days in the third heaven unconscious of the passing of time? Who shall tell me whether I have not slept another ten months or more under this bush like the companions of Al-Rakim? So when he had done eating and had drunk again from the well and had made the mare drink he saddled her quickly and mounted and cantored on through the night guiding his course by the stars. On the following day he again found a well but much later than before and he suffered much from thirst as he watched his mare dip her black lips into the pool. Nevertheless he would not break his fast where he was resolved to be a true believer in practice as well as in belief. So he fell asleep and awoke when it was night again and ate and drank. In this way he journeyed several days until he began to see the hell country which borders the desert towards Riyadh and he understood that he had been much farther away than he had imagined. But he reflected that Allah had doubtless intended to try his constancy by imposing upon him the journey through the desert during the days of fasting. But at last he awoke one day just at sunset instead of sleeping until the night. He had been traveling up the first slopes where the ground, though barren, is harder than in the desert and had lain down on a hollow by an abundant spring. He rose now and made ablutions and prayed as usual towards Mecca that is to say being where he was he turned his face to the west as the sun was setting. When he had finished he stood some minutes watching the red light over the desert below him and then he was suddenly aware that the new moon was hanging just above the diminishing fire of the evening and he knew that the fast of Ramadan was over and that the feast of Bayram had begun. There at he was glad and determined to take an unusual number of locusts for his evening meal but when he looked about he saw that there were no locusts in the place though there was grass which his mare was eating then he looked everywhere near the well to see whether some traveller had not perhaps dropped a few dates or little barley by accident but there was nothing doubtless he said although wishes to show me that greediness is a sin even on the day of feasting he drank as much of the water as he could in order to stay his hunger as well as a sooch his thirst and then he saddled the mare and rode up out of the hollow towards the hill country towards the middle of the night he came to a small village where all the people were celebrating the feast having killed a young camel and several sheep seeing that he was a traveller they bade him welcome and he sat down among them and ate his fill of meat praising Allah and corn was given to his mare so that the dumb animal also kept the feast truly said the people thy mare is a daughter of El Barak the heavenly steed called the lightning upon which the nocturnal journey was accomplished by the prophet upon whom be peace they said this not because they divined that the mare had been given to Khalid by an angel but because they saw by her beauty that she must be swift as the wind for she had a large head with many cheeks and a full forehead and round black eyes wide apart with smooth black skin about them and a pointed nose and the underlip was like that of a camel projecting a little and she was neither too long nor too short having straight legs like a steel and small feet and round hooves overworn with much work and her tail lay flat and long and smooth when she was standing still but arched like the plume of an ostrich when she moved her coat was bright bay glossy and smooth and without any white markings by all these signs which belonged to the purest blood the people of the village knew as she was of the fleetest reared in Arabia and Khalid was glad that the people admired her since she was the chief of his few possessions which indeed were not many he did not know beforehand what he should do nor what he should say when in the presence of the Sultan of Najed still less how he could venture to ask for knowledge having no gifts to offer and not himself being a prince before he had become a man it would have been easy for him to find treasures in the earth such as men had never seen for like all the Jini he had been acquainted with the most deeply hidden minds and with all places where men had hidden wealth in old times knowledge does not belong to the intelligence becoming mortals but rather of the faculty of seeing through solid substance which is exercised by the spirits of the heir and in this present state it was taken from him together with all possibility of communicating with his former companions he had nothing but his mare and his sword and the garments he wore and though the mare was indeed a gift for a king he did not know whether he was meant to offer it to anyone seeing that it had been given him by an angel nevertheless he did not lose heart for the celestial messenger had told him that by the will of Allah he should marry Zahoa and Allah was certainly able to give him a king's daughter in marriage without the aid of gifts, of gold of musk, of ud of aloes or of pearls he rose therefore when he had eaten enough and had rested himself and his mare and after thanking the people of the village for their entertainment he rode on his way he passed through a hill country sometimes fertile and sometimes stony and deserted but he found water by the way and such food as he needed and accomplished the remainder of the journey without hindrance on the morning of the second day he came to a halting place from which he could see the city of Riyadh and he was astonished at the size and magnificence of the Sultan's palace which was visible above the walls of the fortification yet he was aware that he had seen all this before as in a dream not altogether forgotten when a man wakes a doll after a long and restless night he gazed a while after he had made his ablutions and then calling to his mare to come to him he melted and rode through the southern gate into the heart of the city End of Chapter 1 Read by Angelique G. Campbell December 2018 Chapter 2 of Khalid A Tale of Arabia This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer visit LibriVox.org Read by Angelique G. Campbell December 2018 Khalid A Tale of Arabia by Francis Marion Crawford Chapter 2 Khalid reached the palace he dismounted from his mare and leading her by the bridle entered the gateway Here he met many persons and slaves both black and white and porters bearing provisions and a few women all hurrying hither and thither and many noticed him but a few gazed curiously into his face and two or three grooms followed him a little way pointing out to each other the beauties of his mare Truly they said if we did not know the mares of the stud faces of our mothers we would swear by Allah that this beast had been stolen from the sultan's stables by a thief in the night for she is of the best blood and the jet these being curious they saluted Khalid and asked him once he came and whether he was going seeing that it is not courteous to ask a stranger any other questions I come from the red desert Khalid answered and I am going into the palace as you see the groom saw that there was a rebuke in the last part of his answer and hung back and presently went their way are such mares bred in the red desert they exclaimed the stranger is doubtless the sheik of some powerful tribe but if this be true where are the men that came with him and why is he dressed like a man of the city so they hastened out of the gate way to find the Bedouins who they supposed must have accompanied Khalid on his journey but Khalid went forward and came to a great court in which were stone seats by the walls here a number of people were waiting so he sat down upon one of the seats and his mare laid her nose upon his shoulder to inquiring what he would do all a nose Khalid said as though answering her so he waited patiently at last a man came out into the courtyard who was richly dressed in whom all the people saluted as he passed but he came straight towards Khalid who rose from his seat whence come you my friend after they had exchanged the salutation from the red desert and I desire permission to speak with the Sultan when it shall please his Majesty to see me and what do you desire of his Majesty I ask that I may inform him beforehand so you will have a better reception tell the Sultan said Khalid that a man is here neither father nor mother nor any possessions beyond a swift mare a keen sword and a strong hand but who has come nevertheless to ask in marriage Zahoa the Sultan's daughter the minister smiled and gazed at Khalid in silence for a moment but when he had looked keenly at his face it may be he thought that this is some great prince who comes thus simply as in a disguise and it would best not to anger him I will deliver your message he answered aloud though it is a strange one it is customary for those who come to ask for a maiden in marriage to bring gifts and to receive others in return he added I neither bring gifts nor ask any said Khalid Allah is great and will provide me with what I need I fear that he will not provide you with the Sultan's daughter for a wife said the minister as he went away but Khalid did not hear the words though he would have cared little if he had now it chanced that Zahoa was sitting in a balcony surrounded with lattice over the courtyard on that morning and she had seen Khalid and her leading his mare by the bridle but though she watched the stranger and his beast idly for some time she thought as little of the one turned to love as she knew nothing of horses but her women thought differently and spoke loudly praising the beauty of both there is indeed a warrior able to fight in the front of our armies they said truly such a man must have been Khalid Ibn Marlad the sword of the Lord in the days of the Prophet upon whom be peace by and by there was a cry that the Sultan was coming into the room and the women rose and retired the Sultan sat down upon the carpet by his daughter in the balcony do you see that stranger holding a beautiful mare by the bridle he asked yes I see him but however indifferently he has come to ask you on marriage another she exclaimed with the careless laugh if it is the will of Allah I will marry him if not he will go away like the rest this man is not like the rest my daughter he is either a mad man or some powerful prince in disguise or both perhaps laughed Zahoa she laughed often for although she was not inclined to love she was of a gentle and merry temper his message was a strange one said the Sultan he says that he neither brings gifts nor asks them that he has neither father nor mother nor any possessions except in a swift mare a king sword on the strong hand I see the mare the sword and the hand answered Zahoa but the hand is like any other hand how can I tell whether it be strong the sword is in its sheath and I cannot see its edge and though the mare is pretty enough I have seen many of your own well the elephants of the Indian prince were more amusing and the prince himself was more beautiful than this stranger with his black beard and his solemn face that is true said the Sultan with a sigh do you wish me to marry this man Zahoa asked my daughter I wish you will choose the rust that you will choose before long that I may see my child's children before I die but the Sultan was old and white bearded and was already somewhat bowed with advancing gears and with the burden of many cares and the fatigues of many wars yet his eye was bright and his heart fearless still though his judgment was often weak and vacillating do you wish me to marry this man Zahoa asked again he will be a strange husband for he is a strange suitor coming without gifts and having neither father nor mother but I will do as you command if you leave it to me I shall never marry I did not say that I desired you to take this one especially though for the matter of gifts I care little since heaven has sent me wealth and abundance but my remaining years are few and the years of life are like stones slipping from a mountain which moves slowly at first and then faster until they outrun the lightning and leap into the dark valley below and what is required of a husband is that he be a true believer young and whole in every part and of a charitable disposition truly laughter Zahoa if he have no possessions charity will avail him little since he has nothing to give there is other charity besides the giving of ohms my daughter means it is charity even to think charitably of others as you know but I have not said that you should marry this man for you are free and indeed I have not yet talked with him but I have sent for him and you shall hear him speak see they are just now conducting him to the hall of audiences but indeed I think he is no husband for you after all the Sultan rose and went to receive Khalid and Zahoa went to the secret window of her father's raised to seat in the hall Khalid made the customary salutation with the greatest respect and the Sultan made him sit down at his right hand as though he had been a prince and asked him once he had come and then a refreshment was brought and Khalid ate and drank a little after which the Sultan inquired his business I come said Khalid Botli to ask your daughter Zahoa in marriage I bring no gifts for I have none to offer nor have I any inheritance my mare is my fortune my sword is my argument and my wit is in my arm you are a strange suitor said the Sultan but he kept a pleasant countenance since Khalid was his guest you are no doubt the sheik of a tribe of the Red Desert though I was not aware that any tribes dwelt there so far as being the sheik of my tribe said Khalid with a smile he may call me so for my tribe consists of myself alone seeing that I have neither father nor mother nor any relations truly I have never talked with such a suitor before answered the Sultan at least I presume you are a son of some prince and that you have chosen to disguise yourself as a rich traveller and to hide your history under an allegory the Sultan would certainly not have allowed himself to overstep the bounds of courtesy so far but for his astonishment at Khalid's daring manner he was too keen however not to see that this man was something above the ordinary and that whatever else he might be he was not a common imposter such a fellow would have found means to rob a caravan of valuable goods to offer as gifts would have brought himself a train of camels and slaves and would have given himself out as a prince of some distant country from which it would not be possible to obtain information I stick a far a la I am no prince Khalid answered I ask for the hand of your daughter of Allah will be accomplished he knew that Zahoa was watching and listening behind the lattice in her place of concealment where the memory of such things had not been taken from him when he had lost the supernatural vision of the geni and had become an ordinary man he was determined therefore to be truthful and to say nothing which he might afterwards be called upon to explain for he never doubted but that Zahoa would be his wife since the angel had told him that it should be so and what if I refuse even to consider your proposal inquired the Sultan to see what he would say if it is the will of Allah that I marry your daughter your refusal would be useless but if it is not his will your refusal would be altogether unnecessary the Sultan was much struck by this argument which showed already wit in the stranger and which he could only have opposed by asserting that his own will was superior to that of heaven itself but said he defending himself any of the previous sultans might have said the same undoubtedly replied Khalid unabashed but they did not say it your majesty will certainly now consider the matter in the meanwhile the Sultan answered very graciously you are my guest and you have come in time to take apart in the third day of the festival to which you are welcome in the name of Allah demerciful there upon the Sultan rose who was conducted to the apartment set apart for the guest but the Sultan returned to the harem in a very thoughtful mood and before long he found Zahoa who had returned to her seat in the balcony this is a very strange souter he said shaking his head and looking into his daughter's face he is at least bold and outspoken she answered the secret of his poverty nor of his wishes whatever he be he is an earnest and speaks truth I would like well to know the only secret which he wishes to keep who he really is it may be said the Sultan thoughtfully that if I threaten to cut off this head he will tell us but on the other hand a guest is none of those who are easily terrified I think tell me my father do you wish me to marry him how could you marry a man who has no family and no inheritance would such a marriage be fit at the daughter of kings why not ask Zahoa with much calmness the Sultan stared at her in astonishment has this stranger enchanted your imagination he inquired by way of answer no replied Zahoa scornfully I have seen the noblest the most beautiful and the richest of the earth ready to take me to wife and I have not loved shall I love an outcast then how can you ask my wishes because there are good reasons why I should marry this man good reasons in the name of Allah let me hear them if there are any you are old my father said Zahoa and it has not pleased heaven to send you a son nor to leave you any living relation to sit upon the throne when your years are accomplished you must needs think of your successor the better reason choosing some powerful prince whose territory shall increase the kingdom he inherits from me and whose alliance shall strengthen the empire I leave behind me after good for Allah the worst reason for such a prince would be attached to his own country and would take me thither with him and would neglect the kingdom of Najed regarding it the land of strangers whom he may oppress with taxes to increase his own splendor and this is not unreasonable since no king can wisely govern two kingdoms separated from each other by more than three days Charney no man can have other than the one of two reasons for asking me in marriage either he has heart of me and desires to possess me or he wishes to increases dominions by the inheritance which will be mine doubtless this is the truth said the sultan but so much the more does this stranger in all probability covet my kingdom since he has nothing of his own this is what I mean for having no other possessions to distract his attention he will remain always here and will govern your kingdom for its own advantage in order that it may profit himself this is a subtle argument my daughter and one requiring consideration the more so because the man seems otherwise well fitted to be my husband since he is a true believer and young and fearless but if this is all objected the sultan there are in no shed several young men sons of my chief courtiers who possess the same qualifications choose one of them on the contrary to choose one of them would arouse the jealousy of all the rest with their families and slaves and freedmen thereby the kingdom would easily be exposed to civil war but if I take a stranger it is more probable that all will be for him since you are beloved and there is no reason why one party should oppose him and another support him since none of them know anything of him but he will not be beloved by the people unless he is liberal and he has nothing to do with to be generous and where are the treasures of Riyadh left Zahoa is it not easy for you to go secretly to his chamber and to give him as much gold as he needs but he is also true I see that you have set your heart upon him not my heart my father but my head I have infinitely more head than heart and I see that the welfare of the kingdom will be better secured with such a ruler than it would have been under a foreign prince whose right hand would be perpetually thrust out to take in a jed that which his left hand would throw to courtiers in his own country do I speak wisdom or folly it is neither all wisdom nor all folly I have seen this man and I have heard him speak said Zahoa he is as well as another since I must marry sooner or later moreover I have another argument what is it either he is a man strong enough to rule me or he is not Zahoa answered with a laugh if he can govern me he can govern the kingdom of Najed but if not I will govern it for him and rule him also the sultan looked up to heaven and slightly raised his hands from his knees Arla is merciful and forgiving he exclaimed is this spirit befitting a wife is it charity to cause happiness undoubtedly it is charity and which is greater the happiness of many or the happiness of one the happiness of many is greater answered the sultan what a thin he asked after a time saying that she said nothing more I have spoken she replied it is best that I should marry him then there was silence for a long time the sultan sat quite motionless in his place watching his daughter while she looked idly through the lattice at the people who came and went in the court below she seemed to feel no emotion the sultan did not know how to oppose Zahoa as well any more than he could answer her arguments although his worldly wisdom was altogether at variance with her decision for she was the beloved child of his old age and he could refuse her nothing moreover in what she had said there was much which recommended itself to his judgment though by no means enough to persuade him at last he rose from the carpet and embraced her if it is your will let it be so he said let it be accomplished immediately with a sigh the sultan withdrew and sent a messenger to Khalid requesting him to come to another and a more secluded chamber where they could be alone and to talk freely Khalid showed no surprise on hearing that his suit was accepted but he thought it fitting to express much gratitude for the favorable decision then the sultan who wished to seem too readily yielding began to explain to Khalid Zahoa's reasons for accepting a poor stranger presenting them as though they were his own for he said whatever you may in reality be you have chosen to present yourself to us in such a manner as which not have failed to bring about a refusal under any other circumstances but I have considered that as it will be your destiny if heaven grants you life to rule my kingdom after me you will in all likelihood fool it more wisely and carefully for having no other cares in a distant country to distract your attention and because you have no relations you are the less liable to the attacks of open or secret jealousy the sultan then gave him a large sum of money and gold pieces which Khalid gladly accepted since he had not even where with all to buy himself a garment for the wedding feast still less to distribute gifts to the quarters and to the multitude the sultan also presented him with a black slave to attend to his personal wants Khalid then sent for merchants from the Bazaar and they brought him all manner of rich stuffs such as he needed there came also two tailors who sat down upon a matting in his apartment and immediately began to make him clothes or the black slave sat beside them and watched them lest they should steal any of the gold of the embroideries when it was known in the palace that the sultan's only daughter was to be married at once there were great rejoicings and many camels were slaughtered and a great number of sheep to supply food for so great a feast a number of cooks were hired also to help those who belonged to the palace for although the sultan fed daily more than three hundred persons guests, travelers and the poor besides all the members of the household yet this was as nothing compared with the multitude to be provided for on the present occasion then it was that Haji Muhammad the chief of the cooks sat down upon the floor in the midst of the main kitchen and beat his breast and wept for the confusion was great so that the voice of one man could not be heard for the diabolical screaming of the many and the cooks smote the young lads who helped them in these running to escape from the blows fell against the porters from outside bearing sacks of sugar and great baskets of fruit and quarters of meat and skins of water and bushes of meal and a hundred other things equally necessary to the cooking and the porters staggering under their burdens fell between the legs of the mules loaded with firewood that had been brought to the gate and the dumb beast kicked violently in all directions while the slaves who drove them struck them with their staves and the mules began to run among the camels and the camels being terrified rose from the ground and began to plunge and skip like young fowls while more porters and more mules and more slaves came on in multitudes to the door of the kitchen and it was very hot for it was noon tight and in summer and there were flies without number and the dogs that had been sleeping in the shade sprang up and barked loudly and bit whom so ever they could reach and all the men bellowed together so that the confusion was extreme Verily cried Halji Muhammad This is not a kitchen but a mimar and I am not the chief of the cooks but the chief of sinners and few for hell so he wept bitterly and beat his breast but at last matters mended for there were many who were willing to do well so that when the time came Halji Muhammad was able to serve an honorable feast to all though the number of guest was no less than two thousand but Khalid having visited the bath arrayed himself magnificently and rode upon his bay mare to the mosque surrounded by the couriers and the chief officers of the state and by great throng of slaves from the palace as he rode gathered gold pieces among the people from the bags which he carried and all praised his liberality and swore by Allah that Zahoa was taking a very goodly husband and as none knew whence he came all were equally pleased but most of all the Bedouins from the desert of whom there were many at that time in Riyadh who had come to keep the feast better for Khalid's own words had been repeated and they had heard that he came from the desert like themselves and when he had finished his prayers he rode back to the palace when the time for the feast came the sultan led Khalid into the great hall and made him sit at his right hand the sultan himself was magnificently dressed and covered with priceless jewels so that he shone like the sun among all the rest then he presented Khalid to the assembly this said he is Khalid my beloved son-in-law the husband of my only daughter whom it has pleased Allah to send me as this day of my old age and as the successor to my kingdom he will be terrible in war as Khalid Ibn Walid is namesake the sword of the lord and gentle and just in peace as Abu Bakir of blessed memory he is as brave as the lion as strong as the camel as swift as the ostrich as a jayshas as the fox and as generous as the pelican who feeds her young with the blood of her own breast love him therefore as you have loved me for he is extraordinary worthy of affection and hates his enemies and be faithful to him in the time of danger by the blessing of Allah he shall rear up children to me in my old age to be with you when he is gone there upon Khalid turned and answered speaking modestly but with much dignity in his manner ye men of Najed this is my marriage feast and I invite you all to be merry with me whether it shall please Allah to give me a long life or whether it shall please him to take me this night I know not we are in the hand of Allah but this I do know I will love you as my own people seeing that I have no people of my own I will fight for you as a man fights for his own soul for his wife and for his children and I will divide justly the spoilers in war and given peace whatsoever I am able to all those who are in need I swear by Allah you are all witnesses the courtiers and all the guests were much pleased with his short speech where they saw that Khalid was a man of few words and not proud or overbearing and none could look into his base and doubt his promise for the present moment at least Zaho'ah's prediction had been verified for no one was jealous of him and there was but one party among them all and that was for him so they all feasted together in harmony until the sun was low in the meantime Zaho'ah remained in the harem surrounded by her women and a separate meal was brought to them they all sat down upon the rich carpets leaning on cushions set against the walls and small low tables were brought in covered with dishes and bowls containing delicately prepared rice and mutton in great abundance and fresh blanket bread hot from the stoves and olives brought from Syria afterwards came sweet meats without number such as hadji Muhammad knew how to prepare and gold and silver goblets filled with the drink made from large sweet lemons and water which is called Trig Zaho'ah indeed ate sparingly for she was accustomed to such dainties every day but her women were delighted with the abundance and left nothing to be taken away while they were eating six of the women played upon musical instruments by turns while others danced slow and graceful measures singing as they moved and describing the unspeakable happiness which awaited their princess in marriage afterwards when the tables had been taken away and they had washed their hands with rose water from Ajim Zaho'ah commanded the singing and the dancing to cease and the women brought her one by one the dresses which she was to wear before Khalid they were very magnificent for it had needed many years to prepare them and a great weight of gold and silver threads had been weighed out to the tailors and embroiderers who had worked in the preparations of them ever since Zaho'ah had been two years old where the piece of material is weighed first and then the gold and afterwards when the work is finished the whole is weighted together lest the tailors should steal anything but Zaho'ah looked coldly at the garments one after the other as they were brought and taken away and the women fancied that she was to be married to the stranger against her will and that she remembered the Indian Prince it is a pity one of them ventured to say that the bridegroom has not brought any elephants with him for we would have watched them from the balconies since they are a diverting beast and it is a pity said Zaho'ah scornfully that my husband has not around a soft face like the moon in May in the eyes of a gazelle on the heart of a hare truly such a one would have made you a good king seeing that he was also an unbeliever nay said the woman humbly all are forbid that I should make a comparison or bring an ill omen on the day by speaking of that which chanced a year ago truly only spoke of elephants and not of men for surely we all said when we saw him in the court that he looked a brave warrior and a goodly man then a messenger came from the Sultan saying that it was time to make ready so they went to another apartment where the nuptial chamber had been prepared the Sultan came in leading Khalid and followed by the Qadi while the latter read the declaration of marriage after that they all withdrew and Khalid took his seat upon the high couch in the middle of the room presently all the women returned unveiled with loud singing and playing of instruments leading Zaho'ah dressed in the first of the dresses which she was to put on and which though it was very splendid was of course the least magnificent of all those which had been prepared but Khalid sat in his place looking on quietly for he was acquainted with the custom and he cared little for the rich garments but looked always into Zaho'ah's face End of Chapter 2 Chapter 3 of Khalid A Tale of Arabia this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Read by Anjaliq Campbell December 2018 Khalid A Tale of Arabia by Francis Marion Crawford Chapter 3 Khalid sat with his sword upon his feet and when Zaho'ah was not in the room he played with the hilt of all that was happening truly he said to himself Allah is great was I not but a few days since one of the genie condemned to perish at the day of the resurrection and am I not now a man married to the most beautiful woman in the whole world and the wisest and the best needing only to be loved by her in order to obtain an undying soul and why should this woman not love me truly we shall see before long when this memory has finished so he sat on the couch while Zaho'ah was led before him again and again each time in clothing more splendid than before and each time with new songs and new music the last time the attendants left her standing before him and went away and only a very old woman remained at the door screaming out in a cracked voice the customary exhortations then she too went away and the door was shut and Khalid and Zaho'ah were alone it was now near the middle of the night the chamber was large and high lighted by a number of hanging lamps such a maiden Baghdad of brass perforated with beautiful designs and filled with colored glasses in each of which a little wick floats upon oil upon the walls rich carpets were hung both Arabian and Persian some taken in war as booty and some brought by merchants in time of peace a brass chafing dish stood at some distance from the couch and upon the coals the women had thrown powdered murre and benzoin before they went away but Khalid cared little for these things since he had seen all the treasures of the earth and their most sacred depositories Zaho'ah had watched him narrowly during the ceremony of the dresses and had seen that he felt no surprise at anything which was brought before him his own country full of great wealth and magnificence she thought since so much treasure does not astonish him and she was disappointed now that they were alone he still sat in silence gazing at her as she stood before him and not even thinking of any speech for he was overcome and struck dumb by her eyes you are not pleased with what I have shown you said at last on a tone of displeasure and disappointment and yet you have seen the wealth of my father's palace I have seen neither wealth nor treasure neither rich garments nor precious stones nor chains of gold nor embroideries of pearls Khalid answered slowly but Zaho'ah frowned and tapped the carpet impatiently with her foot where she stood for she was annoyed and tempted him to praise the beauty of her many dresses hmm those who have eyes can see she said but if you are not pleased my father will give me a hundred dresses more beautiful than these and pearls and jewels without end I should not see them Khalid replied I have seen two jewels which have dazzled me so that I can see nothing else I am pleased at him with a look of inquiry I have seen the eyes of Zaho'ah he continued which are as the stars serious and Aldebaran when they are over the desert in the nights of winter what jewels can you show me like these then Zaho'ah laughed softly and sat down beside her husband on the edge of the couch nevertheless she said very rich you might admire them also I will look at them when you are not near me but then my sight will be restored for other things Khalid took her hand in his and held it tell me Zaho'ah will you love me he asked in a soft voice you are my lord and my master she answered looking modestly downward as her hand lay quite still she was so very beautiful that as Khalid sat beside her and looked at her downcast face and knew that she was his he could not easily believe that she was cold and indifferent to him by Allah he thought can it be so hard to get a woman's love truly I think she begins to love me already Zaho'ah looked up and smiled carelessly as though answering his question but Khalid was obliged to admit in his heart that the answer lacked clearness for he found it no easier to interpret a woman's smile than men had found it before him and have found it since even to this day you have had many suitors he said at last and it is said that your father has given you your own free choice allowing you to see them and hear them speak while he was receiving them tell me why you have chosen me rather than the rest unless it is because you love me for I came with empty hands and without servants or slaves or retinue of any kind riding alone out of the red desert it was therefore for myself that you took me you are right it was for yourself that I took you then it was for love of me was it not there were and still are many and good reasons answered Zaha calmly and at the same time withdrawing her hand from his and smoothing back the black hair from her forehead I told them all to my father and he was convinced tell them to me also said Khalid so she explained all to him in detail making him see everything as she saw it herself and the explanation was so very clear that Khalid felt a cold chill in his heart as he understood that she had chosen him rather for politic reasons than because she wished him for her husband and yet she added at the end it was the will of Allah for otherwise I would not have chosen you for surely he said somewhat encouraged by these last words there was some love in the choice too how can I tell she exclaimed with a little laugh what is love finding himself confronted by such an amazing question Khalid was silent and took her hand again for though many have asked what love is no one has ever been able to find an answer in words to satisfy the questioner seeing that the answer can have no more to do with words than love itself a matter sufficiently explained by a certain wise man who understood the heart of man if, said he a man who loves a woman or a woman who loves a man could give in words the precise reason why he or she loves then love itself could be defined in language but as no man or woman has ever succeeded in doing this I infer they who love best do not themselves know in what love consists still less therefore can anyone else know where for the definition is impossible and no one need waste time and trying to find it a certain wit has also said that although it be impossible for any man to explain the nature of love to many persons at the same time he generally finds it easy to make his explanations to one person only but this is a mere quibbling jest and not deserving of any attention Zahoe expected an answer to her question and Khalid was silent not because he was as yet too little acquainted with the feelings of a man to give them expression but because he already felt so much that it was hard for him to speak at all Zahoe laughed and shook her head for she was not of a timid temper how can you expect me to say that I love you when you yourself were unable to answer such a simple question she asked and besides are you not my lord and my master what is it then to you whether I love you or not but again Khalid was silent debating whether he should tell her the truth how the angel had promised an Allah's name that if she loved him he should obtain an undying soul and how the task of obtaining her love had been laid upon him as a sort of atonement for having slain the Indian prince but as he reflected he understood that this would probably estrange her all the more from him yet I can answer your question he said at last what is love it is that which is in me for you only but how am I to know what that is asked to Zahoe drawing up the smooth gold bracelets upon her arm and letting them fall down to her wrist so that they jangled like the camel's bell if you love me you will know Khalid answered perhaps you will feel a tenth part of what I feel and why not all that you feel she asked looking at him but still playing with the bracelets because it is impossible for any woman to love as much as I love you Zahoe you mean perhaps that a woman is too weak to love so well she suggested and you think perhaps that we are weak because we set all our lives upon the carpets and the harems eating sweet meats and listening to singing girls and old women who tell us tales of long ago yet there have been strong women too as strong as men Kinda who tore out the heart of Kamsa was she weak women are stronger to hate than to love said Khalid but a man can forget his hatred in the love of a woman and his strength also laughed Zahoe I would rather that you should not love me at all than that you should forget to be strong in the day of battle for I have married you that you may lead my people to war and bring home the spoil and if I destroy all your enemies and the enemies of your people will you love me then Zahoe why should I love you then more than now what has war to do with love again I ask what is it to you whether I love you or not am I not your wife and are you not my master what is this love of what you talk is it a rich garment that you can wear a precious stone that you can fasten in your turban a rich carpet to spread in your house a treasure of gold a mountain of ambergris a bushel of pearls from a man why do you covet it am I not beautiful enough then is love henna to make my hair bright or cold to darken my eyes or a boiled egg with almonds to smooth my face I have all these things and ointments from Egypt and perfumes from Syria and if I am not beautiful enough to please you it is the will of Allah and love will not make me fair yet love is beauty Khalid answered her Khadija was lovely in the eyes of the Prophet upon whom be peace because she loved him though she was a widow and old am I a widow am I old asks Zahoe with some indignation do I need the imaginary cosmetic you call love to smooth my wrinkles to lighten my eyes or to make my teeth white no you need nothing to make you beautiful and for the matter of that I can say it of you you tell me that you love me is it love that makes your body tall and straight your beard black your forehead smooth your hand strong would not any woman see what I see whether you loved her or not see is your hand whiter than mine because you love and I do not she laughed again as she held her hand beside his truly thought Khalid it is less easy than I supposed for the heart of a woman who does not love is like the desert when the wind blows over it and there are neither tracks nor landmarks and I am wandering this desert like a man seeking lost camels but he said nothing for he was not yet skilled in the arguments of love there upon Zahoe smiled and resting her cheek upon her hand looked into his face as though staying scornfully is it not all vanity and folly Khalid sighed he was disappointed as a thirsty man who coming to drink of a clear spring finds the water bitter while his thirst increases and grows unbearable why do you sigh Zahoe asked after little silence are you weary are you tired with feasting are you full of bitterness because I do not love you command me and I will obey are you not my lord whom I am subject he did not speak but she drew him to her so that his head rested upon her bosom and she began to sing to him in a low voice for a long time Khalid kept his eyes shut listening to her voice then on a sudden he looked up and without speaking so much as a word he clasped her in his arms and kissed her before it was day there was a great tumult in the streets of Riyadh of which the noise came up even to the chamber where Khalid and Zahoe were sleeping Zahoe awoke and listened wondering what had happened and trying to understand the cries of the distant multitude then she laid her hand upon Khalid's forehead and waked him what is it he asked it is war she answered the enemy have surprised the city in the night of the feast arise and take arms and go out to the people Khalid sprang up and in a moment he was clothed and had girdled his sword then he took Zahoe in his arms while I live you are safe he said am I afraid go quickly she answered at that time the Sultan of Najed was at war with the northern tribes of Shamar and the enemy had taken advantage of the month of Ramadan in which few people travel to advance in great numbers to Riyadh during the three days feast of bay round they had moved on every night slaying the inhabitants of the villages of that no one had escaped to bring the news and in the daytime they had hidden themselves wherever they could find shelter but in the night in which Khalid and Zahoe were married they reached the very walls of the city and waiting until all the people were asleep the party of them had climbed up upon the ramparts and had opened one of the gates to the companions after killing the guards Khalid found his mare and mounted her without saddle or bridle in his haste then drawing his saber he rode swiftly out of the palace into the confusion the enemy with their long spears were driving the panic stricken guards and the shrieking people before them towards the palace slaughtering all whom they overtook so that the gutters of the street were already flowing with blood and the horses of the enemy stumbled over the bodies of the defenders the whole multitude of the pursuit and the pursuers were just breaking out of the principal street into the open space before the palace when Khalid met them a single man facing ten thousand I shall certainly perish in this fight he said to himself and yet I shall not receive the reward of the faithful since Allah has not given me a soul nevertheless certain of these dogs shall eat dirt before the rest get into the palace so he pressed his legs to the bare sides of his mare lifted up his sword and rode at the foe having neither buckler nor helmet nor shard of mail to protect him but only his clothes and his turban but his arm was strong and it has been said by the wise that it is better to fall upon an old lion with a reed than to stand armed in the way of a man who seeks death Yallah! the sword of the Lord! shouted Khalid in such a terrible voice that the assailants ceased to kill for a moment and the terrified guards turned to see whence so great a voice could proceed and some who had seen Khalid recognized him and ran to meet him and the others followed when the enemy saw a single man riding towards them across the great square before the palace they sent up a shout of derision and turned again to the slaughter of such that the inhabitants as could not extricate themselves shall one man stop an army they said shall a fox send back a herd of hyenas but when Khalid was among them they found less matter for laughter for the sword was king the mare was swift to double and turn and Khalid's hand was strong in the twinkling of an eye two of the enemy lay dead the one cloven to the chin the other headless then a strange fever seized Khalid such as he had not heard of and all things turned to scarlet before his eyes but the walls of the houses and the paces and the garments of his pose men who saw him say that his face was white and shining in the dawn and that the flashing of the sword was like a storm of lightning about his head and after each flash there was a great rain of blood and a crashing like thunder as the horses and the men of the earth in the meantime to the soldiers of the city and the Bedouins of the desert who were within the walls for the feast took courage and turning fiercely began to derive the assailants back by the way they had come towards the market place in the bazaar but those behind still kept pressing forward while those in front were driven back and the press became so great that the Shamars could no longer wield it together like sheep in a fold and Khalid with his men began to cut a broad road through the very midst of them shewing them down in ranks and throwing them aside as corn is harvested in Egypt but after some time Khalid saw that he was alone with a few followers surrounded by a great throng of the enemy for some of his men had been slain after slaying many of those and some had been unable to follow being hindered at first by the heaps of dead and afterwards by the multitude of their opponents who closed and again over the bloody way through which Khalid had passed now the Shamars saw that Khalid could not escape them and they pressed him on every side but the archers dared not shoot at him for fear of hitting their own friends if their arrows were through by the mark otherwise he would undoubtedly have perished since he had no armor and not even a buckler with which to ward off the darts but they thrust at him with their spears and struck at him with their swords and wounded him more than once though he was not conscious of pain or loss of blood being hot with a fever of the fight he began to know that unless a speedy rescue came to him his hour was at hand from the borders of the marketplace the men of Riyadh could see his sword flashing and striking and they still heard his fierce cry he looked about him as he fought and he saw that he was now almost alone one after another the few who had penetrated so far forward with him into the press were overwhelmed by numbers and lay bleeding from a hundred wounds till only a score were left and Khalid saw that unless he could now cut his way free he must inevitably perish with the press was stubborn and a man might as well hope to make his way through a herd of camels crowded together in a narrow street then Khalid but thought him of a stratagem he alone was on horseback for the enemies riders had ridden before and he had met them in the street leading to the palace when he had himself slain many and where the rest were even now falling under the swords of the men of Riyadh and the few men who were with him were also all on foot therefore looking across the marketplace he made as though he saw a great force coming to his assistance and he shouted with all his breath while his arm never rested smite men of Najed he cried for I see the sultan himself coming to meet us with five under horsemen smite yellow it is the sword of the lord hearing these words as men were encouraged and of the enemy many turned their heads to see the new danger but being on foot they were hindered from seeing by the throng yet so much the more Khalid shouted that the sultan was coming and many of their heads that turned to look were not turned back again but rolled down to the feet of those to whom they had belonged the brave men who were with Khalid took heart and healed with all their might bringing up the cry of their leader when they saw that it disconcerted their foes so that they at last took fright and the panic ran through the whole multitude we shall be slain like sheep and taken like locusts under a mantle for we cannot move they cried and they began to press a way out of the marketplace forcing their comrades before them into the narrow streets but here many perished for while every man and riyadh had taken a sword and had gone out of his house to fight the women had dragged up cauldrons of boiling water and also hand mill stones to the roofs and they scalded and crushed their retreating foes then too as the marketplace was cleared the soldiers came on from the side of the palace having slain all that stood in their way most of the horses alive which alone was a great booty there are not many horses in a shed besides those of the sultan that these are the very best and flitest in all Arabia but the shamars of the north are great horse breeders so the soldiers mounted and joined Khalid in the pursuit and a great slaughter followed in the streets though some of the enemy were able to leave the streets and warn those of their fellows who were outside to flee to the hills for safety leaving much booty behind at the time in the second call to prayer Khalid dismounted from his mare in the marketplace and there was not one of the enemy left alive within the walls those who remember that day say that there were 5,000 dead in the street scenario Khalid having prayed and given thanks to Allah he went back on foot to the palace his bay mare following him and thrusting her nose into his hand as he walked where she was little hurt and the blood that covered her shoulders and her flanks was not her own but Khalid had many wounds on him so that his companions wondered how he was able to walk in the court of the palace and fell upon his neck and embraced him for many messengers had come from time to time telling how the fight went and of the great slaughter and Khalid smiled for he thought that he could now win the love of Zahoa said not truly that he is as brave as the lion and as strong as the camel cried the Sultan addressing those who stood in the court scattered our enemies as the wind scatters the sand surely he is well called by the name Khalid forget not your own men Khalid answered where they have shared in the danger and have slain more than I and deserve the spoil there was a score of stout fellows with me at the last in the marketplace whose basis I should know again clouding night they fought as well as I and it was the will of Allah that their enemy should broil everlastingly and drink boiling water let them be rewarded they shall everyone have a rich garment and a sum of money besides their share of the spoil but as per you my beloved son go in and rest and afterwards there shall be feasting and merriment until the night the enemy is not destroyed yet answered Khalid command rather that the army make ready for the pursuit and when I have washed I will earn myself and we will ride out and pursue the dogs until not one of them is left alive and by the help of Allah we will take al-Shamar and lay it on a tribute and bring back the women captive after that we shall feast more safely and sleep without fear of being waked by a herd of hyenas in our streets nay but you must rest before going upon this expedition objected the Sultan the true believer will find rest in the grave and feasting in paradise answered Khalid this is true but even the camel must eat and drink on the journey or both he and his master will perish let us eat and drink quickly that we may the sooner go as you will let it be said the Sultan with a sigh for he loved feasting in music being now too old to go out and fight himself as he had formerly done there upon Khalid went into the harem and returned to Zahua's apartment as he went the women gathered round him with cries of gladness and songs of triumph staunching the blood that flowed from his wounds with their veils and garments as he walked and others ran before to prepare the bath until Zahua of his coming when she saw him she ran forward and took him by the hands and led him in and herself she bathed his wounds and bound them up with precious balls sums of great healing power not suffering any of the women to help her nor to touch him but sending them away so that she might be alone with Khalid I have slain certain of your enemies Zahua and Zahua said at last and I have driven out the rest from the city as yet neither of them had spoken do you think that I have not heard what you have done Zahua asked you have saved us all from death and captivity you are our father and our mother and now I will bring you food and drink and afterwards you shall sleep all pleased with the doings of the husband you have married he said he was displeased for he had supposed that she would love him for his deeds and for his wounds and that she would speak differently with those she tended him and bound his wounds and bathed his brow with perfumed waters and laid pillows under his head and fanned him as a slave might have done he saw that there was no warmth in her cheek and that the depths of her eyes were empty and that her hands were neither hot nor cold for all these signs he knew that she felt no love for him so he spoke coldly to her is it for me to be pleased or displeased with the deeds of my lord and master she asked nevertheless thousands are even now blessing your name and returning things to Allah for having sent them a preserver in the hour of danger I am one of them I would rather see a faint light in your eyes as of a star rising in the desert than hear the blessings of all the men of Najed I would rather that your hand were cold when it touches mine and your cheek hot when I kiss it than that your father should bestow upon me all the treasures of Riyadh is that love you asked Zahoa with a laugh a cold hand a hot cheek a bright eye Khalid was silent for he saw that she understood his words but not his meaning it was now noon and it was very hot even in the inner shade of the harem and Khalid was glad to rest after the hard fighting for his many slight wounds smarted with the healing balsam and his heart was heavy and discontented then Zahoa called a slave woman to find him with a palm leaf and presently she brought him meat and rice and dates to eat and a cold drink and a golden cup and she sat at his feet while he refreshed himself how many did you slay with your own hand she asked at last taking up the good sword which lay beside him on the carpet End of Chapter 3