My wife came to meet me and, saluting me, gave me joy
of my safety and then said: "Beware of going forth hereafter with
yonder folk, neither consort with them, for they are brethren of the
devils, and know not how to mention the name of Allah Almighty,
neither worship they Him." "And how did thy father with them?" asked
I, and she answered: "My father was not of them, neither did he as
they. And as now he is dead, methinks thou hadst better sell all we
have and with the price buy merchandise and journey to thine own
country and people, and I with thee; for I care not to tarry in this
city, my father and my mother being dead." So I sold all the Sheikh's
property piecemeal, and looked for one who should be journeying thence
to Bassorah that I might join myself to him.
And while thus doing I heard of a company of townsfolk who had a
mind to make the voyage but could not find them a ship, so they bought
wood and built them a great ship, wherein I took passage with them,
and paid them all the hire. Then we embarked, I and my wife, with
all our movables, leaving our houses and domains and so forth, and set
sail, and ceased not sailing from island to island and from sea to
sea, with a fair wind and a favoring, till we arrived at Bassorah safe
and sound.
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