" "I hear and I obey, O Commander of the Faithful,"
answered Ja'afar, and did as he was bidden.
Then said the Caliph: "O Ja'afar, I swear by my holy forefathers and
by my kinship to Hamzah and Akil, that I mean to summon the
fisherman and bid him take one of these papers, whose contents none
knoweth save thou and I. And whatsoever is written in the paper
which he shall choose, I will give it to him. Though it be the
Caliphate, I will divest myself thereof and invest him therewith and
grudge it not to him. And on the other hand, if there be written
therein hanging or mutilation or death, I will execute it upon him.
Now go and fetch him to me." When Ja'afar heard this, he said to
himself: "There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the
Glorious, the Great' It may be somewhat will fall to this poor
wretch's lot that will bring about his destruction and I shall be
the cause. But the Caliph hath sworn, so nothing remains now but to
bring him in, and naught will happen save whatso Allah willeth."
Accordingly he went out to Khalifah the fisherman and laid hold of his
hand, to carry him in to the Caliph, whereupon his reason fled and
he said in himself: "What a stupid I was to come after yonder
ill-omened slave, Tulip, whereby he hath brought me in company with
Bran-belly!" Ja'afar fared on with him, with Mamelukes before and
behind, whilst he said, "Doth not arrest suffice, but these must go
behind and before me, to hinder my making off?" till they had
traversed seven vestibules, when the Wazir said to him: "Mark my
words, O Fisherman! Thou standest before the Commander of the Faithful
and Defender of the Faith!"
Then he raised the great curtain and Khalifah's eyes fell on the
Caliph, who was seated on his couch, with the lords of the realm
standing in attendance upon him.
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