Then the chief eunuch came in and said, "O Prince of True Believers,
the Chamberlain is at the door craving permission to enter." Said
he, "Let him enter!" whereupon he came in, and after kissing ground,
offered the salutation, "Peace be upon thee, O Commander of the
Faithful!" At this Abu al-Hasan rose and descended from the couch to
the floor, whereupon the official exclaimed: "Allah! Allah! O Prince
of True Believers, wottest thou not that all men are thy lieges and
under thy rule and that it is not meet for the Caliph to rise to any
man?" Presently the eunuch went out before him, and the little white
slaves behind him, and they ceased not going till they raised the
curtain and brought him into the hall of judgment and the throne
room of the caliphate. There he saw all curtains and the forty doors
and Al-'Ijli and Al-Rakashi the poet, and 'Ibdan and Jadim and Abu
Ishak the cup companion, and beheld swords drawn and the lions
compassing the throne as the white of the eye encircleth the black,
and gilded glaives and death-dealing bows and Ajams and Arabs and
Turks and Daylamites and folk and peoples and emirs and wazirs and
captains and grandees and lords of the land and men of war in band,
and in very sooth there appeared the might of the House of Abbas and
the majesty of the Prophet's family.
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