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Then said Gharib to the Marids, "Do ye carry the treasure and Star o' Morn;" for he himself thought to ride his flying steed. But Mura'ash said to him, "This horse, O my brother, will live only in our region, and, if it come upon man's earth, 'twill die: but I have in my stables a sea-horse, whose fellow is not found in Al-Irak, no, nor in all the world is its like."
So they alighted and walking among the troops, found them Persians and questioned the soldiers whose men they were and whither they were bound; whereto they made answer, "We are en route for Al-Irak, to slay Gharib and all who company him."
So they mixed him drugs, which he used and knew his wife carnally, and she conceived by leave of the Most High Lord, who saith to a thing, "Be," and it becometh. Now there was in Al-Irak a King called Abd al-Kadir who had a daughter, by name Hayat al-Nufus, and she was like the rising full moon, but she had an hatred for men and the folk very hardly dared name mankind in her presence.
Now, when Ajib and his defeated army drew in sight of Oman, King Jaland saw the dust of their approach and sent to find out its meaning, scouts who returned and said, "Verily this is the dust of one highs Ajib, lord of Al-Irak." And Jaland wondered at his coming to his country and, when assured of the tidings, he said to his officers, "Fare ye forth and meet him."
The King granted his prayer and writing letters to all his governors, levied an army as it were the surging sea, having neither beginning nor end, wherewith he purposeth to invade Al-Irak and lay it waste." When Gharib heard this, he said, "Perish the Misbelievers! Verily, Allah Almighty shall give the victory to Al-Islam and I will soon show them hew and foin."
Then he turned to Ajib and said to him, "O dog of Al-Irak, 'twas thou broughtest this calamity on us! But by the virtue of that which I worship, except I avenge me of mine enemy I will do thee die after foulest fashion!" When Ajib heard these words he was troubled with sore trouble and blamed himself; but he waited till nightfall, when the Moslems had pitched their tents for rest.
Presently, he arose and opening the lattices, took a wand of gold, which he set up in the open window and, hanging thereto a golden charger by chains of the same metal, laid in it the dress, whilst Ali watched him from behind the door, and presently he cried out, saying, "Where are the sharpers of Cairo? Where are the prigs of Al-Irak, the master-thieves of the Ajam-land?
Then he abode in Cashmere of India forty days, till he had ordered the affairs of the country and cast down the shrines and temples of the Fire and built in their stead mosques and cathedrals, whilst Ra'ad Shah made ready for him rarities and treasures beyond count and despatched them to Al-Irak in ships Then Gharib mounted on Kaylajan's back and Jamrkan and Sa'adan on that of Kurajan, after they had taken leave of Ra'ad Shah; and journeyed through the night till break of day, when they reached Oman city where their troops met them and saluted them and rejoiced in them.
I am Gharib, King of Al-Irak and Al-Yaman, brother of Ajib." When Ra'ad Shah, son of the King of Hind, heard this, he shouted to his captains, "Bring me Ajib." So they brought him and Ra'ad Shah said to him, "Thou wottest that this quarrel is thy quarrel and thou art the cause of all this slaughter.
And he called aloud to his son, saying, "O my son, make ready to go to Al-Irak and lay it waste and bind all who serve aught but the Fire and torment them and make example of them; yet slay them not, but bring them to me, that I may ply them with various tortures and make them taste the bitterness of humiliation and leave them a warning to whoso will be warned in this our while."
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