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Then said Ahmad al-Danaf, "When thou seest the Emir Khalid don his harness of war, say to him, 'Equip me like thyself and take me with thee. Then do thou go forth and perform some feat of prowess before the Commander of the Faithful, and he will say to thee, 'Ask a boon of me, O Aslan! And do thou make answer, 'I ask of thee this boon, that thou take my blood-revenge on my father's murderer. If he say, 'Thy father is yet alive and is the Emir Khalid, the Chief of the Police'; answer thou, 'My father was Ala al-Din Abu al-Shamat, and the Emir Khalid hath a claim upon me only as the foster-father who adopted me. Then tell him all that passed between thee and Ahmad Kamakim and say, 'O Prince of True Believers, order him to be searched and I will bring the lanthorn forth from his bosom." Thereupon said Aslan to him, "I hear and obey;" and, returning to the Emir Khalid, found him making ready to repair to the Caliph's court and said to him, "I would fain have thee arm and harness me like thyself and take me with thee to the Divan."

And whenas he hath sworn to thee the oath of divorce, say to him, 'Thou keepest in prison a man called Ahmad Kamakim, and he hath a poor old mother, who hath set upon me and who urgeth me in the matter and who saith, 'Let thy husband intercede for him with the Caliph, that my son may repent and thou gain heavenly guerdon." And the Lady Khatun replied, "I hear and obey."

He asked, "And who was thy father's murderer?" whereto Aslan answered, "Ahmad Kamakim the arch-thief."

At once the Caliph cried, "Seize ye Ahmad Kamakim!" and they seized him, whereupon he asked, "Where be the Captain, Ahmad al-Danaf?" And when he was summoned the Caliph bade him search Kamakim; so he put his hand into the thief's bosom and pulled out the lanthorn.

Now when they came thither, Ahmad al-Danaf went in to the Caliph and gave him the glad tidings of Ala al-Din's arrival and told him his story whereupon the King went forth to greet him taking the youth Aslan, and they met and embraced each other. Then the Commander of the Faithful summoned the arch-thief Ahmad Kamakim and said to Ala al-Din, "Up and at thy foe!"

The Caliph asked Ahmad Kamakim, "Doss thou repent of thy sins?" So he kissed the Caliph's hands and, being invested with the uniform of Captain of the Watch, he went forth, whilst they made proclamation of his appointment.

Answered the Caliph, "Thou shalt have what thou wantest; but let search be made first in my palace and then in those of the Wazir and the Chief of the Sixty." Rejoined Ahmad Kamakim, "Thou sayest well, O Commander of the Faith ful; belike the man that did this ill deed be one who hath been reared in the King's household or in that of one of his officers."

Said the Caliph, "Come hither, thou traitor: whence hadst thou this lanthorn?" and Kamakim replied, "I bought it, O Commander of the Faithful!" The Caliph rejoined, "Where didst thou buy it?"

Asked the lady, "And what feat wilt thou do?" Quoth the old woman, "I have a son called Ahmad Kamakim, the arch-thief, who lieth chained in jail and on his bilboes is written, 'Appointed to remain till death'; so do thou don thy richest clothes and trick thee out with thy finest jewels and present thyself to thy husband with an open face and smiling mien; and when he seeketh of thee what men seek of women, put him off and baulk him of his will and say, 'By Allah, 'tis a strange thing!

"How so, O Prince of True Believers?" asked the Emir. So he told him the case and added, "I charge thee to bring me back all the stolen things." Quoth he, "Ere thou slay me, slay Ahmad Kamakim, for none should know the robber and the traitor but the Captain of the Watch."