Mu'in hath set a snare for you both; and, if you fall into his
hands, he will slay you. The Sultan hath despatched forty
sworders against you and I counsel you to flee ere harm can hurt
you." Then Sanjar put his hand to his purse and finding there
forty gold pieces took them and gave them to Nur al-Din, saying,
"O my lord receive these and journey with them. Had I more I
would give them to thee, but this is not the time to take
exception." Thereupon Nur al-Din went in to the damsel and told
her what had happened, at which she wrung her hands. Then they
fared forth at once from the city, and Allah spread over them His
veil of protection, so that they reached the river-bank where
they found a vessel ready for sea. Her skipper was standing
amidships and crying, "Whoso hath aught to do, whether in the way
of provisioning or taking leave of his people; or whoso hath
forgotten any needful thing, let him do it at once and return,
for we are about to sail"; and all of them saying, "There is
naught left to be done by us, O captain!", he cried to his crew,
"Hallo there! cast off the cable and pull up the mooring-
pole!"[FN#40] Quoth Nur al-Din, "Whither bound, O captain?" and
quoth he, "To the House of Peace, Baghdad," -And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

When it was the Thirty-sixth Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
skipper answered, "To the House of Peace, Baghdad," Nur al-Din
Ali and the damsel went on board, and they launched the craft and
shook out the sails, and the ship sped forth as though she were a
bird on wing; even as said one of them and said right well,