this your city and that I am come hither only in quest of a
beardless slave of mine, whom if I find with you, I will do you
no harm, but if I find him not, then shall there befall sore
onslaught between me and you." Asked Amjad, "O Queen, what like
is thy slave and what is his story and what may be his name?"
Said she, "His name is As'ad and my name is Marjanah, and this
slave came to my town in company of Bahram, a Magian, who refused
to sell him to me; so I took him by force, but his master fell
upon him by night and bore him away by stealth and he is of such
and such a favour." When Amjad heard that, he knew it was indeed
his brother As'ad whom she sought and said to her, "O Queen of
the age, Alhamdolillah, praised be Allah, who hath brought us
relief! Verily this slave whom thou seekest is my brother." Then
he told her their story and all that had befallen them in the
land of exile, and acquainted her with the cause of their
departure from the Islands of Ebony, whereat she marvelled and
rejoiced to have found As'ad. So she bestowed a dress of honour
upon Amjad and he returned forthright to the King and told him
what had passed, at which they all rejoiced and the King went
forth with Amjad and As'ad to meet Queen Marjanah. When they were
admitted to her presence and sat down to converse with her and
were thus pleasantly engaged, behold, a dust cloud rose and flew
and grew, till it walled the view. And after a while it lifted
and showed beneath it an army dight for victory, in numbers like
the swelling sea, armed and armoured cap-a-pie who, making for
the city, encompassed it around as the ring encompasseth the
little finger;[FN#21] and a bared brand was in every hand. When
Amjad and As'ad saw this, they exclaimed, "Verily to Allah we
belong and to Him we shall return! What is this mighty host?
Doubtless, these are enemies, and except we agree with this Queen