wept; but, when he beheld them, he threw himself upon them
weeping, with sore weeping, and strained them to his breast for a
full hour. Then he excused himself to them and told them what
desolation he had suffered for their loss and exile; and they
acquainted him with King Ghayur's arrival, whereupon he mounted
with his chief officers and taking with him his two sons,
proceeded to that King's camp. As they drew near, one of the
Princes rode forward and informed King Ghayur of Kamar al-Zaman's
coming, whereupon he came out to meet him and they joined
company, marvelling at these things and how they had chanced to
foregather in that place. Then the townsfolk made them banquets
of all manner of meats and sweetmeats and presented to them
horses and camels and fodder and other guest-gifts and all that
the troops needed. And while this was doing, behold, yet another
cloud of dust arose and flew till it walled the view, whilst
earth trembled with the tramp of steed and tabors sounded like
stormy winds. After a while, the dust lifted and discovered an
army clad in coats of mail and armed cap-a-pie; but all were in
black garb, and in their midst rode a very old man whose beard
flowed down over his breast and he also was clad in black. When
the King of the city and the city folk saw this great host, he
said to the other Kings, "Praised be Allah by whose omnipotent
command ye are met here, all in one day, and have proved all
known one to the other! But what vast and victorious army is this
which hemmeth in the whole land like a wall?" They answered,
"Have no fear of them; we are three Kings, each with a great
army, and if they be enemies, we will join thee in doing battle
with them, were they three times as many as they now are."
Meanwhile, up came an envoy from the approaching host, making for
the city. So they brought him before Kamar al-Zaman, King Ghayur,