heap of ashes in the fire; whilst the two hosts of the Jinn shot each other with flamy meteors till
the battle-field was wrapped in smoke. And Gharib tourneyed right and left among the Kafirs
who gave way before him, till he came to King Barkan's pavilion, with Kaylajan and Kurajan on
his either hand, and cried out to them, "Loose your lord!" So they unbound Mura'ash and broke
his fetters and----And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

When it was the Six Hundred and Fifty-sixth Night,

She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when King Gharib cried out to
Kaylajan and Kurajan, saying, "Loose your lord!", they unbound Mura'ash and broke his fetters,
and he said to them, "Bring me my arms and my winged horse." Now he had two flying steeds,
one of which he had given to Gharib and the other he had kept for himself; and this he mounted
after he had donned his battle harness. Then he and Gharib fell upon the enemy, flying through
the air on their winged horses, and the true believing Jinn followed them, shouting "Allaho
Akbar--God is Most Great!"--till plains and hills, valleys and mountains re-worded the cry. The
Infidels fled before them and they returned, after having slain more than thirty thousand Marids
and Satans, to the city of Japhet, where the two Kings sat down on their couches of estate and
sought Barkan, but found him not; for after capturing him they were diverted from him by stress
of battle, where an Ifrit of his servants made his way to him and loosing him, carried him to his
folk, of whom he found part slain and the rest in full flight. So he flew up with the King high in
air and sat him down in the City of Carnelian and Castle of Gold, where Barkan seated himself
on the throne of his kingship. Presently, those of his people who had survived the affair came in
to him and gave him joy of his safety; and he said, "O folk, where is safety? My army is slain
and they took me prisoner and have rent in pieces mine honour among the tribes of the Jann."
Quoth they, "O King, 'tis ever thus that kings still afflict and are afflicted." Quoth he, "There is
no help but I take my wreak and wipe out my shame, else shall I be for ever disgraced among the
tribes of the Jann." Then he wrote letters to the Governors of his fortresses, who came to him
right loyally and, when he reviewed them, he found three hundred and twenty-thousand fierce
Marids and Satans, who said to him, "What is thy need?" And he replied, "Get ye ready to set
out in three days' time;" whereto they rejoined "Harkening and obedience!" On this wise it befel