sport. So I winked to my friends and we all slipped out into the
corridor. We found the door open and fled forth, unveiled[FN#99]
and unknowing whither we went; nor did we halt till we had fared
afar from the house and happened on a Cook cooking, of whom I
asked, 'Hast thou a mind to quicken the dead?' He said, 'Come
up;' so we went up into the shop, and he whispered, 'Lie down.'
Accordingly, we lay down and he covered us with the Halfah
grass,[FN#100] wherewith he was used to kindle the fire under the
food. Hardly had we settled ourselves in the place when we heard
a noise of kicking at the door and people running right and left
and questioning the Cook and asking, 'Hath any one passed by
thee?' Answered he, 'None hath passed by me.' But they ceased not
to go round about the shop till the day broke, when they turned
back, disappointed. Then the Cook removed the reeds and said to
us, 'Rise, for ye are delivered from death.' So we arose, and we
were uncovered, sans veil or mantilla; but the Cook carried us up
into his house and we sent to our homes and fetched us veils; and
we repented to Allah Almighty and renounced singing, for indeed
this was a mighty narrow escape after stress."[FN#101] Those
present marvelled at this, and the tenth constable came forward
and said, "As for me, there befel me that which was yet rarer
than all ye have yet heard." Quoth Al-Malik al-Zahir, "What was
that?" And quoth he, "Deign give ear to me."




The Tenth Constable's History.