He took it and opened it and read it and when he understood its
secret significance, his face changed, his eyes turned backwards
and he bade his tents be struck for departure. So they fared by
forced marches till between him and his capital remained only two
stations. He then summoned two Chamberlains with orders to forego
him to the city and take my mother and us three girls a day's
distance from it and there put us to death. Accordingly, they led
us four to the open country purposing to kill us, and my mother
knew not what intent was in their minds until they reached the
appointed spot. Now the Queen had in times past heaped alms-deeds
and largesse upon the two Chamberlains, so they held the case to
be a grievous and said each to other, "By Allah we cannot
slaughter them; no, never!" Then they told my mother of the
letter which the Wazir had written to our father saying
such-and-such, upon which she exclaimed, "He hath lied, by Allah,
the arch-traitor; and naught happened save so-and-so." Then she
related to them all she had done with the exactest truth. The men
said, "Sooth thou hast spoken;" then arising without stay or
delay they snared a gazelle and slaughtered it and filled with
its blood four flasks; after which they broiled some of the flesh
over the embers and gave it to my mother that we might satisfy
our hunger. Presently they farewelled us saying, "We give you in
charge of Him who never disappointed those committed to His
care;" and, lastly, they went their ways leaving us alone in the
wild and the word. So we fell to eating the desertgrasses and
drinking of the remnants of the rain, and we walked awhile and
rested awhile without finding any city or inhabited region; and
we waxed tired, O King of the Age, when suddenly we came upon a
spot on a hill-flank abounding in vari-coloured herbs and fair
fountains. Here we abode ten days and behold, a caravan drew near