there amongst you a brother of his or a son?" "Nay, by Allah!"
answered they. "But we are all his mamelukes and the boughten of
his money, and his father El Aziz hath despatched us to make
enquiry of him. So go thou to thy lord and question him of the
prince and return to us with that which he shall answer you."
"And where is King El Aziz?" asked the eunuch; and they replied,
"He is encamped in the Green Meadow."[FN#96]

The eunuch returned and told the king, who said, "Indeed, we have
been neglectful with regard to El Abbas. What shall be our excuse
with the king? By Allah, my soul misdoubted me that the youth was
of the sons of the kings!" The Lady Afifeh, his wife, saw him
lamenting for [his usage of] El Abbas and said to him, "O king,
what is it thou regrettest with this exceeding regret?" Quoth he,
"Thou knowest the stranger youth, who gave us the rubies?"
"Assuredly," answered she; and he said, "Yonder youths, who have
halted in the palace court, are his mamelukes, and his father
King El Aziz, lord of Yemen, hath pitched his camp in the Green
Meadow; for he is come with his army to seek him, and the number
of his troops is [four-and-] twenty thousand men." [Then he went
out from her], and when she heard his words, she wept sore for
him and had compassion on his case and sent after him,
counselling him to send for the mamelukes and lodge them [in the
palace] and entertain them.

The king gave ear to her counsel and despatching the eunuch for
the mamelukes, assigned them a lodging and said to them, "Have
patience, till the king give you tidings of your lord El Abbas."
When they heard his words, their eyes ran over with plenteous
tears, of their much longing for the sight of their lord. Then