Then she smoothed the throat of Koorookh, and clasped round it a collar
of bright steel, roughened with secret characters; and she took a hoop of
gold, and passed the bird through it, urging it all the while with one
strange syllable; and the bird went up with a strong whirr of the wing
till he was over the sea, and caught sight of Noorna tottering beneath
him on the blade, and the kite pecking fiercely at her. Thereat he
fluttered eagerly a twinkle of time, and the next was down with his beak
in the neck of the kite, crimsoned in it. Now, by the shouts and
exclamations of Shibli Bagarag, the Princess and the seven youths, her
brothers, knew that the bird had performed well his task, and that the
fight was between Koorookh and the kite. Then he cried gladly to them,
'Joy for us, and Allah be praised! The kite is dropping, and she leaneth
on one wing of Koorookh!'
And he cried in anguish, 'What see I? The kite is become a white ball,
rolling down the blade toward her; and it will of a surety destroy her.'
And he called to her, thinking vainly his voice might reach her. So the
Princess said, 'A white ball? 'tis I that am match for a white ball!'
Now, she seized from the corner of the palace-roof a bow and an arrow,
and her brothers lifted her to a level with the hilt of the Sword,
leaning on the eye of glass. Then she planted one foot on the shoulder of
Shibli Bagarag as he bent peering through the eye, and fitted the arrow
to a level of the Sword, slanting its slant, and let it fly, doubling the
bow. Shibli Bagarag saw the ball roll to within a foot of Noorna, when it
was as if stricken by a gleam of light, and burst, and was a black cloud
veined with fire, swathing her in folds. He lost all sight of Noorna; and
where she had been were vivid flashes, and then a great flame, and in the
midst a red serpent and a green serpent twisted as in the death-struggle.
So he cried, 'A red serpent and a green serpent!'
And the sons of Aklis exclaimed, 'A red serpent? 'Tis we that are match
for a red serpent!'
Thereupon they descended steps through the palace roof, and while the
fight between those two serpents was rageing, Shibli Bagarag beheld seven
small bright birds, bee-catchers, that entered the flame, bearing in
their bills slips of a herb, and hovering about the heal of the red
serpent, distracting it. Then he saw the red serpent hiss and snap at
one, darting out its tongue, and lo! on the fork of its tongue the little
bird let fall the slip of herb in its bill, and in an instant the serpent
changed from red to yellow and from yellow to pale-spotted blue, and from
that to a speckled indigo-colour, writhing at every change, and hissing
fire from its open jaws. Meantime the green serpent was released and was
making circles round the flame, seeking to complete some enchantment,
when suddenly the whole scene vanished, and Shibli Bagarag again beheld
Noorna steadying her steps on the blade, and leaning on one wing of
Koorookh. She advanced up the blade, coming nearer and nearer; and he
thought her close, and breathed quick and ceased looking through the
glass. When he gazed abroad, lo! she was with Koorookh, on a far hill
beyond the stream in outer Aklis. So he said to the Princess Gulrevaz, 'O
Princess, comes she not to me here in the palace?'
But the Princess shook her head, and said, 'She hath not a spell! She
waiteth for thee yonder with Koorookh. Now, look through the glass once
more.'
He looked through the glass, and there on a plain, as he had first seen
it when Noorna appeared to him, was the City of Shagpat, and in the
streets of the city a vast assembly, and a procession passing on, its
front banner surmounted by the Crescent, and bands with curled and curved
instruments playing, and slaves scattering gold and clashing cymbals,
every demonstration and evidence of a great day and a high occasion in
the City of Shagpat! So he peered yet keenlier through the glass, and
behold, the Vizier Feshnavat, father of Noorna, walking in fetters,
subject to the jibes and evil-speaking of the crowds of people, his
turban off, and he in a robe of drab-coloured stuff, in the scorned
condition of an unbeliever. Shibli Bagarag peered yet more earnestly
through the glass eye, and in the centre of the procession, clad
gorgeously in silks and stuffs, woven with gold and gems, a crown upon
his head, and the appanages of supremacy and majesty about him, was
Shagpat. He paced upon a yellow flooring that was unrolled before him
from a mighty roll; and there were slaves that swarmed on all sides of
him, supporting upon gold pans and platters the masses of hair that
spread bushily before and behind, and to the right and left of him. Truly
the gravity of his demeanour exceeded that which is attained by Sheiks
and Dervishes after much drinking of the waters of wisdom, and fasting,
and abnegation of the pleasures that betray us to folly in this world!
Now, when he saw Shagpat, the soul of Shibli Bagarag was quickened to do
his appointed work upon him, shear him, and release the Vizier Feshnavat.
Desire to shave Shagpat was as a salt thirst rageing in him, as the dream
of munching to one that starveth; even as the impelling of violent
tempests to skiffs on the sea; and he hungered to be at him, crying, as
he peered, ''Tis he! even he, Shagpat!'
Then he turned to the Princess Gulrevaz, and said, ''Tis Shagpat,
exalted, clothed with majesty, O thou morning star of Aklis!'
She said, 'Koorookh is given thee, and waiteth to carry ye both; and for
me I will watch that this glass send forth a beam to light ye to that
city; so farewell, O thou that art loved! And delay in nothing to finish
the work in hand.'
Now, when he had set his face from the Princess he descended through the
roof of the palace, and met the seven youths returning, and they
accompanied him through the halls of the palace to that hall where the
damsels had duped him. He was mindful of his promise to the old man
crowned, and flashed the Sword a strong flash, so that he who looked on
it would be seared in the eyelashes. Then the doors of the recesses flew
apart, eight-and-ninety in number, and he beheld divers sitters on
thrones, with the diadem of asses' ears stiffened upright, and monkeys'
skulls grinning with gems; they having on each countenance the look of
sovereigns and the serenity of high estate. Shibli Bagarag laughed at
them, and he thought, 'Wullahy! was I one of these? I, the beloved of
Noorna, destined Master of the Event!' and he thought, 'Of a surety, if
these sitters could but laugh at themselves, there would be a release for
them, and the crown would topple off which getteth the homage of asses
and monkeys!' He would have spoken to them, but the sons of Aklis said,
'They have seen the flashing of the Sword, and 'twere well they wake
not.' As they went from the hall the seven youths said, 'Reflect upon the
age of these sitters, that have been sitting in the chairs from three to
eleven generations back! And they were searchers of the Sword like thee,
but were duped! In like manner, the hen sitteth in complacency, but she
bringeth forth and may cackle; 'tis owing to the aids of Noorna that thou
art not one of these sitters, O Master of the Event!' Now, they paced
through the hall of dainty provender, and through the hall of the
jewel-fountains, coming to the palace steps, where stood Abarak leaning
on his bar. As they advanced to Abarak, there was a clamour in the halls
behind, that gathered in noise like a torrent, and approached, and
presently the Master was ware of a sharp stroke on his forehead with a
hairy finger, and then a burn, and the Crown that had clung to him
toppled off; surely it fell upon the head of the old monkey, the cautious
and wise one, he that had made a study of Shibli Bagarag. Thereupon that
monkey stalked scornfully from them; and Abarak cried, 'O Master of the
Event! it was better for me to keep the passage of the Seventh Pillar,
than be an ape of this order. Wah! the flashing of the Sword scorcheth
them, and they scamper.'