When it was the eighth day, the viziers all assembled and took
counsel together and said, "How shall we do with this youth, who
baffleth us with his much talk? Indeed, we fear lest he be saved
and we fall [into perdition]. Wherefore, let us all go in to the
king and unite our efforts to overcome him, ere he appear without
guilt and come forth and get the better of us." So they all went
in to the king and prostrating themselves before him, said to
him, "O king, have a care lest this youth beguile thee with his
sorcery and bewitch thee with his craft. If thou heardest what we
hear, thou wouldst not suffer him live, no, not one day. So pay
thou no heed to his speech, for we are thy viziers, [who
endeavour for] thy continuance, and if thou hearken not to our
word, to whose word wilt thou hearken? See, we are ten viziers
who testify against this youth that he is guilty and entered not
the king's sleeping-chamber but with evil intent, so he might put
the king to shame and outrage his honour; and if the king slay
him not, let him banish him his realm, so the tongue of the folk
may desist from him."
When the king heard his viziers' words, he was exceeding wroth
and bade bring the youth, and when he came in to the king, the
viziers all cried out with one voice, saying, "O scant o' grace,
thinkest thou to save thyself from slaughter by craft and guile,
that thou beguilest the king with thy talk and hopest pardon for
the like of this great crime which thou hast committed?" Then the
king bade fetch the headsman, so he might smite off his head;
whereupon each of the viziers fell a-saying, "I will slay him;"
and they sprang upon him. Quote the youth, "O king, consider and
ponder these men's eagerness. Is this of envy or no? They would
fain make severance between thee and me, so there may fall to
them what they shall plunder, as aforetime." And the king said to
him, "Consider their testimony against thee." "O king," answered
the young man, "how shall they testify of that which they saw
not? This is but envy and rancour; and thou, if thou slay me,
thou wilt regret me, and I fear lest there betide thee of
repentance that which betided Ilan Shah, by reason of the malice
of his viziers." "And what is his story?" asked Azadbekht. "O
king," replied the youth,