Chapter #22The Story of the Ragpicker, Concluded by: Seuzz   Now, none save two knew aught of this. One was the king's bosom companion, whom he had known since childhood, and who saw in the king his friend a great and sudden change. And he wondered over it, but held his tongue. The other was the king's chief spy, whom he had set to watch the queen secretly, and who had seen her change the soldiers, and the wezir, and the chief general. But this spy knew not whom to trust after seeing such wonders, and held his tongue, and so by this act of cowardice the king was taken by the queen. But this man, seeing the king so changed, sought to flee, only to be taken and brought before the king's friend, who had charge of the magistracy of the palace. And this friend of the king abused the man and threatened him with death. And seeing that death would surely take him whatsoever he said or did, the king's spy chose the path of truth, and told all that he had seen. He guessed that all he met were the queen's creatures in changed form, and he guessed the same of the man who questioned him, and he expected death. But to his surprise he was instead told to hold his tongue, and was given a horse, and told to flee to the farthest kingdoms of earth, lest death come to him in the guise of a friend.
Then the king's companion sat and brooded, and the sun was darkened in his eyes. For three days he lay upon his bed, then rose and put on mourning and went to the king, though he feared now it was not the king to whom he spoke. And he begged leave to depart for six months, saying, My father sends news that my three brothers are killed in a shipwreck, and begs that I journey to Adaneh to put their affairs in order. And he received permission, and by this token he knew that the spy had spoken the truth, for the king his friend knew that he had no brothers and that his father was already dead.
Then the king's companion journeyed down river, but before coming to the sea he departed his course and, crossing many mountains, came to a desert, and there he fasted and gave himself over to contemplation. And on the fortieth day he grew sick and the light faded from his eyes, and when he awoke he found he was in a dark, cool cave with rough bread and water by his side. And he ate and drank, and when he had finished a child bearing a green branch came in and removed his cup and bowl. And he asked the child, What is this place? and the child said, Stir not, for you are very weak. And so he slept a day and a night.
When he awoke he found fruit and wine by his side. And he ate and drank, and when he had finished a great Head, whose brow was wrapped in ivy, entered and removed his cup and bowl. And he asked the Head, What is this place? and the Head said, Hush and be still, for you are not yet well. And so he slept a day and a night.
And when he awoke he found meat and strong beer by his side. And he ate and drank, and when he had finished a man made of copper entered and removed his cup and bowl. And he asked the man, What is this place? and the man said, Be silent but content, for tomorrow my mistress will visit and speak with you, for you are almost whole. And so he slept a day and a night.
And when he awoke he saw the child, and he said, Where is thy mistress, for I have been promised I should see her. And the child said, Here she is, and the child changed and was the Head. And the king's friend was amazed and said, Where is thy mistress, who can conjure such servants? And the Head said, Here she is, and the Head became the man of copper. And the king's friend was afraid and cried, I dare not see thy mistress, for she must be very terrible to have such servants. And the man of copper said, Here she is, and the man of copper became a small woman of meek and kindly mien, only three hands high, clad in green silk.
And the king's friend fell to his knees and begged her mercy. And she smiled on him, for he had won her favor. She said to him, Thou hast talked much in thy sleep, and of thy woes know I all, and am resolved to show thee how to amend them. Then she led him into another chamber, of silk hangings and carpets, and bade him sit upon soft pillows. Then she clapped her hands, and there entered a lovely maiden, of dark eyes and high cheeks and hair as thick and black as a horse's tail, and she carried with her plates of food and a brazier.
And the lady jinn (for such she was) gave him the maiden as his servant, and then she prepared him food with her own hand. She named and showed him the meat and the fruit, and showed him how to cut and mix them. And she named and showed him the spices and medicines, and how to mix them. And she showed him how to set it all into a brazier. And doing so she said—
Fair with fair should traffic only; all else with corruption doth soon overflow.
Mate spirit with matter, wed form and true aspect; birth justice, though cunning the midwife be.
And she changed the king's friend into the maiden his servant, and the servant into him.
And then the lady jinn said, By this art did the queen thy friend's mother alter and falsely imprison him. And by this art may thou do the same to her. Return in this form to the city of Yunan, and the king (who is not the king) will take thee into favor, for I have set an enchantment upon thee that will arouse his lust, and he will take thee into the palace. But do not slay thy enemy, or surely wilt thou have cause for regret.
Then the king's friend, arrayed in silks as a comely maiden, returned to Yunan and took up a place in the market. And the king, passing by, saw and was consumed with desire, and seized him whom he thought to be a comely maiden, and returned to the palace. And the king's friend, in his disguise, begged for the chance to show favor unto the king by preparing a luxurious dish, and the king granted this favor. And so was prepared in the presence of the false king the meat and the fruit and the spices, but the false king saw it not, being consumed by desire and blind to all else. Then by the words—
A royal nature hath the faithful servant; a slavish mien the king who hath it not.
Crumble, dissembler, and show they true aspect; let friendship in trust kingly office now hold.
the king's friend was changed in form to be like unto the king, even as the queen had been, and in this guise he summoned the palace soldiers. And the queen was changed into the servant girl, and gave a terrible cry when she saw how she'd been tricked, and glimpsed the fate that surely awaited her. For though he remembered the lady jinn's warning, the king's friend feared he would regret the life of the queen his friend's enemy still more than her death, and so he ordered that her head be struck off forthwith. And the soldiers, though the queen's disguised creatures, obeyed, for they knew not of the imposture.
And then the king's friend ordered that the old queen be brought to him, for he meant to restore to the king his form and position. But the soldiers returning brought the news that the old queen was dead, for they had found her with her head separated from her body, as the head had been separated from the body of the maiden. And this was a great mystery to them, for they had locked away the king in this changed state in a cell from which none could enter or exit.
And then the king's friend rose and rent his garments, for he understood the meaning of the lady jinn's warning.
Then he summoned the Wezir and the chief general and the chief eunuch and the chief slave and restored them unto themselves, and then he restored the soldiers and the queen's servants unto themselves. And the creatures of the old queen he caused to be flung from the top of a cliff and left unburied. Then he gave rulership of the kingdom to the Wezir and returned to the desert to the jinn, to reclaim his old form. But he found her not, and was forced to wander the rest of his years bearing the face of his friend the king, glimpsing it in pools where he went to drink. And so he blinded himself, and became a poor man, and a gatherer and mender of rags.
The Story of the Rich Man in Rags, Continued
—and that is the story of the rag-picker, said the merchant's chief servant. And in his art thou canst perceive how thou might have the carpenter's wife not only for one night but for all.—Speak plainly, said the merchant, for thy meaning is yet dark to me.—And the servant said—
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