" When the Chamberlain heard this,
he wept sore and exclaimed, "Alas, our disappointment in this our
journey!" Then he and his suite rode on, weeping, till they
reached the main body of the army and sought access to the
Vizier Dendan, who called a halt and causing his pavilion to be
pitched, sat down on a couch therein and commanded to admit the
Chamberlain. Then he bade him be seated and questioned him; and
he replied that he was the Viceroy's Chamberlain of Damascus and
was bound to King Omar with presents and the tribute of Syria.
The Vizier wept at the mention of King Omar's name and said,
"King Omar is dead by poison, and the folk fell out amongst
themselves as to whom they should make king after him, so that
they were like to come to blows on this account; but the notables
and grandees interposed and restored peace, and the people agreed
to refer the matter to the decision of the four Cadis, who
adjudged that we should go to Damascus and fetch thence the late
king's son Sherkan and make him king over his father's realm.
Some of them would have chosen his second son Zoulmekan, were it
not that he and his sister Nuzhet ez Zeman set out five years ago
for Mecca, and none knows what is become of them." When the
Chamberlain heard this, he knew that his wife had told him the
truth and grieved sore for the death of King Omar, what while he
was greatly rejoiced, especially at the arrival of Zoulmekan, for
that he would now become King of Baghdad in his father's room.
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