Now the cause of this weakness among the Muslims was that the
accursed old woman Dhat ed Dewahi, when she saw that Behram
and Rustem had set forward with their troops to join Sherkan
and Zoulmekan, repaired to the camp or the Muslims before
Constantinople and wrought upon the Chamberlain to despatch the
Amir Terkash, as hath been before set out, to the further succour
of the princes, purposing in this to divide the Muslim forces and
weaken them. Then she left them and going to the walls of
Constantinople, called with a loud voice on the knights of the
Greeks, saying, "Throw me down a cord that I may tie thereto this
letter, which do ye carry to King Afridoun and my son King
Herdoub, that they may read it and do as is written therein." So
they let down a string and she tied thereto a letter, to the
following purport, "From the chiefest of calamities and the
greatest of afflictions, Dhat ed Dewahi, to King Afridoun. Know
that I have contrived a device for the destruction of the
Muslims, so rest you quiet. I made their Sultan and the Vizier
Dendan prisoners and returned to their camp and acquainted them
therewith, whereupon their power was broken and their strength
weakened. Moreover, I have wrought on them to send ten thousand
men under the Amir Terkash to the succour of the captives, and
there be now but few men left with the besiegers. Wherefore, it
is my counsel that ye sally forth, with all your power, whilst it
is yet day, and fall on them in their tents and slay them to the
last man for the Messiah looks down upon you and the Virgin
favours you; and I hope that the Messiah will not forget this
that I have done.
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