I found strength return to me, when I
heard you cry, 'God is most great!' for then I knew you had
gotten the better of your enemies. But now tell me, O my brother,
what befell thee." So he told him all that had passed, how he had
slain the accursed Herdoub and he had gone to the malediction of
God; and Sherkan praised his prowess. When Dhat ed Dewahi heard
tell of her son's death, the blood fled from her face and her
eyes ran over with streaming tears; however, she kept her counsel
and feigned to the Muslims that she was glad and wept for excess
of joy: but she said in herself, "By the virtue of the Messiah,
there remains no profit of my life, if I make not his heart bleed
for his brother Sherkan, even as he has made mine bleed for King
Herdoub, the mainstay of the Christian faith and the hosts of the
Cross!"
The Vizier Dendan and Zoulmekan and the Chamberlain abode with
Sherkan, till they had dressed his wound and anointed it; after
which they gave him medicines and he began to recover his
strength; whereat they were exceeding glad and told the troops,
who rejoiced greatly, saying, "To-morrow he will ride with us and
take part in the siege." Then said Sherkan to them, "You have
fought all day and are weary, and it behoves that you return to
your tents and sleep and not watch." So they went away all to
their tents and there remained none with Sherkan but Dhat ed
Dewahi and a few servants.
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