The handsome Arab beside Ryder inhaled his pipe luxuriously.  “By the grace of Allah!” he said reverently.

“Then I gave not over opening place after place until nine and thirty days were passed and in that time I had entered every chamber except that one whose door I was charged not to open.  But my thoughts ever ran upon that forbidden fortieth and Satan urged me to open it for my own undoing....”

“I see his finish,” said Ryder interestedly to himself—­and he thought of the analogy.

“So I stood before the chamber, and after a few moments’ hesitation, opened the door which was plated with red gold and entered.  I was met by a perfume whose like I had never before smelt; and so sharp and subtle was the odor that it made my senses drunken as with strong wine, and I fell to the ground in a fainting fit which lasted a full hour.  When I came to myself I strengthened my heart, and entering found myself in a chamber bespread with saffron and blazing with light....  Presently, I spied a noble steed, black as the murks of night when murkiest, standing ready saddled and bridled (and his saddle was of red gold) before two mangers one of clear crystal wherein was husked sesame, and the other, also of crystal containing water of the rose scented with musk.  When I saw this I marveled and said to myself, ’Doubtless in this animal must be some wondrous mystery, and Satan—­’”

“Satan the Stoned!” murmured Ryder’s neighbor religiously.

“Satan cozened me, so I led him without and mounted him ... and struck him withal.  When he felt the blow he neighed a neigh with a sound like deafening thunder and opening a pair of wings flew up with me in the firmament of heaven far beyond the eyesight of man.  After a full hour of flight he descended and shaking me off his back lashed me on the face with his tail, and gouged out my left eye, causing it to roll along my cheek.  Then he flew away.”

On rolled the voice, narrating the prince’s descent to the table of the other one-eyed youths, but Ryder was unheeding.  And at the close he inclined his head with the other listeners, murmuring “May Allah increase thy prosperity,” as he felt in his pockets for the silver which the others were drawing from turban and sleeves and sash to lay in the patriarch’s lap, and then raised his head to question diffidently, “Would you interpret, O Khazib, the meaning of that door?  For I hear that it hath now become a saying of a forbidden thing.”

The sage hesitated, sucking at his pipe.  Then he said slowly, “To every man, O Youth, is there a forbidden door, beyond which waits the steed of high adventure ... with wings beyond man’s riding.  And so the rider is lost and his vision is gone.”

“But for him who could ride?” Ryder suggested.

“Inshallah!  Who can say till he has tried his destiny—­and better are the nine and thirty chambers of safe pleasance than the lonely sightlessness of the outcast one....  It is a tale which if it were written upon the eye-corners with needle-gravers, were a warning to those who would be warned.”