Wazir purposed thy ruin, where was thy judgment and whither went thy sight?” Then he asked Arwa, “What wilt thou that I do with them?” and she answered, “Accomplish on them the ordinance of Almighty Allah:[FN#200] let the slayer be slain and the transgressor transgressed against, even as he transgressed against us; yea, and to the well-doer weal shall be done even as he did unto us.”  So she gave her officers order concerning Dadbin and they smote him on the head with a mace and slew him, and she said, “This is for the slaughter of my sire.”  Then she bade set the Wazir on a beast and bear him to the desert whither he had caused her to be borne, and leave him there without provaunt or water; and she said to him, “An thou be guilty, thou shalt suffer the punishment of thy guilt and die in the desert of hunger and thirst; but an there be no guilt in thee, thou shalt be delivered, even as I was delivered.”  As for the Eunuch-chamberlain, who had counselled King Dadbin not to slay her, but to cause carry her to the desert, she bestowed on him a costly robe of honour and said to him, “The like of thee it befitteth kings to hold in favour and promote to high place, for that thou spakest loyally and well, and a man is requited according to his deed.”  And Kisra the King made him Wali in a certain province of his empire.  “Know, therefore, O king” (continued the youth), “that whoso doeth good is requited with good, and he who is guiltless of sin and offence feareth not the issue of his affair.  And I, O my liege lord, am free from guilt, wherefore I hope in Allah that He will show forth the truth to mine auspicious king, and vouchsafe me the victory over enemies and enviers.”  When the king heard this, his wrath subsided and he said, “Return him to the prison till the morrow, so we may look into his case.”

The Sixth Day.

Of Trust in Allah.

When it was the sixth day, the wrath of the Wazirs redoubled, because they had not won their will of the youth and they feared for their lives from the liege lord; so three of them went in to him and prostrating themselves between his hands, said to him, “O king, indeed we are loyal counsellors to thy dignity and fondly solicitous for thy weal.  Verily, thou persistest long in leaving this youth alive and we know not what is thine advantage therein.  Every day findeth him yet on life and the talk of folk redoubleth suspicion on thee; so do thou do him dead, that the talk may be made an end of.”  When the king heard this speech, he said, “By Allah, verily ye say sooth and speak rightly!” Then he bade them bring the young treasurer and when he came into the presence said to him, “How Iong shall I look into thy case, and find no helper for thee and see them athirst for thy blood?” The youth answered, “O king, I hope for succour only from Allah, not from created beings:  an He aid me, none shall have power to harm me, and if He be with me and on my side, because of the truth, from whom shall I fear, because of untruth?  Indeed, I have made my intent with Allah a pure intent and a sincere, and I have severed my expectation from the help of the creature; and whoso seeketh aid of Allah findeth of his desire that which Bakhtzaman found.”  Quoth the king, “Who was Bakhtzaman and what is his story?” and quoth the youth, “Hear, O king,