Chapter 22Scene 2

The Palace in Bassora. Alzayni, Murad, Almuene, Ajebe. ALZAYNI I like your nephew well and will advance him. For what’s twixt you and Murad, let it sleep. You are both my trusty counsellors. ALMUENE A nothing, I grieve I pressed; forget it, noble Murad. MURAD That’s as you please. ALMUENE Come, you’re my nephew too. VOICE OUTSIDE Ho, Mohamad Alzayni, Sultan, ho! ALZAYNI Who is that Arab? ALMUENE (at the window) God! ’tis Nureddene. MURAD Impossible!

Act V, Scene 2 ALZAYNI Or he is courage-mad. ALMUENE ’Tis he. MURAD The devil and his unholy joy! ALZAYNI Drag him to me! No, bring him quietly, Ajebe. Exit Ajebe. I wonder in what strength he comes. ALMUENE The strength of madness. MURAD Or of Heaven, whose wrath Sometimes chastises us with our desires. Enter Ajebe with Nureddene. NUREDDENE Greeting, Alzayni, King in Bassora. Greeting, sweet uncle. Has your nose got straight? Ajebe and Murad, greeting. Here am I! ALZAYNI How dar’st thou come and with such rude demeanour? Knowst thou thy sentence? NUREDDENE Why, I bring a sentence too, A fishy writing. Here it is. Be careful of it; It is my die on which I throw for death Or more than life.

The Viziers of Bassora ALZAYNI A letter, and to me? NUREDDENE Great King, ’tis from thy friend the fisherman, He with the dirty gaberdine who lives In great Bagdad on stolen fish. ALZAYNI Thinkst thou That thou canst play thus rudely with the lion? NUREDDENE If I could see the mane, I’ld clutch at it. A lashing tail is not enough. The tiger Has that too and many trifling animals. But read the letter. ALZAYNI Read it, Almuene. ALMUENE ’Tis from the Caliph, it appears. Thus runs The alleged epistle: “Haroun Alrasheed, Commander of the Faithful, known by name To orient waters and the Atlantic seas, Whom three wide continents obey, to Mohamad The Abbasside, the son of Sulyman, Men call Alzayni, by our gracious will Allowed our subject king in Bassora, Greeting and peace. As soon as thou hast read Our letter, put from thee thy kingly robe, Thy jewelled turban and thy sceptred pomp And clothe with them the bearer Nureddene, Son of thy Vizier, monarch in thy stead In Bassora, then come to us in Bagdad To answer for thy many and great offences.

Act V, Scene 2 This as thou hop’st to live.” NUREDDENE It was the Caliph. ALZAYNI My mighty cousin’s will must be obeyed. Why turnst thou to the light? ALMUENE To scan it better. King, ’tis a forgery! Where is the seal, Where the imperial scripture? Is it thus On a torn paper mighty Caliphs write? Now on my life the fellow here has chanced Upon some playful scribbling of the Caliph’s, Put in his name and thine and, brazen-faced, Come here to bluster. AJEBE It was quite whole, I saw it. ALMUENE Boy, silence! AJEBE No, I will not. Thou hast torn it. ALMUENE Where are the pieces then? Search, if thou wilt. ALZAYNI Ho, there. Enter Guards. Take Ajebe to the prison hence. He shall have judgment afterwards. Exit Ajebe, guarded.

The Viziers of Bassora Thou, fellow, Com’st thou with brazen face and blustering tongue And forgeries in thy pocket? Hale him hence. After fierce tortures let him be impaled. MURAD Hear me, O King. ALZAYNI Thou art his sister’s husband. MURAD Yet for thy own sake hear me. Hast thou thought, If this be true, what fate will stride upon thee When Haroun learns thy deed? whom doubt not, King, Thy many enemies will soon acquaint. ALZAYNI Send couriers; find this out. ALMUENE Till when I’ll keep My nephew safe under my private eye. MURAD Thou art his enemy. ALMUENE And thou his friend. He will escape from thee once more. ALZAYNI Vizier, Thou keep him, use him well. ALMUENE Ho! take him, Guards. Enter Guards.

Act V, Scene 2 NUREDDENE I lose the toss; ’tis tails. Exit guarded. ALZAYNI All leave me. Vizier, Remain. Exit Murad. Now, Almuene? ALMUENE Kill him and be at rest. ALZAYNI If ’twere indeed the Caliph’s very hand? Vizier, I dare not suddenly. ALMUENE Dare not! Nay, then, put off thy crown at Haroun’s bidding, Who’ll make thee his doorkeeper in Bagdad. The Caliph? How long will this drunken freak Have lodging in his lordly mind? Or fearst thou The half-veiled threat of thy own trusty Turk, Sultan Alzayni? ALZAYNI Him I’ll silence. Keep The boy ten days; then, if all’s well, behead him. Exit. ALMUENE You boggle, boggle; that is not the way To keep a crown. Have him and hold’s the Vizier, Catch him and cut’s the General. Loose your grip? Let the hand shake? So monarchs are unkinged. Ten days are mine at least. I have ten days To torture him, though Caliphs turn his friend.

The Viziers of Bassora Will God befriend him next? My enemies He gives into my potent hand. Murad is gone, And I hold Doonya in my grip, Ameena too Who, I have news, lives secret with her niece. But where’s the girl? God keeps her for me, I doubt not, A last, sweet morsel. It will please Fareed. But there’s Haroun! Why should he live at all, When there are swords and poisons? Exit.