So she told him all that had befallen them， first and last， and added， "Know， O Chamberlain， that thou hast gotten no slave-girl to wife： but the daughter of King Omar ben Ennuman： for I am Nuzhet ez Zeman， and this is my brother Zoulmekan." When the Chamberlain heard her story， he knew it for the manifest truth and was certified that he was become King Omar ben Ennuman"s son-in-law and said to himself， "I shall surely be made governor of some province." Then he went up to Zoulmekan and gave him joy of his safety and re-union with his sister， and bade his servants forthwith make him ready a tent and one of the best of his own horses to ride. Then said Nuzhet ez Zeman， "We are now near my country and I would fain be alone with my brother， that we may enjoy one another"s company and take our fill of each other，before we reach Baghdad； for we have been long parted." "Be it as thou wilt，" replied the Chamberlain and going forth， sent them wax candles and various kinds of sweetmeats， together with three costly suits of clothes for Zoulmekan. Then he returned to the litter， and Nuzhet ez Zeman said to him， "Bid the eunuch find the stoker and give him a horse to ride and provide him a tray of food morning and evening， and let him be forbidden to leave us."
The Chamberlain called the eunuch and charged him accordingly； so he took his pages with him and went out in search of the stoker，whom he found at the tail of the caravan， saddling his ass and preparing for flight. The tears were running down his cheeks， out of fear for himself and grief for his separation from Zoulmekan，and he was saying to himself， "Indeed， I warned him for the love of God， but he would not listen to me. O that I knew what is become of him！" Before he had done speaking， the eunuch came up and stood behind him， whilst the pages surrounded him. The stoker turned and seeing the eunuch and the pages round him， changed colour and trembled in every nerve for affright， exclaiming，"Verily， he knows not the value of the good offices I have done him！ I believe he has denounced me to the eunuch and made me an accomplice in his offence." Then the eunuch cried out at him，saying， "Who was it recited the verses？ Liar that thou art， why didst thou tell me that thou knewest not who it was， when it was thy companion？ But now I will not leave thee till we come to Baghdad， and what betides thy comrade shall betide thee." Quoth the stoker， "Verily， what I feared has fallen on me." And he repeated the following verse：
"Tis e"en as I feared it would be： We are God"s and to Him return we.
Then said the eunuch to the pages， "Take him off the ass." So they took him off the ass and setting him on a horse， carried him along with the caravan， surrounded by the pages， to whom said the eunuch， "If a hair of him be missing， it shall be the worse for you."
But he bade them privily treat him with consideration and not humiliate him. When the stoker saw himself in this case， he gave himself up for lost and turning to the eunuch， said to him， "O chief，I am neither this youth"s brother nor anywise akin to him； but I was a stoker in a bath and found him lying asleep on the fuel-heap."
Then the caravan fared on and the stoker wept and imagined a thousand things in himself， whilst the eunuch walked by his side and told him nothing， but said to him， "You disturbed our mistress by reciting verses， thou and the lad： but have no fear for thyself."
This he said， laughing at him the while in himself. When the caravan halted， they brought them food， and he and the eunuch ate from one dish. Then the eunuch let bring a gugglet of sherbet of sugar and after drinking himself， gave it to the stoker， who drank；
but all the while his tears ceased not flowing， out of fear for himself and grief for his separation from Zoulmekan and for what had befallen them in their strangerhood. So they travelled on with the caravan， whilst the Chamberlain now rode by the door of his wife"s litter， in attendance on Zoulmekan and the princess， and now gave an eye to the stoker， and Nuzhet ez Zeman and her brother occupied themselves with converse and mutual condolence； and so they did till they came within three days" journey of Baghdad. Here they alighted at eventide and rested till the morning， when they woke and were about to load the beasts， when behold， there appeared afar off a great cloud of dust， that obscured the air， till it became as dark as night. Thereupon the Chamberlain cried out to them to stay their preparations for departure， and mounting with his officers rode forward in the direction of the dust-cloud.
When they drew near it， they perceived under it a numerous army，like the full flowing sea， with drums and flags and standards and horsemen and footmen. The Chamberlain marvelled at this： and when the troops saw him， there came forth from amongst them a troop of five hundred horse， who fell upon him and his suite and surrounded them， five for one； whereupon said he to them， "What is the matter and what are these troops， that ye use us thus？"
"Who art thou？" asked they. "Whence comest thou and whither art thou bound？" And he answered， "I am the Chamberlain of the Viceroy of Damascus， King Sherkan， son of King Omar ben Ennuman，lord of Baghdad and of the land of Khorassan， and I bring tribute and presents from him to his father in Baghdad." When the horsemen heard speak of King Omar， they let their kerchiefs fall over their faces and wept， saying， "Alas！ King Omar is dead， and he died poisoned. But fare ye on， no harm shall befall you， and join his Grand Vizier Dendan." When the Chamberlain heard this，he wept sore and exclaimed， "Alas， our disappointment in this our journey！" Then he and his suite rode on， weeping， till they reached the main body of the army and sought access to the Vizier Dendan， who called a halt and causing his pavilion to be pitched， sat down on a couch therein and commanded to admit the Chamberlain. Then he bade him be seated and questioned him； and he replied that he was the Viceroy"s Chamberlain of Damascus and was bound to King Omar with presents and the tribute of Syria.
