SCENE VI

 

 

The public square of Bassora.

Alzayni on a dais; in front a scaffold on which stand Nureddene, an executioner, Murad and others. Almuene moves between the dais and scaffold. The square is crowded with people.

EXECUTIONER

Ho! listen, listen, Moslems. Nureddene,
Son of Alfazzal, son of Sawy, stands
Upon the rug of blood, the man who smote
Great Viziers and came armed with forgeries
To uncrown mighty Kings. Look on his doom,
You enemies of great Alzayni, look and shake.

(Low, to Nureddene)

My lord, forgive me who am thus compelled,
Oh much against my will, to ill-requite
Your father's kindly favours.

NUREDDENE

Give me water:

I thirst.

MURAD

Give water. Executioner,
When the King waves the signal, wait; strike not
Too hastily.

EXECUTIONER

Captain, I will await thy nod.
Here's water.

ALMUENE (coming up)

Rebellious sworder! Givest thou drink
To the King's enemies!

A VOICE IN THE CROWD

God waits for thee,

Page – 724

---

Thou wicked Vizier.
ALMUENE

Who was that?

MURAD

A voice.

Behead it.

ALMUENE

Mighty Sultan, give the word.

ALZAYNI

There is a movement in the crowd and cries.
Wait for one moment.

ALMUENE

It is Ibn Sawy.

Oh, this is sweet!

CRIES

Make way for the Vizier, the good Vizier. He's saved! he's saved.

Enter Alfazzal; he looks with emotion at
Nureddene, then turns to the King.

IBN SAWY

Greeting, my King; my work in Roum is over.

ALZAYNI

Virtuous Alfazzal! we will talk with thee
As ever was our dearest pleasure; first,
There is a spotted soul to be dislodged
From the fair body it disgraced; a trifle
Soon ended. There behold the criminal.

IBN SAWY

The criminal! Pardon me, mighty King;

Page – 725

---

The voice of nature will not be kept down.
Why wilt thou slay my son?

ALZAYNI

Nay, 'tis himself
Insisted obstinately on his doom;

Abused his King, battered and beat my Vizier,
Forged mighty Haroun's signature to wear
My crown in Bassora. These are the chief
Of his offences.

IBN SAWY

If this thing is true,
As doubtless near inquiry in Bagdad —

ALZAYNI

Nay, take not up thy duties all too soon.
Rest from thy travel, bury thy dear son
And afterwards resume thy faithful works,
My Vizier.

IBN SAWY

I would not see my dear child slain,
Permit me to depart and in my desolate house
Comfort the stricken mother and his kin.

ALZAYNI

Perhaps a stone of all thy house may stand.
The mother and thy niece? It hurts my heart.
They too are criminals and punished.

IBN SAWY

God!

ALZAYNI

Slaves, help my faithful Vizier; he will faint.

Page – 726

---

IBN SAWY

Let me alone; God made me strong to bear.
They are dead ?

ALZAYNI

Nay, a more lenient penalty.
What did I order ? To be led through -Bassora
Bare in their shifts with halters round their necks,
And, stripped before all eyes, whipped into swooning, /
Then sold as slaves but preferably for little
To some low Nazarene or Jew. Was that
The order, Almuene?

IBN SAWY

Merciful Allah!

And it is done?

ALZAYNI

I doubt not, it is done.

IBN SAWY

Their crime?

ALZAYNI

Conspiring murder. They have killed
The son of Almuene. Good Ibn Sawy,
God's kind to thee who has relieved thy age
Of human burdens. Thus He turns thy thought
To His ineffable and simple peace.

IBN SAWY

God, Thou art mighty and Thy will is just.
King Mahomed Alzayni, I have come
To a changed world in which I am not needed.
I bid farewell.

ALZAYNI

Nay, Vizier, clasp thy son,

Page – 727

---

And afterwards await within my hearing
Release.

IBN SAWY

My Nureddene, my child!

NUREDDENE

Justice
Of God, thou spar'st me nothing. Father! Father!

IBN SAWY

Bow to the will of God, my son; if thou
Must perish on a false and hateful charge,
A crime in thee impossible, believe
It is His justice still.

NUREDDENE

I well believe it.

IBN SAWY

I doubt not I will join you, son. We'll hold
Each other's hands upon the narrow way.

ALZAYNI

Hast done, Alfazzal ?

IBN SAWY

Do thy will, O King.

ALZAYNI (waving his hand)

Strike.

Trumpets outside.

What are these proud notes ? this cloud of dust
That rushes towards us from the north? The earth
Trembles with horse-hooves.

ALMUENE

Let this wretch be slain

Page – 728

---

We shall have leisure then for greater things.

ALZAYNI

Pause, pause! A horseman gallops through the crowd
Which scatters like wild dust. Look, he dismounts.

Enter a soldier.

SOLDIER

Hail to thee, Mohamad Alzayni! Greeting
From mightier than thyself.

ALZAYNI

What art thou, Arab ?

SOLDIER

Jaafar bin Barmak, Vizier world-renowned
Of Haroun, master of the globe, comes hither.
He's in your streets, Alzayni. Thus he bids thee;

If Nureddene, thy Vizier's son, yet lives,
Preserve him. Sultan, as thy own dear life;

For if he dies, thou shalt not live.

ALZAYNI

My guards!

My soldiers! here to me!

SOLDIER

Beware, Alzayni.
The force he brings could dislocate each stone
In Bassora within the hour and leave
Thy house a ruin. In his mighty wake
A mightier comes, the Caliph's self.

ALZAYNI

'Tis well.
I have but erred. My Murad, here to me!
Murad, thou shalt have gold, a house, estate,

Page – 729

---

Noble and wealthy women for thy wives.
Murad!

MURAD

Erred, King, indeed who took a soldier
For an assassin. King, my household gem
I have saved and want no others. Were she gone,
Thou wouldst not now be living.

ALZAYNI

Am I betrayed ?

MURAD

Call it so. King.

ALZAYNI

My throne is tumbling down.
The crowd quite parts, the horsemen drive towards us.

ALMUENE

Sultan Alzayni, kill thy enemies,

Then die. Wilt thou be footed to Bagdad,

Stumbling in fetters ?

ALZAYNI

They are here.

Enter Jaafar and soldiers.

JAAFAR

This sigh't
Is thy own sentence. Mahomed Alzayni,
Allah deprived thee of reason to destroy thee,
When thou didst madly disobey thy lord.

ALMUENE

'Twas a mistake, great Vizier. We had thought
The script a forgery.

Page – 730

---

JAAFAR

Issue of Khakan,
I have seen many Viziers like thyself,
But none that died in peace. Hail, Nureddene!
I greet thee. Sultan, lord in Bassora.

NUREDDENE  

It is the second toss that tells, the first
Was a pure foul. I thank Thee, who hast only
Shown me the edge of thy chastising sword,
Then pardoned. Father, embrace me.

IBN SAWY

Ah, child,

Thy mother and thy sister!

MURAD

They are safe

And in my care.

IBN SAWY

Nay, God is kind; this world
Most leniently ruled.

JAAFAR

Sultan Alzayni, Vizier Almuene,

By delegated power I seize upon you,

The prisoners of the Caliph. Take them, guards.

I've brought a slave-girl for you, Nureddene,

The Caliph's gift.

NUREDDENE

I'll take her, if I like her.
Life is my own again and all I love.
Great are Thy mercies, O Omnipotent!

Page – 731