The Sultan gave him the
Khalif's letter, and he read it, then tore it in pieces and
putting it in his mouth, chewed it and threw it away. 'Out on
thee!' exclaimed the Sultan (and indeed he was angry); 'what made
thee do that?' 'By thy life, O our lord the Sultan,' replied
Muin, 'this fellow hath never seen the Khalif nor his Vizier:
but he is a gallows-bird, a crafty imp who, happening upon a
blank[FN#115] sheet in the Khalif's handwriting, hath written his
own desire in it. The Khalif would surely not have sent him to
take the Sultanate from thee, without a royal mandate and a
patent appended thereto, nor would he have omitted to send with
him a chamberlain or a vizier. But he is alone and hath never
come from the Khalif, never! never!' 'What is to be done?' said
the Sultan. 'Leave him to me,' replied the Vizier: 'I will send
him in charge of a chamberlain to the city of Baghdad. If what he
says be true, they will bring us back royal letters-patent and a
diploma of investiture; and if not, I will pay him what I owe
him.' When the Sultan heard the Vizier's words, he said, 'Take
him.' So Muin carried Noureddin to his own house and cried out to
his servants, who threw him down and beat him, till he swooned
away. Then he caused heavy shackles to be put on his feet and
carried him to the prison, where he called the gaoler, whose name
was Cuteyt, and said to him, 'O Cuteyt, take this fellow and
throw him into one of the underground cells in the prison and
torture him night and day.
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