Quoth Merjaneh， "It is for thee to command； I will obey." And Abrizeh said， "I would fain leave this place privily， so that none shall know of me but thou， and return to my father and mother； for when flesh stinketh， there is nought for it but its own folk， and God shall do with me as He will." "It is well， O princess，" replied Merjaneh. So she made ready in secret and waited awhile， till the King went out to hunt and Sherkan betook himself to certain of the fortresses to sojourn there awhile.
Then she said to Merjaneh， "I wish to set out to-night， but how shall I do？ For already I feel the pangs of labour， and if I abide other four or five days， I shall be brought to bed here，and how then can I go to my country？ But this is what was written on my forehead." Then she considered awhile and said， "Look us out a man who will go with us and serve us by the way， for I have no strength to bear arms." "By Allah， O my lady，" replied Merjaneh， "I know none but a black slave called Ghezban， who is one of the slaves of King Omar ben Ennuman； he is a stout fellow and keeps guard at the gate of our palace. The King appointed him to attend us， and indeed we have overwhelmed him with favours. I will go out and speak with him of the matter and promise him money and tell him that， if he have a mind to tarry with us， we will marry him to whom he will. He told me before to-day that he had been a highwayman； so if he consent， we shall have our desire and come to our own country." "Call him， that I may talk with him，" said the princess. So Merjaneh went out and said to the slave， "O Ghezban， God prosper thee， do thou fall in with what my lady says to thee." Then she took him by the hand and brought him to Abrizeh. He kissed the princess"s hands and when she saw him，her heart took fright at him， but she said to herself， "Necessity is imperious，" and to him， "O Ghezban， wilt thou help us against the perfidies of fortune and keep my secret， if I discover it to thee？" When the slave saw her， his heart was taken by storm and he fell in love with her forthright， and could not choose but answer， "O my mistress， whatsoever thou biddest me do， I will not depart from it." Quoth she， "I would have thee take me and this my maid and saddle us two camels and two of the king"s horses and set on each horse a saddle-bag of stuff and somewhat of victual，and go with us to our own country； where， if thou desire to abide with us， I will marry thee to her thou shalt choose of my damsels； or if thou prefer to return to thine own country， we will send thee thither， with as much money as will content thee."
When Ghezban heard this， he rejoiced greatly and replied， "O my lady， I will serve thee faithfully and will go at once and saddle the horses." Then he went away， rejoicing and saying in himself，"I shall get my will of them； and if they will not yield to me， I will kill them and take their riches." But this his intent he kept to himself and presently returned， mounted on one horse and leading other two and two camels. He brought the horses to the princess， who mounted one and made Merjaneh mount the other，albeit she was suffering from the pains of labour and could scarce possess herself for anguish. Then they set out and journeyed night and day through the passes of the mountains， till there remained but a day"s journey between them and their own country， when the pangs of travail came upon Abrizeh and she could no longer sit her horse. So she said to Ghezban， "Set me down， for the pains of labour are upon me，" and cried to Merjaneh， saying， "Do thou alight and sit down by me and deliver me." They both drew rein and dismounting from their horses，helped the princess to alight， and she aswoon for stress of pain.
When Ghezban saw her on the ground， Satan entered into him and he drew his sabre and brandishing it in her face， said， "O my lady，vouchsafe me thy favours." With this， she turned to him and said，"It were a fine thing that I should yield to black slaves， after having I refused kings and princes！" And she was wroth with him and said， "What words are these？ Out on thee！ Do not talk thus in my presence and know that I will never consent to what thou sayst， though I drink the cup of death. Wait till I have cast my burden and am delivered of the after-birth， and after， if thou be able thereto， do with me as thou wilt； but， an thou leave not lewd talk at this time， I will slay myself and leave the world and be at peace from all this." And she recited the following verses：
O Ghezban， unhand me and let me go freer Sure， fortune is heavy enough upon me.
My Lord hath forbidden me whoredom. "The fire Shall be the transgressor"s last dwelling，" quoth He：
So look not on me with the eye of desire， For surely to lewdness I may not agree；
And if thou respect not mine honour and God Nor put away filthy behaviour from thee，I will call with my might on the men of my tribe And draw them ail hither from upland and lea.
Were I hewn， limb from limb， with the Yemani sword， Yet never a lecher my visage should see Of the freeborn and mighty； so how then should I Let a whoreson black slave have possession of me？
When Ghezban heard this， he was exceeding angry； his eyes grew bloodshot and his face became of the colour of dust； his nostrils swelled， his lips protruded and the terrors of his aspect redoubled. And he repeated the following verses：
Abrizeh， have mercy nor leave me to sigh， Who am slain by the glance of thy Yemani eye！[FN#19]
My body is wasted， my patience at end， And my heart for thy cruelty racked like to die.
Thy glances with sorcery ravish all hearts； My reason is distant and passion is nigh.
Though thou drewst to thy succour the world full of troops， I"d not stir till my purpose accomplished had I.
