Then they all went away to their own tents， and when it was morning， Zoulmekan gave orders for departure. So they set out and journeyed for three days， till on the fourth day they drew near to Baghdad. When they entered the city， they found it decorated，and King Zoulmekan went up to his father"s palace and sat down on the throne， whilst the amirs of the army and the Vizier Dendan and the Chamberlain of Damascus stood before him. Then he bade his private secretary write a letter to his brother Sherkan，acquainting him with all that had passed and adding， "As soon as thou hast read this letter， make ready thine affair and join us with thine army， that we may make war upon the infidels and take vengeance on them for our father and wipe out the stain upon our honour." Then he folded the letter and sealed it and said to Dendan， "None shall carry this letter but thou； and I would have thee speak my brother fair and say to him， "If thou have a mind to thy father"s kingdom， it is thine， and thy brother shall be Viceroy for thee in Damascus； for to this effect am I instructed by him."" So the Vizier went out from before him and proceeded to make ready for his journey. Then Zoulmekan set apart a magnificent house for the stoker and furnished it with sumptuous furniture and lodged him therein. One day， he went out a-hunting and as he was returning to Baghdad， one of the amirs presented him with horses of fine breeds and damsels whose beauty beggars description. One of the damsels pleased him： so he went in to her and lay with her， and she conceived by him forthright. After awhile， the Vizier Dendan returned from Damascus， bringing him news of his brother Sherkan and that he was then on his way to him， and said to him， "Thou wouldst do well to go out to meet him." Zoulmekan replied， "I hear and obey；" and riding forth with his grandees a day"s journey from Baghdad， pitched his tents and halted to await the coming of his brother. Next morning， the army of Syria appeared， with King Sherkan in its midst， a bold cavalier， a fierce lion and a warrior against whom none might make head. As the squadrons drew nigh and the dust-clouds neared and the troops came up with banners flying， Zoulmekan and his attendants rode forward to meet Sherkan； and when the King saw his brother， he would have dismounted， but Sherkan conjured him not to do so and himself set foot to the ground and walked towards him. As soon as he reached Zoulmekan， the latter threw himself upon him， and they embraced and wept and condoled with one another. Then they mounted and rode onward， they and their troops， till they reached Baghdad， where they alighted and went up to the royal palace and passed the night there. Next morning，Zoulmekan went forth and bade proclaim a holy war and summon the troops from all parts. They abode a whole month， awaiting the coming of the levies， whilst the folk poured in from all parts of the kingdom， and every one who came they entreated with honour and munificence and promised him all manner of good. Then Sherkan said to Zoulmekan， "O my brother， tell me thy history." So he told him all that had befallen him， first and last， including the benevolent dealing of the stoker with him. "Hast thou requited him his kindness to thee？" asked Sherkan. "Not yet，" replied Zoulmekan， "but， God willing， I will surely do so， as soon as I return from this expedition and am at leisure to attend to him."
Therewith， Sherkan was certified that his sister Nuzhet ez Zeman had told him the truth； but he concealed what had passed between them and contented himself with sending his salutation to her by her husband the Chamberlain. She returned his greeting in the same fashion， calling down blessings on him and enquiring after her daughter Kuzia Fekan， to which he replied that the child was well and in all health and safety. Then he went to his brother to take counsel with him for departure； and Zoulmekan said， "O my brother， we will set out as soon as the army is complete and the Arabs have come in from all parts." So he bade make ready the wheat and other provisions and munitions of war and went in to his wife， who was now five months gone with child； and he put under her hand mathematicians and astrologers， to whom he appointed stipends and allowances. Then， three months after the arrival of the army of Syria， as soon as the troops were all assembled and the Arabs had come in， he set out， at the head of his troops， with his brother Sherkan on his right and his brother-in-law the Chamberlain on his left hand. The name of the general of the army of the Medes was Rustem and that of the general of the army of the Turks Behram. So the squadrons broke up and marched forward and the companies and battalions filed past in battle array， till the whole army was in motion. They ceased not to fare on for the space of a month； halting three days a week to rest， by reason of the greatness of the host， till they came to the country of the Greeks； and as they drew near，the people of the villages and hamlets took fright at them and fled to Constantinople.
To return to Dhat ed Dewahi. As soon as she reached her own country and felt herself in safety， she said to her son， King Herdoub， "Be consoled； for I have avenged thy daughter Abrizeh and killed King Omar ben Ennuman and brought back the Princess Sufiyeh. So now let us go to the King of Constantinople and carry him back his daughter and tell him what has happened， that he may be on his guard and prepare his forces and that we may do the like； for I know that the Muslims will not delay to attack us."
"Let us wait till they draw near our country，" replied Herdoub，"that we may make us ready meantime and assemble our power."
