Such was the case with the host，but as regards the two Kings and the Minister，they tarried in their place till the end of that day.Now the Infidels who were with Zat al-Dawahi took their departure privily，after they had gone in to her and kissed her hands and feet and obtained her leave to march.So she not only gave them permission but also taught them all she minded of wile and guile.And when it was dark night，she arose and went in to Zau al-Makan and his companions and said to them，'Come，let us set out for the mountain，and take with you a few men at arms.'
They obeyed her and left five horsemen at the foot of the mountain，whilst the rest rode on before Zat al-Dawahi，who gained new strength for excess of joy，so that Zau al-Makan said，'Glory be to Him who sustaineth this holy man，whose like we never saw！'Now the witch had written a letter to the King of Constantinople and despatched it on the wings of a bird，[430]
acquainting him with what had passed and ending，'I wish thee to send me ten thousand horsemen of the bravest of the Greeks and let them steal along the foot of the mountains with caution，lest the host of Al-Islam get sight of them；and，when they reach the hermitage，let them ambush themselves there，till I come to them with the Moslem King and his brother，for I shall inveigle them and will bring them thither，together with the Wazir and an hundred horse and no more，that I may presently deliver to them the crosses which be in the hermitage.I am resolved to slay the Monk Matruhina，since my scheme cannot be carried out but by taking his life.If my plot work well，not one of the Moslems shall return to his own country；no，not a living wight nor one who blows the fire alight；and Matruhina shall be a sacrifice for the followers of the Nazarene faith and the servants of the Cross，and praise be to the Messiah，first and last.'When this letter reached Constantinople，the keeper of the carrier pigeons carried it to King Afridun，who read it and forthwith inspected his host and equipped ten thousand cavaliers with horses and dromedaries and mules and provaunt and bade them repair to that hermitage and，after reaching the tower，to hide therein.Thus far concerning them；but as regards King Zau al-Makan and his brother Sharrkan and the Wazir Dandan and the escort，when they reached the hermitage they entered and met the Monk Matruhina，who came out to see who and what they were；whereupon quoth that pious man Zat al-Dawahi，'Slay this damned fellow.'[431] So they smote him with their swords and made him drink the cup of death.Then the accursed old woman carried them to the place of offerings and ex votos，and brought out to them treasures and precious things more than she had described to them；and after gathering the whole together，they set the booty in chests and loaded the mules therewith.As for Tamasil，she came not，she or her father，for fear of the Moslems；so Zau al-Makan tarried there，awaiting her all that day and the next and a third，till Sharrkan said to him，'By Allah，I am troubled anent the army of Al-Islam，for I know not what is become of them.'His brother replied，'And I also am concerned for them： we have come by this great treasure and I do not believe that Tamasil or any one else will approach the hermitage，after that befel which hath befallen the host of the Christians.It behoveth us，then，to content ourselves with what Allah hath given us and depart；so haply He will help us conquer Constantinople.'Accordingly they came down from the mountain，while Zat al-Dawahi was impotent to oppose their march for fear of betraying her deceit；and they fared forwards till they reached the head of a defile，where the old woman had laid an ambush for them with the ten thousand horse.
As soon as these saw the Moslems they encircled them from all sides，couching lance and baring the white sabre blade；and the Infidels shouted the watch word of their faithless Faith and set the shafts of their mischief astring.When Zau al-Makan and his brother Sharrkan and the Minister Dandan looked upon this host，they saw that it was a numerous army and said，'Who can have given these troops information of us？'Replied Sharrkan，'O my brother，this be no time for talk；this is the time for smiting with swords and shooting with shafts） so gird up your courage and hearten your hearts，for this strait is like a street with two gates；though，by the virtue of the Lord of Arabs and Ajams，were not the place so narrow I would bring them to naught，even though they were an hundred thousand men！
