Then said he to the treasurer, 'I conjure thee by the One God the
Omnipotent King and Protector, kill me before my brother Asaad
and allay the fire of my heart!' But Asaad wept and exclaimed,
'Not so: I will die first;' whereupon said Amjed, 'It were best
that we embrace each other, so the sword may fall upon us and
kill us both at one stroke.' So they embraced, face to face, and
clipped each other straitly, whilst the treasurer bound them fast
with cords, weeping the while. Then he drew his sword and said
to them, 'By Allah, O my lords, it is indeed hard to me to kill
you! But have ye no last wishes or injunctions that I may fulfil
or message that I may carry?' 'We have no wish,' replied Amjed,
'and my only injunction to thee is that thou set my brother
undermost, that the blow may fall on me first; and when thou hast
slain us and returnest to the King and he asks thee, "What said
they before their death?" do thou answer, "Thy sons salute thee
and say to thee, 'Thou knewest not if we were innocent or guilty,
yet hast thou put us to death and hast not certified thyself of
our guilt nor looked into our case.'" Then do thou repeat to him
these verses:
Women are very devils, made to work us dole and death; Refuge I
seek with God Most High from all their craft and scaith.
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