The Shaving of Shagpat · The Sons of Aklis (2/2)

Now, when they were gone, Shibli Bagarag looked in the eyes of the seven youths, and saw they were content with him, and his countenance was brightened with approval. So he descended from his seat, and went with them from the hall of ebony to a court where horses were waiting saddled, and slaves with hawks on their wrists stood in readiness; and they mounted each a horse, but he loitered. The seven youths divined his feeling, and cried impatiently, “Come! no lingering in Aklis!” So he mounted likewise, and they emerged from the palace, and entered the hills that glowed under the copper sun, and started a milk-white antelope with ruby spots, and chased it from its cover over the sand-hills, a hawk being let loose to worry it and distress its timid beaming eyes. When the creature was quite overcome, one of the youths struck his heel into his horse’s side and flung a noose over the head of the quarry, and drew it with them, gently petting it the way home to the palace. At the gates of the palace it was released, and lo! it went up the steps, and passed through the halls as one familiar with them. Now, when they were all assembled in the anteroom of the hall, where Shibli Bagarag had first seen the seven youths, sons of Aklis, in their jollity, one of them said to the Antelope, “We have need of thee to speak a word with Aklis, O our sister!”

So the same youth requested the use of the phial of Paravid, and Shibli Bagarag applied it carefully, tenderly, to the mouth of the Antelope. Then the Antelope spake in a silver-ringing voice, saying, “What is it, O my brothers?”

They answered, “Thou knowest we dare not attempt interchange of speech with Aklis, seeing that we disobeyed him in visiting the kingdoms of the Earth: so it is for thee to question him as to the object of this youth, and it is the Shaving of Shagpat.”

So she said, “ ’Tis well; I wot of it.”

Then she advanced to the curtain concealing the abyss of the Roc and the bridge of its eggs, and went behind it. There was a pause, and they heard her say presently in a grave voice, toned with reverence, “How is it, O our father? is it a good thing that thy Sword be in use at this season?”

And they heard the Voice answer from a depth, “ ’Twere well it rust not!”

They heard her say, “O our father Aklis, and we wish to know if be held in favour by thee, and thou sanction it with thy Sword.”

And they heard the Voice answer, “The Shaving of Shagpat is my Sword alone equal to, and he that shaveth him performeth a service to mankind ranking next my vanquishing of the Roc.”

Then they heard her say, “And it is thy will we teach him the mysteries of the Sword, and that which may be done with it?”

And they heard the Voice answer, “Even so!”

After that the Voice was still, and soon the Antelope returned from behind the curtain, and the youths caressed her with brotherly caresses, and took a circle of hands about her, and so moved to the great hall of the gorgeous Tree, and fed her from the branches. Now, while they were there, Shibli Bagarag advanced to the Antelope, and knelt at her feet, and said, “O Princess of Aklis, surely I am betrothed to one constant as a fixed star, and brighter; a mistress of magic, and innocent as the bleating lamb; and she is now on a pillar, chained there, in the midst of the white wrathful sea, wailing for me to deliver her with this Sword of my seeking. So, now, I pray thee help me to the Sword swiftly, that I may deliver her.”

The youths, her brothers, clamoured and interposed, saying, “Take thy shape ere that, O Gulrevaz, our sister!”

But she cried, “He is betrothed! not till he graspeth the Sword. Tell him, the youth, our conditions, and for what exchange the Sword is yielded.”

And they said, “The conditions are, thou part with thy spells, all of them, O youth!”

And he said, “There is no condition harsh that exchangeth the Sword; O ye Seven, I agree!”

Then she said, “ ’Tis well! nobility is in the soul of this youth. Go before us now to the Cave of Chrysolites, O my brothers.”

So these departed before, and she in her antelope form followed footing gracefully, and made Shibli Bagarag repeat the story of his betrothal as they went.