Prince Ahmad and despitefully prevent his going to city or court, and she had gained such influence over the Sultan that he had given up his will to hers and ceased not doing whatso she bade him.  Next day at dawn Shabbar the Jinn and Prince Ahmad set out together upon a visit to the Sultan; and when they had reached the city gates, all the folk, nobles and commons, were struck with consternation at the dwarf’s hideous form; and, flying on every side in affright and running into shops and houses, barred the doors and closed the casements and hid themselves therein.  So panic-stricken indeed was their flight that many feet lost shoes and sandals in running, while from the heads of others their loosened turbands fell to earth.  And when they twain approached the palace through streets and squares and market-places desolate as the Desert of Samawah,[FN#346] all the keepers of the gates took to their heels at sight of Shabbar and fled, so there was none to hinder their entering.  They walked straight on to the audience-chamber where the Sultan was holding Darbar, and they found in attendance on him a host of Ministers and Councillors, great and small, each standing in his proper rank and station.  They too on seeing Shabbar speedily took flight in dire dismay and hid themselves; also the guards had deserted their posts nor cared in any way to let or stay the twain.  The Sovran still sat motionless on his throne, where Shabbar went up to him with lordly mien and royal dignity and cried, “O King, thou hast expressed a wish to see me; and lo, I am here.  Say now what wouldst thou have me do?”—­And as the morn began to dawn Shahrazad held her peace till

       The end of the Six Hundred and Sixty-sixth Night.

Then said she:—­I have heard, O auspicious King, that the King made no reply to Shabbar, but held up his hands before his eyes that he might not behold that frightful figure, and turning his head would fain have fled in terror.  Shabbar was filled with fury at this rudeness on the part of the Sultan, and was wroth with exceeding wrath to think that he had troubled himself to come at the bidding of such a craven, who now on seeing him would fain run away.  So the Jinn, without an instant’s delay, raised his quarter staff of steel, and, swinging it twice in air, before Prince Ahmad could reach the throne or on any wise interfere, struck the Sultan so fiercely upon the poll that his skull was smashed and his brains were scattered over the floor.  And when Shabbar had made an end of this offender, he savagely turned upon the Grand Wazir who stood on the Sultan’s right and incontinently would have slain him also, but the Prince craved pardon for his life and said, “Kill him not:  he is my friend and hath at no time said one evil word against me.  But such is not the case with the others, his fellows.”  Hearing these words the infuriated Shabbar fell upon the Ministers and ill-counsellors on either side, to wit, all who had devised evil devices against Prince