in, they found the three at the foulest play.  The Wali arrested them one and all and carried them with elbows pinioned to his office.  Here he made the youth over to the Linkman who struck his neck, and as for the two women he bade the executioner delay till nightfall and then take them and strangle them and hide their corpses underground.  And lastly he commanded the public Crier go about all the city and cry;—­ “This be the award of high treason.”  And men also relate (continued Shahrazad) the

STORY OF THE TWO LACK-TACTS OF CAIRO AND DAMASCUS.[FN#593]

Whilome in Cairo-city there was a man famed as a Lack-tact and another in Damascus was celebrated for the like quality.  Each had heard of his compeer and longed to forgather with him and sundry folk said to the Syrian, “Verily the Lack-tact of Egypt is sharper than thou and a cleverer physiognomist and more intelligent, and more penetrating, and much better company; also he excelleth thee in debate proving the superiority of his lack of tact.”  Whereto the Damascene would reply, “No, by Allah, I am more tasteful in my lack of tact than yon Cairene;” but his people ceased not to bespeak him on this wise until his heart was filled full of their words; so one day of the days he cried, “By Allah, there is no help for it but I fare for Cairo and forgather with her Lack-tact.”  Hereupon he journeyed from Damascus and ceased not wayfaring till he reached Cairo.  The time was about set of sun and the first who met him on the road was a woman; so he asked her concerning certain of the highways of the city and she answered, “What a Lack-tact thou must be to put such a question at such an hour!  Whoso entereth a strange place in the morning enquireth about its highways, but whoso entereth at eventide asketh about its caravanserai[FN#594] wherein he may night.”  “Sooth thou sayest,” rejoined he, “but my lack of tact hath weakened my wits.”  He then sought news of the Khans and they showed him one whereto he repaired and passed the night; and in the morning—­And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased saying her permitted say.  Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, “How sweet and tasteful is thy tale, O sister mine, and enjoyable and delectable!” Quoth she, “And where is this compared with that I would relate to you on the coming night an the Sovran suffer me to survive?” Now when it was the next night and that was

          The Eight Hundred and Thirty-seventh Night,

Dunyazad said to her, “Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short the watching of this our latter night!” She replied, “With love and good will!” It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the Lack-tact of Damascus passed the night in the Wakalah and in the morning