When the Marid heard Alaeddin’s words, his face frowned and he was wroth and cried out with a terrible great voice, saying, “O denier of benefits, doth it not suffice thee that I and all the slaves of the Lamp are at thy service and wouldst thou eke have me bring thee our liege lady, for thy pleasure, and hang her in the dome of thy pavilion, to divert thee and thy wife?  By Allah, ye deserve that I should forthright reduce you both to ashes and scatter you to the winds!  But, inasmuch as ye are ignorant, thou and she, concerning this matter and know not its inward from its outward, [FN#660] I excuse you, for that ye are innocent.  As for the guilt, it lieth with the accursed one, the surviving [FN#661] brother of the Maugrabin enchanter, who feigneth himself to be Fatimeh the Recluse; for lo, he hath slain Fatimeh in her cavern and hath donned her dress and disguised himself after her favour and fashion and is come hither, seeking thy destruction, so he may take vengeance on thee for his brother; and he it is who taught thy wife to seek this of thee.” [FN#662] Therewith he disappeared, and as for Alaeddin, when he heard this, his wit fled from his head and his joints trembled at the cry wherewith the Marid cried out at him; but he took heart and leaving his closet, went in straightway to his wife and feigned to her that his head irked him, of his knowledge that Fatimeh was renowned for the secret of healing [FN#663] all aches and pains.  When the Lady Bedrulbudour saw him put his hand to his head and complain of its aching, [FN#664] she asked him what was the cause and he said, “I know not, except that my head irketh me sore.”  Accordingly she sent forthwith to fetch Fatimeh, so she might lay her hand on his head; whereupon quoth Alaeddin, “Who is this Fatimeh?” And the princess told him how she had lodged Fatimeh the recluse with her in the palace. [FN#665]

Meanwhile the slave-girls went and fetched the accursed Maugrabin, and Alaeddin arose to him, feigning ignorance of his case, and saluted him, as he had been the true Fatimeh.  Moreover he kissed the hem of his sleeve and welcomed him, [FN#666] saying, “O my Lady Fatimeh, I beseech thee do me a kindness, since I know thy usances in the matter of the healing of pains, for that there hath betided me a sore pain in my head.”  The Maugrabin could scarce believe his ears of this speech, [FN#667] for that this was what he sought; so he went up to Alaeddin, as he would lay his hand on his head, after the fashion of Fatimeh the recluse, and heal him of his pain.  When he drew near-him, he laid one hand on his head and putting the other under his clothes, drew a dagger, so [FN#668] he might slay him withal.  But Alaeddin was watching him and waited till he had all to-drawn the dagger, when he gripped him by the hand and taking the knife from him, planted [FN#669] it in his heart.