Then said the Sheikh Iblis, ’We were best acquaint Queen Kemeriyeh and Queen Zelzeleh and Queen Sherareh and Queen Wekhimeh; and when they are assembled, God shall ordain [that which He deemeth] good in the matter of her release.’  ’It is well seen of thee,’ answered Es Shisban and despatched to Queen Kemeriyeh an Afrit called Selheb, who came to her palace and found her asleep; so he aroused her and she said, ’What is to do, O Selheb?’ ‘O my lady,’ answered he, ’come to the succour of thy sister Tuhfeh, for that Meimoun hath carried her off and outraged thine honour and that of the Sheikh Iblis.’  Quoth she, ’What sayest thou?’ And she sat up and cried out with a great cry.  And indeed she feared for Tuhfeh and said, ’By Allah, indeed she used to say that he looked upon her and prolonged the looking on her; but ill is that to which his soul hath prompted him.’  Then she arose in haste and mounting a she-devil of her devils, said to her, ‘Fly.’  So she flew off and alighted with her in the palace of her sister Sherareh, whereupon she sent for her sisters Zelzeleh and Wekhimeh and acquainted them with the news, saying, ’Know that Meimoun hath snatched up Tuhfeh and flown off with her swiftlier than the blinding lightning.’

[Then they all flew off in haste and] lighting down in the place where were their father Es Shisban and their grandfather the Sheikh Aboultawaif, found the folk on the sorriest of plights.  When their grandfather Iblis saw them, he rose to them and wept, and they all wept for Tuhfeh.  Then said Iblis to them, ’Yonder dog hath outraged mine honour and taken Tuhfeh, and I doubt not but that she is like to perish [of concern] for herself and her lord Er Reshid and saying “All that they said and did[FN#239] was false."’ Quoth Kemeriyeh, ’O grandfather mine, there is nothing left for it but [to use] stratagem and contrivance for her deliverance, for that she is dearer to me than everything; and know that yonder accursed one, whenas he is ware of your coming upon him, will know that he hath no power to cope with you, he who is the least and meanest [of the Jinn]; but we fear that, when he is assured of defeat, he will kill Tuhfeh; wherefore nothing will serve but that we contrive for her deliverance; else will she perish.’  ‘And what hast thou in mind of device?’ asked he; and she answered, ’Let us take him with fair means, and if he obey, [all will be well]; else will we practise stratagem against him; and look thou not to other than myself for her deliverance.’  Quoth Iblis, ’The affair is thine; contrive what thou wilt, for that Tuhfeh is thy sister and thy solicitude for her is more effectual than [that of] any.’