The Caliph submitted to his mother’s reason and sends his prime vizier named Morakanabad. “Let the common criers proclaim not only in Samarah but throughout every city in my empire that whosoever will repair hither and decipher certain characters which appear to be inexplicable, shall experience the liberality for which I am renowned. All who fail upon trial shall have their beards burnt off to the last hair. I will also bestow fifty beautiful slaves and as many jars of apricots from the isle of Kirmith upon any man that shall bring me knowledge of the stranger,” Morakanabad announced.
The Caliph’s subjects like their Sovereign, being great admirers of women and apricots from Kirmith, felt their mouths water at these promises but were unable to gratify their hankering for no one knew which way the stranger had gone. “These people really are disgusting towards women. As if they are objects for their disgusting lust. Eww...I would prefer apricots than satisfying disgusting lust like that,” Alice said. Alice notices her stomach grumbles and she brought Vine far from the crowd. “Lucky that I brought some fruits for us,” Alice said. “What fruit?” Vine wondered. “It’s my favorite fruit, pear,” Alice answered Vine. Alice and Vine enjoy their fruit while watching Vathek execute his punishment by burning the beard of every subject who fails the trial of deciphering the inscription of the sword. Everyone starting from the scholar, the one with half-knowledge, and those who don’t have any knowledge come boldly to risk their bear and all of them shamefully lost their beard. “Hmph, Vathek didn’t realize that he has been shaming his own subject through his punishment. This pear is even sweeter and better than Vathek himself in behavior. Vathek, you cruel ruler,” Alice made a sarcastic comment while chewing on her fruit. The smell of singed hair disgusts the ladies and causes Alice to cover her nose along with Vine.
After a while, an elderly man with a beard scales a cubit and half longer than the others stands before Vathek’s presence. The officers of the palace whispered to each other as they ushered him to Vathek. “What a pity such a beard should be burnt!” The officer said. The Caliph concurs for their opinion but he has no concern with the old man.
This venerable personage read the characters with facility and explained them in verbal as follows: “We were made where everything good is made; we are the least of the wonders of a place where all is wonderful, and deserving the sight of the first potentate on earth. “You translate admirably! I know to what these marvelous characters allude to. Let him receive as many robes of honor and thousands of sequins of gold as he hath spoken words. I am in some measure relieved from the perplexity that embarrassed me!” Vathek cried. Vine looks at Alice. “What’s a sequin of gold?” Vine asked. Alice takes out a small dictionary from her pocket and search up the word “sequin”. “Sequin means jewelry. In other words, sequin of gold means jewelry made of gold,” Alice said and closed the dictionary. “Still...I doubt that the Caliph would be pleased to hear something that offended him for once,” Alice doubted.
Vathek invited the old man to dine and even to remain some days in the palace. Alice and Vine follow the Caliph to the dining room. “Guess we will have to sleep for tonight again,” Alice said. “Let’s find a place to hide and sleep,” Vine said. Alice and Vine go outside the room and hide behind the barrels. Alice and Vine’s invisibility magic wears off and Alice wraps herself and Vine with a sheet used to cover the barrel. The old man accepted Vathek’s offer and unlucky for him, the Caliph called him the next morning. “Read again to me what you have read already. I cannot hear too often the promise that is made me, the completion of which I languish to obtain,” Vathek said.
The old man forthwith put on his green spectacles, but they instantly dropped from his nose on perceiving that the characters he had read yesterday had changed into different characters.
“What ails you? Why these symptoms of wonder?” Vathek asked.
“Sovereign of the world, these sabers hold another language today from the language it held yesterday,” the old man replied. “How say you? It matters not! Tell me, if you can, what they mean,” Vathek said.
“It is this, my lord. “Woe to the rash mortal who seeks to know that of which he should remain ignorant, and to undertake that which surpasseth his power”!” the old man said.
“And woe to thee! Today, thou art void of understanding. Begone from my presence! They shall burn but the half of thy beard, because, thou were yesterday fortunate in guessing. My gifts I never resume,” the Caliph cried in a sudden burst of indignation. Vathek’s sudden anger causes both Vine and Alice to flinch out of shock. “What did the Sultan say?” Vine asked. “The Caliph said that he will burn the elderly man’s beard for reading a sentence that offended him. Wow, Vathek’s anger shocked us a lot earlier,” Alice said.
The old man, wise enough to perceive his anger, luckily escaped considering the folly of disclosing such disgusting truth. He immediately withdrew and never appears again. Alice gave the man protection magic on his way to escape from Vathek in case something happen to him midway.
But it was not long before Vathek discovered an abundant reason to regret his precipitation. Even though he could not decipher the characters himself, he realized that by constantly poring upon them, he plainly perceived that they every day changed. Unfortunately, no other candidate offered to explain them after the elderly man. This perplexing occupation inflames his blood, dazzles his sight, and causes giddiness and debility that he could not support. He failed not, however, though in so reduced a condition, to be carried to his tower as he read the stars which he went to consult something more congenial to his wishes. But, his hopes were deluded. His eyes, dimmed by the vapors of his head, began to subserve his curiosity so ill that he beheld nothing but a thick dun cloud which he took for the most direful of omens.
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