Agitated with so much anxiety, Vathek lost all firmness. A fever has seized him and he lost his appetite. Instead of being one of the greatest eaters, he became as distinguished for drinking. The thirst was so insatiable, it tormented him. His mouth became like a funnel, always open to receive the various liquors that might be poured into it, and especially cold water, which calmed him more than every other much to Vine’s confusion of what happened.
This unhappy prince being thus incapacitated for the enjoyment of any pleasure, commanded the palaces of the five senses to be shut, forbore to appear in public, either to display his magnificence or administer justice, and retired to the inmost apartment of his harem. As he had ever been an indulgent husband, his wives, overwhelmed with grief at his deplorable situation, incessantly offered their prayers for his health, and unremittingly supplied him with water.
“What happened to Vathek?” Vine asked Alice about what happened. “I think Vathek got a fever. But this fever, I have never seen it before. A fever that causes insatiable thirst aside from the main symptom of weakened physically,” Alice said. “I think the strange merchant we met could help him. But I wonder...where is that merchant now?” Alice wondered. “Maybe we should go look for him,” Vine suggested. “Alright, let’s go find him,” Alice said. Alice warps both Vine and herself to somewhere.
In the meantime, the Princess Carathis whose affliction no words can describe, instead of restraining herself to sobbing and tears, was closeted daily with the Vizir Morakanabad to find out some cure or mitigation of the Caliph’s disease. Convinced that it was caused by enchantment, they turned over together, leaf by leaf, all the books of magic that might point out a remedy and caused the horrible stranger, whom they accused as the enchanter, to be everywhere sought for with the strictest diligence.
Meanwhile, Alice and Vine appear at a high mountain in the distance of a few miles from Samarah and gape at what they saw in amazement. “Whoa...,” Both gaped with amazed looks and sparkly eyes at what they saw. The high mountain’s sides were swarded with wild thyme and basil. Its summit overspread with a plain so delightful that it might be taken for the paradise destined for the faithful. A hundred thickets of eglantine and other fragrant shrubs, a hundred arbors of roses, jessamine, and honeysuckle, as many clumps of orange trees, cedar, and citron, whose branches, interwoven with the palm, the pomegranate, and the vine grew on it. This beauty presented every luxury that could regale the eye or the taste much to Alice and Vine’s amazement. The ground was strewed with violets, hare-bells, and pansies, in the midst of which sprang forth tufts of jonquils, hyacinths, and carnations, with every other perfume that impregnates the air. Four fountains, not less clear than deep, and so abundant as to slake the thirst of ten armies, seemed profusely placed here to make the scene more resemble the garden of Eden, which was watered by the four sacred rivers. Here the nightingale sang the birth of the rose, her well-beloved, and at the same time lamented its short-lived beauty whilst the turtle deplored the loss of more substantial pleasures, and the wakeful lark hailed the rising light that re-animates the whole creation. In here, the mingled melodies of birds expressed the various passions they inspired as if the exquisite fruits which they pecked at pleasure had given them double energy. “So beautiful...,” Vine said with an amazed tone. “It’s like a paradise on a mountain,” Alice said with sparkling eyes. Alice sees several birds flying. “Wow...,” Alice gaped. Their amazement was cut short by the sound of a footstep. “Hmm? Someone’s coming. No...A group of people is coming. Hide!” Vine said and pulled Alice's hand. Vathek was brought to this mountain for the sake of having fresh air and especially to drink at the four fountains thought to be the highest salubrious degree and sacred anytime he wants. The people accompanying him were his mother, his wives, and some eunuchs. Alice and Vine peek from their hiding place. “It’s Vathek...what’s he doing here?” Vine asked. “He must be planning to drink the water here. Holy cow, that just means that his fever is getting worse,” Alice said. The eunuchs diligently committed themselves to fill wide bowls of rock crystals and present them to him but it seems that his desire exceeded their effort so much that he prostrates himself to the ground and lap the water that he never feels enough much to Alice and Vine’s surprise. “Unbelievable!” Both said.
Vathek kept doing the same thing until one day, a hoarse but strong voice addresses the prince who is now lying in a very debasing posture. “It’s that merchant we met at the prison,” Alice whispered. “The merchant brought something in his hand,” Vine said. “What?” Alice looked at Vine. Alice looks at the merchant’s hands closer and notices a flask of unusual liquid. “Very observant, Vine. What is that thing the merchant carried? Some kind of potion?” Alice asked.
“Why assumest thou the function of a dog, O Caliph, so proud of thy dignity and power?” The merchant addressed. Vathek raises his head and beheld the stranger that had caused affliction to him. “Accursed Gaour! What comest thou hither to do? Is it not enough to have transformed a prince remarkable for his agility into one of those leather barrels which the Bedouin Arabs carry on their camels when they traverse the deserts? Perceivest thou not that I may perish by drinking to excess no less than by total abstinence?” Vathek exclaimed with flaming anger much to Vine’s shock of his loud anger.
“Drink then this draught to satiate the thirst of thy soul as well as of thy body, know that I’m an Indian but from a region of India which is wholly unknown,” the stranger said as he presented a vial of a red and yellow mixture to him. The Caliph jumped in excitement to see his desire fulfilled, dragged himself to the merchant, and swallowed the potion without hesitation. As soon as he swallowed the entire content of the potion, he instantaneously found his health restored, his thirst appeased, and his limbs as agile as ever.
With joy, Vathek leaped toward the fearsome merchant and kissed his horrible mouth just like how he kissed his most beautiful wives much to Alice and Vine’s disgust over the horrible sight of kissing a horrible monster. Meanwhile, Vathek’s servants were terrified at the sight rather than feeling jealous and dropped their veils to hide the red area of mortification on their foreheads.
The scene wouldn’t stop there if Carathis with all the arts of insinuation hadn’t repressed the rapture feeling of her son. Feeling prevail to return to Samarah, Carathis causes a herald to precede him, who she commanded to proclaim as loudly as possible: “The wonderful stranger hath appeared again. He hath healed the Caliph. He hath spoken! He hath spoken!”
All the civilians immediately left their house and ran together in crowds to see the procession of Vathek and the Indian merchant. Now they bless as they had before execrated, shouting incessantly,” He hath healed our sovereign! He hath spoken! He hath spoken!” These words won’t be forgotten and public festivals were celebrated in the same evening to testify the general joy while the poets applied them as a chorus for all the songs they composed.
ns 15.158.61.7da2
