19. Night 54

公主消失了，王子发狂了。

"Sister?" came the eager voice. "Wife?" came the curious voice.

"Patience," said Scheherazade. "Let me fluff my pillow first." Ah, how good she had become at bluffing. How many skills of deception would she master before she died? 

fluff，抖松

deception，欺骗

"Where were we?" she asked nonchalantly. "Oh, yes. The youth and girl were in love."

nonchalantly，若无其事地

"The princess is hugging my youth," said Maimuna. "I won. But I'll be generous, Dahnash. You can go on living anyway." Dahnash and Qashqash carried the sleeping princess back to her home in China.

In the morning when Prince Qamar al-Zaman woke, he searched around, then called in the mamluk. "What happened to the girl in my bed last night?"

"No girl was in your bed last night."

"Don't lie!" They quarreled. Qamar al-Zaman grew wild at the growing fear that the maiden might be withheld from him for good. He slapped the mamluk's ears, then bashed his head on the floor and, finally, dunked him headfirst in the well. "I'll drown you if you don't tell the truth." 

withhold，保留

Spluttering in terror, the mamluk cried, "I will. But first let me go take off these soaking clothes and put on fresh ones."

splutter，语无伦次地说话

"Go," said the prince. "Hurry back!"

Meanwhile, the vizier was advising the distraught king to leave his son in the tower prison for a moon, to break his spirit. Certainly the youth would then agree to get married.

distraught，心烦意乱的

The mamluk burst in, dripping water and bleeding from his forehead. "Disaster!" He described what happened. "The prince has gone mad." 

"You stupid, worthless vizier," said the king. "Look how badly things have gone. Go to the tower and fix this."

The vizier found Qamar al-Zaman reciting the Koran. "What happened?" asked the vizier, and he told what the mamluk had said. 

Koran，古兰经

When Qamar al-Zaman saw that the vizier, too, pretended to know nothing about the girl, he grabbed him by that long beard and dragged him — bumping across flagstones, smashing against walls. "Tell me," he said with each marching step. "Tell me, tell me, tell me about that girl."

pretend，假装

"I will," cried the vizier. "Let go!" 

The prince dropped the vizier, who rubbed at his bruises. "Let me catch my breath, then we can talk."

"No. It's time for action. Tell my father I will marry this girl he has chosen for me," said the prince. "Immediately."

As soon as the vizier told the king, Shah Riman hurried to the tower. Alas, his most unfortunate son had gone batty. "It's but a drearn, my son."

batty，疯狂的

"When you dream of battle, do you wake with a bloodied sword in your hand? Of course not." Qamar al-Zaman held out his hand. "This is her ring."

Shah Riman examined the ring. "This changes everything. This is a mystery only the Almighty can solve. We must pray constantly."

"The kingdom cannot run without you, Your Majesty," said the vizier. "Shut yourself away with the prince in a pavilion by the sea. Pray. But set aside two days a week for court ceremonials and judgments on the disputes and needs of your subjects!"

pavilion，大帐篷

ceremonial，仪式

subject，臣民

So Shah Riman and Qamar al-Zaman moved to the pavilion and prayed. And Shah Riman performed his kingly duties twice a week. But no answer came from the Almighty. Moons grew full and waned and grew full again. Qamar al-Zaman couldn't eat or sleep.

He languished, looking ever more like a skeleton.

languish，憔悴

Light gleamed on Shah Rayar's top teeth.

"You smile," said Scheherazade.

"The story has taken an unexpected turn."

"I told you it wasn't simple."

"I will worry for the prince all day."

"And have you no worries for the princess?"

Shah Rayar touched Scheherazade's lips with a fingertip. "l hadn't thought about her. But now I'm sure you'll give me much to think about regarding this maiden in the coming night's tale."

When would this man ever see the woman's side of it on his own?

To be continued...