"The messenger uttered a cry of joy and blew his horn. At this signal, four soldiers of the sirascal Ulfang-Badgaï ran towards Ibn-Babar and slew him with four dagger-blows. My mother at once seized me and led me through sinuous passageways known only to us, secret ways that even Saroumand had not spied out. Drunk with their crime, the enemies rolled on bags of gold and arquenpierres and exclusive brands of pipe-weed from the horde of Sqathah le Ver, and heeded us little. We looked out through an opening in the rock.
"'What do you want?' said my father to some people who held in hand a document written in gold runes.
"'Read this firman,' replied one of them. 'His Highness demands your head.'
"'My father burst into laughter more terrifying than any threat; he had not yet ceased when two shots issued forth from his pistol, slaying two. "AWAKE! FEAR! FIRE! FOES!" he cried. Battle raged. How handsome and great was Ala-Pallando, my father, in the midst of the gunfire, scimitar in hand, visage black with powder! How his enemies fled as spider-webs issued forth from his scimitar!
"Suddenly, flame arose around him like the crater of a volcano. In the middle of that tumult, two cries rang forth that froze me with terror; at the same time, two shots struck my father mortally.
"I felt myself rolling on the ground; my mother had fainted into an abysm."
