"Craig Shaw Gardner - Arabian 3 - The Last Arabian Night" - читать интересную книгу автора (Gardner Craig Shaw)

I adamant in my goal, for I felt that someone should show our good
king that certain small errors had crept into his behavior, and that he
should be far happier should he abandon these errors; much as women
have responded over the years to those many modest errors of their
near-to-perfect husbands. And, should I succeed in this task, I should
then spare all those other marriageable women who had recently fled or
were in hiding within the city walls.
This did I insist to my father, until he at last said, "It is beyond me! If
you insist upon mis thing, it is in the hands of Allah!" But he did add, if I
was to have union with the king, it would be a legal union, in
accordance with his position as a grand vizier. Therefore would there
be the first royal wedding in some 298 days.

Having made his decision, my father left to make all necessary
preparations for that evening's wedding. And I had preparations to
make as well, if I was to ensure my survival beyond the wedding night.
So it was that I spoke to my younger sister, Dunyazad, and insisted that
she find her way to a certain place at a certain time, and, at the first
indication of difficulty, told her the proper things to say and do, most
specifically, that she should mention loudly, and repeatedly if necessary,
that Scheherazade was especially noted for her tales of marvel.

Soon my father returned with my wedding garments, and they were fine
indeed, fully suited to a vizier's daughter who was about to be married
to a king. So did I ready myself for my wedding, and the hour came
when my transportation arrived to bring me and my family to the palace.

So it was that I began my journey to the king's chambers, on what all
surmised would be the last night of my existence.
 Chapter the Third,
in which our heroine acts
before she speaks.

This begins the true tale of Scheherazade.

For the wedding proceeded in the way of all weddings, except that
perhaps the great wailing of the women was fraught with an extra edge,
due to the certain possibility of the bride's very short life expectancy.
And, once the festivities were at an end, Scheherazade and Shahryar,
wife and husband, queen and king, retired to their chambers with a
suitable retinue to attend to their needs.

So was it that the king took Scheherazade into his strong arms and said
to her: ''Come, my queen, and give me pleasure, as is a wife's duty, but
do not speak of cushions, or lances, or riding, or seal rings, nor should
you laugh to excess, nor pretend to be humble when you are in actuality
bewitched, nor make any oblique references to djinn or magic in any
form!" And as the king spoke, his manner became ever more agitated,
and he pulled his hands away from his betrothed, and, with a great
twitching and moaning, found his gaze evermore drawn to the sword at