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

shoulders of the others. And this djinni carried upon the top of his head
a great ivory box. But it was the box who spoke:

"You may put me down there."

"Yes, most beloved," the djinni said hurriedly, and placed the ivory
box, which was worked with intricate designs and set with many
precious stones, upon the ground only a small distance from the pond
and the hiding place of the kings. And then did the djinni call out in his
great and booming voice:

"Come out, come out, O Sulima, and do your dance for me!"

Then did the lid of the box push open, and a woman of perfect size and
form stepped forth. She was dressed all in the finest silk, in a gown
whose color seemed to change with every movement she took beneath
the sun, so that one moment her dress was the blue of the sky, the next
the red of blood, and at a third moment the yellow-orange of
wildflowers.

"I do as you command!" the woman said to the great djinni, and she
began to dance, her arms and legs shifting back and forth to subtle
rhythms, and so graceful and regular were her movements that neither
the djinni nor the two kings could tear their gaze away from her.

"Most wonderful!" the djinni called to the maiden after he had yawned
most prodigiously. "My beloved Zzzzzzz." And the last word was
nothing more than a snore, for the djinni had fallen fast asleep.

"Now he has been placed out of the way," the woman called loudly and
with great merriment,''which of you in the tree will be first?"

"Who?" Shahzaman called out in surprise.
"Which tree?" Shahryar added.

"Oh, come now, my fine gentlemen," the woman Sulima rejoined. "I
have known you were there from the moment I popped out of the sea.
Now, which of you warriors will be the first to try your fine lance upon
me?" And with that she smiled and snapped her fingers, producing tiny
flames within the palms of each hand.

The two brothers turned to look one upon the other. Shahryar made a
gracious wave of his hand toward the younger king. "You were most
recently my guest, and guests shall always go first."

But to that, Shahzaman replied, "Oh, no, my dear brother. I insist that
you are the elder and thus must go before me in all things."

So did they argue for some moments, with much gesturing and
suggestive waving of eyebrows, until Sulima interrupted.