The Chaliphate - Muir - The Search For Mecca

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448 AL-MANSUR [chap, i.xil.
A. II. 136- Court. /\.s he drew near, Abu Eiyub, the Wa/.ir, fearing
^J_ the warrior and his follower.s if he came in wrath, bribed
one to meet and assure him of the Cahph's favour and
good will. Abu Muslim's apprehensions thus disarmed,
he entered the palace, and was graciously welcomed
;
kissing
the Caliph's hand, he was bidden to rest awhile and refresh
himself with a bath. The following day, again summoned
to the Court, the Caliph at first addressed him softly thus :
" Tell me of the two daggers that 'Abdallah had." " Here,"
said his 'guest, " is one of them," and he handed it to the
Caliph, who put it under his pillow. Then with some
warmth,— " And the girl of his whom thou tookest !
" " Not
so," replied Abu Muslim ; " but I feared for her, and so
carrying her to a tent left her in safe custody." On this,
with growing warmth Al-MansOr brought charge upon
charge against the ill-fated man,—Why had he slighted
him on the pilgrimage ? set out for Khorasan against his
orders ? made himself out, though once a mere slave, as
if of 'Abbasid descent, and sought the hand of the Caliph's
aunt? and worst of all, why had he slain Ibn Kethir, long
before him an early and faithful supporter of the dynasty ? ^
As he waxed fiercer at every charge, Abu Muslim could
but urge his lifelong service to the throne, kiss the Caliph's
hand, and plead for pardon. But in vain. Al-Mansur
clapped his hands, and at the signal five armed men
stepped from behind the curtain, and as the victim cried
aloud for mercy, cut him in pieces, while the Caliph cursed.
To calm the crowd without, it was told them that "the
Caliph was in conclave with his Amir"; and believing it
to be so, Tsa, the heir-apparent, entered and asked where
Abu Muslim was. " He was here but now," answered the
Caliph. "Ah," replied Tsa, "I knew that he was loyal
and would obey thy call." " Fool that thou art ! " cried
Al-Mansur ;— " Thou hadst not in all the world a worse
enemy than he ; look there ! " he said, as the carpet was
raised, revealing the mangled corpse.
Tsa, horrified, retired.
1 See above, p. 443. The charge of making himself out to be
of 'Abbasid descent was true enough. When in the zenith of his
glory, there were not wanting creatures who, to cover his servile
origin, invented a story to that effect ; a fatal adulation that only
added fuel to the Caliph's jealousy.