Such was the case with Kamar alZaman；but as regards his wife，the Lady Budur，when she awoke she sought her husband and found him not： then she saw her petticoattrousers undone，for the band had been loosed and the bezel lost，whereupon she said to herself，'By Allah，this is strange！ Where is my husband？ It would seem as if he had taken the talisman and gone away，knowing not the secret which is in it. Would to Heaven I knew whither can he have wended！ But it must needs have been some extraordinary matter that drew him away，for he cannot brook to leave me a moment. Allah curse the stone and damn its hour！'Then she considered awhile and said in her mind，'If I go out and tell the varlets and let them learn that my husband is lost they will lust after me： there is no help for it but that I use stratagem. So she rose and donned some of her husband's clothes and riding boots，and a turband like his，drawing one corner of it across her face for a mouthveil.[312] Then，setting a slavegirl in her litter，she went forth from the tent and called to the pages who brought her Kamar alZaman's steed；and she mounted and bade them load the beasts and resume the march. So they bound on the burdens and departed；and she concealed her trick，none doubting but she was Kamar alZaman，for she favoured him in face and form；nor did she cease journeying，she and her suite，days and nights，till they came in sight of a city overlooking the Salt Sea，where they pitched their tents without the walls and halted to rest. The Princess asked the name of the town and was told，'It is called the City of Ebony；its King is named Armanus，and he hath a daughter Hayat alNufus[313] hight，'And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Two Hundred and Ninth Night，She said，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that when the Lady Budur halted within sight of the Ebony City to take her rest，King Armanus sent a messenger，to learn what King it was who had encamped without his capital；so the messenger，coming to the tents，made inquiry anent their King，and was told that she was a King's son who had lost the way being bound for the Khalidan Islands；whereupon he returned to King Armanus with the tidings；and，when the King heard them，he straightway rode out with the lords of his land to greet the stranger on arrival. As he drew near the tents the Lady Budur came to meet him on foot，whereupon the King alighted and they saluted each other. Then he took her to the city and，bringing her up to the palace，bade them spread the tables and trays of food and commanded them to transport her company and baggage to the guess house. So they abode there three days；at the end of which time the King came in to the Lady Budur. Now she had that day gone to the Hammam and her face shone as the moon at its full，a seduction to the world and a rending of the veil of shame to mankind；and Armanus found her clad in a suit of silk，embroidered with gold and jewels；so he said to her，'O my son，know that I am a very old man，decrepit withal，and Allah hath blessed me with no child save one daughter，who resembleth thee in beauty and grace；and I am now waxed unfit for the conduct of the state. She is shine，O my son；and，if this my land please thee and thou be willing to abide and make thy home here，I will marry thee to her and give thee my kingdom and so be at rest.'When Princess Budur heard this，she bowed her head and her forehead sweated for shame，and she said to herself. 'How shall I do，and I a woman？ If I refuse and depart from him，I cannot be safe but that haply send after me troops to slay me；and if I consent，belike I shall be put to shame. I have lost my beloved Kamar alZaman and know not what is become of him；nor can I escape from this scrape save by holding my peace and consenting and abiding here，till Allah bring about what is to be.'So she raised her head and made submission to King Armanus，saying，'Hearkening and obedience！'；whereat he rejoiced and bade the herald make proclamation throughout the Ebony Islands to hold high festival and decorate the houses. Then he assembled his Chamberlains and Nabobs，and Emirs and Wazirs and his officers of state and the Kazis of the city；and，formally abdicating his Sultanate，endowed Budur therewith and invested her in all the vestments of royalty. The Emirs and Grandees went in to her and did her homage，nothing doubting but that she was a young man，and all who looked on her bepissed their bagtrousers，for the excess of her beauty and loveliness.
Then，after the Lady Budur had been made Sultan and the drums had been beaten in announcement of the glad event，and she had been ceremoniously enthroned，King Armanus proceeded to equip his daughter Hayat alNufus for marriage，and in a few days，they brought the Lady Budur in to her，when they seemed as it were two moons risen at one time or two suns in conjunction. So they entered the bridalchamber and the doors were shut and the curtains let down upon them，after the attendants had lighted the waxcandles and spread for them the carpetbed. When Budur found herself alone with the Princess Hayat alNufus，she called to mind her beloved Kamar alZaman and grief was sore upon her. So she wept for his absence，and estrangement and she began repeating，'O ye who fled and left my heart in pain low li'en，No breath of life if found within this frame of mine：
I have an eye which e'er complains of wake，but lo！
Tears occupy it would that wake content these eyne！
After ye marched forth the lover 'bode behind；
Question of him what pains your absence could design！
But for the foods of tears mine eyelids rail and rain，
My fires would flame on high and every land calcine.
To Allah make I moan of loved ones lost for aye，
Who for my pine and pain no more shall pain and pine：
I never wronged them save that over love I nurst：
But Love departs us lovers into blest and curst.'
And when she had finished her repeating，the Lady Budur sat down beside the Princess Hayat alNufus and kissed her on the mouth；
