Section 8: The Reply of Kaid of India

When the letter reached Kaid of India, he received the king's messenger. He praised him generously and treated him kindly, seating him with honor beside himself. He told him: I am glad to obey his command; I will never turn away from my pledge to him. But it would not be right for me to arrive like this, unprepared, rushing in with head held high in pride. That would please neither the Creator of the world nor that king who rules the earth. At once he ordered the scribe to come; he called for a pen and for Chinese silk to write on. He quickly wrote an answer to that letter, adorning it until it seemed a garden of paradise. First he offered praise to the Maker, the Lord who grants victory and rules the ages. The Lord who is giving and just, the Lord of manliness, wisdom, and skill. Then he said: a devout man does not turn his head away from a renowned king. It would not be right for us to withhold anything from the master of army, crown, and sword. I have four things such as no one in the world possesses, whether seen openly or kept hidden. And after me no one will ever hold four such treasures anywhere on earth. When he commands, I will send them to him, and by them his heart and his faith will be renewed. After that, whenever the king orders, I will come and serve him like a devoted slave.