791 AH, 04/06
The report of the victory was brought back to al-malik al-Ẓāhir but he did not allow himself any false hopes; he knew that the end of his rule had come, and he began to discuss with his khawāṣṣ what he should do. Those who were with him advised him to seek amnesty (yastaʾmina) from al-Nāṣirī, and he thereupon sent amir ʾAbū Bakr ibn Sunqur the chamberlain and amir Baydamur al-Manjakī, superintendant of the castle (shādd al-qaṣr), to take the royal dagger (al-namjāh) to al-Nāṣirī, receive from him a safeguard for the sultan’s life, and seek to appease him. The two departed immediatly for Qubbat al-Naṣr, and entering to al-Nāṣirī in his encampment conferred with him in private. He granted the safeguard for the sultan’s life, and taking from them the royal dagger, said: “Al-malik al-Ẓāhir is our brother and comrade (ʾakhū-nā wa khushdāshu-nā); but he must go hiding somewhere until this trouble has subsided, for at present everyone has his own opinion and says his own say; wait until we can devise some plan for his safety.” The two brought back this reply to the sultan, who remained with his khawāṣṣ in his dwelling until he had said the prayer of nightfall, when the caliph al-Mutawakkil, as was his nightly custom, went to his dwelling in the citadel. The sultan, who remained alone with a few of his followers (ʾaṣḥāb), gave permission to the viceroy Sūdūn to go his own way and look to his own welfare; the latter, bidding the sultan farewell, rose and descended immediately. The sultan then dismissed the rest of his followers, who likewise went their own way. Therupon al-malik al-Ẓāhir secretly changed his attire and went down from the royal stables on foot, without hindrance and without anyone’s knowing what had become of him.