...The dead man moved. The hands first rested on the ground, then the torso rose, and finally the whole body stood on unsteady legs. The eyes are thoughtlessly directed into emptiness, the mouth opens like that of a fish thrown onto the shore, the hands constantly feel themselves and the air around them, as if looking for some kind of support. For a moment, the caliph felt very uncomfortable, but the guards, at the wave of the vizier’s hand, encircled him, putting out their spears...