A Jest and a Vengeance

In the embattled city of Angor-lana, Sultan Schamas ad Din struggles to hold power against rebellion, assassination attempts, and the humiliating interference of a British Resident who repeatedly restrains his brutality. When he discovers that his own nephew Maksoud is tied to the unrest, the sultan turns to the shadowy darvish Ismeddin, whose counsel leads him beyond court intrigue and into the ruined mystery of Atlânaat, where the feared "Lord of the World" is said to dwell. What begins as a scheme for revenge becomes a journey into moonlit ruins, hidden pits, and uncanny revelations. Beneath Atlânaat, Schamas ad Din encounters a hypnotic woman who reveals that the supposed god is only a sleeper whose dream sustains reality, and that she has seized true power by making that sleep eternal. Caught between political ambition, colonial pressure, and supernatural dread, the sultan responds with wit and calculated cruelty, turning vengeance into a trap for Maksoud. In a finale of dark comedy and sorcery, punishment becomes rule itself: the would-be usurper is given the throne he craved, while a bearded king rises from the black pit to join the silent figures of the ruined city. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.