A jest and a vengeance

by E. Hoffmann Price

"A Jest and a Vengeance" by E. Hoffmann Price is a narrative that combines elements of fantasy and dark humor written during the early 20th century. The story revolves around Sultan Schamas ad Din of Angor-lana, who finds himself besieged by inner treachery and external rebellion. With the imminent threat of being deposed by his nephew Maksoud, who is allied with the British Resident, the sultan's journey into the supernatural aspects of revenge leads him to Atlânaat, a mystical citadel filled with both promise and peril. In the unfolding tale, Sultan Schamas ad Din seeks vengeance against Maksoud after surviving an assassination attempt. Joined by the enigmatic Ismeddin, the sultan ventures into the haunted ruins of Atlânaat, a place where ancient magic and illusory beings dwell. He encounters a beautiful girl who reveals his interaction with the powerful Lord of the World, who dreams reality itself. The tale escalates as the sultan ultimately devises a fitting punishment for Maksoud that reflects his folly and ambition. Instead of lethal retribution, the sultan grants his nephew the very throne he sought, ensuring that he experiences the hollow and frustrating nature of rule under the thumb of foreign influence, thus delivering a dose of poetic justice layered in wit.