Thus, a rebel—even if his banners fly, his followers are numerous, and he is called a king—is unlikely to have a dinar or dirham minted in his name or to be named in a sermon from a pulpit. His affairs rest on nothing but deception and stealth. Even while he remains in this position, he trembles at a letter from the king and fears that the king will confront him in battle or face him in war. For some of the abjectness of falsehood remains in the rebel’s soul, whereas the king—even if his followers are few—possesses the might of truth.

The same contrast holds between the barkhashtī and the resident physician:

The former is free to choose: he seeks medicines that relieve pain immediately and treats illnesses with effective, fast-acting remedies. He then receives a reward and a robe of honour for relieving the pain and removing the illness, and by morning he is in another land, in a dwelling