Editing Vathek (section)

== Plot summary ==
[[File:Caliph and Giaour.jpg|thumb|Vathek and Giaour, an illustration to William Beckford's ''Vathek'' in a late-18th to early–19th century illustration. Giaour is withstanding the angry and perilous glances of Vathek without the slightest emotion, while the courtiers fall prostrate with their faces on the ground.]]

Vathek{{efn|A corruption of [[al-Wathiq]], the 9th caliph of the [[Abbasid Caliphate]].}}, the ninth [[caliph]] of the [[Abbasid Caliphate|Abassides]], ascended to the throne at an early age. He is a fickle and depraved tyrant, known for his unquenchable thirst for knowledge, and often invites [[scholar]]s to converse with him. If he fails to convince the scholar of his points of view, he attempts a bribe; if this does not work, he sends the scholar to prison. To better study [[astronomy]], he builds an observation tower with 11,000 steps. Prophet [[Muhammad]] observes Vathek from the seventh [[heaven]], but decides not to punish him, believing that the decadent caliph will bring about his destruction.

A hideous stranger whom Vathek calls "[[Giaour]]"{{efn|an [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] a term used for non-believers.}} arrives in [[Samarra]], claiming to be a [[merchant]] from [[India]] selling Vathek magical treasures, but refuses to reveal their origin, causing Vathek to throw him in prison. The next day, he discovers that the merchant has escaped and his prison guards are dead. Depressed, Vathek loses his appetite and falls into a drunken stupor. His Greek mother Carathis, a practitioner of [[Zarathustrianism]], arrives to comfort him.

Vathek develops an insatiable thirst, which the giaour later cures and the two men return to Samarra. At court, Vathek makes a fool of himself trying to out-drink the Giaour, and to out-eat him; when he sits upon the throne to administer justice, he does so haphazardly. His prime [[vizier]] rescues him from disgrace by whispering that Carathis had read a [[Greek astrology|message in the stars]] foretelling a great evil to befall him. When Vathek confronts the giaour, he is met with laughter, enraging Vathek who kicks him. The giaour is transformed into a ball and Vathek compels everyone in the palace to kick it. Then Vathek has the whole town kick the giaour into a remote valley. Vathek stays in the area and eventually hears Giaour's voice telling him that if he worships the Giaour and the [[jinn]]s of the earth, and renounces the teachings of [[Islam]], he will bring Vathek great knowledge and the keys to the "[[Hell|Palace of Underground Fire]]" where [[King Solomon|Soliman Ben Daoud]] controls the [[talisman]]s that rule over the world.

Vathek agrees and proceeds with the ritual that the giaour demands: to [[Child sacrifice|sacrifice fifty of the city's children]]. In return, Vathek will receive a key of great power. Vathek holds a "competition" among the children of the nobles, declaring that the winners will receive precious gifts. As the children approach Vathek for the competition, he throws them inside an [[ebony]] portal where the giaour feasts upon their blood. This enrages the residents of Samarra, who accuse him of murdering their children. Carathis pleads with Morakanabad to help save Vathek's life; the vizier complies and calms the crowd.

Vathek grows impatient with the giaour, and Carathis advises him to fulfill the pact and sacrifice to the [[jinn]] of the earth. Carathis helps him prepare the sacrifice: she and her son climb to the top of the tower and mix oils to create an explosion of light. The people of Samarra mistake the smoke rising from the tower for fire and rush to help the caliph, only to be burned alive as Carathis sacrifices them to the jinn. Carathis performs another ritual and learns that for Vathek to claim his reward, he must go to [[Istakhr]].

Vathek sets off with his wives and servants, placing the city in the care of Morakanabad and Carathis. Eventually, they reach the mountains where Islamic dwarves reside. He stays with them and meets their [[Emir]] named Fakreddin, and the Emir's beautiful daughter Nouronihar. Vathek wants to marry her, but she is already in love with and promised to her effeminate cousin Gulchenrouz. The Emir and his servants plan to safeguard Nouronihar and Gulchenrouz by drugging them and hiding them in a valley by a lake. The plan succeeds temporarily, but when they awake in the valley, they believe they have died and are in [[purgatory]]. Nouronihar grows curious and wants to explore the area. Beyond the valley, she encounters Vathek, who seduces her.

In Samarra, Carathis can discover no news of her son from reading the stars. Vathek's favorite wife, the [[Sultana (title)|sultana]] Dilara, writes to Carathis, informing her that her son has broken the condition of the giaour's contract, by accepting Fakreddin's hospitality on the way to Istakhr. She asks him to drown Nouronihar, but Vathek refuses. Carathis then decides to sacrifice Gulchenrouz, but before she can catch him, Gulchenrouz jumps into the arms of a jinn who protects him. That night, Carathis hears that Motavakel, Vathek's brother, is planning to lead a revolt against Morakanabad. Vathek continues on his journey, reaches [[Roknabad, Shiraz|Roknabad]], and degrades and humiliates its citizens for his pleasure.

A jinn asks Mohammed for permission to try to save Vathek from his [[eternal damnation]], to which he agrees. He takes the form of a saintly [[shepherd]] who plays the [[flute]] to make men realize their sins. The shepherd asks Vathek if he is done sinning, warns Vathek about the [[fallen angel]] [[Iblis]]. The shepherd begs Vathek to renounce his wickedness and return to Islam, lest he be eternally damned. In his pride, Vathek rejects the offer and declares that he renounces Islam.

Vathek reaches Istakhr, where the giaour opens the gates, and Vathek and Nouronihar step through into a place of gold. The Giaour leads them to Iblis, who tells them that they may enjoy whatever his empire holds. Vathek asks to be taken to the talismans that govern the world. There, Soliman tells Vathek that he had once been a great king, but was seduced by a Jinn and received the power to make everyone in the world do his bidding. But because of this, Soliman is destined to suffer in hell for a finite but vast period. The other inmates must suffer the fire in their hearts for all eternity. Vathek requests the giaour to release him, saying he will relinquish all he was offered, but the giaour refuses. He tells Vathek to enjoy his [[omnipotence]] while it lasts, for in a few days he will be tormented.

Vathek and Nouronihar become increasingly discontented with the palace of flames. Vathek orders an [[ifrit]] to fetch Carathis from the castle. While the ifrit is bringing Carathis, Vathek meets some people who are, like him, awaiting the execution of their sentences of eternal suffering. Three relate to Vathek how they got to Iblis' domain.{{efn|These narratives were, until restored to their intended place in the novel, in the 1971 Ballantine edition, lost until 1909, discovered by [[Lewis Melville]]. They were then published in a separate book in 1912.}} When Carathis arrives, he warns her of what happens to those who enter Iblis' domain, but Carathis takes the talismans of earthly power from Soliman regardless. She gathers the Jinns and tries to overthrow one of the Solimans, but Iblis decrees "It is time." Carathis, Vathek, Nouronihar, and the other denizens of hell lose "the most precious gift granted by heaven – HOPE". They all sink into a state of complete apathy, and an [[Eternal flame|eternal fire]] begins to burn within them.