"The Shamer of Satan" by Andrei Belyanin, summary

The humorous fantasy novel "The Shaitan Shamer," written in 2006, is a direct continuation of the adventure story of Muscovite Lev Obolensky’s travels through time and space. This work is number two in the author’s "Baghdad Thief" series, which began with the 1999 book of the same name. The story is told by Astrakhan writer Andrei, who receives an unexpected visit from his old friend, Lev, a former prosecutor.

The story begins with Lev Obolensky arriving in Astrakhan on business. While out for a late-night stroll through the city, he encounters some drunken Uzbek construction workers. Among them is the drunken genie Babudai-Aga, who sends the former lawyer back to the fabulous East — to the blessed city of Kokand.

Unexpected appearance in Kokand

Waking up under the scorching Asian sun, Lev quickly attracts the attention of the guards. Having mentioned the name of Khoja Nasreddin and inadvertently mentioned the Thief of Baghdad, the hero is arrested. The chief city guard, Aslan Bey, takes the captive to the palace of Sultan Muslim al-Luli Suleiman ibn Dode. The ruler of Kokand combines a capricious nature, sadistic tendencies, and a penchant for swift reprisals.

At the palace, it turns out that the position of grand vizier is occupied by Nasreddin Khoja himself, hiding under a false identity. The Sultan orders the prisoner to kidnap the unapproachable beauty Irida al-Dubina for him. During the ensuing altercation, the ruler, Aslan Bey, and the Sultan’s eldest wife simultaneously hide under the bed in Leo’s cell. Taking advantage of the ensuing chaos, Nasreddin and Leo escape from the palace disguised as tax collectors.

The heroes hide in a nearby teahouse. That night, out of boredom, Lev drops his cell phone into a pitcher at a nearby inn. A car alarm, going off at four in the morning, alerts all of Kokand.

In the morning, Nasreddin calls on his friend to rescue Rabinovich, the Sultan’s faithful donkey, from the stables. Lev disguises himself as a Moroccan sorcerer, smearing himself with molasses, while Nasreddin distracts the guards with a game of strip dice. Having infiltrated the stables, Lev plys the groom and horses with wine, finds the donkey, and accidentally starts a fire. The companions escape with Rabinovich. The next morning, Lev catches a minor devil who tried to urinate in Nasreddin’s sleeping ear to avoid morning prayers, and gives the demon a good thrashing.

Adventures in women’s dresses and madrassas

Dressed in women’s burqas, the friends meet the shoemaker Ahmed from Baghdad at the bazaar. Terrified, he leaps at Rabinovich and runs away, leaving his companions facing the enraged guards. Having escaped the clutches of the law, Nasreddin and Lev take refuge within the walls of the local madrassa.

The students mistake the heroes for renowned theologians from Bukhara. Under pressure from circumstances, the friends give the students a scandalous lecture on love and marital relations in Islam. Later, they cunningly take the pants of the local qadi, fulfilling an ancient prophecy of Satan. After causing a ruckus among the students, the adventurers leave the school.

It soon becomes clear that Ahmed has been captured and thrown into the Sultan’s dungeon for stealing a donkey. Lev and Nasreddin decide to rescue the poor fellow. Lev infiltrates the dungeon, provokes a riot among the prisoners, and orchestrates an escape. As a final act, he throws a lump of dirt at the Sultan’s window and takes the purse of gold that fell from his hands.

To cover their tracks, the heroes head to the city bathhouse. There, they find Aslan Bey relaxing. Nasreddin gives the guard a special Fergana infusion of mountain herbs. The guard’s ardor ignites, leading to public disgrace: Aslan Bey runs naked through the bathhouse, while Muslims bathing in the bathhouse pour water on him. The companions take his clothes and leave Kokand.

The Path Through the Desert and the Witch Kirdyk-abi

After leaving the city, the heroes learn from Ahmed the reason for his flight from Baghdad. After drinking wine, the shoemaker pronounced the word "talaq" three times to his powerful wife, Irida al-Dubina. The offended woman left, and the saddened husband went in search of her.

The friends join a desert caravan. A sudden simoom scatters the companions. The enraged Shaitan personally stirs up a storm, but Lev gives the demon a kick in the pants. A fleeing camel carries Lev away along with his old love from Baghdad, the young widow Jamila.

The wanderers find a well near the hut of the ancient cannibal Kirdyk-abi. After speaking with the sentient stone Al-Kibir, Lev learns of the danger. The old witch is trying to arrange a dinner for the guests. Jamila engages her in hand-to-hand combat, and Lev climbs to the top of a boulder. Trying to chop down a tree and split the boulder, Kirdyk-abi breaks his only fangs. Having lost the ability to eat people, the old woman becomes kind and supplies Lev with provisions.

Soon, Lev reunites with Nasreddin, Ahmed, and Rabinovich. Along the way, they stumble upon a plundered caravan. Ruthless bandits, the "desert vultures," led by the Caliph, slaughtered some of the merchants and took the rest captive.

The friends infiltrate the bandits’ camp. Nasreddin frees the bound prisoners, while Rabinovich causes panic among the herd. In the midst of the skirmish, Jamila appears on a frenzied camel and disperses the bandits. On the oasis trail, Nasreddin encounters the cursed snake-maiden Geljami-Gurza. By kissing her, Domullo lifts the curse, transforming the snake’s tail into a woman’s legs.

Asylum for the Blind and Exorcism

The travelers stop at a shelter for blind Quran readers. Upon closer inspection, all fourteen residents turn out to be sighted apostates. They drug Lev with a sleeping drug and attempt to summon the Dark Lord.

The genie Babudai-Aga appears in response to the summons. Instead of fulfilling their dark wishes, the genie transforms fourteen deceitful old men into cats. At that moment, Aslan Bey’s detachment approaches the orphanage. The vengeful shaitan possesses the body of a Kokand guard, transforming him into a possessed monster.

Lev and Nasreddin perform a ritual of exorcism. While Nasreddin recites suras from the Koran, Lev lashes Aslan Bey across the backside with a whip. Unable to withstand the physical and spiritual pressure, the devil leaves his body in disgrace through the other side. The freed Aslan Bey realizes his mistakes and becomes more accommodating.

Meeting in Samarkand and the final chord

The companions reach Samarkand, where they meet Jamila, Akhmed, and Rabinovich. It turns out that Irida al-Dubina is in the harem of the young Sultan Najim al-Ghazali, where she is enthusiastically playing chess.

Disguised as women, Leo, Nasreddin, and Ahmed infiltrate the palace. King Najim turns out to be a friendly young man who admires Leo’s talent as a thief. Ahmed finds Iris in the harem, where she has tamed a huge black gorilla. The couple reconcile and reunite. Aslan Bey is advised to marry the toothless witch Kirdyk Abi.

Shaitan makes one last attempt to ruin the heroes’ triumph. He restores fourteen cats to human form right in the harem, hoping to compromise the padishah’s wives. The local women give the uninvited guests a severe beating, and Rabinovich the donkey finally tramples Shaitan.

The genie Babudai-Aga transports Lev to Omar Khayyam’s grave in Nishapur for a quiet conversation about the meaning of life. Having granted the hero a final night with Jamila, the genie returns Lev to modern-day Astrakhan. Finally, Lev bids farewell to the writer Andrei, and behind them, the disgraced Satan remains in the closing elevator doors.