S o te lengto to its incessant creaking. S began    “stling ing from tone-paved area    it didn’t last. Later, my attention , too, fell silent along er deep, dreadful silence. A    an intruder e lay, and I froze

        pletely.

        During eacures before me, plating e Olive, tiful Butterfly and t onto to front eag “Satan!” or “Deate used to do some nig fear restrained me. Besides, trations y because I couldn’t e an appropriate story to apany te my Enisence. Since I ain t o t fretful and impatient. I’d already scrutirations endlessly o Enisories, all for a co be near S ser o leave ed for a long ures by dlelig my black-eyed beauty o me.

        In tirred from my sleep by o t rations, but quickly realized t o announiso the children and neighbors.

        S out of bed ood motionless.

        “Yrandfato t    you to e room anymore under any circumstances.”

        So o weep.

        I o t of your bedclot the bed.

        “Grandfat die t nig said.

        A long loose strand of So an Arabic script “vav” o dissipated from be. e could y to sually died uedly    as if I didn’t know S all, like srange jinn.

        “I’m frig    for permission to cry.

        “Don’t be afraid,” I said. “Your mots.”

        “ difference does it make if t asked.

        “If t way we    she burden of our pain.”

        “Did you kill my grandfated S.

        “If yoing to upset your mot expey affe from me!” I sed back.

        e didn’t s at eacepfatepson, but like talking by tepped out into ts    to tters so s could be better    the neighborhood.

        I left to joio force t, tters came loose and fell into tyard. Sunligruck our faces and unned momentarily. S out.

        Enisurned into a mucragid agonizing pain. ormented me. Uedly, I began to    even kno of grief or ending for fear of being e’s death.

        “her’s gone!” cried Shekure.

        My sobs and laments mimicked    exactly kno    at us from ter slats, and ing my be purged of doubts about he fear of hasan and his men.

        S ing s and tears. I dreo me, and    paying any o tearful c of trees of our youth.

        togeto    a dying man o reaffirm tness; I ed my Eniso go to e ed t as    royed fad battered o ed from ter ly. it S into te’s mout, tenderly closed ly rolled o    side,

        arranging    faced Mecca. Se s over her.

        I    tsely and by t t follo like somebody h and home.

        One by one, I collected tures into a portfolio, donned my an and ily fled tly for tending not to see one of t-nosed grandc about all tivity: to enjoy our pain.

        tiny    t to tentatious structure s enormous domes and expansive courtyard, typical of t ructed lately. t I’d observed as a    of increasing frequency, ending ttle rat ire mosque,    t    over t trees at tyard. e avoided ttacks of tis yard, just like ter ts aicks and excused tired to a private er.

        After yesterday’s divorce proceedings, and in lig t ain     brings you here now?” upon his face.

        “Enishis m.”

        “May God ly. ed myself by tag to my statement? I dropped anoto ical to terday. I requested t e t o go around announg to tire neighborhood.

        “My brotoget at carrying out tions of the deceased,” he said.

        could be more suitable t o    tual funeral prayer ernoon and t notables and crotending. I didn’t attempt to explain tate of Enistered    tter o be addressed at a higher level.

        Since Our Sultan rusted t e to treasurer, I o report to o t

        out an uperer, a relative on my late fatailors’ alls opposite Coldfountain Gate ever since I led    I o see treasurer.    among ices icolored silk spread over tailor’s assistant o take measurements. o tain Gate I kneo avoid passio turists.

        tle noy to me. t a single person at titiate, before ioners    ing from ters’ e (ed my sense of alarm to te of Salutation, or Sed Gate, ime in my life.

        At te, I could ention on t o be ever at tation from te    of upery cloting my tailor-cum-guide.

        As soon as ered t my    pounding even in ten described by my Ey. Yet, I didn’t feel tion of a man repidation and pious reverence; I felt myself to be a simple servant of Our Sultan, ion of tared at to splasains and to move about    touc t t I e Our Sultan’s secret book, ions I carried under my arm. it knoly railed beailor, my eyes fixed on to its proximity.

        Apanied by a royal page ly, as in a dream, passed treasury; I felt t I’d seen t well.

        e eo a room t o as ts er artisans s. I inferred t tan’s craftsmen’s guilds: mace makers, boot makers, silversmiter velvet makers, ivory engravers, and luting outside treasurer’s door itions ing payments, tion of materials and requests to ean’s forbidden private quarters to take measurements. I o discover no illuminators among them.

        e o one side and began to    as ing an error in ats, request clarification; t by a polite response, from a locksmitter of tyard pigeoy requests of tisans.

        urn came, I ereasurer’s small domed co find it occupied by a single clerk. I quickly explai tant matter to be submitted to treasurer’s attention: A book project t Our Sultan    most importaued by ions from my Enisiced t ty of tures, triking etricity, boggled eo inform e’s name,    and ion, adding t    of tures. I spoke quickly,    if I returned from t rea, I’d be accused of    Eniso t dreadful state myself.

        to apprise treasurer, I broke into a cold s. ould treasurer,    Our Sultan’s side, ed Enderun quarters of to see me? t t a messenger co t of tan    be: ired to one of treasurer in his pany?

        Mucer, I    me put it taken so unao be afraid. Even so, I panicked onis in ter velvet maker standing at tepped inside and    oerrified; I t I’d be uo speak.    only reasurer. rations t rested on a reading table aking t as if I ings. I kissed the hem of his robe.

        “My dear c misuood, e has passed away?”

        I couldn’t ans of excitement, or per, and simply nodded. At time tely ued id surprised gaze of treasurer, a teardrop slid ever so sloed by being in treasurer aken leave of Our Sultan to speak to me and by being so o ears began to stream from my eyes, but I didn’t feel test tinge of embarrassment.

        “Cry to your ’s tent, my dear son,” said treasurer.

        I sobbed and o tan, to t of t realizes    a c whe

        silversmit makers outside o treasurer.

        Yes, I told    as it came to me. As I once again saies relating my Eniss borne by trations, I regained my posure. I felt certain t to extricate myself from trap I’d fallen into o put myself at te justid affe of Our Sultan, Refuge of ting all t I said and o torturers and executioners, reasurer vey my story directly to Our Sultan?

        “Let Enis delay,” said treasurer. “I    tire artists’ guild to attend his funeral.”

        me to ascertain , I expressed my s about t, and tive bee and t Effendi. I ed t targeting dervis be involved. ful expression of treasurer, I eagerly s tary reo illustrate and illuminate Eniso unavoidable petition and jealousy among ters. t alone could very ed treds, grudges and intrigues. As t my mout treasurer    justice be do is all I ask, nothing more.

        itreasurer cast iny, and fixed tention on tures resting on table.

        “tes    en illustrations. Enisook mold leaf from us than has been used here.”

        “t murdering ic must olen t illustration, upon whe gold lied,” I said.

        “You    told us w be.”

        “My late Enis yet pleted text. icipating my s pletion.”

        “My dear c explained anbul.”

        “It’s been one er Elegant Effendi was killed.”

        “You mean to say t your Enisrating an unten—a ent—manuscript for aire year?”

        “Yes, sir.”

        “o you o ret?”

        “Precisely an stated ed: A book t depicted trike terror into t of tian Doge by sary strengtogeted eo be a book reting aing t valuable, most vital aspects of our realm; and just as reatises on Prait of Our Sultan uated at t of trations yle using Frankisian Doge and his desire for friendship.”

        “I’m a, but are trees t valuable and vital aspects of ted uring    trations.

        “My Enis in peace, insisted t t Our Sultan’s    ual and moral strength his hidden sorrows.”

        “And Our Sultan’s portrait?”

        “I    seen it. It’s probably .”

        My late Eniso tatus of a man    treasurer deemed ruggled to plete a book reasurer t and untrusto marry Eniser, or for some oto sell off t my case    to be closed, so speaking nervously and    of my strengtried to clear my name: I told    my Eniso me t one of ter miniaturists ’ve murdered poor Elegant Effendi. Keeping my declaration brief, I told e suspected Olive, Stork or Butterfly. I    mucer treasurer sidered me not a base slanderer and a foolish gossip.

        Finally, I ed    ceal tails of Eniserious deatook t ory. tures remained reasurer and I passed te of Salutation—e of er exiting uiny of tely relaxed, like a soldier returned er an absenany years.
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