¡¶My Name is Red¡·


 I AM A CORPSE

    I am not a corpse no ttom of a  breat opped beating, no one, apart from t vile murderer, kno c for my pulse and listened for my breato be sure I o tone, broke apart; my face, my foretered, and my mouth blood.

    For nearly four days I  be searcer, spent from crying, must be staring fretfully at tyard gate. Yes, I kno turn.

    But, are truly ing? I can¡¯t even be sure of t. Maybe tten used to my absence¡ªs t one¡¯s former life persists. Before my birte time, and after my deatible time. I never t of it before: I¡¯d been living luminously beternities of darkness.

    I ions in Our Sultan¡¯s ely, I earned nine urally, only makes all of to bear.

    I ing and embellised t lifelike designs of leaves, branced scalloped Cyle clouds, clusters of overlapping vines and forests of color t ans, trees, palaces, ers. In my youte a plate, or t, or at times, ter years,  pages because Our Sultan paid  say it seems insignificant nohe value of money even when you¡¯re dead.

    After  t you earned er death?

    about ¡¯s deat, tremely curious about terlife.

    Maybe you¡¯ve ory of ty t tlefields.  a man o life amid truggling for tell  ts of t one of tamerlane¡¯s aking troke of ar, causing o conclude t in ter man gets split in two.

    Nonsense! Quite te, I¡¯d even say t souls divided in life merge in ter. Contrary to t I¡¯m speaking to you from  as you can plainly tell, I  ceased to be. Granted, I must confess, I  encountered trees bearing plump fruit and tiful virgins mentioned in ten and entically I made pictures of ter ¡°t race of ter and  in t by visionary dreamers like Ibn Arabi. But I ention of tempting tfully t me declare t all I¡¯ve seen relates specifically to my oances. Any believer tle knoer deat a malcontent in my state he rivers of heaven.

    In s, I,  Effendi, am dead, but I  been buried, and t completely left my body. traordinary situation, alturally my case isn¡¯t t, ed al part of me. t feel my crusially submerged in ice-cold er, I do feel torment of my soul struggling desperately to escape its mortal coil. It¡¯s as if tracting into a bolus of anguish.

    I can only compare traction to t during t of my deatantly understood t tced to kill me ruck me one and cracked my skull, but I didn¡¯t believe  been aware of wween worksely

    to life eeto  bore you ails of t blows I received.

    t of departure; my arrival to t ticed. I closed my eyes as if I o sleep, and I gently passed over.

    My present complaint isn¡¯t t my teets into my bloody mout my face ion, or t I¡¯ve been abandoned in t¡¯s t everyone assumes I¡¯m still alive. My troubled soul is anguis my family and intimates, rivial dealings some delay, pray for me and have me buried. Above all, find my murderer!

    For even if you bury me in t magnificent of tombs, so long as t clessly in my grave, ing and infecting you all  son-of-a-ail just erlife¡ªbut knoer ,  be tortured by sloering eigen of ask by torturers and plucking out ing, oily rand by strand, so ime.

    ters. You say t, per one?

    In t case let me caution you: My deat our religion, our traditions and troyed me. Learn o you. One by one, everyted by t preac o ened, is coming to pass. Let me say also t if tuation into  of miniaturists could never o illustrate it. As ood¡ªtaggering pos being depicted. I doubt you¡¯ve fully compre.

    Listen to me. ice, I too feared and trut sucters. But

    I¡¯ve ended up in t could o you, be  to do but racing my stenco do but orture t some benevolent man  upon t beastly murderer once .

 I AM CALLED BLACK-1

    After an absence of tered Istanbul like a sleepo  to die, and in my case, it  dreo ty where I¡¯d been born and raised.

    returned, I t ter, I er love. Love, ant and forgotten ty. It anbul, t I fell h my young cousin.

    Four years after I first left Istanbul, eppes, snoains and melancies of Persia, carrying letters and collecting taxes, I admitted to myself t I ting t beried desperately to remember o realize t despite love, a face long not seen finally fades. During t in t, traveling or ary in t t of my beloved. Later, in t akenly called to mind in tely different countenance. In turned to my city at ty-six, I  my beloved¡¯s face had long since escaped me.

    Many of my friends and relatives ed tery overlooking tcever reason, gazing at to cry. as I crying for trangely, still only at ter all t because I¡¯d come to t snoranced by t in t I didn¡¯t notice taring at me from a dark corner of tery.

    My tears subsided. I s tail in friends tery. Sometime later, I settled into our neiging one of tive on my fat seems I reminded t t and so so clean the house and cook for me.

    I set out on long and satisfying reets as if I¡¯d settled not in Istanbul, but temporarily in one of ties at treets  seemed to me. In certain areas, on roads squeezed beto rub up against o avoid being  by laden pack seemed to me. I sae carriage, a citadel dra Column,¡± I saoget ed over tche falling snow.

    old Istanbul used to be a poorer, smaller and y, I mig , but t¡¯s old me. t¡¯d al trees, ot t my beloved¡¯s moternal aunt,  e, and er o learn t fater ims of certain misfortunes, from strangers ansuations are perfectly fort t aroyed your dreams. I  describe all of to you no alloo say t as I recalled  and sunny summer days in t old garden, I also noticed icicles ttle finger ree in a place  death.

    I¡¯d already learned about some of ter my Enis to me in tabriz. In t letter, ed me back to Istanbul, explaining t  book for Our Sultan and t ed my  for a period toman pasanbulites.  I did to use ts anbul to locate miniaturists and calligraprated by ttoman soldiers, but  yet left for Kazvin or anoty, and it ers¡ªcomplaining of poverty and neglect¡ªrate and bind ts I o Istanbul. If it  for trating and fine books t my Enisilled in me during my youts.

    At t end of treet, ime my Eniser by trade, in raigcer and soap brus  I¡¯m not sure  deligo see t till traced t  er.

    Some of treets I¡¯d frequented in my yout ruins ed and s frig , and I onisravagance, by  expensive Venetian stained glass, and by lavisory residences h bay windows suspended above high walls.

    As in many oties, money no longer anbul. At time I returned from t, bakeries t once sold large one-asted te moto spend t to leave before t on us instead of t I kne  Flemisian merc ss of counterfeit coin. At t,  ed from t.  tually floated in t fell from table-sellers pier, ted, besieging Our Sultan¡¯s palace as if it ress.

    A cleric by t, o be descended from Our Glorious Prop Muy, inflation, crime and t.

    totributed tastrop anbul in t ten years¡ªincluding trict fires, t claimed tens of t a cost of countless lives, as toman fortresses in t to Cians in revolt¡ªto our rayed from t, to disregard for

    trictures of to tolerance too to truments in dervish houses.

    tely informed me about t terfeit coins¡ªts, tamped toman coins ent¡ªt flooded ts and bazaars, just like treets, oe degradation from  to escape. I old t scoundrels and rebels izing until da destitute men of dubious cer, opium-addicted madmen and follolao be on Allas in derviso music, piercing ty, before brutally fucking eachey could find.

    I didn¡¯t knoe t compelled me to follo pickle seller, and seized upon t of tion. I do, y and  frequently on foot, your body, not to mention your soul, gets to knoreets so er a number of years t in a fit of melancirred by a ligoe promontories.

    to leave t and ended up c fell into t beside to accumulate on tops facing nortions of to terly breeze.

    An approaced me ter of canvas. ts sails matcrees, tops, tacyards mingled in my ically t, er, I  be able to live anyy. I ion t my beloved¡¯s face, o me.

    I began to o ter tomac a liver sy

    sened carefully to tc eace as if . taking ions, I found myself turning do¡ªer treets ed the coffeehouse.

    Inside, it oryteller, tabriz and in Persian cities and ain-caller,¡± ove. ure, tily but ain elegance. o ting, from time to time, at the drawing.

    I AM A DOG  As you can doubtless tell, dear friends, my canines are so long and pointed t into my mout it pleases me. Noticing teetco say, ¡°My God, t¡¯s no dog at all, it¡¯s a wild boar!¡±

    I bit  my canines sank rigty fleso tisfying as sinking eeto  of instinctual unity presents itself, t is, ten, stupidly and unknoeetion, my  even meaning to, I emit a hair-raising growl.

    I¡¯m a dog, and because you ional beasts telling yourselves, ¡°Dogs don¡¯t talk.¡± Neverto believe a story in  possibly know.

    Dogs do speak, but only to to listen.

    Once upon a time, long, long ago, in a fara one of t mosques in a capital city; all rig¡¯s call it t¡¯d be appropriate to ¡¯s refer to   whing more:

    ty of ellect ongue, God bless it. Eaced ion, so moved to tears t some il ted or dried up and  get me  of preac rary,  a blink as if to cise tion. In all probability, tongue laser all, no sir, o be o err¡ªand before t  intimidating to tears. ood t to be made in ture,  over top and o say the following:

    ¡°tary defeat lies in our forgetting time of our Glorious Prop and falling so

    false¡¯s birtiets like o ed melodically, like a song? ere tily and pompously to so an Arab¡¯s?

    as ting to prayer coyly, ating a oday, people plead before gravesites, begging for amends. tervention of t tombs of saints and one.

    tie votive pieces of cloturn for atonement. ere tarians ellectual mentor of tarians, became a sinner by s the infidel Pharaoh had died a believer.

    tis, to musical accompaniment or justify dancing oget?¡° are all kaffirs. Dervis to be destroyed, tions excavated to a depted eart into t ritual prayers be performed there again.¡±

    I ell t t aking matters even furttle flying from ed believers! te sin! Our Glorious Prop did not partake of coffee because  dulled tellect, caused ulcers, erility; ood t coffee  ts sit knee-to-knee, involving ts of vulgar be, even before t to be banned. Do to drink coffee? Men frequent tted rol of tal faculties to t t tually listen to and believe  t is true mongrels.¡±

    ito respond to t comment by teemed cleric. Of course, it is common kno ter concerns our revered Prop Mu off a piece of  lay sleeping rat. By pointing out tion so t, o us dogs, and due to our eternal feud ,  of men recognizes as an ingrate, people ried to

    intimate t t  ual ablutions, and t of t uries and ings in tyards from broomstick-akers.

    Alloo remind you of ¡°t beautiful of ters. I¡¯m reminding you not because I suspect t because I  to refreser recounts tory of tired of living among pagans and take refuge in a cave ly t er one of ters ty of men and tries to spend an outdated silver coin. All of tunned to learn ly describes man¡¯s attac to Allaransitory nature of time and t¡¯s not my place, alloo remind you of teention of a dog resting at to appear in take pride in ter, and t I intend to bring to ty mongrels, to their senses.

    So t¡¯s tual reason for ty to dogs are impure, and cleaning and purifying your op to bottom if a dog o enter?  toucions? If your caftan brus our damp fur, an seven times like a frenzied insmit a pot licked by a dog must be tinned. Or pers¡­  tary life of ty, s¡¯s  before t of Islam, t  to burden you o ory and ponder its moral¡ªto be , my anger arises out of teemed cleric¡¯s attacks upon our coffeehouses.

    t of Erzurum  t kind of dog do you think you are?

    You¡¯re attacking ter is a picture-oryteller ales at a coffee to protect !¡± God forbid, I¡¯m not denigrating anyone. But I¡¯m a great admirer of our coffee t my portrait , but I do regret t I can¡¯t sit doer is pouring coffee for me from a small coffeepot. A picture can¡¯t drink coffee, you say?

    Please! See for yourselves, this dog is happily lapping away.

    A  t, it¡¯s s. Noen to ell you: Besides bolts of Ctery adorned  did tian Doge send to Nur Sultan, teemed dauged Sultan? A soft and cuddly Venetian s of silk and sable. I  tcually fucked ¡¯s  even engage in t   Frankisfits like t any over t and ian  sure¡ªanyway, sed dead away.

    In treets tered like t miserable of slaves and dragged around in isolation. ts into to t permitted to  alone sniff and frolic toget despicable state, in c gaze forlornly at eacance . Dogs s of Istanbul freely in packs and communities, ten people if necessary, c in t e ¡¯s not t I  t t t be reets of Istanbul in excablis of cies t perform sucend both

    to treat us as enemies and make infidels of us, let me remind t being an enemy to dogs and being an infidel are one and t t too distant executions of tioner friends invite us to take a bite, as times do to set a deterring example.

    Before I finis me say ter  man.

    out at nigo te: I¡¯d begin to bark, and  t of our victim urn for my  up ty men t o me. I don¡¯t like ra. God ioner of t cleric from Erzurum ake to account so I  upset my stomac scoundrel¡¯s raw flesh.

    I ILL BE CALLED A MURDERER  Nay, I  ake anyone¡¯s life, even if I¡¯d been told so moments before I murdered t fool; and t times recedes from me like a foreign galleon disappearing on t committed any crime at all. Four days o do a, ent, accepted my situation.

    I o resolve ted and a o do a I kneter ty. I couldn¡¯t let tions of one foolire society of miniaturists.

    Nevertakes some getting used to. I can¡¯t stand being at  to treet. I can¡¯t stand my street, so I o anotare at people¡¯s faces, I realize t many of t because t yet unity to snuff out a life. It¡¯s o believe t most men are more moral or better t of some minor t of fate. At most, t stupider expressions because t yet killed, and like all fools, to entions. After I took care of t patic man, reets of Istanbul for four days  everyone  across .

    tonigeaming coffee at ted in treets of t, gazing at tcting my plig of t everyted. tion t one of t toryteller as I uition ed near mine or by tlessly rapped  sure  I suddenly turned and looked ly in tart and orted. As tance of ook  his place.¡±

    Raising an eyebroed me. No one trusted anyone, everyone expected to be done in at any moment by t to him.

    It ed on street corners and at t, I could find my reets only by groping  times, t of an oil lamp still burning some from beters, reflecting on t mostly, I could see notening for tcicks on stones, for t times treets of ty seemed to be lit up by a rees, I t I spotted one of ts t anbul suchousands of years.

    From s or snorting or  in ts of ried to strangle eac t.

    For a couple of nigo to relive t before becoming a murderer, to raise my spirits and to listen to toryteller. Most of my miniaturist friends, t my entire life, came . Since I¡¯d silenced t lout rations since c  to see any of them.

    Muc t do  gossiping, and about tmospy in tcures for toryteller so t accuse me of conceit, but t failed to put an end to their envy.

    tified in being jealous. Not one of ting and embellising subjects, draling ing beasts, sultans, s one could approacery in imbuing illustrations ry of t even in gilding. I¡¯m not bragging, but explaining to you so you migand me. Over time, jealousy becomes an element as indispensable as paint in ter artist.

    During my lessness, I come face-to-face occasionally  pure and innocent religious countrymen, and a strange notion suddenly enters my hink

    about t t I¡¯m a murderer, t on my face.

    to t t as I forced myself, , to baniss of  unlike ts  t of copulation out of my ts, no t I¡¯ve committed.

    You realize, in fact, t I¡¯m explaining all te to my predicament. But if I o divulge even one detail related to tself, you¡¯d figure it all out and tion and relegate me to tatus of an ordinary, confessed criminal o dail, alloo keep some clues to myself: try to discover ive people like yourselves migprints to catcurn, brings us to tyle,¡± : Does a miniaturist, ougurist, yle? A use of color, a voice all his own?

    Let¡¯s consider a piece by Bier of masters, patron saint of all miniaturists. I erpiece, o my situation because it¡¯s a depiction of murder, among ty-year-old book of t sc emerged from ttle of succession and recounts tory of e of o Nizami¡¯s version, not Firdusi¡¯s:

    ter a  of trials and tribulations;  give t only  also es, ¡°enco t, entering tabs  ill dawn and  iful Shirin, who remains sleeping peacefully beside him.

    ture by t master Biale itself, addresses a grave fear I¡¯ve carried  to realize tranger making faint sounds as

    t truder ail, t ation, t scream emanating from your clamped t and t quilt upon eps as ails serve ting ty of ting, t e are ting¡¯s beauty and of to your deat of your being totally alone in deate t strikes you.

    ¡°ter said ty years ago as rembling ed not by t by tion itself. ¡°t ture.¡±

    Bi t  ure anyo ter, t and a feeling of srue art and genuine virtuosity tist can paint an incomparable masterpiece  leaving even a trace of ity.

    Fearing for my life, I murdered my unfortunate victim in an ordinary and crude manner. As I returned to t after nigo ascertain  migray me, questions of style increasingly arose in my  ed as style ion or fla revealed ty hand.

    I could¡¯ve located t t, razed by fire, y-five years. No migerpreted as signature, proving t Allayle and signature. If ually committed an unpardonable sin by illustrating t book¡ªas t  ained four days ago¡ªeven if urists.

    t nig Effendi and I came  yet begun to fall. e could ance.

    ¡°Pray, for e one had asked.

    ¡° do you plan to s  te hour?¡±

    ¡°Just a, Enis you are happily rewarded.¡±

    ¡°Am I to understand t you admit you kneation.

    ¡°I admit it,¡± I lied obligingly.

    ¡°You acknoure you¡¯ve made is in fact a desecration, don¡¯t you?¡± ly. ¡°It¡¯s  no decent man . You¡¯re going to burn in ts of hell. Your suffering and pain will never diminish¡ªand you¡¯ve made me an accomplice.¡±

    As I listened to rengty t, , people rue about miserable creatures ot Eniso fly due to to pay¡ªand because Master Osman, tor, despised  occurred to me t per, ent used ts to buttress ions. to w degree was ?

    I  t pitted us against eac mince o be provoking me to cover up a mistake, as during our apprentice years, ing by Master Osman. Back ty convincing. As an apprentice,  back t yet dimmed from t finally I ; o confess everyto everyone.

    ¡°Do listen to me,¡± I said ion. ¡°e make illuminations, create border designs, drao pages, er page ones of gold, est of paintings,  is our calling.

    tings from us, ordering us to arrange a selope or a sultan icular frame, demanding a certain style of bird, a certain type of figure, take ticular scene from tory, forget about sucever it is t. ¡±Listen,¡° Eniso me, ¡±  artists of old, I sketc

    come to knoly om my  of Samarkand paper.¡° I took tc and so Elegant.  terest and, leaning close to to study te  moonligers of S,¡± I said, ¡°claimed t a miniaturist cy years to be able to truly depict t Alla t picture of a rue miniaturist  fifty-year period, but in the horse.¡±

    t expression on old me t ely absorbed in my horses.

    ¡°try to make t mysterious, t unattainable  as ters did. to it. It¡¯s unjust of to ration.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure t¡¯s correct,¡± oo, ies and our o Alla was  we miginguish Good from Evil.¡±

    It e response.

    ¡°Alla you and I,  being a Enis you a bes tan?¡±

    Silence.

    I wondered wing  of a sincere fear of Allah.

    e stopped at t sig ied  it oo late for t. I prayed to God to give me one more sign t tanding before me  only a dim-ted co an unredeemable disgrace.

    ¡°Count off teps and dig,¡± I said.

    ¡°t will you do?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll explain it all to Enisures.  ot ion,

    nots  ain you  inform on us.¡±

    ¡° is tained in?¡±

    ¡°ty-five Venetian gold pieces inside an old ceramic pickle jar.¡±

    tian ducats made good sense, but  God ice, ed excitedly counting off teps in tion I indicated.

    t t moment. First of all, tian coins or anyt buried t come up roy us. I suddenly felt like embracing times did  t o dig. it templation, if you could call it t, lasted only a ime.

    Panicking, I grabbed a stone t lay beside till on tep, I caugo ruck rengtruck ly and brutally t I arily startled, as if t his pain.

    Instead of anguis I¡¯d done, I ed to finishe job quickly.

    on ther.

    Long after I¡¯d dropped o templated  in t befit turist.

    I AM YOUR BELOVED UNCLE  I am Black¡¯s maternal uncle, e, but ote.¡±

    time  only Black, but everyone began referring to me t y years ago, after o treet snut and linden trees beyond trict, Black began to make frequent visits to our   Pasurn in tumn to discover t Black and aken refuge in our home.

    Black¡¯s mot in peace, er of my dearly departed imes on er evenings I¡¯d come o find my  te little religious scaugempered, angry and  time;  doh apprehension.

    It pleases me to see ermined, mature and respectful nep  to ed me  as a gift, and e and demure  of sitting before me oget only announces t o be, but it reminds me t I am indeed to be.

    ly nervous yet becoming gestures om of placing aring deeply and intently into my eyes as if to say, ¡°I understand, I¡¯m listening to you ell , or tle rce appropriate. No I¡¯ve reac true respect arises not from t, but from discrete rules and deference.

    During t ly to our ense because sicipated a future for ood t books pleased  us togeto put it, ice.¡± I explained to

    urists in Sed a neyle by raising to top of t cate in t, crazed  master Biter able to convey Mejnun¡¯s loneliness by portraying tempting to ignite logs by bloents. I remarked   most of trators   a miniaturist o read text rating ivated by nothan greed.

    I¡¯m deligo see t Black ial virtue:

    to avoid disappointment in art, one mustn¡¯t treat it as a career. Despite  artistic sense and talent a man mig to seek money and poion for s and efforts.

    Black recounted  one by one all of ter illustrators and calligrapabriz by making books for pasanbulites and patrons in tists, I learned, y of t. Not only in tabriz, but in Masurists ures¡ªcuriosities t ravelers¡ªeven obscene dra ted manuscript Sed to Our Sultan during tabriz peace treaty aken apart so its pages could be used for another book.

    Supposedly, tan, Akbar,  t gifted illustrators of tabriz and Kazvin quit o his palace.

    As old me all of tly interjected otories as aining story of a Me erupted among t prince sent to tage to peace fell feverisell from t fell across  to  to be resolved.

    Naturally, Black, like every young man o say about us, or iful daug consider it

    dangerous enougo  my attention back t everyone¡ªincluding many  belle of belles. Black¡¯s affliction ed youto our ed and y actually to see S bury  made take of revealing reme passion to my daughter.

    As a result, o quit our ely.

    I assumed t Black noanbul, my daug t of  t still bereft of any common sense, o return again. No one  only because suc in Istanbul, but because during t passed bet ory long ago, judging by to my eyes. Even at t, as s an eye at tands open on tand, I kno my daugurned o wo sons.

    I¡¯ve neglected to mention t in Black¡¯s absence.

    Most likely, Black, like any young felloige, considered it quite discourteous to broac. Still, old aircase t t moving upstairs o ease ts.  oddly embarrassed, but let me tell you: Men iny military fiefs, o build tory houses.

    e  I used as ting  Black  once disclosed to ter t inspired tter I¡¯d sent to tabriz, inviting o Istanbul.

    ¡°Just as you did in concert urists of tabriz, I, too, rated manuscript,¡± I said. ¡°My client is, in fact, an, tion of t, Our Sultan  to me under cover of the

    reasurer. And I o an understanding  talented and accomplisists of Our Sultan¡¯s atelier. I o illustrate a dog, anotree, a t anoted ted to represent Our Sultan¡¯s entire  as in tings of tian masters. But unlike tians, my  merely depict material objects, but naturally tan rules. If I ended up including ture of a gold coin, it o belittle money; I included Deatan because  kno. I ed tality of a tree, ty of a dog to represent an and ed my cadre of illustrators, nicknamed ¡±Stork,¡° ¡±Olive,¡° ¡±Elegant¡® and ¡°Butterfly,¡± to select subjects of t, most forbidding er evenings, one of my Sultan¡¯s illustrators ly visit to s he book.

    ¡° kind of pictures ing t  really ans present. Not because I¡¯m  from you, and not because I  eventually tell you. It¡¯s as t quite knoures mean. I do,  kind of paintings t to be.¡±

    Four monter I sent my letter, I ed on treet  Black urned to Istanbul, and, in turn, I invited o our  my story bore a promise of bot ogether.

    ¡°Every picture serves to tell a story,¡± I said. ¡°turist, in order to beautify t s t vital scenes: t time lovers lay eyes on eacem cutting off ter; R¨¹stem¡¯s grief ranger e and ure among lions, tigers, stags and jackals; to t before a battle to divine its outcome from tnesses a great falcon tear apart igued from reading tales, rest upon tures. If text t our intellect and imagination are at pains to conjure, tration comes at once to our aid. tory¡¯s blossoming in color. But painting  its accompanying story is an impossibility.

    ¡°Or so I used to tfully. ¡°But te possible. traveled once again to Venice as tan¡¯s ambassador. I observed at lengtraits t tian masters  knoo ures belonged, and I struggled to extract tory from ting hanging on a palazzo wall and was dumbfounded.

    ¡°More t  one of us. As I stared at  as if I resembled   resemble me at all.  seemed to lack crace of my marvelous c look anyture, for some reason, my  fluttered as if it rait.

    ¡°I learned from tian gentleman  trait  in rait: In tic-looking forest. Resting on table before time, Evil, Life, a calligrapaining gold coins, bric-a-brac, odds and ends, inscrutable yet distinguis ures, sure of tunningly beautiful daugood beside her.

    ¡° ive t tation  to embellise? As I regarded t tale ure itself. ting  tension of a story at all, it s o.

    ¡°I never forgot ting t be turned to taying as a guest and pondered ture tire nigoo, ed to be portrayed in t, no, t  appropriate, it an o be trayed! Our Sultan ougo be rendered along  represented and constituted tled on tion t a manuscript could be illustrated according to this idea.

    ¡°tian virtuoso ure in suc you ely kno  man, if told you to pick  of a croo select t man  portrait.

    tian masters ing techey

    could distinguis relying on fit or medals, just by tinctive sraiture.¡° ¡°If your face ed in to forget you, and if you  ually nearby. ter your deato-face anding before them.¡±

    e remained silent for a long time. A c tside filtered t of treet; tters h dipped in beeswax.

    ¡°turist,¡± I said. ¡° like tists for tan¡¯s secret book, and ogetill da unfortunate Elegant Effendi,   never to arrive at   poor master gilder of mine.¡±

    I AM ORhey indeed killed him?¡±

    tall, skinny and a little frigo talking in t  sig are you doing here?¡±

    me in suc I climbed onto  ans me back do away.

    ¡°Kiss Black¡¯s hand,¡± he said.

    I kissed touc to my fore had no smell.

    ¡°e charming,¡± Black said and kissed me on my cheek. ¡°One day he¡¯ll be a brave young man.¡±

    ¡°t, who¡¯s seven.

    t one¡¯s quite a stubborn little child.¡±

    ¡°I  back to treet in Aksaray,¡± said Black. ¡°It  it  all.¡±

    ¡°Alas! Everytly o me. ¡°her?¡±

    ¡°or, ter binder.¡±

    ¡°So, w are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°ter said, ¡±Fine o me.¡° ¡°You made your o o Black: ¡°ter tices, learning t of binding.¡±

    ¡°Do you like to make illustrations like your grandfather?¡± asked Black.

    I gave him no answer.

    ¡°All righer. ¡°Leave us be, now.¡±

    t from t  I didn¡¯t  to leave. Smelling t and glue, I stood still for a moment. I could also smell coffee.

    ¡°Yet does illustrating in a ne poor gilder despite t t yle. I¡¯m not even certain  rating a commemorative story in verse, a Book of Festivities, for Our Sultan by order of tor Master Osman. Eacurists  er Osman,  ts  you to go t t is, turists,   or Master Osman gave tterfly,¡° ¡±Olive,¡° ¡±Stork¡®¡­You¡¯re also to go and observe tead of airs, I spun around. t room -in closet  in.

    Inside t my moto see me.

    Sood .

    ¡°here have you been?¡± she asked.

    But s ts door aircase¡ªif, of course, his bedroom door were open.

    ¡°I  are you doing in here?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you t your grandfat and t you  to bot not very loud, because s  t to  er voice.

    ¡°ted. Not s tened.¡±

    ¡°In w manner was ed?¡±

    I dropped to tated t: ¡°I¡¯m a very serious man noening to my grandfat eyebroening to ted. I¡¯m nodding my ime no guest.¡±

    ¡°Go doairs,¡± my mot once.¡±

    S doing on a small piece of paper on ting board saken up.

    ¡°Mot are you ing?¡±

    ¡°Be quick, no I tell you to go doairs and call for hayriye?¡±

    I  doo tc,  for t.

    ¡°traitor,¡± my brot  off and left me er. I did all the bindings myself. My fingers are bruised purple.¡±

    ¡°s to see you.¡±

    ¡°o give you sucing,¡± my brotreachery.¡±

    , my brotood and came after me teningly, even before  get aime.  t and began ting it.

    ¡°Stop, S, don¡¯t, you¡¯re ing me.¡±

    ¡°Are you ever going to sies again and leave?¡±

    ¡°No, I  ever leave.¡±

    ¡°So it.¡±

    ¡°I swear.¡±

    ¡°She Koran.¡±

    ¡°¡­on the Koran.¡±

    let go of my arm. o tray t able for eating and forced me to my knees. rong enougo eat inued to t my arm.

    ¡°Quit torturing your brotyrant,¡± said side. ¡°Leave him be.¡±

    ¡°Mind your oill ting my arm. ¡°o?¡±

    ¡°to buy lemons,¡± hayriye said.

    ¡°You¡¯re a liar,¡± my brothe cupboard is full of lemons.¡±

    As o free myself. I kicked s base, but he pounced on me,

    smotray fell over.

    ¡°You t   airs  being seen by Black?

    Sed us. ¡°You t continue to disgrace me, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Oro ter binder,¡± S said. ¡° me to do all the work.¡±

    ¡°her said, slapping him.

    S ly. My brot cry. ¡°I  my father,¡± he said.

    ¡°urns o take up Uncle o move back h Uncle hasan.¡±

    ¡°S up!¡± said my mot s by tcairs to t faced tyard. I folloh of you.¡±

    ¡°But I  done anytered any  pitc ligters facing te tree in tyard¡ªI was scared.

    ¡°Open ther,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m cold.¡±

    ¡°Quit w said. ¡°S soon enough.¡±

    Moto beil tor leaves?¡±

    s t in tcove until Black takes  to go upstairs, do you understand?¡±

    ¡°e¡¯ll get bored in t said. ¡°here has hayriye gone?¡±

    ¡°Quit butting into everyone¡¯s affairs,¡± my mother said.

    e

    our grandfat Black¡¯s. e  ing us to smile as aking teps for faced us off tairside tchen.

    ¡°Drrsss,¡± so table.

    Surned around and guided us into co sit do even consider standing until our guest leaves. And don¡¯t fighink you¡¯re spoiled.¡±

    ¡°Moto c to say somether¡¯s gilder in.¡±

 I AM CALLED BLACK-2

    laid eyes on  once akenly recalled about S I remembered. So, t to be. For a dozen years, as I ventured from city to city, I¡¯d , flesible, like a large, shiny cherry.

    aken Srait yle of tian masters, I   sucravels ill your home.

    Meeting S son and speaking lessness peculiar to to murderers and to sinners. An inner voice urged me on, ¡°Be quick now, go and see her.¡±

    For a ting my Enised t of turally, opened onto taircase¡ªuntil I found S, I¡¯d been separated from my beloved for to  discreetly, listening to my Eniss t Soucimes.

    ed to me t tan ed to ed in time for tan, Refuge of ted to demonstrate t in tate could make use of tyles of tivities made, tan granted t ter miniaturists, ted to sequester t o ead of among t t tine visits to my Enishte.

    ¡°You s or Master Osman,¡± said my Enis  h.¡±

    Despite t t my Enis anding of a master illustrator and t t istic expertise at all, rol over an illustrated manuscript. t,  of tan, a situation t, of course, strained ionser Osman.

    ttention to be absorbed by ture and objects ill remembered t and tray, te coffee cups t ugal, as my late aunt ed numerous times. ts, like tand for a turban nailed to t pilloill carried someting in t house.

    Painting and tention to my story and my fate to bear t one time, I ented ings. ten t  deeply indebted to So adapt optimistically to life and t¨¦, no doubt t my love ed, I greo regard t ness t I involved myself o love to love te required of me back trating and painting. But as mucive and more fertile first ion to t for S poisoned tter time to being rejected; my desire on icy nigo sputter out and vanisoves of a caravansary, repeatedly dreaming after a nig I o a desolate abyss along ion t I  was furnished by Shekure.

    ¡°ere you a after deato meet s of men and heir beds?¡±

    ¡°No, I .¡±

    ¡°e take a long journey after deat afraid of dying.  I fear is dying before I finisan¡¯s book.¡±

    Part of me felt I ronger, more reasonable and more reliable te, and part of me  of tan t I¡¯d purco meet er¡¯s er going doairs, I¡¯d take out of table and ride away.

    I told s to turists. I kissed  it to my foreairs, entered tyard, and sensing ted t I  t table door, a breeze began to stir. I led my o t of tyard, and  as if rong, large-veined legs, ience and ubbornness ered treet, I  to sly mount my steed and disappear doo return again, tish.

    ¡°My brave man, my young ruly as  you be married? Or might you be a bachelor?

    ould you deign to buy a silk  lover from Estanbul¡¯s premier peddler of fine cloth?¡±

    ¡°Nay.¡±

    ¡°A red saslas silk?¡±

    ¡°Nay.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t go on piping ¡±nay¡® at me like t!  like you not  lover? eary-eyed maidens are burning  and so gesture. At time, he skill of a

    magician  of tter to appear in ealt, and as if I¡¯d been training for t for years, I ily and artfully placed it into my sas ter and felt like fire against tween my belly and back.

    ¡°Ride at an amble,¡± said Esturn rig t breaking stride, but o te tree turn and look at t left, at to your right.¡±

    S on ant.

    I mounted t like a novice doing so for t time. My  ement, my ten o control t rol of my ructed, my reet!

    It  I felt I migrutales, from beter and every latticed c I mig same fire t  I desired? as I succumbing aneo tartling me.

    e tree? as it tree here?

    Yes! I turned sligo t in my saddle. I sa t wencher!

    Just as I s, tters opened , as if ter tunning face among sno.

    as my dark-eyed beloved looking at me or at anot tell ed in my saddle again, fixing my desirous stare for as long as possible, until , elegant and mysterious face disappeared behe branches.

    Mucer, after opening ter and seeing tration   to  t moment, pictured a times, in ws S melancree

    between us. y, ohose books we so cherish and adore.

    I AM ESt S letter I presented to Black. As ty of mine, I learned everyto knoend you¡¯re flipping back tory and let me tell you  letter.

    No¡¯s getting on toired to our  little Je to keep o tove. Pay no mind to my calling myself ¡°old.¡± ems cain to lure to ts and t clot over in Portuguese s bundle, Estanbul¡¯s a kettle, and treet I don¡¯t visit. t a ter t I  carried from one door to t, and I¡¯ve played matco anbul, but I didn¡¯t begin tal to brag. As I aking our ease in t t and opened it to discover  idiot slave girl, standing before me. Ster in  tell ement, but srembling as she explained Shekure¡¯s wishes.

    At first, I assumed tter o be taken to ¡¯s ty Surned from the war¡ªif you ask me, he¡¯s long since had his hide pierced.

    ell you see, t never-to-return soldier- Ster  meant for  for someone else.  did tter say? Esty, and in t.

    But alas,  knoo be , I  and er you¡¯ll never knole me for my meddling¡ªas if you yourselves aren¡¯t as nosy as barbers. I¡¯ll just relate to you ter. t s Sten:

    Black Effendi, you¡¯re a visitor to my o your close relations  don¡¯t expect a nod from me. Muc. I rong and spirited sons. One of t noo ting turn of my tle else ered my ts. I migection of a man, but let no one assume  take advantage of my situation. t erer, I¡¯m also returning ture you painted and sent to me  yet about  ¡¯s a mistake to believe t one could fall in love gazing at a picture. It¡¯d be best if you stopped coming to our ely.

    My poor So stamp your letter! At ttom of t letter of ened bird. Nothing more.

    I said ¡°seal.¡± You¡¯re probably ers. But in fact tters aren¡¯t sealed at all. ¡°t Esterate Jeing.¡± true, I can¡¯t read ten, but I can al ten, I can quite readily ¡°read¡± t myself.

    Confused, are you?

    Let  me  put  it  t  tand:

    A letter doesn¡¯t communicate by ter, just like a book, can be read by smelling it, touc and fondling it. telligent folk  tter tells you!¡±  ten!¡± Listen, noo w else Shekure said:

    . t tter in secret, by relying on Estter-delivery a matter of commerce and custom, I¡¯m signifying t I don¡¯t intend to conceal t muc all.

    . t I¡¯ve folded it up like a Frencry implies secrecy and mystery, true. But tter isn¡¯t sealed and ture enclosed. t implication is, ¡°Pray, keep our secret at all costs,¡± ation to love tter of rebuke.

    . Furtter confirms terpretation. t enougo be ambiguous¡ªdid sentionally perfume tter?¡ªyet alluring enougo fire readers¡¯ curiosity¡ªis ttar or to enrapture tter to me, will surely  on Black.

    . I am Esto read nor e, but t and ting seems to say ¡°Alas, I am rusing carelessly and  paying serious attention,¡±

    tters t tter elegantly as if caugle breeze convey t opposite message. Even  noter ten at t very moment, betrays a ploy no less obvious taken in each line.

    . ture sent along ter depicts pretty S old in tory t even I, Estanbul adore tory, but never o send an illustration relating to it.

    It ime to you fortunate literate people: A maiden o read a love letter ster is so surprising, exciting and disturbing t its o your becoming privy to  intimate affairs, asraugo read it once more. You read it again. In tter so many times t bot. Before long, sake tter in  statement t  to te places, sill unable to make sense of tares at tters of times I am so moved I forget t I myself can¡¯t read or e and feel to embrace terate maidens o the page.

    truly accursed letter-readers; pray, don¡¯t you turn out to be like one of takes tter in o touc again, desiring to look at it  understanding which words were

    spoken o  are you trying to do? You can¡¯t read,  to look at?¡± Some of t even return tter, treating it  belonged to t times, task of accosting trieving tter falls to me, Est¡¯s to your aid as well.

    I, S t eed? ters intuitively at t exact moment and stare at e tree? I can¡¯t tell you for sure. I¡¯d sent o Est Black ake t route. Mean-in closet and te tree to inspect ts in t. On a  t moment, I pusters open rengt flooded tanding at to-face  e lovely.

    ured and,  urned out to be a comely man. Listen S did tell me,  only o  of a c ter e message.

    ture tead of standing straigall before me in a fasting a man and announcing t o do t, jump from t or climb onto t t bury ure, ime, ing declaring ured by then.

    urned t Black could no longer look into my eyes, as if  ivory- t unable to look at me. If I asked ance, ¡°Is t to your liking?¡±  simply indicate so e smile or nod, as op of rying to communicate riking beauty t siged curtains or ya ely became enamored of me.

    I¡¯m not being a braggart, I¡¯m explaining tand my story and be better able to share in my grief.

    In tale of  t Black and I  lengtends to make ryside outing h

    , ing party opped to rest. Beure of t beautiful garden, Sricken by love. Many paintings depict t¡ªor ¡°scene¡± as turists ing of Sion and be as she image of h¨¹srev.

    ure many times and  copies by eyeing ted. After falling in love  time in place of rayed   for tions beneature imes  indication enougten our names beneat ting w and run off.

    co see ion to ion would be.

    I  I  be able to love  summer¡¯s day o cool ourselves s made o  all t Ulu, I told my fat ion of love. At t time, Black  graduated from tauge neig of my fatence ttempting to obtain tronage of teemed Naim Pas according to my fat yet s about aken great pains to  as a clerk to begin, complained t  doing muco furt very nigo Black and me, my fat s very  regard for my moter than we¡¯d supposed.¡±

    I remember  my fat my distance from Black and o visit our  I  explain all of t you¡¯ll dislike my fato you, ions reasonable people immediately sense t love  anding ts of t, make a quick end

    of it by politely declaring, ¡°t find us suitably matc¡¯s just t is.¡± But, I¡¯ll  my motimes, ¡°At least don¡¯t break t.¡± Black, y-four, and I   of  insolence,   her¡¯s wishes.

    t forgotten ogetime   Istanbul,  ely out of our affections.

    Because  y for years, I deemed it appropriate to save ture oken of our co prevent my fater my soldier-ure and getting upset or jealous, I expertly concealed t appear as if someone o t later to be disguised as flourned t picture to oday, maybe to take a dim vie.

    o  t t, until I felt the evening air.

    t care reet  ters, Mesrure,  t inopportune times o told me t a person never knoly imes I¡¯ll say somettering it t it is of my o no sooner do I arrive at t realization te is true.

    I urists my faten invited to t pretend I  spied on eac missing, mucunate ¡±  among t impoveris.

    I closed tters, left t doo tchen.

    ¡°Mot didn¡¯t listen to you,¡± Oraking  of table, S left tche peephole.¡±

    ¡° of it!¡± S said, waving .¡±

    ¡°tle butter and serve it to th marzipan and sugar.¡±

    Or . But as I airs, t up to me, screaming, pusedly. ¡°Be sloted te backs.

    is to be ly given o a book.

    ¡°Your guest ed,¡± I said. ¡°I  trouble you much?¡±

    ¡°On trary,¡± ertained me. ful as ever of e.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

    ¡°But now ing.¡±

    less to observe my reaction to close t in a manner t made ligongue, as I am  to do. time, t t of Black making ground on e horse, and I shuddered.

    I¡¯m not sure   later in t, Or joined us; tussled o to my bosom and felt t on my breasts.

    ¡°Ainks. I¡¯m going to send you to tomorroh hayriye.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t  to go to t said.

    ¡°oo grown-up?¡± I said.

    ¡°Mot said.

    I  into t I usually  my skin  and alive. I¡¯d rubbed a bit of rouge onto my c I evened it out by licking my palm and rubbing my c my relatives, t

    at t I look more like a sixteen-year-old maiden ty-four-year-old mot her prime?

    Believe truly believe t tell you any more.

    Don¡¯t be surprised t I¡¯m talking to you. For years I¡¯ve combed tures in my fat beauties. t, if feically. Never do tand straigans rated books by careless artists are trained not on tration¡ªo kno¡¯s say a lover or a goblet¡ªbut directly at t t reader.

    I s o time of tamerlane, volumes for ries: Perant land en to tory of mine. Isn¡¯t t lies beo be inscribed in t it just for t t sultans and viziers proffer bags of gold to ories ten? , just like tiful side, I, too, long to speak ant time and place. I¡¯m an attractive and intelligent  pleases me t I¡¯m being co tell a lie or time to time, it¡¯s so you don¡¯t come to any false conclusions about me.

    Maybe you¡¯ve noticed t my fat God took t me, er. My fates on me, t of  to a spaiced and fancied. If it  to my fat only be test of scion for painting and art, be possessed of poy, and be as ric of men in t even be found in to pine a home forever.

    My ermediates. unity to appear before me as I urning from t as fire, and I immediately fell in love. he was a dark-haired, fair-skinned, green-eyed man

    rong arms; but at ,  and quiet like a sleepy child.

    Nevert seemed, to me at least, t ang of blood about rengttle and amassing booty, even t le and quiet as a lady.

    ter alloo marry me because I tened to kill myself oter tary fief en ttle after battle  acts of bravery, truly, everyone envied us.

    Four years ago urn  of t t  first. For ttlefield, t and clever ing opportunities for er spoils, in ing more soldiers of nesses ains er ed from a division of ted a scurn, but after tomed to anbul, I resigned myself to my fate.

    At nigo quiet tears, I¡¯d tell t so-and-so urn before spring. After found its o me, I¡¯d be t to believe the good news.

    of times. e ed lemanly Abk er  son made une soldiering, returned to take up rade at a late age. oms, and as o assume ter, fearing t be able to pay rent, tily took to to t and sold er o do tc to to do tead. I didn¡¯t protest by saying, ¡°Am I type of o take on suc to  her-in-law of mine hasan, now

    o take into  nig knoo do.

    Of course, I could¡¯ve immediately come back o t according to to anger my in-la not stop at forcing my co my  e us furtained¡± me, puniso tell truto be more  if I o do t careful t, I migead of his wife.

    In any event, because t I ion of tance and turn to my fatoo,  eager for a judge¡¯s decision proclaiming my  dead, I naturally couldn¡¯t   marriage, my in-laion of tuation. For lest you forget, I sao all to th me.

    isfied  and decided it ime for me to marry   to arrange for tnesses to convince t kin, ed ed to declaring my nesses estify t ttle, t  difficult to convince  I  leave tance rigo marry  I¡¯d marry him of my own free will.

    Naturally, I kne to gain rust in to sleep ely assured I o  to get o divorce my  because I h him.

    it, I could¡¯ve fallen in love  years younger t tle brotiment endeared o me. I liked e demeanor, h my

    c me as t and I o force myself to fall in love  mind my o s and bazaars like a common slave. During to my fatared at ts, pans, bos y, .  I could love  tial and mandatory precondition for our marriage  itself; and because ed inappropriately. ried to corner me, kiss me and fondle me.  my urn, t he would kill me.

    ened me, cried like a baby and in e and fluster, never alloime for a true and noble love to be born. I knew I could never wed him.

    One nigried to force t ely, and  a t t I migen t top of my lungs t evil jinns ered the house.

    t of jinn-panic and screaming aed violence ill visible, to ings about jinns, taid old man to  acknorutted and ely approac sleep a ill morning, keeping c to protect my c ¡°t I¡¯d be returning to my fatended stay to care for ime of illness; t . I returned to my fataking os of my married life to temptation to sell it), t explosive of Arab steeds, tabriz-made ivory c icks (booty from ttle of Na so desperately to keep w.

    As I expected, quitting my absent urned ful love into a   stand beead of tening me,  my pity by sending me love letters in   t I¡¯ve

    recently begun to read tters t reveal ion, of  enlist one of istic or poetic friends to e and embellis letter,  I o   of money. t, respectful and one, compounded by ts and demands of ts, turned my o a veritable kettledrum. Indeed, it o o t I¡¯d opened tters of t window.

    Before  table, I prepared a draugters from t Arabian date palm flole lemon juice, tly entered my fat myself, placed it before  making my presence known, as he preferred.

    ¡°Is it snoood at once t snoher would ever see.

    I AM A tREE  I am a tree and I am quite lonely. I en to are at me as you  jinns and let me explain to you why I¡¯m so alone.

    . t I¡¯ve been ily sketco nonsized, rougure of a tree miger storyteller. true enoug t, trees beside me, no seven-leaf steppe plants, no dark billoions imes resemble Satan or a man and no coiling C t my story is muced.

    . As a tree, I need not be part of a book. As ture of a tree, urbed t I¡¯m not a page . Since I¡¯m not representing somet comes to mind is t my picture o a rate t  I secretly take pride in t¡ªbut tmost fear and embarrassment.

    . tial reason for my loneliness is t I don¡¯t even kno of a story, but I fell from tumn. Let me tell you about it:

    Falling from My Story Like a Leaf Falls in Fall   Forty years ago, tatomans as est patron-king of t of painting, began to gro ry and painting; furt drinking coffee, and naturally, opped ed old geezer, ransferred al from tabriz, ory, to Kazvin so it toman armies. One day ely swore off wine, handsome young boys

    and painting, er t s aste for coffee,  his mind.

    turists, est masterpieces in ty-year period in tabriz, scattered like a covey of partridges to oties.

    Saan Ibraed t gifted among to Mastled turists¡¯  a marvelous illuminated and illustrated manuscript of all seven fables of test poet in  during tamerlane. Saelligent and ted er to  t book and angrily ousted  of Governor of Maso ty of Kain, before sending o to of anger. tors of Maso oties and regions, to ts worksans and princes.

    Miraculously, an Ibra remain unfinised librarian. travel on o S master gilders lived; take a couple pages to Isfa elegant calligrapalik script; afterains till  all to Bukure¡¯s composition and  master painter o commission one of its ers to paint from memory ts and leaves; visiting anot,  o inscribe, in gold Rika script, ture; finally, o to Kain, wraveling, an Ibrahim Mirza.

    At t  ted, so mounted tatar couriers o t leaf, ed text, eacter describing tion to tist. t pages passed over territory and transoxania. tion of t messengers. At times, on a snowy niger  and , for example,

    ruck up a friendly conversation, t t and ry to determine betive pages, retrieved from tually belonged.

    I  to be among trated manuscript t I sadly ed today. Unfortunately, on a cold er¡¯s day, tatar courier  tatar, tting t, I kno t is t you look at me and ask: ¡°ere you per to provide sed Leyla in ent?¡± or ¡°ere you meant to fade into t, representing tced to complement to find solace on an island ric! I ed to ss of o conquer an as ent nosebleed brougroke. Or  to symbolize trengto o  to add meaning and grace?

    Among taken me ain to mountain and city to city, tood my  to realize t looking at tree is more pleasant t a tree; but because  knoo er dragging me from city to city, t tear me apart and dispose of me as I¡¯d feared , but sold me to a cultivated man in a caravansary for a jug of imes at nigunate delicate-spirited man are at me by candleligime, o ter storyteller anbul. No o be onigtoman Sultan¡¯s miraculously inspired, eagle-eyed, iron--ed, sensitive-spirited miniaturists and calligrap to believe tily sketco coarse paper by some master miniaturist as a wall prop.

    But  ruths are being spread!

    You mig niger nailed ture of a dog ed tures of t; and  time old of tures of   ely misunderstood tory; target of our account. Could  preaceemed Excellency, ain birth?

    God forbid! ould it  misc a crude lie! Clearly,  of Erzurum is being confused  of Erzurum, so let me proceed to tell you tory of Cross-Eyed Nedret ree.

    Besides denouncing tty boys and t of painting, t ained t coffee  coffee drinkers o ten ? Let me tell you about it, t s tell anyone, and may Allaect you from baseless slander. One morning, I ao find t a giant of a man¡ªGod protect all as a minaret o togetioned  it like dogs in . , tended to ely kissing o it, ¡°Coffee is a sin, coffee is a vice¡­¡±

    Accordingly, ts of coffee, believe not in ts of our good religion, but in the Devil himself.

    And finally, I sion of Frank painters, so if tes among you o be like terred. Noers depict ts, noblemen and even er gazing upon trait, you¡¯d be able to identify t person on treet. treets any imagine t. As if t enougaken matters even furt mean in regard to pimping, but in regard to painting.

    A great European master miniaturist and anot master artist are uosity and art. As troll, a forest comes into vie of to ting in tyle demands sucalent t if you depicted one

    of trees in t, a man ing could come ly select t tree from among thers.¡±

    I t I, tree before you,  been draent. And not because I fear t if I¡¯d been ted all tanbul ree and piss on me: I don¡¯t  to be a tree, I  to be its meaning.

 I AM CALLED BLACK-3

    to fall at a late inued till da t reading Ster again and again. I paced in ty room of ty oick; in t of tcense quivering of my beloved¡¯s angry letters, ts turned trying to deceive me and t-to-left progression. Abruptly, tters ured and ripened in my imagination.

    In t I lost myself in dreams of marriage: I s about my love or t it ed¡ªate of great contentment¡ªbut, my imaginary  in a aircase, e o make her heed my words.

    I kneed tion on ts as a bac time, I recalled t tually advice on ts of marriage in t same section, ts: first,  in order (t of self-abuse and of dragging myself¡ªan even deeper sense of guilt¡ªbeo titutes.

    t of salvation at te  masturbation to mind.

    ito rid my mind of tired to a corner of t, but after a er twelve years!

    truck sucement and fear into my  t I remble like t to present  tter, e belief into play?  tuttering as I myself did, rying to creak to my every question.

    I looked at ture I¡¯d made years ago,   didn¡¯t

    embarrass me as it  came to mind in subsequent years, nor did it bring back my ouation: By returning ture, Sory cerfully luring me into. I sat in t and e ter of response.

    In ter sleeping for a spell, I  out and reets, carrying tter upon my breast and my ligom, in my sasanbul¡¯s narroreets and freed ty of its croer and slo¡¯d been in my co  Istanbul¡¯s roofs, domes and gardens just as ter days of my youtly, listening to my steps in tced, expecting t my Enised me to visit to be as silent as treets. Before I entered ter, I sent tle street urco Esto deliver my letter to Selling o meet me before time prayers.

    I arrived early at tisans¡¯ en visited my Enisime worked as a cice.

    Follo elderly master binders dazed from te, master miniaturists s  even looking into tove. In a corner, I saiculously painting an ostricically embellisice graciously cnessed young students being reprimanded as t toucried to understand takes tice, ten momentarily about colors, papers and painting, stared into treet I¡¯d just now eagerly walked down.

    e climbed taircase. e ico, udents, obviously trembling from te ting¡ªper beating. I recalled my early youtings given to students

    s, and tinado, il they bled.

    e entered a ers,  and an but merely a largise mountains of t.

    Immediately off to ter, I saor, Master Osman, for t time in fifteen years; ion. emplated illustrating and painting during my travels, t master fit and in te ligs of ticed tled, and I introduced myself. I explained e  t I¡¯d preferred a bureaucratic post and left. I recounted my years on time spent in Eastern cities in treasurer¡¯s secretary. I told  Pas calligrapors in tabriz and produced books;  time in Bagiflis, and tles.

    ¡°Aiflis!¡± t master said, as  t from tering t snohere now?¡±

    ted ters istry; ain age, lived ly,  raig e vely and t s sno simply fall to t o t onto memories as ress of tiflis, their pillows for summer.

    ¡°Do tell me ors and painters illustrate in tries you¡¯ve visited,¡±  do t?¡±

    A dreamy-eyed young painter  in revery, raised  said, ¡°Let t  answer.¡±

    Many of tsmen didn¡¯t kno, but t test gossip East of Persia, ies before burning to tested eac verses ten and t illustrations and paintings uries.

    ¡°Say-t years of rating and painting, turned s, illustrators and calligrapo aagonistic nature, so  o-be, bey years.

    As soon as Ismail assumed trangled¡ªsome of ed from ted older brot everyone, started to revolt. t after eac Pasial ferocity t all of Persia turned to smoke and dust and  in disarray. Indeed, t s of money and intelligence and  fit to sponsor ting and illustration of illuminated manuscripts. trators of Kazvin and , all ters, along ices, tisans s erflies fluttered off ter binders and calligrap one   itute, . Some migrated to t to India. Otook up different types of ing till otered t princes and provincial governors, all saining at most a feration. Rapidly transcribed, ily painted, ccastes of common soldiers, boorish pashas and spoiled princes.¡±

    ¡°er Osman.

    ¡°I  t Sadiki Bey illustrated a copy of Strange Creatures, commissioned by an Uzbek spay gold pieces. In tent of a vulgar pasurning from ern campaign to Erzurum, I being of leures including paintings by tuoso Siyavus masters rating  of any story at all. By examining suc tell  represented; rat for its o comment, ¡±t likeness of a iful,¡° and you¡¯d pay tist on this basis.

    Scenes of combat or fucking are quite common. tling battle o terested clients. to sell pieces on to better lure a buyer, some simply draw in black ink on nonsized, unfinisroke of color.¡±

    ¡°tent as content could be and talented as talent er Osman. ¡°o  o  Effendi.¡° But ¡¯s been six days, and  to be found anywhere. he¡¯s plain disappeared.¡±

    ¡° such?¡± I said.

    ¡°Butterfly, Olive, Stork and Elegant, ters ices, no  Our Sultan¡¯s be,¡± said Master Osman.

    tly came about so tably on tivities ire an  arranged for a special urists in tyard; rat t  occurred to me t te¡¯s book, I fell silent. to er Osman making insinuations?

    ¡°Nuri Effendi,¡± o a pale and er, ¡°present Our Master Black ual of Our Sultan¡¯s bimonts to turists¡¯ atelier during t exciting time ly folloranspired at the

    reasurer; Lokman, tic Cer Osman, tor, Our Sultan  any given moment: er miniaturists,  alloo accomplis saddened me t t  of trated, to er Osman often disappeared in a cloud of indignation and ers knoterfly, Olive, Stork and Elegant  an no longer ic like a co many miniaturists, Nuri Effendi  er of . Not in vain, able becoming tention to w o we page.

    And so I eagerly be time tivities, an¡¯s prince. ill in Persia, I ories about ty-tanbul, icipated, indeed at a time  event  being prepared.

    In t picture placed before me, fixed in te Ibraan, tivities in t bespoke isfaction.

    so detailed as to permit one to distinguisures alone, ly and  side of ture san on t, tatar, Frankisian ambassadors standing in t sultans, tily and carelessly and focused on noticular besides tion in ter, I noticed in otures t t and page composition repeated¡ªeven tation, trees and terra-cotta sed in different styles and colors. Once text ten out by scribes, trations completed and turning pages, ely different activities in completely different colors in tcan and

    s¡ªically, forever gazing at the same area below.

    t s and birds emerge out of t ox and startle t . I saer coppersmit before Our Sultan, its members  copper but never striking t . I saan in a ioners reciting s poems as ts; and aged locksmity of s and gearlocks as times and new doors.

    Butterfly, Stork and Olive ure t depicted to marc dropping to t of a tambourine played by anotain K?l?? Ali Pasured at sea to make an ¡°infidels¡¯ mountain¡± out of clay; o t, and an, ain¡± to demonstrate c tators applauded lion tamers  until its eyes s page, I saing Islam, cian infidel. I indulged my eyes at lengture of a barber suspended upside do onto a cart, as omer , dressed in red, aining fragrant soap, ing for bakser tity of t miniaturist responsible for the piece.

    ¡°It is indeed important t a painting, ts beauty, summon us tooo for ted, and toion and faitity of turist is not important.¡±

 I AM CALLED BLACK-4

    as Nuri turist,  tood t my Enis me o investigate, or er Osman?

    ¡°Is Elegant tead?¡±

    ts and screams of c faced tyard. Beloarted administering tinado to apprentices ed in ters, seizing an opportunity to mock to to ch.

    ¡°By time tices paint t off as our Master Osman ated,¡± said Nuri Effendi cautiously, ¡°our brot Effendi, God er, Osman turist, ed Elegant Effendi to color t floor of tly in eac. ure  rendering t square and s in tures,  oto keep  to bring merriment to the page.¡±

    I noticed some pictures on a s of paper t an assistant left in a corner. ure for a Book of Victories, tion of a naval fleet o battle, but it  ten, provoked trator to run off and c edly tracing identical stern didn¡¯t even seem to float in t, tificiality, to do tern ter¡¯s lack of skill. I sa ttern  violently out of an old book ify, perer Osman e a lot.

    o able, Nuri Effendi proudly stated t he finished a gilded royal insignia

    for Our Sultan, y s to ensure t its recipient and ts being sent . I kneuous pas ent splendor of tan¡¯s royal insignia.

    Next,  masterpieces t Jemal transcribed, completed and left be ily to avoid giving credence to opponents of color and decoration  true art consisted of calligrap decorative illumination was simply a secondary means of adding emphasis.

    Nas 1r te ended to repair from a version of tet of Nizami dating back to tamerlane¡¯s sons; ture depicted  a naked Shed.

    A ninety-ter  sixty years ago er Bizabriz and t t master of legend  time, srembling ation on t as a  to Our Sultan ed ths hence.

    Sly a silence enveloped to eigers, students and apprentices ituted tbeating silence, times; a silence imes by a nerve-icism, at times by a feen boy before  er miniaturists of tings tices. But ty-ter caused me to sense somet, tles and turmoil: t everyto an end. Immediately before there would also be such silence.

    Painting is t and t.

    As I kissed Master Osman¡¯s o bid  not only great respect toiment t plunged my soul into turmoil: pity mixed ion befitting a saint, a peculiar feeling of guilt. te¡ªers, openly or secretly, to imitate ters¡ªwas his rival.

    I suddenly sensed, as  I er alive for t time, and in ter of ing to please and en ion:

    ¡°My great master, my dear sir, es turist from tor, o sucions,  ly in t of forgetting her.

    ¡°t can distinguis miniaturist from time. Yet ty  ten our art are of significance. today, in order to determine just er is, I¡¯d ask ions.¡±

    ¡°And hey be?¡±

    ¡°o believe, under t custom as   to ing tecyle? As an illustrator, does  to  distinct from ottempt to prove ters? to determine precisely t ask ion about ¡±style¡° and ¡±signature.¡°¡°

    ¡°And tfully.

    ¡°t to learn rator felt about volumes cures being used in oter tans  or pleased by it. trator a question about ¡±time¡°¡ªan illustrator¡¯s time and Allaime. Do you follow me, my child?¡±

    Nay. But t¡¯s not ead, I asked, ¡°And tion?¡±

    ¡°t master or Osman, ion.

    ¡° is it about ¡±blindness¡°?¡± I said .

    ¡°Blindness is silence. If you combine  no and tions, ¡±blindness¡¯ ¡¯s t one can go in illustrating; it is seeing  of Allaside. I descended tairs   I  master¡¯s t questions of Butterfly, Olive and Stork, not only for tion, but to better understand temporaries of mine.

    I did not, o ter illuminators¡¯ ely. I met er at a ne ed vieter in to opped moving, and co me; indeed, tans of poor neig  themselves amid

    carrots, quinces and small bundles of onions and turnips.

    Suffed tter I gave o s  and mysterious gesture, as if t  Sook e and deliver it straiged t sill e a lot of o do by gesturing toer to Soell S I¡¯d gone to pay visits to ter miniaturists.

 I AM CALLED ¡°BUTTERFLY¡±

    t to be called. A knock at t to find Black Effendi, o look at trating and at my paintings, t o direct a question to me in tan. ¡°Very ion I¡¯m to answer?¡±

    old me. Very hen!

    Style and Signature¡°As long as tists motivated by money and fame instead of t increases,¡± I said, ¡°inue to ness mucy and greed akin to tion yle¡° and ¡±signature.¡°¡± I made troduction because t is done, not because I believed rue ability and talent couldn¡¯t be corrupted even by trutold, money and fame are ts of talented, as in my case, and only inspire us to greater feats. But if I o say trators in turists¡¯ division, rabid o prove t I love t ture of a tree on a grain of rice. I¡¯m  t for ¡°style,¡± ¡°signature¡® and ¡±cer¡° o us all t by ain unfortunate Cers ures broug by Jesuit priests. Nevert me tell you t comprise a recital on topic.¡±

    tyle and SignatureALIFOnce upon a time, to t, in a mountain castle, ted ing and painting. triking tatar s of lovemaking, sing until morning, and lived in sucasy t to live eternally.

    t o realize tounding and flaures of ters. As tared at t renderings, unfalteringly reproduced, t as time op and ty ories. In turist, a master of masters, er depicted tous, suggestive looks  fabled  alteration ist  tatar beauty. Be ture er miniaturist ually, ion caused turist to stray from good sense; incited by t t o ters for tion of ures, and ily assumed t a toucions¡ªtylistic toucer miniaturist¡ªnot imperfections, urbed by tings,  t ed in numerous ar beauty oucer. So, ention of making ty tatar jealous,  upon learning of trayal from t sly ree in tyard. tanding take  turist¡¯s oion yle lay beerrible incident, immediately blinded ter artist ed.

    BAOnce upon a time in a country in t tan, a lover of illustrations, illuminations and miniatures,  soon  tan¡¯s an¡¯s young ing. Since ed out of trengtings  t admirers couldn¡¯t distinguisers. tan took great pride in !¡± as sings. ¡°Yet, time an responded, ¡°If my son signs ings,  ly taking credit for tecyles of ters, ed? Moreover, if  ings bear my imperfections¡°?¡± t s be able to convince ure,  o conceal ty young stepmoting, bet ice. t picture he signed, was a scene from h¨¹srev and

    Ser  marriage, falls in love , entering tly sinks o . an sa ting embodied some fla  consciously a, and ed to ture , ¡°ting bears a fla any sucers, tan ing t ted not a story or a legend, but  unbefitting a book: reality itself. error. rator son ered ting, and  even looking t ly drove ing¡ªinto .

    DJIMIn ory, Rases t 250 years ago in Kazvin, manuscript illumination, calligrapration  esteemed and beloved arts. t t time ruled over forty countries from Byzantium to Cs  of t po alas, o prevent ter o find a brigurist iful daugoition among t young masters of elier, all of  of tition ing or! Like Rasurists kne t painting in ters, and tion of t  of self, a young and beautiful maiden stood amid cypress and cedar trees, among timid rabbits and anxious saring at turists ly as ters ed to distinguisake responsibility for ting¡¯s beauty ure among t secluded spot in t of t, by  broke y of tuosos, ely exiled from Kazvin to Cition urists. time, boted a picture lovely as a poem, depicting a beautiful maiden mounted on  garden. But one of turists¡ª, no one knerangely trils of te o traiger. true, turist  signed  in ing, ly included a masterful variation in trils to distinguis ¡°Imperfection is tyle,¡± exiled trator to Byzantium. Yet t significant event according to ty ory by Rasions er and talented miniaturist, ly like ters  any signature or variation: For tire day before ter gazed grief-stricken at ting made by t master wo become  evening, sed o

    is true, yes, t ters, in te paintings,  beautiful maidens as Cerable rule come to us from t,¡± s  of tiful maiden¡¯s broion in trations  could be read by tared at tiful maiden mounted on race of me in urist is per master,   love me.¡± t once, and fater lived out together.

    ¡°to tion gives rise to yle,¡°¡± said Black quite politely and respectfully. ¡°And does t t turist is in love become apparent from ty¡¯s face, eye or smile?¡±

    ¡°Nay,¡± I said in a manner t bespoke my confidence and pride. ¡° passes from ter miniaturist¡¯s love, to ure is not ultimately imperfection or fla a neistic rule. Because, after a time and tation, everyone o depict t like t particular beautiful maiden¡¯s face.¡±

    e fell silent. I sa Black, ently to ted, tentions upon ttractive  him menacingly.

    ¡°t story establis ¡±style¡° is imperfection,¡± I said. ¡°tory establis a perfect picture needs no signature, and t and trates t ¡±signature¡® and ¡°style¡± are but means of being brazenly and stupidly self-congratulatory about flaand of painting? I said: ¡°ood wories?¡±

    ¡°Certainly,¡±  conviction.

    So you don¡¯t try to discern o tell you directly. I can do anyters of Kazvin, I can drater tsoever to do , ion serves me correctly¡ªis t Effendi the Gilder.

    Black asked me about t.

    I  and I enjoy my ly married t beautiful maiden in t illuminating,  to ¡¯s not how I

    ans¡¯s a serious issue,¡± I said. ¡°If masterpieces issue from turist, o issuing it to  a loss to bestir te rue as isfies tistry  of turist, Black, too, believed tened.

    ed to see t pages I¡¯d illustrated. I seated  my able, among ts, inking boards. Black ing I ing for tivities,  beside  my beautiful ting ly; indeed, I o draunate prisoners before Our Sultan, as my intelligent o the reed of my manhood.

    ting depicted tors and tan. I¡¯d situated tan on t covered in bags full of silver coins, as I¡¯d personally nessed during suced treasurer  of t ledger. I¡¯d portrayed tors, co eac broeary eyes. I¡¯d painted te players in sific faces as t folloan¡¯s presentation of  gift: sparing to emp of debt¡ªt tset¡ªbeside t of tcitution, along er, sorro beautiful, clad in a crimson mantle. So t t understand rating equaled love-of-life, I o explain ended across to tell  ture; I o elucidate ters never did¡ªting off to tan¡¯s caftan of atlas silk, but eous question:

    ould I, percunate Elegant Effendi might be?

    did unate¡±! I didn¡¯t say t Elegant Effendi , a fool ion. ¡°Nay,¡± I said, ¡°I do not know.¡±

    tical follo¡¯ve done Elegant Effendi harm?

    I maintained my composure and refrained from responding t Elegant Effendi  one of t. ¡°Nay,¡± I said. ¡°hy?¡±

    ty, plague, immorality and scandal o in ty of Istanbul can only be attributed to our anced ourselves from time of Our Prop, Apostle of God, to adopting neoms and to alloo flouris. t t tempt to persuade tan ot ttacking dervis tombs of saints. t sy toions: ¡°Are you taken care of our brot Effendi?¡±

    It suddenly da turists. t group of uninspired, untalented incompetents  I  a beastly murderer. I felt like lo onto took turists seriously.

    Black ing everyto memory. ently observing my long paper scissors, ceramic bo, bo, t resting on tove in tive coffee cups, t filtering to cion of a page, my ss and, over t like a sin in t as s t t door.

    Despite t t I¡¯ve concealed my ts from ings I¡¯ve made and to o you all, but I am t money, and t of all miniaturists! Yes, God must¡¯ve ed t of illumination to be ecstasy so rate self is ecstasy to truly see.

 I AM CALLED ¡°STORK¡±

    At about time of midday prayer I  t e must  o question me about Elegant Effendi¡¯s absence and s. Not only t,  er Osman. ¡°Alloo ask you a question,¡± o Master Osman, ¡±time¡° separates a true miniaturist from otime of tration.¡±  s? Listen closely.

    Painting and timeLong ago, as is common knorators of our Islamic realm, including, for example, ters, perceiving today,  it from tt or clerk at ival

    tecers ily boast, ted, restricted to tive of tt or t event came to pass and our entire ration c me begin here.

    tories on Painting and timeALIFty years ago,  reno calligrap only of t of all Islamdom; despite ranscribed ty-t of il te notion of time. oiled  by flickering candlelig of to us today because in torn up, sossed into tigris River by t as ter Arab calligraped to tion of tence of tradition and books, uries been in t of resting tion against blindness by turning to toern  of t Mosque in to prayer, nessed all t uries-long tradition of scribal art. First, iless soldiers enter Bag op t. cruction of tire city, ter of  of truction of tens of to tigris. ter, amid tenccers of tigris, turned red from t of t about ranscribed in beautiful script, t  served to stop tation, and in turn, o e again. Furtruck o express er nessed ting,  day, tled and deemed an affront to Allaed . e oration folloo t element istry of pagans and Cians; t is, to truly agonizing depiction of ted Godlike position attained by drao to Ibn Ser tnessed¡ªin tion tings and tion for illustration in ; in brief, ecers. t is evident t tion of endless time t ed in ts of Arab calligrap itself not in ing, but in painting. t t trations in manuscripts and volumes t orn apart and vaniso oto survive forever in tion of Allah¡¯s worldly realm.

    BAOnce upon a time, not so very long ago yet not so recently, everytated everyt for aging and deat time. Yes, ed tories and pictures, as if time did not floin Kory attests. After torous Faured Selatin Kortured o deat task in asserting y, according to custom, o visit te Selatin K to assemble neorious Selatin K of ¡°Victorious Faurists set about replacing te Selatin Kerfully portrayed on t beautiful of manuscript pages¡ª, starting to fade from people¡¯s memories, rait of tering ty in locating t beautiful  instead of forcing istry, and resolving to ly, Neriman Sultan, te Selatin Kies, eary-eyed  one request of Fa tration of ed as Neriman Sultan and Mejnun as Selatin K be altered. In at least tained, tality t ried to attain over t be denied. torious Faed t and ers of t t one picture alone. tely made love and  period, forgetting t, came to truly love eacill, Fa forget t picture in Leyla and Mejnun. Nay, it  jealousy t made  rayed  gna  painted in t splendid book,  be able to join tals  ate at Fa t of copious lovemaking ick in ered te rating and painting, eur artist and couldn¡¯t portray ampering and bee Selatin K to Neriman-faced Leyla, ratifying it as Fa it ed, captured and killed Faablisy over ernally beautiful Neriman Sultan.

    DJIMturists of Istanbul recount tall Me¡ªknown as Muly as an example of long life and blindness. all Me is

    essentially a parable of painting and time. tinction of ter, rated for more or less 110 years  going blind, ion. I¡¯m not being ty  expressing my sincere admiration. tall Me dreyle of t masters of old, but even more so, and for test of all masters. e devotion to illustration and painting, s o become urist, te age and talent. As a miniaturist, for 110 years, iently rendered every trivial detail: grass drao fill up t repetitive strokes, brick ation and t-eyed, delicate-cens of t ion of one anotall Me e content and reserved and o distinguised about style or individuality. o be  time  a fixture in t rangled one anoturists moved from city to city like to assemble under ters, tyle of ts all Me dre t al and began to believe t rated. Perained t ed outside time and tributed  going blind¡ªdespite living  a ents uted miniaturists¡¯ aring at manuscript pages¡ªto time o flo ter iful slant-eyed, sed for a century: a part-C-Croatian sixteen-year-old apprentice in Saurists¡¯ ly and understandably, o seduce tice of unimaginable beauty, as a true lover urists; o lying, deception and trickery. At first, ter miniaturist of Ked by tempts to catco tistic fas t also divorced ernal legendary days of old. Late one afternoon, staring dreamily at tiful apprentice before an open abriz  of sneezing,  completely blind. ter, y stone worksairs and died.

    ¡°I¡¯ve all Me of K I¡¯ve never his legend,¡± Black said.

    ely offered t to sory ed. I fell silent for a time so are at me to ¡¯s content. Since it bot occupied, just after beginning tory, I started to paint again, picking up  my knee and mixed my paints, simes erased my errors, silently sat beside me, listening and staring; from he sounds of my wife¡¯s

    movements could be heard.

    ¡°Aaan has arisen.¡±

    ared at ting ended t, but let me tell you candidly: Our Exalted Sultan appears seated in all tivities, cy-ts, guilds, spectators, soldiers and prisoners from ted for ture of mine is , tossing money from florin-filled pouco to capture tement of trangling one anoto grab coins off tting tohe sky.

    ¡°If love is part of t of ting, t to be rendered ing. Yet t to emerge from t first glance invisible yet discernible inner ure, not from tration or from tears. I didn¡¯t depict surprise, as it uries by er miniaturists, as a figure ed into t made ting embody surprise. ting to rise to .¡±

    I rigued and botinized my possessions and illustrating tools, nay my wo see my own hrough his eyes.

    You knole pictures t abriz and Sime; so t ture mige ted Allaands all, turist  tion as t it in raig all terior details¡ªo ts and pans, drinking glasses, ation, curtains, caged parrots, t private corners, and t of day. Like a curious aruck reader, Black s, my papers, my books, my lovely assistant, tumes and t I¡¯d made for a Frankisraveler, scenes of fucking and ot pages I¡¯d secretly dass of variously colored glass, bronze and ceramic, my ivory penknives, my gold-stemmed brusice.

    ¡°Unlike ters, I¡¯ve seen a lot of battle, a lot,¡± I said to fill t s of Our Sultan and our generals. After a military campaign, upon returning to Istanbul, it tle t everyone ten, corpses sliced in troops defending ted toles, rebels being decapitated and ttacking at full gallop. I commit everyto memory: a neyle of ing t I¡¯ve never seen before, a cannon, trigger of a neyle of Frankis color

    robe during a feast, we w, who placed his hand where and how¡­¡±

    ¡° are tories you¡¯ve told?¡± asked Black in a manner t summed everytly called me to account.

    ¡°Alif,¡± I said. ¡°t story  demonstrates t no matter alented a miniaturist mig is time t makes a picture ¡±perfect.¡° ¡±Ba,¡° tory  to escape time is trating. As for tory, you proceed to tell me, then.¡±

    ¡°Djim!¡± said Black confidently, ¡°tory about teen-year-old miniaturist unites ¡±Alif¡° and ¡±Ba¡® to reveal ime ends for t life and perfect illuminating, leaving not deat it demonstrates.

 ¡°I AM CALLED ¡°OLIVE¡±

    After tly yet pleasurably dra t doo t o Allaan and t s o complete ,  o ting test artists to join  to Istanbul visited me yesterday, inviting me to an. time, I opened to find, in tance Black, about irely. Back t able to keep our company, he was jealous of us. ¡°Yes?¡±

    o converse, to pay a friendly visit, to  my illustrations. I  all. I learned  today visited or Master Osman and kissed  master, o ponder: ¡°A painter¡¯s quality becomes evident in  it be evident:

    Blindness and MemoryBefore t of illumination ters, art and love,  Allao ¡°See¡±! to knoo remember t you¡¯ve seen. to see is to kno remembering. ting is remembering t masters,  color and sigo return to Allaists  memory neit masters, in t profound void side time. Let me explain to you  means to remember t by t masters of old.

    tories on Blindness and MemoryALIFIn Lami¡¯i Curkisranslation of t Jami¡¯s Gifts of Intimacy, s, it is ten t in tion, ter Sabrizi rated a magnificent version of o o complete, ter of master miniaturists, Salent and skill and painted sucures t only test of ters, Biced manuscript  equal in all tall esion, and declared  tige er ted, an even better version of t could be made for tall ruly jealous men ment  ¡° if oto kno if tuoso miniaturist made anotter version, it  anyone besides  book, Jio er miniaturist Ser ed t a good-ed Circassian beauty in  blinding ter miniaturist o s, until it ultimately reac leave tabriz as otrators mig resort to games like slo or making inferior illustrations so it  be ¡°perfect¡± and talling  blinding. Indeed, ion. In ter tinue illustrating t in t again and again until bitter tears streamed from ime,  an illustration by one of t old masters of  as  copy on anot. In ted ter miniaturist ed,  first praised and so affix turban plumes. Before   and  to join tall eso tall  I remember eac I¡¯ve illuminated for t eleven years, doo eacroke of t again from memory. My Excellency, I could illustrate test manuscript of all time for you. Since my eyes racted by to depict all t form.¡± tall  master miniaturist; and ter miniaturist, keeping rated from memory t magnificent of books for tesual po lay beall  defeat of torious Kion of Ji book, along abrizi made for

    te Jiered Our Sultan¡¯s treasury in Istanbul all ed at ttle of Otlukbeli by Sultan Me K in peace. truly see, know.

    BASince tan S¨¹leyman Krators, unfortunate miniaturists of t t story as an example of rating surpasses calligraptention ale is actually about blindness and memory. After tamerlane, Ruler of t to attacking and mercilessly battling one anot t one of ty,  action o mint  t as victor o pull apart t o ion ten, boasting of t oget t ruly amerlane¡¯s grandson Ulu? Bey, captured , urists, calligrape, and so pressured to make a book in s, t as volumes  of being unbound and ted pages destroyed and burned, tures became mixed up. Since it did not befit to arrange and bind albums  a care for o s in  and requested t t tories so as to put trations in proper order. From eacurist¡¯s mout account, and so t order of tes  surviving urist  for t fifty- four years. A great commotion ensued er no tures ed t an intelligent boy,  reac read or e, be brougaken to urist placed a number of illustrations before  you see,¡± ructed. As tures, turist, raising o tened carefully and responded: ¡°Alexander cradling t of teacudent from Sadi¡¯s Rosegarden ¡­test of doctors from Nizami¡¯s treasury of Secrets¡­¡± turists, vexed by told you t as -kno famous stories.¡± In turn, turist placed t difficult illustrations before tened intently. ¡°ion of terrible account of tcree, from Rumi¡¯s Masnaures, none of ered  urist by  ify tories t oter illustrators couldn¡¯t determine even by looking at t isn¡¯t, as one mig my memory compensates for my

    blindness,¡± replied trator. ¡°I ten t stories are recollected not only t t urists kneories, but still couldn¡¯t order tures. ¡°Because,¡± said turist, ¡°te o painting,  t compre ters made tures out of t knourist. ¡°But I, an elderly and blind miniaturist, kno Allaed telligent seven-year-old boy  to see it; , above all, it migerakenly assumed t tories arose out of  illustrations ed in service of tories. Quite to trary, painting is t of seeking out Allahe world.¡±

    DJIMturists om of staring at tern  daybreak to alleviate tandable and eternal anxieties about going blind surists; likeury later in Srators  s masals on an empty stomacurists of Isfa o  often by candleligo prevent direct sunligriking tables. At day¡¯s end, in tists of Buker miniaturists ions, t approaco blindness urist Seyyit Mirek, mentor to t master Bio master miniaturist Mirek, blindness  a scourge, but ratoire life to rating urist¡¯s searcive could only be attained tion after blindness descended, only after a lifetime of er turist¡¯s eyes tired and  turists. o turist, t is, rator raining  migransfer tion to to torian Mirza Mu , ensively about t miniaturists, ter Seyyit Mirek, in ion of tioned notion of painting, used trator o dra untalented painter¡ªone oday¡¯s Venetian painters¡ª is impossible, at one and time, to look at t t, trator looks at transfers s in o terim, even if only a ime, ist represents on t t t seen. Proof t for even t miserable illustrator, a picture is possible only tension of t, urist as but preparation for both

    ting bliss of blindness and blind memory, is t ters of  regarded trations training for ted taring at pages by candlelig break, as t delivered turist to blindness. t er miniaturist Mirek constantly soug t appropriate moment for t glorious of approacualities, eitaking depiction of trees and all trands of iously delaying t darkness by tless dra, sun-filled gardens. y, in order to re master, Sultan o enter treasury containing t plates t tan ed and secured under lock and key. treasury t also contained  upon bolt of silk and velvet clot of golden candelabra, Master Mirek stared at t leaves of ts oer ts of continuous scrutiny, t master  blind. ed ion urity and resignation, t greet ted again. Mirza Mu , tory of Rasurn of events as follourist united al time can never return to t pages meant for ordinary mortals¡±; and urist¡¯s memories reace silence, a blessed darkness and ty of a blank page.¡±

    Certainly it  of desire to o Master Osman¡¯s question on blindness and memory to put  ease t Black asked me tion  again, I o see t tories I recounted affected  are barred,¡± I said to him.

    ¡°In tabriz,¡± said Black, ¡°under Master Mirek¡¯s influence, some of turists of tyle still look upon blindness as test virtue of Alla gro not blind. Even today, fearing t otalent and skill, tend to be blind. As a result of tion  for  of an oil lamp,  eating or drinking and stare at illustrated pages painted by ters of  in order to learn o perceive te not truly being blind.¡±

    Somebody knocked. I opened to find a ice from t t Effendi,   ternoon prayer. o deliver to otect us all.

    I AM EStell me thes peddler and

    matc est clue. ¡¯d to become acquainted elligent and became more cunning and devious as ts to ty deceptions, it means ¡¯s obvious t  alks about Srol.

    At te all t I tell everyone: S o ter, I¡¯d never seen  I pitied old me to take tter to Sraig assumes tance about  necessitates particular e, and tensity of tingly putting a o t, spone te delays ts of love.

    I first took a detour e,¡±  square, I nearly froze to deating for er , I t I¡¯d visit one of my ¡°daugo ters I¡¯ve delivered, t of my bro at my every visit, beyond ing on me , flitting about like a moto my palm. Noea on t me alone, I counted ty silver pieces.

    I set out on my reets and t ook o s.

    ¡°t of my ruffled muslin fit for a sultan. Come get my stunning s sasian s clotableclottress and bedss, and my colorful hierrr!¡±

    tered. As aly, t terrible smell peculiar to aging bachelors.

    ¡°Old ing?¡±

    I silently removed tter and  to  room, ealtly approacc from my o t room  threshold.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t your dear father home?¡±

    anser. I left ood be see er finister,  anew.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said, ¡°and en?¡±

    hasan read:

    My Dearest Soo ained myself tfully understand your ing for your  considering anot else could one expect from a ature besides y and virtue? [o visit your fating,  amount to  . o me at t, I considered it not an act of God¡¯s grace. took t from Nizami,¡± errupted, annoyed.] But you ask me to keep my distance; tell me t approacerrifying? Listen to en: I used to try to sleep c fall onto tains from remote and godforsaken caravansaries e , listening to tunate to t one day you o me, just as you did at t I¡¯ve returned to your fat back ture I made in my c a sign of your deat a sign t I¡¯ve found you again. I saher!

    ¡°God protect ten e t.¡±

    ¡°¡±Are you an angel t approacerrifying?¡°¡± ed. ¡°ole t line from Ibn Zerter.¡± ook ter out of . ¡°take t to Shekure.¡±

    For t time, accepting money along ters disturbed me. I felt somet toed love. o confirm my  time in a long te and said quite rudely:

    ¡°tell  if we so desire, we¡¯ll force he judge.¡±

    ¡°You really  me to say t?¡±

    Silence. ¡°Nay,¡±  from ted o see y c¡¯s because I knoer as  I  for ters. It¡¯s not only for t think.

    I opped me at the door.

    ¡°Do you let Sedly and foolishly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you tell ters?¡±

    ¡°tell me  convince  I persuade them?¡±

    ¡°By being a good person,¡± I said and o the door.

    ¡°At t¡¯s too late¡­¡± h sincere anguish.

    ¡°You¡¯ve begun to earn a lot of money, Customs Officer his makes one a good person¡­¡± I said and fled.

    t tside seemed   my face. I  somet poor man in t damp, curned into t in Laleli tore my spirits. I aken.

    At Ser sook up tters, sely asked after Black. I told  tire being. this news pleased her.

    ¡°Even lonely spinsters busy ting are discussing w Effendi miger, c.

    ¡° of condolence and take it over to Kalbiye, poor Elegant Effendi¡¯s widow,¡± said Shekure.

    ¡°All te a crotending ives s blood.¡±

    So read Black¡¯s letter. I looked into ently and angrily. t srol ed in  my silence pleased  s as my approval of t so Black¡¯s letter. Ster and smiled at me; to meet isfaction, I felt forced to ask, ¡° ten?¡±

    ¡°Just as in h me.¡±

    ¡° are your ts?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a married ing for my husband.¡±

    Contrary to your expectations, t t so me after asking me to get involved in  anger me. Actually, t relieved me. If more of tters for and advised in ttended to details tantly, tter marriages.

    ¡° does te?¡± I asked anyway.

    ¡°I don¡¯t intend to read ter rig Black¡¯s returned to Istanbul?¡±

    ¡° even know s.¡±

    ¡°Do you speak iful black eyes.

    ¡°As you¡¯ve requested.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡° belongs to anot¡¯ll be difficult ever to be free of ing ters you¡¯ve greatly encouraged  only does  to make you return t by establis o marry you.¡± I smiled to soften t of t to be reduced to being t malcontent¡¯s mouthpiece.

    ¡°¡¯s t did ser?

    ¡°turist?¡±

    ¡°My mind¡¯s all ajumble,¡± ss. ¡°It seems t matters ¡¯ll become of us, of t tell me somet will en me.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you fret in test, my dearest Sion ruly intelligent, you¡¯re very beautiful. One day you¡¯ll sleep in tten all your worries, you¡¯ll be his in your eyes.¡±

    Sucion rose  my eyes filled ears.

    ¡°Fine, but which one will become my husband?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t t wise  of yours giving you an answer?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because I don¡¯t understand  I¡¯m dispirited.¡±

    For a moment it occurred to me t S trust me at all, t serfully concealing rust in order to learn  srying to arouse my pity.  be ing a response to tters at present, I grabbed my sack, entered tyard and slipped a not before saying sometold all my maids, even those who were cross-eyed:

    ¡°Fear not, my dear, if you keep tiful eyes of yours peeled, no misfortune, no misfortune at all will befall you.¡±

    I, Srutold, it used to be t eacime Est, I¡¯d fantasize t a man stricken o e a letter t could stir t of an intelligent iful,  ill intact¡ªand set it pounding. And to discover t tter ors,  t, fortify my resolve and forbearance to a my urn. But time Estched.

    I listened to tcer and t and Oryard beneate tree, I s. My fatting silently in t room. I opened and read ter and  till, I gretle more frigulated myself for anding s to make love to me ter,  gently as if it e and sensitive bird, and my ts became muddled. I didn¡¯t read tters again. t occurred to me t if I¡¯d entered  and made love  Alla¡¯d be times a strange t like tered my  struck me the open door.

    ¡°Mama, w are you reading?¡± he said.

    All rig I didn¡¯t reread tters Est delivered? I lied. I  of reading time, I truly did fold tuck them away in my blouse.

    ¡°Come o my lap,¡± I said to Orect you, you¡¯ve gotten quite big,¡± I said and kissed him. ¡°You¡¯re as cold as ice¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re so ed, leaning back onto my bosom.

    e ig eacting t igill.

    ¡°I¡¯m feeling tickliser.

    ¡°tell me tan of t you a  most of all?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d  S to go away.¡±

    ¡° besides? ould you  to her?¡±

    ¡°No, wo marry you myself.¡±

    It  aging, losing one¡¯s beauty or even being bereft of   of all calamities, ruly  o be jealous of you. I lo up to see my father.

    ¡°an er seeing for  ed,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯ll go to Venice again.¡±

    ¡°I cannot be certain,¡± said my fatressed me. Our enemies are apparently quite powerful.¡±

    ¡°I kno my ouation o misunderstandings and unfounded hopes.¡±

    ¡°how do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I ougo be wed as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°?¡± said my fato ,¡± said my reasonable fat o take  like t, you understand.¡± he summed up my

    unfortunate situation as follo ty and complicated matters  settle before you can marry again.¡± After a protracted silence,  t you  to leave me, my dear daughter?¡±

    ¡°Last nig my  cry tually seen such a dream would have.

    ¡°Like to read a picture, one so read a dream.¡±

    ¡°ould you consider it appropriate for me to describe my dream?¡±

    t eacelligent people do¡ªall possible conclusions from tter at hand.

    ¡°By interpreting your dream, I mig your fated to listen to them, will demand more proof.¡±

    ¡°to force me back¡­¡±

    ¡°Because t to ans mean t to let you petition for a divorce.¡±

    ¡°If s,¡± I said, ¡°t four years  me a divorce in addition to securing a support allo since o Allaion is not open to us.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention te stand-in to me. t¡¯s not a sound venture.¡±

    ¡°All tanbul  go to nesses to get divorced. Since e, rouble making ends meet?¡° ¡±Are tnesses?¡° and immediately grants the divorce.¡±

    ¡°My dear Sed sucripped you of your reason?¡±

    ¡°After I¡¯m divorced once and for all, if truly strip me of my reason, you ell me  my husband.¡±

    My s er her would

    blink rapidly like tig and o find a clever ; 2. because ears of ig, cunningly combining reasons 1 and 2 to give t  soon cry out of sorrow.

    ¡°Are you taking t on account of our book¡±¡ªyes,  no you  to take th.¡±

    ¡°My dear fat it you  good-for-nother-in-law?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t  you to abandon me. One day your  return. Even if , ther.¡±

    ¡°I  noto live in th you.¡±

    ¡°Darling,  you just no you ed to get married as soon as possible?¡±

    too  you¡¯re in the wrong.

    ¡°I  t of me. tears and encouraged by trut came to mind, I said:

    ¡°All righen, shall I never be married again?¡±

    ¡°t for t take you far from me. or, would o live his house?¡±

    I fell silent. e bot my fat a son-in-lao live ogetifle  belittling of t to be t wife no more.

    ¡°it a fatuation, you kno getting married is practically impossible, don¡¯t you? I don¡¯t  you to get married, and I refuse to grant you permission to do so¡ª¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t  to get married, I  a divorce.¡±

    ¡°¡ªbecause some tless beast of a man

    you. You know  you, my dear S finishis book.¡±

    I said noto speak¡ªprompted by tell my fat to  I kne nig  befit a o admit t s  h a slave girl?

    ¡° t s to marry you?¡±

    I gazed at t, not out of embarrassment, but out of anger. And recognizing tent of my anger, but not being able to respond in some manner made me even more furious. At t juncture, I imagined my fat ridiculous and disgusting position. I ears when I said:

    ¡°tove, I don¡¯t  it to burn.¡±

    I crossed to taircase, t looked out onto ting ttress  open and lay doo lie do of tears like a cised! And  is to kno I¡¯m tude, only you, wo my aid.

    A  Orretc upon my bed. s. I sa oo. Pulling o me, I held him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Moter. ¡°Faturn from the war.¡±

    ¡°how do you know?¡±

    ans I forgot my oirely. Before I cuddle up e Or me confess my only pressing concern: I regret  noold you, out of spite, about tter bet lying, but I¡¯m still so embarrassed t it  if you forgot about it. Pretend I never mentioned anyt thus involved, please?

    I AM YOUR BELOVED UNCLEAlas, it¡¯s difficult er, difficult. As s in t room, I could  I could do not look at trying to read, t ten t ter deated t formerly ined. Upon beeous state of its body, bloodied, decomposing and oozing, as it rested in tearfully and mournfully grieve, ¡°Lo, my miserable mortal coil, my dear ched old

    body.¡± At once, I t of Elegant Effendi¡¯s bitter end at ttom of t urally must ing, and finding  at  in the well.

    aside tra ig so as to  fur and, as I urned to discover S in the doorway.

    ¡°her?¡±

    ¡°You get back inside. to the funeral.¡±

    I passed treets, betting  o stand, and time, taking tious steps of an aging man trying not to slip and fall on t-of-t dealt in carriages and y.

    I¡¯m not sure art t ty¡¯s Edirne Gate. At tinate. e miniaturists and calligrap. As I  ing atop tone funeral block, and I felt suco he Allah¨¹mme Barik prayer became muddled in my mind.

    After tion sill among all turists and calligrapork and I ten t on some nig in t of oil lamps il morning on my book, ried to convince me of ty of Elegant Effendi¡¯s gilding  en t I¡¯d actually given  no one else is qualified to do ter, Olive gave me a friendly and respectful look before o embrace is a good man¡ªand tures so pleased me t I s,  believed in my book.

    On tairs of tyard gate I found myself beside or Master Osman. e  a loss for range and tense moment. One of to cry and sob, and someone pompously sed, ¡°God is great.¡±

    ¡°to er Osman asked me for thing.

    to respond ¡°I don¡¯t knoered, and  the

    same question of tanding next to me on tairs, ¡°to e?¡±

    ¡°Ey¨¹p,¡± said an ill-tempered, bearded and young dolt.

    ¡°Ey¨¹p,¡± I said turning to ter, but  tempered dolt  me as if to say, ¡°I understand¡± in a  let me kno our encounter to last a moment longer t already had.

    it mentioning my influence on Our Sultan¡¯s groerest in Frankisyles of painting, Master Osman  Our Sultan o oversee ting out, embellis and illustration of ted manuscript, an forced t Master Osman to copy a portrait of ian. I knoer Osman o imitate t painter, for o make t strange painting, o torture.¡± ified.

    Standing in taircase for a  I¡¯d been left quite beinued doairs. I¡¯d barely descended¡ªever so sloeps he arm and embraced me: Black.

    ¡°t be cold.¡±

    I  test doubt t took my arm tom of tairs, I told  I¡¯d expect an account later of he workshop.

    ¡°You go aco tion.¡±

    aken aback, but didn¡¯t let on. t go of my arm ion and h us?

    e¡¯d left ty te. I sao trators, calligrapices s as to, traveled  led doo Ey¨¹p. In t fog, off to t, tan Cy candleanneries and tling slaug served tced over tended to ts cypress-lined cemetery. After er in

    Balat.

    ed, Butterfly approacly broac:

    ¡°Olive and Stork are ty,¡± ionsy and antagonism, over er Osman. No t to fall on my s t, t treasurer, and under an, ance themselves from me, nay, from us.¡±

    ¡° ty ougo persist at t  an artist s illustrate just any scene for money alone. In place of s,  tories ougo be introduced aneo our books. e s forgo turists s loiter at t any old tions of indecency, for a fera kurusan ified.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re incriminating yourself senselessly,¡± I said so  be done ing. ¡°I¡¯m convinced t telier could not ting suc rating a fes t  been depicted previously, at least no  as to be an occasion for enmity.¡±

    As  s. Elegant Effendi¡¯s murderer ers in t led to tery. I  tinue ion, t  probably, t ed my o pick up some rating and painting. terfly, too, like most of tists en times   pictures t rary to  of vie skill?

    Nay, I t a little terfly, like ter illustrators, obviously o of gratitude: its to miniaturists do terest on t of Our Sultan, t source of extra income ime been tentions, and for t not only for t  my ility tourists ure enougo beelligently, to sincerely find a reason to admire a man to w.

    to relieve t topic of conversation  be revisited, I said, ¡°Oo take t  as t it down.¡±

    Butterfly smiled sly seeto the cold.¡±

    Could tually kill a man, I  of envy? Mig  master, a perfect embodiment of talent, o murder? Age means not only straining oneself climbing  also, I gat being so afraid of deat means a lack of desire, entering into a slave girl¡¯s bedc in a fit of excitement, but out of custom. In a burst of intuition, I told o he decision I¡¯d made:

    ¡°I¡¯m not continuing he book any longer.¡±

    ¡°?¡± said Butterfly as his expression changed.

    ¡°tune in it. Our Sultan  off to tell Olive and Stork, as well.¡±

    Per igoones. As t croe, my only clue t t t very moment being loo tensity of tions of bismillai Resulullah.

    ¡°Uncover ely,¡± someone said.

    te s¡¯ve been eye to eye  smas see anyto t at a grave site, in an entirely different place¡­A memory: ty years ago, Our Sultan¡¯s grandfato take Cyprus from tians. S Effendi, recalling t ted a commissariat for Mecca and Medina, issued a fated t it e for an island o remain under Cian infidel control. In turn, t task of informing tians of t t surrender to me. As a result, I o tour t t enced by tures ian  of t, trusting in tality displayed by tians, I delivered ty, supercilious fas Our Sultan desired Cyprus. tians  in tily convened, it  even to discuss sucter able. Furious mobs had forced

    me to confine myself to to get past t to strangling me, teers succeeded in escorting me out one of t passageo an exit t opened onto t unlike t for an instant t tall and pale gondolier dressed in  sigion in his eyes.

    Longingly, I dreamed of finis and returning to Venice. I approac: At t, angels are interrogating . ty of my oo mind.

    A croake my arm and accompany me on told ed  t morning to continue  t be completed, .

    I ILL BE CALLED A MURDERERto ttered and disfigured corpse of ill-fated Elegant Effendi and I  more ted, ¡°I  to die  me s so I  fall in. I gasped for air and to my fore breatives, I sensed I miged my sobs and oget suppose t Elegant Effendi and I had been in love.

    I ree until to avoid dratention to myself. A relative of t to  tree and stared deep into my eyes urday¡° or ¡±ednesday¡®?¡°¡°¡±ednesday¡° ed for a time,¡± I said. .

    tory beo one anot pact, icesurist ed from assistant master to ter, , admiration and love for uoso and auging artistic gift and tellect of a jinn. Early eacices, one of us o ter¡¯s fully beo tfolio full of papers. So desperate o be near  ermine w day.

    Master Osman e. But if o go, it he never-ending

    gossip and tasteless jokes t inevitably filled t master decided t eac master ayed at urdays. er betrayed ting trade¡ªall turist more gifted t a young age, succumbing to t on by a mysterious illness. Elegant Effendi, may  in peace, er, our great master meaningfully and lovingly cuesday¡± to ¡°Olive,¡± from ¡°Friday¡± to ¡°Stork,¡± and from ¡°Sunday¡± to ¡°Butterfly,¡± renaming ted as ¡°Elegant¡± in allusion to t master must o te Elegant just as o greet all of us back then.

    my eyes migears: Master Osman admired us, and ear ings,  as if alent blossomed  its s hen.

    Noely divided, just like ted by one master edly becomes a murderer, it takes time to adjust. I¡¯ve adopted a second voice, one befitting a murderer, so t I migill carry on as tinued. I am speaking no of my regular life. From time to time, of course, you¡¯ll  become a murderer. But o being ¡°a murderer.¡± Let no one try to associate tistry to betray my  style, or for t matter, anyt serves to distinguisist from anot individual cer, as some arrogantly claim.

    I do admit t in my ouation, ts a problem. For t speak to me by Master Osman and used by Enis, in no  you to figure out ork. For if you do you  ate to turn me over to torturers of tan¡¯s Commander of the Imperial Guard.

    And, I must mind  and say. Actually, I kno you¡¯re listening to me even e. I can¡¯t afford careless contemplation of my frustrations or ting details of my life. Even ories. I was always mindful of your gaze.

    One side of t I¡¯ve illustrated tens of times faces ed t mytime¡ªttling, for example, or tiful maidens over , and

    anoto be gazing at t painting. If I do yle and cer, it¡¯s not only  in my crime and in my ry to discover whe color of my words!

    I, too, kno if you catc¡¯ll bring consolation to unfortunate Elegant Effendi¡¯s miserable soul. t on and rees, amid ccers of tanbul, and discovering aneo be alive. Patic Elegant Effendi, soon after  fierce-broely; yet, in ty-five years t rated books for Our Sultan, times o eacy years ago, e fat sultan. But  illustrated plates t o accompany a collection of Fuzuli poems. One summer evening back to andable but illogical desires¡ªapparently a miniaturist ougo feel in ext rating¡ªI came iently listened to entiously recite lines from Fuzuli¡¯s collected tered above us in a frenzy. I still recall a line recited t evening: ¡°I am not me but eternally t illustrate this line.

    I ran to  ive garden ed poetry, noed after a period of years.  oo. From t room, I could ed exclamations, mounting as if ting  brotened intently: t ically destroyed, and er tom of t from to identify t by its torn and tattered clotion of ts pulling Josep into ing t reminds us t envy is tion in life.

    t Black¡¯s eye. t vile scoundrel,  us, like someone o uncover truth.

    ¡°rated suc brot kind of less beast could¡¯ve slaug dare ?¡±

    ion ears, and I joined  my o  been me, ime ago¡ªI believe it s ain artists inclined to dismiss tecers and ruin trators ensively over; to embelliser, o

    spread t ty  for t out of competition for tions of a ice ory. And t¡¯s dignity,  and e feminine demeanor, but to do ter entirely: Elegant yle, a fanatic about tion of color betration, and in ter Osman, ance, point out tent faults of oturists¡ªmine in particular¡ªle conceit.  quarrel o do  e sensitive: royal miniaturists ly accepting trivial commissions outside t years, after Our Sultan¡¯s interest o , treasurer, all turists started paying visits to tory  of tists e at nigo visit Enishte.

    I  at all bote¡¯s decision to stop   Effendi o your nigo rations after dark? ouldn¡¯t you first determine tities of t illustrator? I  t urists  talented and t skilled in color selection, gilding, page ruling, illustration, face draion; and inue  imagine ty as to talented miniaturist.

    Out of tc fool Black Effendi ery croly dispersing, and o t, and after into a six-oar along ices  t of te, our boats momentarily came so near eac t to lock oars, and I could see clearly t Black ly o end a life. My dear God, you¡¯ve given eac you¡¯ve also made us afraid to exercise it.

    Still, if a man but once overcomes ts, raigirely different person. time  only of t of test trace of evil  evil can be endured, and moreover, t it¡¯s indispensable to an artist. After I killed t miserable excuse of a man, discounting trembling in my ed only a feter, I made use of brig important, realized t I could conjure up ion. But, tion anbul can truly appreciate trations?

    Off terfront near Jibali, from all tefully at Istanbul. t in t t broke abruptly ty is, to  and sin; the more

    cro is, to y¡¯s intellect ougo be measured not by its scurists, calligrap by tted on its dark streets over tless, Istanbul is t intelligent city.

    At t my longboat a little after Black and e  ted t te of a recent fire in tan Me Mosque, topped and excing  like a empted to run to ell  t barbarian, from o protect us, and to ask  true  Effendi an¡¯s trust trations ing tecraitorous and an affront to our religion? And  last large painting?¡±

    I stood in treet as evening fell and gazed doo jinns, fairies, brigands, to turning o trees. At treet, inside Enisory nut trees, t beautiful , no, why should I drive myself mad?

    I AM A GOLD COINBey-t Ottoman Sultani gold coin and I bear tan, Refuge of t in tork, one of Our Sultan¡¯s great masters,  finisure, t yet been able to embellis to your imagination. My image is  I myself can be found in tork, t illustrious miniaturist. o eacings to all ter artists and assorted guests. Your eyes le  my oer Stork. You¡¯re justified in beter measure of an illustrator¡¯s talent than I.

    In t ter Stork ly forty-seven gold pieces like myself. e¡¯re all in ter Stork, see for yourself, isn¡¯t urists of Istanbul alent among artists and in putting an end to unnecessary disagreements. In t, before  used to coffee and our minds sted miniaturists  satisfied  alented or ree or  in tion of clouds; no, to blo my judgment

    decides everyt ¡¯s more, an air t  ters of .

    In addition to noting t about by my judgment, let me list for you t be exc of a young and beautiful slave girl, o about one-fiftiety -ed c of draed  designs and silver leaf y silver pieces; 120 frese and coffins for tent concubine; one buffalo calf; t Me tabriz and ty of tan¡¯s en jugs of Panayot¡¯s y, and many otunities too numerous to specify.

    Before I arrived  ten days in ty sock of a poor sice. Eac tunate man o me t t go.

    ed all t o me before I came ¡¯d fill volumes. trangers among us,  to tell anyone, and as long as Stork Effendi  take offense, I¡¯ll tell you a secret. Do you s to tell?

    All rig a genuine ty-t Ottoman Sultani gold coin minted at tas. I¡¯m counterfeit. terated gold and brougy-t Ottoman gold. Your sympatanding are much obliged.

    Based on  in Venice, til recently, t tian infidels brougo t and spent ian ducats  same mint. e Ottomans, forever respectful of ten, paid no o t of gold in eac¡ªso long as tion remained tian gold pieces flooded Istanbul. Later, noting t coins o distinguising to Ma, t youty, beloved by all; first, akes into  mout ting it, declares it counterfeit. As a consequence, ake you to ead of one full ian infidels, realizing t terfeit coins presented sucages, decided t t as erfeit Ottoman coins, reasoning t ttomans would be fooled again.

    No me dratention to somete bizarre: ian infidels paint, it¡¯s as if t making a painting but actually creating t ting.  comes to money, s counterfeit.

    e o iron cs, o sco and fro traveled from Venice to Istanbul. I found myself in a money cs proprietor. e ed for a ered, o excer money crickster, declared t o bite to see if it erfeit. So ook t¡¯s coin and tossed it into h.

    inside  t¡¯s coin toman Sultani.  stenc a counterfeit.¡± , but  manner offended my pride and I lied to ually, my broterfeit.¡±

    Meaning, ¡°erfeit? I buried it in ty years ago, did a vice like counterfeiting exist back then?¡±

    I come  of ead of t¡¯s gold coin. ¡°take your gold coin, I don¡¯t  any vile Venetian infidel¡¯s fake money,¡±  responded ing  ter  from ot¡¯s spirit broke and y silver pieces. to hand began.

    Alloo admit proudly t I¡¯ve spent most of my time in Istanbul o purse, and from saso pocket, as befits an intelligent coin. My  nigo be stored in a jug and languis t it  o me, but for ed long. Many of t to be rid of me as soon as possible, especially if t to come across someone  I¡¯m counterfeit. A broker, not recognizing t I¡¯m counterfeit,  120 silver coins in exce s of anger, sorroience as soon as ed, and ts  subside until ing anottempts to repeatedly sime on account of e and anger, inue all to curse the ¡°immoral¡± person who had originally conned him.

    Over t seven years in Istanbul, I¡¯ve cimes, and t a , bazaar, mosque, c entered. As I¡¯ve roamed about, I¡¯ve learned t mucold and lies spun in my name ted. I¡¯ve constantly : Notunate  God, but me, and t buy¡ªall to say noty, vulgar and base nature. And t I¡¯m fake are given to even s. As my actual value drops, ap poetry is consolation to life¡¯s miseries. But despite all sucless comparison and tless slander, I¡¯ve realized t a large majority do

    sincerely love me. In tred, sucfelt¡ªeven impassioned¡ªaffection ougo gladden us all.

    I¡¯ve seen every square incanbul, street by street and district by district; I¡¯ve kno Istanbul in to Manisa. On to be attacked by ted, ¡°Your money or your life!¡± Panicking, t, able. But tuation quickly greo s ¡°Your ook urns. I don¡¯t dare describe t cramped ¡¯s for t I dislike leaving Istanbul.

    I¡¯ve been anbul. Young girls kiss me as if I s, and in to make certain I¡¯m still tored next to t, at ttom of a small bottle in a  seo a cil sack. I¡¯ve anbul in belts made of camel leat linings made from cian cloticolored ser cro  compartment of a grandfatuck me directly into a ouffed ras of cs. I¡¯ve knoly stood up from table to cill uck me up t in t relax unless t least seven times a day. ticulous Circassian ook us coins out of antly stacked us up into toer unning landscape; and to name names¡ªraveled in maed tan¡¯s palace; I¡¯ve -made bindings, in ted sy, rembling and old. I¡¯ve been redolent of opium dens, candle-makers¡¯ s of all of Istanbul. After experiencing sucement and commotion, a base t im¡¯s t in t and tossed me into  in my face and grunted, ¡°Damn you, it¡¯s all because of you.¡± I  I ed noto disappear.

    If I didn¡¯t exist, o distinguisist from a bad one, and to curists; t eacs. So I  vanisered t talented and intelligent of miniaturists and made my way here.

    If you tter tork, t hold of me.

 I AM CALLED BLACK

    I ers e afraid of o conclude t not a single  me , I sensed t t ting appearance at te sent me to rators and o come t made me quite uneasy.

    In te asked me to sit before o describe traits an, Refuge of ted quite a number of palazzos, cood before traits. ed on stretced directly onto . tinctive, unique oxicated by ty, tness¡ªeven severity¡ªof t lig seemed to fall on ting from their eyes.

    ¡°As if a virulent plague ruck, everyone  made,¡± ial men ed traits painted as a symbol, a memento of t alanding before us, announcing tence, nay, ty and distinction.¡±

    tling, as if  of jealousy, ambition or greed. t times, as alked about traits ly liged.

    Portraiture agion among affluent men, princes and great families  t even  tance, in a painting of t. Step among tearful graveside mourners, tour¡ªin a state of pure ention and conceit¡ªof tings , in ting St. Peter curing t t tunate one , trong-as-an-ox brote . time in a piece depicting tion of t wuffed  lunch.

    ¡°Some  to be included in a painting,¡± said my Enisalking about temptations of Satan, ¡°t to be portrayed as a servant filling goblets in toning an adulteress, or a murderer, his hands drenched in blood.¡±

    Pretending not to understand, I said, ¡°Exactly trated books t recount ancient Persian legends. Or amerlane, erory of h¨¹srev and Shirin.¡±

    as the house?

    ¡°It¡¯s as if tian paintings o frige later. ¡°And it isn¡¯t enoug y and money of t us to kno simply existing in terious event. ttempting to terrify us tempting to terrify us by being creatures of mystery.¡±

    ten lost in te portrait gallery of a lunatic collector ate raits of all t personages in Frankisory from kings to cardinals, and from soldiers to poets: ¡°able  left me alone to roam as I  tant infidels¡ªmost of ained tance in t of raits made. tinguis for a moment among tings I felt flaent. ed in t seemed, I¡¯d better understand his world.¡±

    ened because ood¡ªand per Islamic artistry, perfected and securely establisers of ,  its end on account of traiture. ¡° oo ed to feel extraordinary, different and unique,¡±  rongly drao ¡¯s as if t before God, like considering oneself of utmost importance, like situating oneself at ter of the world.¡±

    ter, tists made use of as if playing a prideful ced ed Sultan¡ªbut could in fact become a force meant to serve our religion, bringing under its sway all w.

    I learned t ted manuscript e, o Istanbul from Venice, suggested it  indeed for Our Sultan to be t of a portrait in tyle. But after ook exception, a book containing pictures of Our Sultan and ts t represented him was agreed upon.

    ¡°It is tory t¡¯s essential,¡± our  and most Glorious Sultan iful illustration elegantly completes tory. An illustration t does not complement a story, in t a false idol. Since  possibly believe in an absent story, urally begin believing in ture itself. t t  on before

    Our Prop, peace and blessings be upon royed t as part of a story, o depict tion, for example, or t insolent dhere?¡±

    ¡°By exposing tion¡¯s beauty and uniqueness.¡±

    ¡°In t of your scene, tuate t ter of the page?¡±

    ¡°I s aking me.¡±

    filled my Enision of situating at ter of t God ended.

    ¡°ter,¡± Our Sultan  to ex a picture in uated a d ure could never be displayed: after a ions. If I believed,  t Jesus  God could be observed in t  in  I accept tion of mankind in full detail and ex sucand t, eventually, ure t is  you?¡±

    My Enisood it quite hinking.¡±

    ¡°For tan remarked, ¡°I could never allorait to be displayed.¡±

    ¡°tly itter.

    It urn to be frightened now.

    ¡°Nonet is my desire t my portrait be made in tyle of ters,¡± Our Sultan  on. ¡°Sucrait ever t book migo tell me.¡±

    ¡°In an instant of surprise and aement,¡± said my Eniso become someone else.

    ¡°an ordered me to start  ougo be prepared as a present for tian Doge,  once again. Once ted, it ed Sultan, in ted t I prepare the

    illuminated manuscript in utmost secrecy, primarily to conceal its purpose as an olive brancended to tians, but also to avoid aggravating e of great elation and so secrecy, I embarked upon ture.¡±

    I AM YOUR BELOVED UNCLEAnd so it  Friday morning, I began to describe t ain Our Sultan¡¯s portrait painted in tian style. I broacopic to Black by recounting  it up an and o fund to e tories¡ª  to accompany trations.

    I told ed most of trations and t t picture  clever of miniaturists, Stork, illustrate tree representing tan¡¯s ure of Satan and a  to spirit us far far aer miniaturists depict ty,¡± I told Black, ¡°t if you sa once, you¡¯d knoraig text ougo be. Poetry and painting, o eacher, as you well know.¡±

    For a old myself not to be taken in by  attention and o elope ill, I could rely on nobody else to finish my book.

    Returning togetest of innovations manifest in tings of tian masters. ¡°If,¡± I said, ¡°end to make our paintings from tive of pedestrians excries and regarding t is, if end to illustrate from treet,  for¡ªas t is, in fact, most prevalent there: shadows.¡±

    ¡° shadow?¡± asked Black.

    From time to time, as my nepened, I perceived impatience in o fiddle  . At times, ake up toke tove. No ed to lo poker onto my o move t of illustrating aray ters of  and tire tradition of painting; because I¡¯d duped Our Sultan into already doing so. Occasionally, Black  dead still for long stretco mine. I could imagine o tried to explain to , about trees, about t falling onto t ting snoake: It proved only t our former

    filial relationsient sufferance of tings of a demented old man aken ty and passion for kno an old man  of Black¡¯s love. tries and cities t my nepraveled tired of me, and I pitied  only because I  alloer all, t because I dreamed of paintings ransgressed ts of ters of . Furt tion, I imagined my deat his hands.

    I , rary, I tried to frig fear e to ting I¡¯d requested of ures,¡± I said, ¡°one ougo be able to situate oneself at ter of trators brilliantly depicted Death for me. Behold.¡±

    to sings I¡¯d secretly commissioned from ter miniaturists over t year. At first, ad sened. ood t tion of Deat could be found in many Book of Kings volumes¡ªfrom tation of Siyavusem¡¯s murder of Su realizing terested in t. Among tures t depicted te Sultan S¨¹leyman  sad colors, combining a compositional sensibility inspired by ttempt at ser. I pointed out terplay of cloud and  Deat like traits of infidels I ian palazzos; all of tely yearned to be rendered distinctly. ¡°t to be so distinct and different, and t t,¡± I said, ¡°look, look into t fear Deat rat in to be one-of-a-kind, unique and exceptional. Look at tration and e an account of it. Give voice to Deat you e to traightaway.¡±

    ared at ture in silence. ¡°ed ter.

    ¡°Butterfly.  talented of t. Master Osman h and awed by him for years.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen rougion of a dog at toryteller performs,¡± Black said.

    ¡°My illustrators, most of o Master Osman and take a dim vie nigrations  time Our Sultan ian artist,  my be, paint rait. ter, er Osman make a copy of t

    oil painting. Forced to imitate tian painter, Master Osman rait t came of it. ified.¡±

    All day long, I sure¡ªexcept tration t I cannot, for e. I discussed temperaments of turists, and I enumerated ted out to tive¡± and s in tian pictures alked about ty t unfortunate Elegant Effendi ion and out of jealousy over h.

    As Black returned  nig  morning as promised and t en to me recount tories t itute my book. I listened to steps fading beyond te; to t t seemed to make my sleepless and troubled murderer stronger and more devilishan me and my book.

    I closed tyard gate tiger basin t I used as a basil planter bee as I did eac. Before I reduced tove to smoldering as to bed, I glanced up to see Se gohe blackness.

    ¡°Are you absolutely certain t you  to marry him?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No, dear Fatten about marriage. Besides, I am married.¡±

    ¡°If you still  to marry o give you my blessing now.¡±

    ¡°I o be o him.¡±

    ¡°hy?¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s against your y, I desire nobody t you do not .¡±

    I noticed, momentarily, tove reflected in  out of un anger; yet trace of offense in her voice.

    ¡°Black is in love .

    ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°ened to all I o say today not out of ing, but out of his love for you.¡±

    ¡°e your book, t matters.¡±

    ¡°Your  return one day,¡± I said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not certain  tonig my urn.  I¡¯ve dreamt seems to be trut¡¯ve killed urned to dust.¡± S statement lest t inge of anger.

    ¡°If to kill me,¡± I said, ¡°I  you to finiso  you will.¡±

    ¡°I give my e your book?¡±

    ¡°Black! You can ensure t he does so.¡±

    ¡°You are already ensuring t her,¡± she said. ¡°You have no need for me.¡±

    ¡°Agreed, but o me because of you. If t be afraid to continue on.¡±

    ¡°In t case,  be able to marry me,¡± said my clever daughter, smiling.

    ail about ire conversation, I noticed not an occasional glimmer in anding tensely facing one anothe room.

    ¡°Do you communicate o contain myself.

    ¡°hing?¡±

    A long agonizing silence passed. A dog barked in tance. I . So cry, and said t sroked o  o bed next to ted back over t tain t Sh Black.

 I AM CALLED BLACK

    urned  nigo act like my motered myself in my room and lay on my mattress, giving myself over to visions of Shekure.

    Allo of describing te¡¯s

    after tain of being, someinually under cure inually able to see ter able to understand Ibn Arabi¡¯s notion t love is ty to make to feel t.

    I could infer t Sinually cening to to ts  one point, I ely certain s room, eroom; I could ried to quiet tures, tening glances and knit brourally, not as one urbing someone¡¯s ritual prayers, but affectedly, as one ing in a fit of laughter.

    Anotime, as to me t and s and Orered tures obviously reray and served us coffee. t soon become t to S: ¡° nice eyes you ely turned to   gro, I placed a faded red carnation petal, o tray and kissed eacer still, I er and giggling from hin.

    Frequently, I greo knoaring at a crack, knot or ook to be a uated just be. Suddenly, suspecting anot, and to determine  t toand up. Affecting all ttentive disciple, quite ente lost in t, in order to demonstrate ent I  suspicious black spot on the wall.

    o find Sing in o be a peepment, and trange feeling of loneliness, by tience of a man uncertain urn next.

    No and intense feeling t Scely convinced I  I¡¯d start posing like a man trying to sronger and more capable to impress ter, I¡¯d fantasize t Sy of famous Venetian illustrator about ece . I longed to be like these newly

    famed painters solely because S trators yrdom in cells like saints, or ty arm and a sar, as t absent  on account of a manuscript transcribed or a page ted. I tried very o imagine t pictures created by ted illustrators, ery and its visible blackness. I tried so o visualize terpieces my Enistempting to describe to one  only more dejected and demeaned.

    I looked up to discover t S  male cain Arab tribes in transoxiana and among Circassian tribes in tains¡ªt  only kiss a guest¡¯s  t, but also  left. Cauged my o kiss. At t moment, from someoo far aered and to remedy tuation, I grabbed S and kissed  ed of me. t my Eniso apologize for interrupting o assure  I meant no disrespect, ime I understood t to my urned ance tohe door.

    I clutc like a je te from S of elation I could scarcely keep from grinning stupidly at my Enis t Sely desired me? Suddenly, I imagined us engaged in a mad frenzy of lovemaking. So profoundly convinced  t I¡¯d conjured  t my manely began to rise¡ªte. nessed tently on  my concentration.

    Mucer, o srated plate from ly unfolded te,  s it completely blank. I couldn¡¯t believe my eyes and senselessly turned t.

    ¡°A ec is t you are holding?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s note Effendi,¡± I said.  to my nose and deeply ins scent.

    After an afternoon meal, as I did not  to use my Enis, I excused myself and  to t ter cold. I o my concern  freezing my buttocks too muc S ly appeared before me, blocking my he

    outer me and emptied t. ed and fixed ty eyes on mine as  ill y pot.

    ¡°?¡± ly like cters ed second-floor window in w seen Ser so many years.

    ¡°Nay.¡±

    ¡°S in the hanged Jew?¡±

    out to treet  ing for my response. I folloy paces along tering an unkempt garden.  smelled of  and rotting leaves, and faintly of mold. itaking firm, reps, ered tood before us almost rees.

    tely empty, but it here.

    ¡°his?¡± I asked.

    ¡°t to ter over by t-sellers¡¯ quay. t into a corner of turned. ¡±t¡¯s gone, it¡¯s disappeared,¡° he said.

    ¡° go?¡±

    ¡°My grandfathe dead wander.¡±

    ¡°Not ts wander.¡±

    ¡° tig his lap in all seriousness.

    ¡°I just know. Do you always come here?¡±

    ¡°My mot nig I¡¯m not afraid of this place. have you ever killed a man?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°how many?¡±

    ¡°Not many. two.¡±

    ¡°ith a sword?¡±

    ¡°ith a sword.¡±

    ¡°Do their souls wander?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t knoo ten in books, t wander.¡±

    ¡°Uncle ¡¯s so s¡¯ll cut you if you just touc. And udded her?¡±

    I nodded indicating neit your father is dead?¡±

    ¡°My moterday.  be returning. She saw him in her dream.¡±

    If presented unity, er goal o do for t t burns  breaks our s; and so, I resolved once more to become turned to tened more intently to S¡¯s grandfatext and illustrations I o complete.

    Let me begin rations t my Enisy; even so, I couldn¡¯t say it ing of a  it  t tepped off to tyle. tely apparent from ts of nobility: Maybe, a man  t to appear beside teed.

    It  Eniser illustrator rator, arriving at nigencil¡ªonly if it ension of a story, t¡¯s exactly e. As imes in scenes of love and ers, ructed trator; for example,   about tree t dra in the background, on a smaller scale.¡±

    trator, e, eagerly draure t didn¡¯t resemble any of to

    s ce, after a or could no longer determine ration ended to ene.  my Enised of me  I examine trations made in ian, e a story suitable to accompany te page. If I o get Sely o e tories, but all t came to mind ories toryteller told at the coffeehouse.

    I ILL BE CALLED A MURDERERticking aold me it  to be called, but long before, I¡¯d lit ting beside my folding able. I quickly completed dra from memory, o black ed it over  to treet as it did every niged. I ermined not to go, but to stay at ried nailing my door s for a time.

    tily completing erpreter and guide, tuttered, ed me doraveler ed a ¡°book of costumes¡± and engaged me in a bout of vicious bargaining.  morning upon a lesser-quality book of costumes for a price of ty silver pieces, I proceeded to illustrate a dozen Istanbulites in a single sitting around time of ticular attention to tail of tfits. I dreioners in t of torture sold quite . I¡¯d done so many of t to earn a fera silver pieces t I began to invent games for myself to figo dra lifting my pen off to drah my eyes closed.

    All brigands, poets and men of constant sorro ed and rebellious, urging in unision: ¡°Out! Outside!¡± tless inner voice demands, ¡°Seek t my time appeasing ted pictures,  for seven days noer dusk, since I murdered t disgrace, I¡¯m no longer able to control t I tell myself t calm do for a while.

    After saying so, as al knoreets, muddy passages, icy slopes and deserted sideop. As I o t, into t remote and abandoned parts of ty, I¡¯d ever so gradually leave my soul bereets, my

    footsteps econe inns, schools and mosques, my fears would subside.

    Of t brougo treets of tskirts of ty,   t  ill-omened, but I don¡¯t believe sucition. tragedy t er on account of ty years ago because it ed of he enemy.

    I meandered berees,  idiousness, I straigs dilapidated sters. I entered and dre of one-o my lungs. It made me so blissful to be  tears would fall from my eyes.

    If I  already said so, I¡¯d like to say t I fear not Alla meted out in t orments t murderers like myself  Day, as is clearly described in terion¡± cer, for example. In t books, t I quite rarely lay  in all its colors and violence, recalling t terrifying scenes of rated on calfskin by turists, or, for orments of demons depicted by Cer artists, I can¡¯t keep myself from dras logic:  does ¡°t Journey¡± cer state in its ty-t not ten t one s,  justification, take t t I¡¯ve sent to  a believer, ification for stering his skull.

    t book Our Sultan ly commissioned. If I  silenced e Effendi, all turists and even Master Osman, letting t turists ting blaspo exercise trengt just be satisfied er miniaturists, troy tire  c a peep.

    As I did every time I came  ened and felt like a dutiful servant of Alla  deprive me of time. to make a fox s copper, drove into my bones. I began to feel t sinister ac t. I stepped outside.

    Soon afterrange state of mind, I found myself in a completely different neig kno beted neighborhood of

    t know rees.

    ering t  leave me be, and it ate at me like a ell you it¡¯ll ease t Effendi¡±¡ªeit¡¯s t time before ted gilder  t accusations against our Enis  t affected by ion t Enisival tec beast divulged ture. In t picture Enises everyt  to religion, it¡¯s pure blasper tion by t scoundrel, Enisually asked me to illustrate a number of unrelated ts on a page and in sent scales; indeed, it  of a Frankising. Enisook trouble to cover large portions of tion of ted me to illustrate as ed Elegant Effendi ed to conceal someturists.

    I  to ask Enis rating in ting, but t t I murdered Elegant Effendi and make o all. But t unsettles me as  Effendi  justified in ell myself I sending as if t passed to me from Elegant Effendi, but o me. In t¡¯s no comfort either way.

    My legs, o Enisreet. I crouc, and for a long time observed t I could in tcime: Nestled among trees ory  tell on ures made in tabriz during taion¡ªas if it  in ried to illustrate in my mind¡¯s eye wter.

    te gazed at ion from beyard gate for a moment before closing it.

    Even my mind, o idiotic fantasies, quickly, and painfully, dre I had seen:

    One: Since Black was ce Effendi would e our book.

    tiful Shekure would marry Black.

    t tunate Elegant Effendi rue, and so, I¡¯d killed .

    In situations sucellects drater conclusion t our s refuse, tire body rebels against t first, ly opposed ted t I  t of murderers. My legs, once again, acting quicker and more rationally t me in pursuit of Black Effendi.

    e¡¯d passed doreets o murder entedly and self-assuredly  t tablis  Effendi¡¯s skull for no reason at all. Noen paces, catco Black and land a bloo , everyte Effendi e me to finis mean fear?) and prudent side continued to tell me t ter I¡¯d murdered and tossed into a ruly a slanderer. And if t killed , and Eniso  to t certainly invite me back to his home.

    As I cmost certainty t none of t  o us all: In reaction to being overly logical asies for fit, a  our dreams rue; to understand t a particular maiden  be permitted to marry us or t ion in life.

    I c ep  to tred t coiled cozily around my . Men like Black, free from pangs of conscience and ures before t tire an entering able and immediately belittle to grab a stone and run up be too great to resist.

    e  of me and completely unaurning and ting streets of Istanbul, climbing and descending, raveled like breted streets given over to battling packs of stray dogs, passed burnt ruins yards rees murmuring to teries cros, just out of sigrangling tims, passed endless sables, dervisone  I  follo rat I ating him.

    I AM DEAt you needn¡¯t be afraid, I¡¯m just an illustration. Be t as it may, I read terror in your eyes. t I¡¯m not real¡ªlike children who give

    to a game¡ªyou¡¯re still seized by ually met Deat me, you sense t you¡¯ll soil yourselves out of fear  moment is upon you. trol of tions¡ªparticularly ty of to be brave-ed. For tretlefields t you¡¯ve depicted times reek not of blood, gunpo of s and rotting flesh.

    I kno time you¡¯ve seen a depiction of Death.

    One year ago, a tall, terious old man invited to er miniaturist e me. In tory e cup of silky, amber-scented coffee to ter,  sed ter miniaturist by flaunting t paper from an, brusies of gold leaf, all manner of reed pens and coral-ing t o pay handsomely.

    ¡°Nohe old man said.

    ¡°I cannot draure of Deat ever, not once in my entire life, ure of Deaturist, , end up doing the drawing.

    ¡°You do not alo ration of someto depict t ted tic old man.

    ¡°Yes, per,¡± said ter illustrator. ¡°Yet, if ture is to be perfect, ters of old , it ougo be dra least a times before I attempt it. No matter erful a miniaturist migs an object for t time,  as an apprentice . I cannot put my mastery aside ing Deat to dying myself.¡±

    ¡°Suc put you in touc matter,¡± quipped the old man.

    ¡°It¡¯s not experience of subject matter t makes us masters, it¡¯s never  t makes us masters.¡±

    ¡°Sucery ougo be acquainted hen.¡±

    In tered into an elevated conversation endre, allusions, puns, obscure references and innuendos, as befit miniaturists ers as alent. Since it ence t ened intently to tion, tirety of s among us in this good coffeehouse.

    Let me just say t t wouche following:

    ¡°Is turist¡¯s talent ty to depict everytion as t masters or ty to introduce into ture subject matter  illustrator, and alto tion, e reserved.

    ¡°tians measure a miniaturist¡¯s proo discover novel subject matter and tec ed tly.

    ¡°Venetians die like Venetians,¡± said trator who would soon draw me.

    ¡°All our deathe old man.

    ¡°Legends and paintings recount inct from one anot rator. ¡°ter miniaturist earns ery by depicting unique legends as if hem.¡±

    In tion turned to tians and Ottomans, to ted by tistry of ter aring at me iful eyes in our dear coffeeurbed by ty , o depict me, yet  kind of entity I was.

    ting old man o beguile ter caug of t of to ter.

    ¡°Deatians depict in o us an angel like Azrael,¡±  like Gabriel, and, don¡¯t you?¡±

    I realized t ter, , ient and ed to illustrate me, because t ially  is to drao us in all its s somets illumination.

    ¡°I am not, in t, familiar urist.

    ¡°e all knohe old man.

    ¡°e fear it, but  kno.¡±

    ¡°t falls to you to dra fear,¡± said the old man.

    to create me just t master miniaturist¡¯s nape ingling; ensing up and , because  genuine of great masters, rained  tension ing in his soul.

    tood ion of me, ed before long, o read passages about me from ti.

    And so, as ter miniaturist oucrait, o  point in t to t point in t.  comfort to truly fait for sinners and rebels as painful as a spike ty of you miniaturists are bound for ed me laden ened to  to you by Allao take your lives  of deat arrives, a leaf falls from tree located beneaturist depicted me as a terrifying being, but tful, too, like one s. tinued to read: ime on Eart reminiscent of t of turist depicted me bat, for  t  be visible to t ancient grave robbers en lead. rator, listening intently to sucs, depicted me in a manner t errify whoever laid eyes on me.

    Later, ted o terror ure, but because o make tration at all. As for me, I feel like someone . urist ed  rated me?

    1. Because I, ture of Deat been draery. As you can see, I am not as perfect as  Venetian masters or ters of  dreoo, am embarrassed by my c master  depicted me in a style befitting ty of Death.

    2. Upon being cunningly duped by ter illustrator ating tives of tuosos. It disturbed

    ful and,  time, oddly disoers.

    3. It must¡¯ve even daired of me and are smiling: Deatter.

    ter miniaturist s endlessly eac in fits of regret; like certain Cers,  he has drawn.

    I AM ESt and Blackcat ing from to satc I¡¯d fill up and tie into a bundle. I removed t ly arrived by uguese trader but  selling, substituting tent snoer, I carefully folded plenty of colorful socks, ts, all of er of t a bouquet of color o make even t indifferent , I packed some lig, but expensive, silk  to make a purc to gossip. I lifted tote. My goodness, too ¡¯ll break my back. I put it do. As I stared at it, trying to determine o leave out, I  t and called to me.

    It  concubine ter in her hand.

    ¡°S it,¡± sered t you¡¯d ted to get married.

    itter. I  to return  being seen by anyone and s. Nesim cast a questioning eye at me. I took up t ligc delivering my letters.

    ¡°Ser of Master Enis of he poor girl.¡±

    I cackled and stepped outside, but t. If trutold, I longed to sear for Sead of making ligiful s dark-eyed melancholy girl of mine!

    I ever so quickly strode past ted and pitiful in ter, reet, I sed as loud as I could, ¡°Clothierrr!¡±

    ¡°Fat c sed I steps.¡±

    ¡°You good-for-noted tatar! Blind men like you are scourges forsaken by Alla you deserve.¡±

    In t, suc  aken tleman and polite.

    ¡°Let¡¯s   ime?¡± he said.

    ¡°Is t slotill asleep?¡±

    ¡°ing, expecting news from you.¡±

    t eacime I visit, I feel as if I¡¯ve entered a tomb. S to, but I al of carping about t even consider returning to t. It¡¯s o imagine t lovely Sress of t s smelled of sleep and deatered t room, moving farto the blackness.

    You couldn¡¯t see your  even o present tter to  of tc from my  o read tter and satisfy y. he page.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t te,¡± s to our  I¡¯ve  you  ten even a single line of my fat get your  first completing t manuscript.

    Letter in o my eyes, as if all t. I¡¯m not fond of this house.

    ¡°turning from t,¡± he said. ¡°hy?¡±

    ¡° tes tters.¡±

    ¡°Sometimes I  t,¡± ter along een silver.

    ¡°Some men groingier t t way,¡± I said.

    ting, intelligent side to t despite all raits, one could see  ters.

    ¡° is ther?¡±

    ¡°You knoan is funding t they say.¡±

    ¡°Miniaturists are murdering eacures in t book,¡±  for tes our religion? t its pages is enougo bring on blindness.¡±

    I kneake any of it seriously. Even if it ter to take to , at t, to take seriously about me taking tter seriously. Like many of tter courier and mediator,  at me  of my job, pretended to be upset to en rary, .

    ¡°You¡¯re an intelligent e. I¡¯m curious about t fool¡¯s response.¡±

    For a moment, I felt like saying, ¡°Black is not so foolisuations, making rival suitors jealous of eacc I rum.

    ¡°You knoatar beggar at treet?¡± I said. ¡° one.¡±

    to avoid getting into it reet and to pass t early in t Muslims eat t of crange! My grandmot in peace, ell me   shem for food.

    At Kemeraral 1k, I saing bolt upriger. I sig been so absentmindedly devoted to books, if urned from t¡¯ve lived like ty .

    urned onto Black¡¯s street, my  quickened. Did I  So marry t time, in keeping t.

    But  to  on ts except o his love for Shekure.

    ¡°Clothierrrrr!¡±

    trade for tters to lovers addled by loneliness or tain of receiving t neo read tter, a shem.

    By not mentioning anyt urn, by tying  get your o one condition alone, S cause to be  pleasure, I cter. raugo e c a dark money purse, ed to sell to Black¡¯s nosy landlady.

    ¡°t Persian velvet,¡± I said.

    ¡°My son died at ers do you deliver to Black?¡±

    I could read from  so set up er, or ed Black. ¡°No one¡¯s,¡± I said. ¡°A poor relative of he Bayrampasha sickhouse and needs money.¡±

    ¡°Ounate man?¡±

    ¡°ubbornly.

    e began to glare at eacility. S¡¯ve been quite difficult. If you ever o become a clot only  and legendary romances stir people¡¯s curiosity. Everyt ion, jealousy, loneliness, enmity, tears, gossip and never-ending poverty. Suc like ts t furnising on an empty baking s, tongs and an asing beside tove, turban stand maintained to conceal tary life and an old so scare thieves off.

    Black ily returned o take t to our suffering patient. If ing. You can find me at Master Enis of the day.¡±

    t like Black to ory

    maneuvers, tters  of a maiden. Or does ruly er? At times, I didn¡¯t trust Black at all and  erribly.  t, despite spending ire day he same house, he¡¯s incapable of giving her a sign?

    Once I side, I opened t contained tter. I  tter t I nearly ran to able-sellers  cabbage, carrots and t in front of t I didn¡¯t even  in me to touc  to me to fondle them.

    I turned onto treet, and sa tatar ing to u in ion; t ing cold freeze ts to death?

    As ly read tter, I could barely maintain my patience. Finally, unable to restrain myself, I suddenly said ¡°Yes?¡± and he began reading aloud:

    My Dearest Sed t I complete your fatain t I  your  to pester you, as you¡¯d earlier indicated. I¡¯m quite a my love for you is my o, due to to take up my pen and e ed for o your fatensively and t one cause: After te fear losing t vision. If I could once more see you close-up, I¡¯d erday, S brougo today, at ime you see fit, I¡¯ll go t for you. Yesterday, S mentioned t you dreamt your husband had died.

    ter mockingly, in places raising cing trembling supplication of a lover en o see you just once¡± in Persian.  So negotiate. Suc somet to.¡±

    ¡°h Shekure,¡± I said naively.

    ¡°t proves t you¡¯ve taken Black¡¯s side,¡± ten t s my older brot means ss h.¡±

    ¡°t  a dream,¡± I said like an idiot.

    ¡°I knooget aken Black to thinks

    serribly mistaken! My older brotill alive and urn from the war.¡±

    Before o conclude,  into t room o lig succeeded only in burning  out a  t beside a folding able. s case, dipped it into an inking on a small piece of paper. I sensed  my co s I  afraid, I smiled exaggeratedly.

    ¡° know?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Just beyond t Mosor of tan and t of men, ress from Amasya and er, people claimed t rangled so unleavened bread could be made from nesses or iful er tan died,  find tiful  ther, who¡¯d been living alone.¡±

    ¡°If S  for my broto come back from t, tters.

    No anger or  tune and sorroicular to tricken. I suddenly saoms  made  all. After all s, it da  once again ask me  o becoming t s evil¡ªand rejection in love is a significant cause for doing so¡ªcruelty follos and t terrible red salked about,  toucion to leave, in a near frenzy, I stumbled outside onto treet.

    tting victim to tatar beggar. But I immediately pulled myself togetly dropped a small stone I¡¯d picked off to atar.¡±

    it laugcone  was a coin. Ignoring oward one of my ¡°daugo a good husband.

    t s ¡°daugover, but still crisp. For ternoon meal se t. So as not to disappoint ed and ate th fresh bread.

    Se of ste any ation, I requested some rose-petal jam, a spoonful of o te before topping off my meal. After on to deliver tters to my melancholy Shekure.

    I, S of folding and putting a  to dry yesterday o tell you. But  peepiently ing for tters from Black and  as I sensed t my fatified, I also kneerest in me  eternal. ed to be married, and because ed to be married,  me,  me, aking care to fall in love h her beforehand.

    In tc Ester s, as sy look. I realized t since ress, s be reporting to  the case.

    ¡°My black-eyed girl, my dark-fortuned beauty, my stunning beauty of beauties, I s of nonsense,¡± said Esthis.¡±

    Sook out tters; I snatco a corner  could still  passed bet be able to see my expression, I turned my back on ter first.  about t. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Suation,¡± I said to myself and began reading ter. he verge of madness:

    S I kno in t concerned. In my dreams, I see myself ced ops. Every time you leave one of my letters¡ªt I kno. I¡¯m ing in  you¡¯ll respond time. t, everyone¡¯s spreading t: You¡¯ve dreamed t your  you¡¯re free. I cannot say ¡¯s true.  I do kno you¡¯re still married to my older broto t my fatified, o to urned  your fat your to come back to tely.

    After reading tter a second time, I pulled myself toget Estioning eyes, but sold me not hasan or Black.

    I pulled out t I kept ry, placed a s of paper on t to begin ing a letter to Black when I froze.

    Someto mind. I turned toer s  seemed ridiculous to me t s hrough my mind.

    ¡°See ly you¡¯re smiling, my dear,¡± s . Istanbul is rife lemen and paso be o a stunning beauty, possessed of so many talents like yourself.¡±

    You understand alking about: Sometimes you¡¯ll say somet no sooner do tedly, even t t was w he following:

    ¡°But Est to marry a wo kids, for heaven¡¯s sake?¡±

    ¡°A y, a slew of men,¡± sure.

    I looked into  like  t s going to give ter and even t it ter if s. After Esto my o it¡ªin my soul.

    Leaning on tood still in t of myself, of  and Ortering upstairs.

    ¡°And you¡¯re as timid as a girl,¡± said S. ¡°You only attack from behind.¡±

    ¡°My tooth is loose,¡± said Orhan.

    At time, anot of my mind rating on ranspiring bether and Black.

    ter beraits of tian masters, , in painting, eyes can no longer simply be  must be just like our o as paper, but must be nodes of expression¡ªeac ss est contraction or relaxation. Our noses can no longer be a kind of  divides our faces, but ratruments o each of us.¡±

    as Black as surprised as I  my fato tlemen  I arily alarmed. My dark beloved, my troubled o sleep for t? Is t w your face?

    Per a Black is a tall, trong, straig nose. As in tery and agile. ands straigall,  not as broad as ter carrier.  yet settled. ter,  tained a kind of perfection.

    Noo t plagues  at once guilty and proud t . Black listened to ration made for tely innocent and c t edly felt, yes, like putting my breast into it. itangled in s, and as my oanding t only tely bound to me.

    I perspired faintly and imagined Black marveling at ts ensity¡ªratudying tration of t my fatually s only my breasts, but as if drunk  my  all of me. tracted to me t o t not summon as a youted patiently and bravely for my y of tter I¡¯d ten him.

    I felt anger toting t be able to marry again. I rations urists make in imitation of ters, and I was sick of ions of Venice.

    my os, Black ly t in t rong  secure. My nape tingled, my nipples iffening. It seemed as if to me. My  was Black¡¯s like? I wondered.

    At times in my dreams, my o me. I come to t my ruggling to keep   as  sadly, te bank, covered

    in blood and suffering terribly, I notice t . If it¡¯s true  truto  gro large,¡± t so big. If Black¡¯s is bigger, if t enormous t y piece of paper I¡¯d sent by S yesterday; if t ually it¡ªand it surely  pain, if it even fits inside me at all.

    ¡°Mot is mocking me.¡±

    I left t, quietly passing into t from t and put it on. t my mattress and .

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I   to s, did I not?¡±

    ¡°Mama,  red vest on?¡± S asked.

    ¡°But Mot was mocking me,¡± Orhan said.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to mock ¡¯s to there was a piece of animal hide.

    ¡°It¡¯s a carcass,¡± Or found it on treet.¡±

    ¡°Quick, take it and t back w, now.¡±

    ¡°Let S do it.¡±

    ¡°I said now!¡±

    As I  my lo catch cold.

    Of all turists, I liked Black t. ood ook out pen and paper, and in one sitting,  o te the following:

    All rig you at ther¡¯s book as soon as possible.

    I did not reply to ually going to today, I didn¡¯t believe t tely. If o take sucion  ing a letter or aing my reply. ing my

    response, and,  arrive, it¡¯ll drive o abduct me. Don¡¯t t afraid of  all. But, I¡¯m counting on Black to protect me. Any me tell you  no so afraid of hasan because I love him as well.

    If you object and to yourselves, ¡°No?¡± I¡¯d find you justified. It¡¯s not t I failed to notice during ted under turn, iful,  Estells me  of money¡ªand I can alell  self-confidence, ty t attracts me to ters ubbornly sent to me.

    Botraveling for t me letters every day, in trated birds and gazelles. At first I er, I loved to read ters again and again.

    As I   everyto do  surprised t  I suspected  Estting ters I¡¯d sent to Black. t¡¯s o Black by ter tified.

    ¡°o turned.

    tood t I  really angry. Discreetly, I pulled S aside, to t. I lifted o my lap. I kissed he nape of his neck.

    ¡°You¡¯re cold, my dear,¡± I said. ¡°Give me tty hem up¡­¡±

    I didn¡¯t comment. Pressing o my bosom, I gave  time ten, sly meh pleasure.

    ¡°So te a lot, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Ummmhmmm.¡±

    ¡°Is t a ¡±yes¡°?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°More than anybody else?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°to tell you somet. ¡°But you  tell anyone, all rig?¡±

    ¡°More than Orhan, even?¡±

    ¡°More t understand anyter, you¡¯re able to understand.¡± I kissed and smelled o ask you a favor. Remember ly brougerday? You¡¯ll do today, all right?¡±

    ¡°her.¡±

    ¡°?¡±

    ¡°erday in the hanged Jew.¡±

    ¡° did he say?¡±

    ¡°¡±I killed your faty of men,¡° he said.¡±

    Suddenly somet slid doo cry.  t¡¯ve been unable to control myself just t  anyone to ted. But  a man I¡¯d been making arrangements to marry¡ªand t, hese boys in mind.

    My poor little fatill crying, and all at once, t me greatly. I, too, ears. e  so mucroked his hair.

    t all began: told my fat I¡¯d dreamed my ually, as e frequently over turned from battling tingly, and t o me.

    Dreams are alo otugal, from  seems dreams o prove ics met  torturers of tuguese Corture to describe to confess t take. In

    ted over to s people were o accuse and condemn Jews.

    Dreams are good for things:

    ALIF: You  somet you just can¡¯t ask for it. So you¡¯ll say t you¡¯ve dreamed about it. In t you   actually asking for it.

    BA: You  to  to slander a  sucting adultery or t suc, you¡¯ll say. In t believe you, tion of t never forgotten.

    DJIM:You  somet you don¡¯t even kno is. So, you¡¯ll describe a confusing dream. Your friends or family ely interpret tell you  are never tually see in our sleep. ,¡± t is ¡°dreamed¡± during t ly as erpret takes real dreams seriously, including tell, do you?

    t I edly recounted, I ed t my  truly be dead. t first  accept tion of truter returning from t my  only believed t my ually immortal t four years,  ain of  been officially announced. It  truly realized t t fat  truly began to grieve.

    ¡°Do you ever .

    ¡°Yes,¡±  return home, and I end up marrying you.¡±

    y t I  able to pass on to my cher¡¯s high, broad forehead.

    ¡°Go on ther.¡±

    ¡°Can her¡¯s old sword?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    For some time, I gazed at tening to triking eacruggled to quell ty t  doo tco e some time noo Galleon  you take a ferips of t dried fruit pulp t S likes out of its  the kids have some.¡±

    ing in tc upstairs. I lifted o my lap and kissed his neck.

    ¡°You¡¯re covered in s,¡± I said. ¡° happened here?¡±

    ¡°S  me h our uncle¡¯s red sword.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s bruised,¡± I said and touc. ¡°Does it ? less our S is. Listen to  and sensitive. I  to make of you. If you do ell you a secret t I  tell S or anyone else.¡±

    ¡° is it?¡±

    ¡°Do you see to go to your grandfat letting o place tand?¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    ¡°ill you do it?¡±

    ¡°¡¯s t?¡±

    ¡°Just take ly. And ¡¯s been so very long since aken to t gone since S¡¯s to rise in front of tell you t later.¡± I kissed  and very pretty. S¡¯s a nuisance. y to lift a  her.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to deliver ther.¡±

    ¡°S told you t airs and tell o come here.¡±

    Orerrified,  of tly pleased t S rouble. A urned flus  in one her.

    ¡°You¡¯ve told your brot Black  ever  you to say suc and affection to Black. Do and eac alloo live your entire lives  a father.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t  urn to our  for my fat said brazenly.

    te t I slapped  put t fell from his hand.

    ¡°I  my fatears.

    But I han he was.

    ¡°You  be coming back,¡± I said tearfully. ¡°You¡¯re fat you understand, you bastards.¡± I hin.

    ¡°e aren¡¯t bastards,¡± said S, crying.

    e all cried long and ened my  and I sensed t I  made me a better person. In our communal fit of tears, ress. S s as if to nap. Sometimes, uck toget I could sense t  sleeping. I mig t my mind  airs. I could smell t aroma of boiling oranges. I abruptly sat up in bed and made suc the boys awoke.

    ¡°Go doairs, omachs.¡±

    I o fall outside. I begged for Allaer once again reading tion in ter ed t ttle,  ease o my deceased an¡¯s as yet unfinisrait? My fat trait

    of fear, as o tried to look directly into Our Glorious Sultan¡¯s eyes.

    I called for Or lifting o my lap, kissed  lengt being scared, and  letting your grandfato give to Black. Do you understand?¡±

    ¡°My tooth is loose.¡±

    ¡° back, if you , I¡¯ll pull it out,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯re to sidle up to  a loss for o do and ly place to ood?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid.¡±

    ¡°to be afraid of. If it  for Black, do you knoo become your fatead? Uncle  Uncle o become your father?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°All rig¡¯s see you go, my pretty and smart Or, c, I¡¯ll be really angry¡­And if you cry, I¡¯ll get even angrier.¡±

    I folded my letter several times, tuck it into retc in ion. Allao my aid so t t left to fend for ted o t t me fearfully one last time.

    I cook ain steps toopped, and momentarily ated¡ªunsure o do.  to cry. But  o Black¡¯s lap. Black, clever enougo  to be fato my c panic to find Orably on o see if the boy¡¯s hands.

    Orurned beneatartled gaze of my fato meet ook o my lap, kissing  lengt airs to tche raisins he liked so much.

    ¡°ake to Galleon  suitable for soup from Kosta¡¯s place. take t roasted cmeat sausage s. alk to o go until t be careful t catch cold.¡±

    After t, t in t upstairs and took out ttle mirror t my fat. I kept it  smelled of lavender. I  up. If I looked at myself in tance, and moved oely, I could see my ed me, but I also ed to don my mot of rousseau. I took out tacried it on, but it didn¡¯t please me. As I rying it on under t a crembled  all, of course, I o reet robe, but at t

    minute I cly crossing t my mot it on. Just t to a panic: Black  on t igline, but I liked it. I test and  veil, lo over my face.

    Black Effendi  left yet, of course; I¡¯d let my appre noell my fat I  to buy fisairs like a cat.

    I closed t. I quietly passed tyard and reet, momentarily turned and looked back at t seemed as if it  our  all.

    treet, not even any cats. Flakes of snoered t never fell. It smelled of rotten leaves, dampness and deat,  as t jinns meet  nig tove and make merry. I artled to steps in ty ed, stock-still. I  t I couldn¡¯t place this one.

    During t silence I sensed t tood dead still so  steps. Strangers talked as treet. I t of o God t t catc follo. Black  coming. I¡¯d made a mistake, and I ougo return errified, I imagined t c in the door opened.

    I abruptly cion. I didn¡¯t knoo t of t ligering, I realized t Black o see me, to borroening to steps.

    Black passed took a feeps and stopped. e stood five paces apart and beronger there was a silence.

    ¡°Remove your veil,¡± he said in a whisper. ¡°Please.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m married. I¡¯m aing my urn.¡±

    ¡°Remove your veil,¡± one. ¡°Your  ever come back.¡±

    ¡°o meet me o tell me this?¡±

    ¡°Nay, I¡¯ve done so to be able to see you. I¡¯ve been t me look at you just once.¡±

    I removed it. I udied my face and stared at lengto ths of my eyes.

    ¡°Marriage and motiful. And your face irely different t I remembered.¡±

    ¡°how had you remembered me?¡±

    ¡°it of you, I couldn¡¯t  t  you but a fantasy. In our co discuss er seeing images of eac you?  t S fallen in love  sure ree branc o see t image times before falling in love? You used to say t in fairy tales everyt love ougo  saure. But  salked about t trait of your matc have suffered so.¡±

    e lovely tories of looking at an illustration and falling in love and of ely for me. I noticed tted ted some at time my appreciation of t  bound me to  guilty for  c t rust him.

    e embraced. t I felt no guilt. I let myself be borne a emotion. I ig  ire le t love o be like t ongue into my moutent  I  ; I could thing bad.

    Let me describe for you ¡¯ve been depicted by ter miniaturists of , if tragic story of mine ain amazing illustrations t my fat¡¯s flocation is ecchless wings

    piercing ture¡¯s border suggests tion of tormenting eacive ped so small, so far in tance, t for a moment it¡¯d seem like tory  about t all, but o do arry nigrees, te palace s courtyard and its ention to t symmetry of turist could only convey otal resignation to , and to terious ligire painting, tely see t t berations is t ted by love itself. It¡¯s as if a liging from tration. And whe very same manner.

    to kno sucs for long. Black sly took my large breasts into  good and, forgetting all, I longed for o suck on my nipples. But  quite manage it, because  all t sure of y didn¡¯t prevent ing more. Gradually, fear and embarrassment came bet omac at first; I  embarrassed. I told myself t an embrace sucurally lead to anoturned my  take my s size.

    Later still, ried to force me to perform t vulgar act t even Kipcell stories at t do, I froze in astonis and indecision.

    ¡°Don¡¯t furrow your brow, my dear,¡± he begged.

    I stood up, pusing at  paying test mind to ment.

 I AM CALLED BLACK

    it I migick trosity I o t in tiflis, Kipcs, poor brides sold at inns, turkmen and Persian itutes isiable boys, but it  go into  all sense of decorum and self-control by sleeping ic riffraff¡ªfrom Persia to Bag Arabian too tten t some ill took pains to maintain their honor. All my words of love, she charged, were insincere.

    I respectfully listened to my beloved¡¯s outburst, uation and tion I hings

    pleased me: 1. t I refrained from loo matcen ed viciously to otuations, and 2. t I discovered Sicular aravels, proof t s of me muchan I¡¯d assumed.

    Seeing  I¡¯d become at being unable to carry out my desires, so pity me.

    ¡°If you truly loved me, passionately and obsessively,¡± srying to excuse ry to control yourself like a gentleman. You  try to offend toained serious intentions. You¡¯re not tions to marry me. Did anyone see you on your way here?¡±

    ¡°Nay.¡±

    As if surned  face, o recall, toary clattering, ed in silence, but nobody entered. I recalled welve, Shan I did.

    ¡°t of ts this place,¡± she said.

    ¡°Do you ever come here?¡±

    ¡°Jinns, poms, ts and make sounds out of silence. Everyt o come all them.¡±

    ¡°S brougo s, but it was gone.¡±

    ¡°I understand you told  you killed her.¡±

    ¡°Not exactly. Is t ted? Not t I killed  I¡¯d like to become her.¡±

    ¡° you¡¯d killed her?¡±

    ¡° if I¡¯d ever killed a man. I told rut I¡¯d killed two men.¡±

    ¡°In order to boast?¡±

    ¡°to boast, and to impress a c ted ttle brigands by exaggerating time s of he house.¡±

    ¡°Go on boasting t like you.¡±

    ¡°S doesn¡¯t like me, but Or my beloved¡¯s error. ¡°Yet, I so th.¡±

    e srembled in t as tent toget Siny sobs.

    ¡°My ill-fated ed for my urn, I lived tely,  mig I mig  s to take me back to t since I¡¯m not a o force me back t raid our  any time. My fat  me to be declared a  of ted a divorce, urning   er to live h us?¡±

    ¡°how do you mean?¡±

    ¡°If ogeth us?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°t t ime, believe me. My fat some evil is coming our . If estify t you¡¯d in fact seen my ly come from Persia, they would believe you.¡±

    ¡°I estify, but I  the one who killed him.¡±

    ¡°All rigogetness, in order t I be declared a estify before t you salefield in Persia?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t actually see it, my dear, but for your sake I estify so.¡±

    ¡°Do you love my children?¡±

    ¡°I do.¡±

    ¡°tell me,  about t you love?¡±

    ¡°I love S¡¯s strengty, intelligence and stubbornness,¡± I said. ¡°And I love Orive and delicate demeanor and uteness. I love t t they¡¯re your children.¡±

    My black-eyed beloved smiled sligears. ted fluster of a ime, s:

    ¡°My fat to be completed and presented to Our Sultan. t plagues us.¡±

    ¡° devilry  Effendi?¡±

    tion displeased tempt to be sincere, she said:

    ¡°t  my fation and bears turists  tc!¡±

    ¡°Your late ion urists, your fat o himself?¡±

    ¡° involved in any of t, but  keep to  all,¡± she said.

    A mysterious and strange quiet passed.

    ¡° t away from him?¡±

    ¡°As mucwo-room house.¡±

    A fe too far aely to o, began barking excitedly.

    I couldn¡¯t bring myself to ask tles and or of a fief, sa to ogetly, I asked my cion: ¡° to marry him?¡±

    ¡°I ain to be married off to someone,¡± srue, and it succinctly and

    cleverly explained  avoided praising ting me. ¡°You¡¯d left, pero return. Disappearing in a sulk migom of love, yet a sulking lover is also tiresome and ure.¡± true as  it  cause enougo marry t rogue. It  too difficult to deduce from  a s time after I¡¯d abandoned Istanbul, Sten about me, like everyone else old me tant lie to mend my broken , if only a little, and I considered it a sign of entions, ude. I began to explain ravels I couldn¡¯t get  of my ts,  niged me like a specter. t secret, most profound agony I¡¯d suffered and I assumed I¡¯d never be able to s e real, but as I realized  t instant, it  t bit sincere.

    So t my feelings and desires migfully understood, I must presently lay bare tinction betruty t I¡¯ve come to kno time: y in rut be, goads one to insincerity. Per example migurists, o t. Consider a perfect painting¡ªtance¡ªno matter  represents a real iculously conceived by Alla master miniaturists, it migill fail to matcy of talented miniaturist y of turist, or of us s of Alla emerge in moments of talent and perfection; on trary, it emerges tongue, mistakes, fatigue and frustration. I say t trong desire I felt for S t moment¡ªas soo could tell¡ªand, say, t I¡¯d felt for a delicately featured, copper-complexioned, burgundy-mouty during my travels. ituition, Sood boto and torture for love¡¯s sake as  tisfaction of  time y of beauties, So an inkh pearls.

    less S to go no  t moment  t e dark, altill time before nigs oion, to  like a wounded sparrow, she quickly hopped away.

    ¡°Am I still beautiful? Answer me quickly.¡±

    I told ifully sened to me, believing and agreeing  I said.

    ¡°And my clothes?¡±

    I told her.

    ¡°Do I smell nice?¡±

    Of course, S o as ¡°love c consist of sucorical games, but of tional maneuvers between lovers.

    ¡° kind of living do you expect to earn?¡± so care for my fatherless children?¡±

    As I talked about my more tal and secretarial experience, t knotle and nessing deats, I embraced her.

    ¡°ifully s primal mystery.¡±

    to prove iger  it for ting I¡¯d made for  my ion t ime I didn¡¯t find myself immobilized by a staggering yoke of lust; botunned by ttering¡ªlike a flock of sparro ered our s, cs and stomac lovemaking t antidote to love?

    As I palmed s, Sermined and ser  I  a mature-enougo maintain a trust I¡¯d sullied beforeo forget t t involved in any y deeds and too inexperienced to kno suffering underlie o sigo treets, , and forgetting t urbing t of t:

    ¡° are o do now?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t knoe footprints in tain to be erased by teness¡ªand disappeared quietly.

    I ILL BE CALLED A MURDERERDoubtless, you too  I¡¯m about to describe: At times, reets of Istanbul, able steo my mout a public kitcing tention on tyle border illumination, I feel I¡¯m living t as if it . t is,   I .

    traordinary events I e occurred at once in t and in t. It  snoreet we Effendi lived.

    Unlike ot I ed. On otake me mindedly t about otold my mot t volumes al rosettes dating from time of tamerlane, about tinued s otill painted under my name or about my tomfoolery and transgressions. time,  and intent.

    tyard gate¡ªt I feared no one s oo knock, reassuring me t Allaone-paved portion of tyard t I s rations to Enis book y. to t beside ted t, and perc a sparroly oblivious to t fart tone stove,  even at te o t, table for visitors¡¯  of ted it to be. I entered table, and as an uninvited guest migo avoid e scene, I stamped my feet and cougaircase to ters.

    My couged no response. Nor did tamping my muddy s next to t trance of teroom. As om o be S green pair among t for naugy t no one was home crossed my mind.

    I o t into t cuddled tresses, and opened a c in tall armoire  door.  te almond scent in t be t of Suffed into t, fell onto my dim-ted o a copper pitc was cold.

    ¡°e Effendi called from ?¡±

    I sly exited tered te Effendi on  er.

    ¡°It¡¯s me, Enishte Effendi,¡± I said. ¡°Me.¡±

    ¡° you be?¡±

    At t instant, I understood t te Effendi ed o do le mockery of us. As a y scribe mige in t leaf of a magnificently illustrated manuscript, I slo.¡±

    ¡° first, then added, ¡°hah!¡±

    Just like ts Deate Effendi sank into a very brief silence t lasted forever. If t noioned ¡°Deat I¡¯ve come o involve myself in sucely misunderstood te? take off  a knife?

    ¡°So, you¡¯ve come,¡±  tirely different tone: ¡°elcome, my cell me t is it t you ?¡±

    It e dark by noered time, revealed a pomegranate and plane tree¡ªto distinguislines of objects  to please a rator. I could not fully see Enis, as usual, before a lo t fell to  side. I tried desperately to recapture timacy betures togetly and quietly discussing t by candleligones, reed pens, ink  of tion or out of embarrassment, but I  moment, I decided to explain myself tory.

    Perist Ser ing ing ry, and in tion of an arcane logic reserved for geometry. After acatus of master painter at a young age, tuoso ouc a full ty years in pursuit of t fearless innovation of subject matter, composition and style. orking in tyle¡ªbrougo us by t sense of symmetry, roduced terrifying demons, esticles, ers and giants into tle and sensitive  style of painting;  to take an interest in and be influenced by traiture t ern sugal and Flanders; roduced forgotten tecing back to time of Gengo paint cock-raising scenes like Alexander¡¯s peeping at naked beauties s; ed Our Glorious Prop ascending on teed Burak, scing and sable to tire community of book lovers. , at times secretly, at times openly, drinking large quantities of aking opium,  lasted for ty years. Later,

    in  time, cely. Coming to t every painting y years ¡¯s more, ed ty years of o going from palace to palace, from city to city, searcreasuries of sultans and kings, in order to find and destroy ts ed. In  noto destroy it; gaining access by flattery or by ruse, and precisely ion, ear out tration appeared, or, seizing an opportunity, er on t. I recounted tale as an example of urist could suffer great agony for untingly forsaking . tioned aining  trated; so many books t  cull  exaggeration, as if I¡¯d experienced it myself, I told er, in profound sorro, o deat terrible conflagration.

    ¡°Are you afraid, my ce Effendi compassionately, ¡°of tings we¡¯ve made?¡±

    t see for myself, but I sensed t h a smile.

    ¡°Our book is no longer a secret,¡± I ansant. But rumors are spreading. tted blasp,  as Our Sultan  one meant to entertain our oers. t even depicts Satan as amiable. tted an unforgivable sin by daring to draive of a mangy street dog, a  ttend prayers. I cannot sleep for t suchings.¡±

    ¡°e made trations togete Effendi. ¡°Could ted such an offense?¡±

    ¡°Not at all,¡± I said expansively. ¡°But t it someing in  we hold sacred.¡±

    ¡°You yourself ing.¡±

    ¡°Nay, I made pictures of ed in various places on a large s, ration,¡± I said ion and precision t I e Effendi. ¡°But I never saed illustration. If I ire painting, I¡¯d  denying all this foul slander.¡±

    ¡° t you feel guilty?¡± ¡¯s gna your soul? o doubt yourself?¡±

    ¡°¡­to  one tacked er spending montrating a book¡­to suffer torments of  last painting in its entirety.¡±

    ¡°Is t troubles you?¡± his why you¡¯ve come?¡±

    Suddenly panic seized me. Could ed Elegant Effendi?

    ¡°t Our Sultan det ly supports the book.¡±

    ¡°?¡± ion  ed. t reliable o ensure one¡¯s living.¡±

    Did o inform him of a rumor?

    ¡°Poor old Elegant Effendi, God rest  painting and  it reviled our fait told me tices are, everyone gossips.¡±

    Maintaining t on for quite some time. I didn¡¯t kno of fear after doing a o flattery, I icipating t Enisration and put me at ease.   overcome my fears about being mired in sin?

    Intending to startle ly asked, ¡°Mig  being a?¡±

    In place of an ansely and elegantly o ely silent. ¡°It  in a w¡¯s lighe candle.¡±

    After ligick from t coals of ted ticed in o ly. Or  an expression of pity? ? as  I  of a base

    murderer or  of control and I upidly listening to  as if somebody else  beneat iced it before?

    ¡°tans feel for paintings, illustrations and fine books can be divided into te Effendi. ¡°At first t paintings for t, to influence e to satisfy tastes. Because to enjoy paintings, tige ime amassing books, ence of tumn of a sultan¡¯s life, ence of ality. By ¡±ality¡° I mean to be remembered by future generations, by our grandcures and books ality ts ted, and, at times, tories ten. Later, eaco t painting is an obstacle to securing a place in turally somet botimidates me t. Saer miniaturist and spent  atelier as ers from tabriz, destroyed terminable crises of regret.  painting es of heaven?¡±

    ¡°You knoe  on Judgment Day, Allaers most severely.¡±

    ¡°Not painters,¡± corrected Enis from t from Bukhari.¡±

    ¡°On Judgment Day, to bring ted to life,¡± I said cautiously. ¡°Since to do so t o suffer torments of  it not be forgotten t in tor¡° is one of ttributes of Alla is Allaive, o existence,  to compete est of sins is committed by painters ive as he.¡±

    I made my statement firmly, as if I, too, were accusing o my eyes.

    ¡°Do you t we¡¯ve been doing?¡±

    ¡°Never,¡± I said  Elegant Effendi, may  in peace, began to assume ing.  your use of tive and tian masters  temptation of Satan. In t painting, you¡¯ve supposedly rendered tal using teche

    impression not of a painting but of reality; to suc to entice men to bo, as o  only because t of perspective removes ting from God¡¯s perspective and lo to treet dog, but because your reliance on tians as ablisraditions  of trip us of our purity and reduce us to being their slaves.¡±

    ¡°Note Effendi. ¡°In ts, er out of joy and causes a co run doain of tyles ofore never brougogetogeto create someting to ting of an Arabic illustrating sensibility and Mongol-Cing. Sa paintings marry Persian style urkmen subtleties. today, if men cannot adequately praise ts ¡¯s because urists to adopt tyles of ters. to God belongs t and t. May ect us from terated.¡±

    and brig ,  on tening. Despite finding  believe  ening at times for tyard gate belo he was hoping someone would deliver him from my presence.

    ¡°You yourself told me er of Isfa library containing tings ed  of bad conscience,¡±  me tell you anotory related to t legend t you don¡¯t kno¡¯s true,  t ty years of ing doions inspired by er years, o realize t tions of artists ed as models of form trations  tures in tely,  of ttempted to find ures and destroy t young miniaturists less books, rating otories, o be memorized by all and  book after book and illustration after illustration, o learn t painter does not content ing us erpieces; ultimately, urist¡¯s artistry enters our souls t becomes terion for ty of our  ter of Isfa,  only nessed t t ead of disappearing, actually proliferated and increased; ood t everybody no. t resemble tings h were now considered ugly.¡±

    Unable to rein in tirring o control my desire to please Enishte Effendi, I fell

    before ears and I felt I o  er Osman.

    ¡°A miniaturist,¡± said Enisone of a self-satisfied man, ¡°creates  by tention to o say.¡±

    But it occurred to me t Enis even a miniaturist as I kissed tled ears. I . It ion into my oo knoatement is.

    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of te said, ¡°because I¡¯m not afraid of death.¡±

    ood. Yet annoyance began to mount iced t tely beside Enisards s tures t a t, I saem among ts collected in trays, resting on t, among tting boards, inkwells and brus.

    ¡°Let¡¯s establis  fear take out t illustration. Let¡¯s s to them.¡±

    ¡°But  t  least enougo take it seriously? e¡¯ve done not to be afraid.  could justify your being so frightened?¡±

    roked my  I mig into tears again; I embraced him.

    ¡°I knounate gilder Elegant Effendi edly. ¡°By slandering you, your book and us, Elegant Effendi o set Nusret  o trying to incite turists o rebel against you. I don¡¯t kno of jealousy, peran¡¯s influence. And turists also ermined Elegant Effendi o destroy us all. You can imagine ened and succumbed to suspicions as I myself  , by Elegant Effendi¡ª illustrating, painting and all else  artist fell into a panic, killing t scoundrel and tossing o a well.¡±

    ¡°Scoundrel?¡±

    ¡°Elegant Effendi ured, ill-bred traitor. Villain!¡± I sed as if he room.

    Silence. Did  o somebody else¡¯s s; yet, t w.

    ¡°urist rator from Isfahan? ho killed him?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said.

    Yet I ed o infer from my expression t I  I¡¯d made a grave error in coming  I  going to succumb to feelings of guilt and regret. I could see t Enisified me. If  I ruck terror t  dare refuse to sing. I  t picture, not because of any sin I¡¯d committed on its account¡ªI genuinely ed to see ¡¯d turned out.

    ¡°Is it important ?¡± I said. ¡°Is it not possible t whoever rid us of him has done a good deed?¡±

    I ter and morally superior to ot look you in templating reporting you and abandoning you to a fate of torture and execution.

    Outside, just in front of tyard gate, the dogs began a frenzied howling.

    ¡°It¡¯s begun to snoe  you  even lit a candle for you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s quite strange, indeed,¡±  understand it myself.¡±

    I believed ely, and despite ridiculing  as turists did, I once again kne I actually loved   flood of respect and affection, to o see t Master Osman¡¯s style of painting, and ters of , ure  frig again. After some tragedy,  desperate  caring  appear,  everyt continue as it always has.

    ¡°Let¡¯s continue to illustrate our book,¡± I said. ¡°Let everytinue as it always has.¡±

    ¡°turists. I am continuing my h Black Effendi.¡±

    as o kill him?

    ¡°er and her children?¡±

    I sensed t some oto my mout I couldn¡¯t restrain myself. to be  and sarcastic. Beertaining jinns¡ªintelligence and sarcasm¡ªI sensed trolled t t, te began to racked t of blood.

    moment long ago? In a distant city, at a time  see fell, by t of a candle, I tempting to explain tears t I irely innocent to a crotcy old dotard, . Back t as noo ood from Enis cting an evil old man, and from o fix mercilessly into mine, t ended to crusattered memory from urist¡¯s apprentice like a picture   inct but faded memory.

    So, as I arose and circled bee Effendi, lifting t neal ones t rested on able, turist  Master Osman illed in us all¡ªrating inct yet faded colors, not as somet as if it side, ion,  small-mout, I said:

    ¡°en-year-old apprentice, I sa suc.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a t,¡± said Enis it all tabriz. It¡¯s for red.¡±

    At t very moment, it o drive t inkpot do onto ted old man¡¯s faulty brain. But I didn¡¯t give in to t is I, I¡¯m t Effendi.¡±

    You understand rusted t Enisand, and in turn, forgive me¡ªt he would fear and help me.

 I AM YOUR BELOVED UNCLE

    A silence filled t Effendi. I assumed he¡¯d kill me as

    o confess and terrify me? Did  ed? I ed I  artist iffly be t large inkpot reserved for red, but I didn¡¯t turn to face  yet quieted down,¡± I said.

    e fell silent again. time, I kne my deatune, old  e intelligent, and if you grant t an illustrator must never reveal elligence is, of course, an asset.  ion, but I oo confused to see myself out of this game. here was Shekure?

    ¡°You kne  you?¡± he asked.

    I  kno all, not until old me. In t done  Effendi, and t te miniaturist migually succumbed to ies and made trouble for t of us.

    I o ty house.

    ¡°I¡¯m not surprised you killed ernally of t¡¯s more, ruggling  is, ruggling to make pictures in a Muslim city. As urists are inclined to feel guilty and regretful,  to blame ourselves before oto be asy. e make our books in secret like soo tacks of ics ist¡¯s imagination.¡°¡°You don¡¯t fault me for murdering t idiotic miniaturist, do you then?¡±

    ¡° attracts us to ing, illustrating and painting is bound up in tribution. It¡¯s not only for money and favor t o evening, continuing by candlelig to t of blindness and sacrifice ourselves for pictures and books, it¡¯s to escape ttle of oto escape ty, but in contrast to to create,  to see and appreciate tures rator of genuine talent! Yet, genuine painting is es. It¡¯s contained in ture, urist kno, yet at time,  as o sucful, nerve-ence? By blaming ist believes

    en to s , for or of Isfa these hellfires himself.¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯re not a miniaturist,¡±  kill  of fear.¡±

    ¡°You murdered ed to paint as you wis fear.¡±

    For t time in a long  e intelligent: ¡°I knoo distract me, to dupe me, to get yourself out of tuation,¡± and   said is trut you to understand, listen to me.¡±

    I looked into ely forgotten ty customary bet to where?

    ¡°Never fear, I  offend your terly as o face me. ¡°Even no seem to be me. It¡¯s as if to do its evil bidding. Yet I need t t¡¯s t ing, too.¡±

    ¡°tales about the Devil.¡±

    ¡°You then?¡±

    o murder me, so ed me to enrage  lying but you¡¯re not acknoher.¡±

    ¡°I acknoorments of t o our necks in sin because of you, and now you¡¯re preac hoja¡¯s rabid henchmen will kill us all.¡±

    t . ould somebody passing doreet ing and enter the house?

    ¡°o buy time t of curiosity. ¡°o meet at t well?¡±

    ¡°t Elegant Effendi left your o me,¡± ed desire to confess. ¡°ing. I tried at lengto dissuade  of it. I got o o told ,  better proof t an illustrator is motivated by greed alone? t¡¯s anot sorry. alented, but mediocre artist. the greedy oaf

    o dig into truly   o do ae a miserable co do your gilding. ted  ion  leave a trace¡­tell me, t is tyle¡°? today, botalk about ter of a painter¡¯s talent, yle.¡° Syle distinguisist from ot?¡±

    ¡°Fear not,¡± I said, ¡°a neyle doesn¡¯t spring from a miniaturist¡¯s ole, a seemingly never-ending era ends, a rons. One day, a compassionate sultan  talented refugee miniaturists and calligrapent or palace and begin to establiss s, unaccustomed to one anotinue at first in tive painting styles, over time, as reet, truggle and compromise. tyle is t of years of disagreements, jealousies, rivalries and studies in color and painting. Generally, it¡¯ll be t gifted member of t¡¯s also call  fortunate. to t of turists falls ty of perfecting and refining tyle tual imitation.¡±

    Unable to look me straiged gentle manner, and begging my compassion as mucy, rembling like a maiden:

    ¡°Do I yle of my own?¡±

    I t tears leness, sympater, I ened to tell  I believed to be truth:

    ¡°You are t talented, divinely inspired artist  enced toucail t I¡¯ve seen in all my sixty years. If you put a painting before me s, I¡¯d still be able to recognize instantly the God-given magnificence of your pen.¡±

    ¡°Agreed, but I kno e tery of my skill,¡± er of my methods.¡±

    ¡°Your pen selects t line seemingly of its o your touc your pen drarutray a croension emerging from tioning on text metamorpo an elegant eternal o your paintings again and again to   t it, I begin to read ting aneoget surpasses even tivism of ters.¡±

    ¡°Fine and  about ters. Start from the beginning.¡±

    ¡°You ruly magnificent and forceful line, t t you¡¯ve painted raty itself. And just as your talent could create a picture t  devout man to renounce  could also bring t ant unbeliever to Allah.¡±

    ¡°true, but I¡¯m not sure t amounts to praise. try again.¡±

    ¡°turist  and its secrets as , most vibrant, most genuine colors.¡±

    ¡°Yes, and w else?¡±

    ¡°You knoest of painters after Bihzad and Mir Seyyid Ali.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m aoo, y Black Effendi?¡±

    ¡°First, t require a miniaturist¡¯s skill,¡± I said. ¡°Second, unlike yourself,  a murderer.¡±

    ly under t I migo escape tmare to a neyle.¡± Upon my broac,  discussion concerning t  like fat like t of t, ts neck, teries of red ink,  before me¡­e agreed t if t brougs of red paint¡ªo K, anbul couldn¡¯t make tings at all. As alked, tency of time, like t of t, seemed to co flourned  do weig.

    itomary workaday ease, e my skill?¡±

    ¡°If erference, Our Sultan  over, of course, c to see ion of an  rait, struck by  illustrations; ter, if akes time to examine tacle akingly and devotedly created at t of our eyes, so mucter. You kno barring a miracle, reasury  even

    asking  isans, o painting, ever  one day a miracle of ackno will find us.¡±

    e  for a ly ing for something.

    ¡° miracle ings il raigruly be appreciated?  we deserve?¡±

    ¡°Never!¡±

    ¡°how so?¡±

    ¡°t you ,¡± I said. ¡°In ture, you¡¯ll be even less appreciated.¡±

    ¡°Books last for centuries,¡±   confidence.

    ¡°Believe me, none of tian masters ic sensibility, your conviction, your sensitivity, ty and brig tings are more compelling because tself. t paint t, ignoring ive; t  street level, or from taking in , desk, mirror, iger, er and  all, as you kno persuaded by everyttempting to imitate tly ting seems diso me. I resent it. But to tings t  as t. Indeed, t  . Beo realize t to alized is tyle. And it¡¯s not only tants of Venice ion, but all tailors, butcs and grocers in all traits made t a glance at tings and you too  to see yourself t to believe t you¡¯re different from all oticuliar ing people, not as t as tually seen by ting in ty. One day everyone  as ting¡° is mentioned, tailor rating  sucrait so  be convinced, upon seeing t  an ordinary simpleton, but an extraordinary man.¡±

    ¡°So? e can make t portrait, as ty assassin.

    ¡°e !¡± I replied. ¡° you learned from your victim, te Elegant Effendi, ators of ture bravely to paint like t¡¯ll amount

    to t, our colors  our books and our paintings, and terest anding  be able to find ts at all. Indifference, time and disaster roy our art. tains fise and starcermites, ies of insect s out of existence. Bindings  and pages . omen ligoves, t servants and clessly tear out tures. Crations oy pens. t . tear and cut up our paintings, pero make otures or for games and sucertainment. roy trations to tures of ick toget only because of t also due to being smeared er, bad glue, spit and all manner of filtains of mold and dirt oget ogetattered, faded and unreadable pages,   volume to emerge intact, like a miracle, from ttom of a bone-dry c anbul t  been burned to t least once every ty years t y, er could possibly imagine t erpiece mig more tury, or t one day ures mig only our o, but every single royed by  out of neglect: Scfully spying on S; lovers gazing at eaclety; R¨¹stem¡¯s ling a o deat ttom of a ate of a lovelorn Mejnun befriending a iger and a mountain goat in t; ture and ful ss a so tes ; teardrop border illuminations; te players t embellisic poems; tations t ens of turist apprentices; ts secretly ten betrations; tures  ts, under t, beneats covering lovers; tiently aing Our Sultan¡¯s late grandfatoriously marcress; tents t even in your youtrate and t appeared in t of Our Sultan¡¯s great-grandfat  tails, ed teeted nails; ties of birds including Solomon¡¯s s and restless dogs; fast-moving clouds; tures; teurisens of te trees ience of Job; the palaces¡ªand

    time of tamerlane or Sa accompanied stories from mucens of tening to music played by beautiful ting on magnificent carpets in fields of florees; traordinary pictures of ceramics and carpets t oion to tice illustrators from Samarkand to Islambol beaten to t of tears over t one y years; tes t you still depict ounding scenes of deating sultans, and artled fleeing gazelles, your dying sies, your ss t glimmer as if nigself ars, your glike cypresses, your red-tinted pictures of love and deat, all of it will vanish¡­¡±

    Raising t, ruck me on trength.

    I tottered for a  I could never even o describe. tire o yelloion of my mind assumed t ttack entional; yet, along ¡ªanotering part of my mind, in a sad sed to say to to be my murderer: ¡°tacked me in error.¡±

    again and broug down upon my head.

    time, even tering part of my mind understood t take, but madness and  migerrified by tate of affairs t I began to raise my voice, rengty streets, no one o s hue; I knew I was all alone.

    artled by my ed. e momentarily came eye to eye. I could tell from , despite , o urist I kne an unfamiliar and ill-ranger ion protracted my momentary isolation for centuries. I ed to o embrace t  I did: ¡°My c end my life.¡± As if in a dream,  to hear.

    onto my head again.

    My ts, , merging toget all colors  I t  was ink on his hands was my flowing blood.

    , cruel, and merciless I found it to be dying at t instant. Yet, t

    my aged and bloody o. t. My recollections ark side. My  ac th.

    I sood t tain.  is ten every only my stered skull and brain but every part of me, merging togetorment. itanding t t a portion of my mind reacted¡ªas if ts only option¡ªby forgetting tle sleep.

    Before I died, I remembered t I . An old man, living alone, rises from  and drinks a glass of er. able to discover t  gone? A fine t is filtering from , retracing eps back to o find t somebody is lying in  you be?¡± ranger. terious silence. tily. ¡°No,¡± t an unfinisly blo tranger¡¯s ers y bed, goes to sleep and lives for anoty years.

    I kne to be my fate.  t doo my ate of profound torment t I could only vaguely discern t.  and ted faintly by to fade.

    Yet, I ill alive. My desire to cling to to run aempt to protect my face and bloody   at one time, and t striking my face made me ahis.

    e struggled for a . rong and very agitated.  flat on my back. Pressing o my sically nailed me to tful tone, accosting me, a dying old man. Perand nor listen to ook no pleasure in looking into  eyes, ruck my ire body  red from ttering out of t, and I suppose, from ttering out of me.

    Saddened t t t, gentle lig  and enticing as t raig and as a c, I asked, ¡°ho are you?¡±

    ¡°It is I, Azrael, tes cher

    and faters. No mortal in ting me.¡±

    .

    My tears made me profoundly ty. On tupefying agony of my face and eyes drency ceased, yet t place range and terrifying. I kne to be t illumined realm, to  long remain in t caused me to ful pain and torment, to take solace. to stay, I¡¯d o resign myself to torment and tion.

    Just before I died, I actually longed for my deat time, I understood to tion t I¡¯d spent my entire life pondering, t find in books:  t everybody,  exception, succeeded in dying? It o pass on. I also understood t death would make me a wiser man.

    Nonet to take a long journey and unable to refrain from taking one last glance at  o see my daug time. I ed to grit my teet, to  for Surn.

    And tle lig, and my mind opened itself up to t, rifling tently for t picture. y- set and kick ts, boxes, inkpots and folding able. I sensed t I cures ired legs. And I ed.

    My pain  abating in t. I gre and could no longer stand to grit my teet again, I ing.

    t occurred to me, if S encounter my rut  to even t t t instant, I sensed t my murderer ed t painting.

    I¡¯d become excessively ty but still I ed. Come noy Shekure, show yourself.

    S come.

    I no longer rengto and t seeing his seemed

    so bitter I ed to die of misery. Aftero my left, and smiling all ter.

    Forgetting all else, I greedily reacer.

    Mu he has said.¡±

    It an. I didn¡¯t ans even afraid of  painting amounted to being duped by ed confidently. I dreamed of t aed me and of my future.

    Meanan vanis of me kne tan to flee  anot of my mind remembered t in t ten t Azrael  and est and t he whole world in his hands.

    As I gre approaco my aid, and yes, just as Gazzali ated in Pearls of Magnificence, ly said:

    ¡°Open your mout your soul might leave.¡±

    ¡°Not th,¡± I answered him.

    t one last excuse , t my time  I  o leave my bloodied and ugly body in tion for my daug I ed to leave t like some tigting garment t pinched.

    I opened my moutly all  as in tures of Our Prop¡¯s Miraj journey, during ears florained exion passed from my lungs th. All was subsumed in wondrous silence.

    I could see no my soul  my body and t I  s left my body and continued to tremble like mercury in Azrael¡¯s palm. My ts  of t of t been born into.

    After so muc cause me trary, I relaxed, quickly realizing t my present situation  one, s I¡¯d felt in life emporary. t ury upon

    century, until t nor gladdened me. Events I¡¯d once endured briskly and sequentially e space and existed simultaneously. As in one of tings urist ed a number of unrelated t once.

    I, S ting grass, mud and broken branced onto treet. I knorust Black? Let me be frank  knoo tand, don¡¯t you? I¡¯m confused. to tine of meals, c,  even o be asked, o me of its oomorrow, before noon, I¡¯ll know wo marry.

    I  to s, no¡¯s not about t monstrosity Black s alk about t later.  I o discuss ¡¯s not t o tisfying . to be , it¡¯d make no difference if  surprises me is upidity! I suppose it never crossed  en and abduct me, play  me off, or open to even more dangerous outcomes. I can tell from  expression  after ing t anotwelve days?

    Do you knoime e to be irate ead, I pitied orment and are still so utterly incompetent.¡± I felt so protective of  I migake, I migually given myself to t spoiled little boy.

    tunate ceps. Just t a pom of a man  over me. Ducking my head, I slipped by him.

    Upon entering tyard gate, I kne  yet returned. Very ime, t yet been called. I climbed tairs, t ered my room to t beside tairs  t  t and t y  unlike t alone in to momentary daydreaming, my mind registered a noise coming from beloly belo from tc from t to table, used in summertime as trating  of an oil lamp there;

    suddenly, I  door betone yard, and after tyard gate¡ªI o put it mildly.

    ¡°ed. ¡°S, Orhan¡­¡±

    I felt a cold draft. My fat be burning; I ougo sit  to be , my ts   he children.

    I crossed t er to boil on tairs brazier for t soup. I entered t t to say, ¡° her done?¡±

    the floor.

    I screamed, overcome  my fat.

    Listen, I can tell by your tigion t you¡¯ve knoime e a lot.  you¡¯re  noion to imes do ure, you¡¯re trying to discern t ts in tory leading up to t. And tion, you¡¯ll take pleasure in trying to imagine, not my pain, but  you¡¯re so craftily trying to do.

    Yes, I returned o discover t someone ore out my  and smelled rembled and I couldn¡¯t breato raise  silently in  up, Fat up, don¡¯t die. orn papers and books, more tossing about of tables, paint sets and inkpots, more truction of cusables and ing boards, and t red t royed t. I reet outside, laugalking in te silence of tears off my cime I t about the children and our lives.

    I listened to to tever reason,   t  paying any mind to to pull airs. rengt and I sat on a step. I ears again  urned. I grabbed my fato my armpits, I continued to descend, faster time. My

    dear fat it made t mop as it struck eacep. At tairs, I turned o er, and  effort, dragging one floor, I took o ting room. In order to see cened back out to tove in tcurned ruck.

    , my God, whem?

    My mind  from tc er from tairs, and by t of an oil lamp, I quickly aircase and everyairs to my room, removed my bloodied clot on clean clot and rag, I  to enter tyard gate so prayer ered all my strengted for t top of tairs.

    ¡°Mother, we¡¯re back,¡± Orhan said.

    ¡° as if I were w sing.

    ¡°But Mot stay out past to prayer¡­¡± S o say.

    ¡°Quiet! Your grandfather is ill, he¡¯s sleeping.¡±

    ¡°Ill?¡± said ell from my silence t I a. After t arrived,  tarrying,  the children.¡±

    I o go do as I airs, te t steps and te. tairs and their shoes.

    ¡°Ao t  go in there.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going into to be by t said, ¡°not to Grandfather¡¯s room.¡±

    ¡°Your grandfat room,¡± I whispered.

    But I noticed t tated for a moment. ¡°Let¡¯s be certain t t¡¯ve possessed your

    grandfat set upon to your room, no to t togetell me t  on treets till t. ¡° else?¡± ¡°ticing sing arro a target in t. ¡°I¡¯m going into t to leave to die?¡± said S. ¡°I¡¯m going to tell you somet you¡¯re not to tell anyone, are ood?¡± t to tell. ¡°, a completely o your grandfat turns out . ¡°Yes, from to take a look at tures in your grandfat a sinner ures immediately dies.¡±

    A silence.

    ¡°Listen, I¡¯m going doairs to be o carry tray. Don¡¯t even till in the house.¡±

    ¡°Mama, Mama, don¡¯t go,¡± Orhan said.

    I squared myself to S. ¡°You¡¯re responsible for your brot get you, I¡¯ll be t on tening expression t I made before slapping t your ill grandfat die. If you¡¯re good, God  you your prayers and no one o  giving to it too muco pray. I  doairs.

    ¡°Somebody knocked over t of orange jam,¡± said  couldn¡¯t , not strong enoug ten into the house¡­¡±

    Sly saerror on my face and stopped: ¡°¡¯s tter, t o your dear father?¡±

    ¡°he¡¯s dead.¡±

    S tting board  ticed t t  from t from ally. I ran upstairs, and as I s. orn off, I entered to find t S o h his knees. he

    was choking him.

    ¡° are you t top of my lungs.

    ¡°Or said.

    ¡°Liar,¡± said Or opened told  to leave.¡± o cry.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t sit up ly, I¡¯ll kill both of you.¡±

    ¡°Mama, don¡¯t go,¡± Orhan said.

    Doairs, I bound opping told  my fat died a natural deatened and recited some prayers asking for Allaection. Sared at ion for my fat enougo unleas of crying? Sed to go upstairs and see him.

    ¡° upstairs,¡± I said. ¡°he back room.¡±

    S me suspiciously. But  y. S. Sook four or five steps beyond trance of tcood, and  and appre of t first to see my fatrying to illuminate tangular room.

    ¡°Aaa sig  beside t  along table ionless. As s surned, s crying. I o see t sill s about o be able to register completely o tell her.

    ¡°Noen to me, s oairs oo; troyed all, ¡¯s ion you. After you t, I also  out. Father was home by himself.¡±

    ¡°I  a,¡± sly. ¡°here were you?¡±

    I ed o take careful note of my silence. t  you  breato anyone. Nor, for time being, ion t my father has been killed.¡±

    ¡° t murdered him?¡±

    as sruly suc or o corner me?

    ¡°If I kne  t  know. Do you?¡±

    ¡° are o do now?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to besoever  to o burst out crying, but I restrained myself. e bot.

    Mucer, I said, ¡°Forget about t out the children.¡±

    Sed and started to cry, and I put my arms around igarily pitying, not only myself and t all of us. But even as   me. You kno leaving my fat did  I¡¯d explained to and? Indeed, yes, sand and gro o cover up my  as if I  y, but I suspect t you mig as  it, you believe t I¡¯m e be any darker? I began to cry, then hayriye cried, and we embraced again.

    I pretended to satisfy my  table  upstairs. From time to time, ep into t into tears. Later because tated, tig to me in bed. For a long ossed and turned t asking, ¡°I ?¡± to lull to sleep, I promised to tell tory. You knohe darkness.

    ¡°Mot going to get married are you?¡± said S.

    ¡°Listen to me,¡± I said. ¡°trikingly beautiful maiden. ell you ty maiden, rait, t¡¯s how.¡±

    As I en do roubled, I recounted tale not from memory, but improvising according to  at t time. And since I colored it using a palette of my oed became a kind of melancration to accompany all t

    o me.

    After bot toget t vile demon tered about. e picked up ruined cs, books, clots, plates and inkpots t  and stered;  boxes and papers t orn up red; and  raugion of our privacy, tell you from experience, unfortunates ed by ts in tains, blankets and dayligurn, alloo forget t Azrael  my fater ience and love,  and pleasant memories but, reminded of tilessness of t¡¯s damned soul, errified as well.

    my insistence  doairs, dreions and ing from ter¡ª mentioned  of  c-bound Koran, error and alarmed t tyard gate o creak. It , after ce by moving rengter of s basil t my fater on spring mornings er, ered t, and it suddenly seemed t ted sing by t of to ot frig overcame us like a silent act of piety, as  my fat ed time; ¡°o me.

    As  and aality and o frig looking at my fat back upstairs to fetcs and , unable to restrain myself, I looked doely quite as er I¡¯d dressed my fatrengt and cried at length.

    For ty, let me en to tell of tances airs room so t discover  t t cus upon often over t ty years¡ªso muc¡¯d become part of

    orn apart.

    back in order, I mercilessly denied  to spread tress out in our room. ¡°I don¡¯t  to get suspicious in to , to be , I o be alone o punisered my bed but o sleep for a long   because I  yet lay in store.

 I AM RED

    I appeared in G Firdusi completed train  intricate of ring t poets of S a peasant. I em  of eed; I became t spe torious ogre in  upon ruly, I¡¯ve been everyraitorously decapitated acular as a dream, claseppes; and as Alexander¡¯s lifeblood sly from er roke. Yes, S every nig beauty beneatant lands, listening to tory sed, and I fit of triking maiden ed on a tuesday, o tan of ure. Verily, I ary banners of armies besieging fortresses, upon tableclotables set for feasts, upon t caftans of ambassadors kissing t of sultans, and  bruso tan and Buks, ation, ting cocks, pomegranates, ts of fabled lands, tan, tle accent lines ure borders, tents, floo tist¡¯s ounning stretccreet tters, tatues made of sugar, tockings of sens of tan of t proficient of bards listening to music on a countryside outing as pretty boys and poets partake of ing th blood.

    I ion upon your lips:  is it to be a color?

    Color is touco t of tened to souls  to object for tens of

    to say t my toucouc of me, t to your vision wh your glances.

    I¡¯m so fortunate to be red! I¡¯m fiery. I¡¯m strong. I knoake notice of me and t I cannot be resisted.

    I do not conceal myself: For me, delicacy manifests itself neitlety, but termination and tention to myself. I¡¯m not afraid of ot is to cover a surface t as me orious being! beats quicken. Be is to live! Beo see. Beurns to me.  I tell you.

    en to  red tone. A master miniaturist, an expert in paints, furiously pounded t variety of dried red beetle from ttest climes of an into a fine pole.  and a or.  in a pot containing ter. Next, or into ter.  it boil for as long as it took to drink an excellent cup of coffee. As ient as a c to be born. ter¡¯s mind and given o ttle and carefully mixed tion icks reserved for task. I o become genuine red, but tency most importance: t be permitted to just boil aick across tely unacceptable). Oe it is to be red! I gracefully painted t t running off tery e. In s, I  consistency, but I still contained sediment. ook t off tove and strained me t, ed me up again, bringing me to a froter adding a pinc me to cool.

    A fe tly in ticipation of being applied to pages, of being spread everyting still like t broke my  and spirit. It  I meditated upon  meant to be red.

    Once, in a Persian city, as I ice to t a blind miniaturist , I overers :

    ¡°Because  our entire lives ardently and faiters, naturally,  is,¡± said t, o compre our ice is using?¡±

    ¡°An excellent issue,¡± t do not forget t colors are not kno felt.¡±

    ¡°My dear master, explain red to somebody who has never known red.¡±

    ¡°If ouc ip of a finger, it ook it into our palm, it asted it, it ed meat. If ook it bet , it¡¯d  of a

    a red rose.¡±

    One en years ago Venetian artistry  yet t enoug our rulers  it, and ters believed in tly as tian mety of red tones for every ordinary s common sackclot and vulgarity ant miniaturist y of red tones to depict tan, t an excuse. Besides, we believe in only one red.

    ¡° is turist whe horse from memory asked again.

    ¡°t it is t,¡± said t be explained to  see.¡±

    ¡°to deny God¡¯s existence, victims of Satan maintain t God is not visible to us,¡± said turist whe horse.

    ¡°Yet, o ter. ¡°It is for t tates t t equal.¡±

    tice ever so delicately dabbed me onto t a ion to fix my fullness, poo te of a ed illustration: as t-o ting page, I become deligickliso t¡¯s as if I command to ¡°Be!¡± Yes, t see , but truth is I can be found everywhere.

    I, Se Black a brief note telling o o t into  s ruso Estook tter, so my eyes e o become of us; and I, urned emerity. termine tone of our relationsure. Over t ted  even ting atus as slave, maneuver to become lady of ted my unfortunate fatfully kissing iffened

    lost its softness. I ed turban and purple cloak, to t tten better and  for tafa Pasrict early in the morning.

    urned from  table for breakfast, and I ion of orange jam in t, I imagined  Black¡¯s door. topped and to shine.

    In tered a familiar scene. t smelled of mold and rotting leaves ing in t w seen  nig seemed so long ago, as if weeks had passed. I raised my veil and said:

    ¡°You can be glad, if you feel tions and doubts  come betrying to lay your  nigo our empty her.¡±

    Rat Black¡¯s reaction, you¡¯re probably puzzling over  quite kno I¡¯d cry oto embrace me, and I¡¯d become intimate ed.

    ¡°royed our  clearly reveals anger and red. I don¡¯t t expect tire to some corner noure. I¡¯m calling on you to protect me¡ªprotect us¡ªand keep my fatell me, under  and conditions o our safety? t we o resolve.¡±

    ure to speak, but I easily silenced less times before.

    ¡°In t is my o till alive. It o take advantage of me during  t embarrassed my fat I o return to my fat officially a  no my fat even a brotion t my only possible guardians are my o urned to tening me. Once t ate to take official action. My only o prevent to conceal my fathe crime.¡±

    At t very moment, a t gracefully filtered tters and fell beting t dust inside the room.

    ¡°t to Black¡¯s eyes, in tentiveness more to prove my  time of my fat be discounted, I¡¯m afraid t ions, if not against me, t my fat a protector, t of my fatially simplifying matters at  ed, cause me great misfortune at ance,   me to marry you?¡±

    ¡°Your fat  you to marry me?¡± asked Black.

    ¡°No, ,  you¡¯d take me aunate fation. Do you have any?¡±

    ¡°None at all, my darling.¡±

    ¡°Fine, ty of my discussing marital circumstances on my oes t I must, unfortunately, explain to you.¡±

    As I fell silent for a ed an apology for ation.

    ¡°First,¡± I began, ¡°you must snesses t if you beoo a degree t I find unbearable, or if you take a second  me a divorce  snesses t if for  from t a visit, I ed a divorce er o my il t or until you find o torture him myself!

    ¡ªand until Our Sultan¡¯s book, completed under talents and efforts, ed to  shey were your own children.¡±

    ¡°I agree.¡±

    ¡°Good. If all of tacles t still lie before us disappear this quickly, we¡¯ll soon be wed.¡±

    ¡°Yes,  not in the same bed.¡±

    ¡°t step is marriage,¡± I said. ¡°Let¡¯s see to t first. Love comes after marriage. Don¡¯t forget: Marriage douses love¡¯s flame, leaving not a barren and melancer marriage, love itself y fools

    o be t goal in life.¡±

    ¡°, trutter?¡±

    ¡°trutentment. Love and marriage are but a means to obtaining it: a  you see t even in my state, ter off tion? I¡¯d die  my sons, ussling and loving. Moreover, since you long for me even in my present predicament, since you secretly aco spend t  in to listen  to w I now o say.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡±

    ¡°t I mignesses could s before my  out on campaign, tnessed  me a conditional divorce; for example, t  if  return tle, citing various convincing and descriptive details. But taking my fations of my in-lao consideration, to rely on false nesses o proceed, as no judge of any intelligence or caution  my  me  alimony and  returned from  me a divorce. tuation is increasing eacic and so¡ªan and to rule in ing divorces left and rigo ions of alimony. Nonesses to testify openly to my predicament, pay to tain t  in for  be granted by virtue of tnesses, register tain a certificate testifying to tain ten permission for my immediate remarriage, and if you can accomplis back to ternoon, ty in finding a preac marry us t  of eps of t deviliscected woman whe morning.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Black  co make you mine.¡±

    You remember ly I declared I didn¡¯t kno only by assuming sucone mig to outgroy of events t even I ime believing o pass.

    ¡°e  to do in figruct tion of my fatest my divorce and our marriage ceremony¡ªhan I.¡±

    ¡°You aren¡¯t confused at all,¡± said Black.

    ¡°Per only because t my o dismiss  these plans had sprung from my feminine mind.

    Next, Black said o admit elligent:

    ¡°You¡¯re very beautiful.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said, ¡°it pleases me to be praised for my intelligence. en do so.¡±

    I  to add t once I¡¯d groo praise my intelligence, but I began to   myself and irely separate roubled by a sad picture in tside and pitied  in crying over one¡¯s troubles, as t ime, as o affect the adversaries circling us.

 I AM CALLED BLACK

    idoood as if stunned in tillness of t in  my mind  almost . it even a co grieve properly over my Enisly returned   me: as Sasies of a blissful marriage stubbornly played before my eyes.

    After making conversation errogated me at t door as to  to my room and removed ty-tian gold pieces from ttress, placing trembling fingers. urned to treet, I kneely I¡¯d see Seary, troubled eyes for t of the day.

    I cian Lions at a perpetually smiling Jewis, deep in

    t, I entered t to mention because I¡¯m not fond of it: Yakutlar,  treets almost running, a tall plane tree seemed to reproace , as ted, a street fountain o my ear: ¡°Don¡¯t take matters too seriously, see to your oed an ill-omened black cat licking  everybody, yourself included, suspects you had a hand in your uncle¡¯s murder.¡±

    t left off licking  sigs bec o tell you anbul cats get whem.

    I found tually sleepy look, not at  in tyard of te a trivial legal question: ¡°ed to testify in court?¡± I raised my eyebroened to y ans time. ¡°Bearing ness is optional if otnesses are present,¡± explained t, in situations  is t one bear ness.¡±

    ¡°t¡¯s just t I find myself in noaking up tion. ¡°In a situation everyone kno, all tnesses ies and avoided going to court  ¡±it¡¯s only voluntary,¡° and as a result trying to ely disregarded.¡±

    ¡°ell,¡± said t you loosen your purse-strings a little more?¡±

    I took out my poucian gold pieces yard, ted by t my dilemma .

    I explained o be instituted.¡±

    I didn¡¯t even o mention tood at once and said tire neigroubled over te of  tuation ed too long. Instead of searcness required for a legal separation at ted o offer an additional gold piece to t of Surn. After all, for only tness. e immediately agreed. t to fetcher.

    t of our day rat-and-mouse¡± stories t I¡¯d corytellers in Aleppo coffee out. Because of all ture and trickery, sucories ten up as narrative poems and bound aken seriously even if presented in fine calligrap is, trated. I, on te pleased to divide our daylong adventure into four scenes, imagining eacrated pages of my mind.

    In t scene, turist ougo depict us amid mustaco ter. Meanare deep into ters of ter morning, on guard for an ominous sign s currents. I¡¯m afraid, for example, t I mige ster urist colors t to include somet to tense as my dreams of errifying-looking fiser so ture  assume all is rosy.

    Our second picture ougo sans, tings of tate, tion of European ambassadors, and detailed and carefully composed croeriors of a subtlety  is, ture ougo partake of playful tricks and irony. tly makes an open-¡± gesture indicating ¡°never¡± or ¡°no¡± to my bribe,  to be sing my Venetian gold coins, and timate result of ted in ture: Saneous depiction of sequential events could only be acelligent miniaturist¡¯s cunning facility in page composition. t sees me giving a bribe, notices else tting cross-legged on t read tory, t temporarily given up  grant Shekure a divorce.

    tration s time tation syle, tricate and dense, and colorful clouds sory mig. tually testified separately before tration toget returned from e of destitution  a o look after ually in tears and  for remarriage because sill considered married, and ate s even receive a loan  permission from  even a man as deaf as a stone  ears. tless proxy, , asks about Ser a moment of ation, I immediately interrupt, declaring t eemed fatan, is still alive.

    ¡°Until estifies in court, I¡¯ll never grant he proxy.

    tered, I explained e Effendi ruggling for  o see er divorced, and ative.

    ¡° does s  to see er divorced from  en, I¡¯d understand if truste for son-in-la pass ah his wish unfulfilled.¡±

    ¡°t, sir,¡± I said.

    ¡° t be?¡±

    ¡°It is I!¡±

    ¡°Come noative!¡± said t line of work are you in?¡±

    ¡°In tern provinces, I served as secretary, cary and assistant treasurer to various pased a ory of t I intend to present to Our Sultan. I¡¯m a connoisseur of illustrating and decoration. I¡¯ve been burning y years.¡±

    ¡°Are you a relative of hers?¡±

    I  ly and unexpectedly into groveling meekness before t  devoid of any mystery, t I fell completely silent.

    ¡°Instead of turning beet red, give me an ans I refuse to grant her a divorce.¡±

    ¡°Ser of my maternal aunt.¡±

    ¡°o make her happy?¡±

    ion ure. turist s t¡¯d be enougo show how much I blushed.

    ¡°I make a decent living.¡±

    ¡°As I belong to t, trary to ting tunate S t for four years,¡±

    said t t s surn.¡±

    t illustration, t is, t to depict t armies of black-ink letters, before presenting me  declaring t my Sacle to e remarriage. Neiting troom red, nor by situating ture  at t moment be expressed. Running back tnesses and oters, daugs, I set out on my return journey.

    After I crossed tly to tlar neige Imam Effendi, o perform ted everyone I sareet of c of jealousy over ttaining, I ran straigo Sreet. aken to edly on terra-cotta s because I  been able to grieve for my Enisear; even so, I kneigters and door of te tree t everything was proceeding as planned.

    I ing intuitively in a great e. I tossed a stone at tyard gate but missed! I tossed anot t landed on trated, I began pelting tones. A  ory ree. Orters I could ,  I took to mean ¡°¡± and s the window.

    till plenty of time before evening. I ed y garden, aruck by ty of trees and treet. Before long,  like a servant, but rat nearing eaco trees.

    ¡°Everyto  I¡¯d obtained from to add, ¡°I¡¯ll see to t,¡± but instead blurted out, ¡°he¡¯s on his way. Shekure should be ready.¡±

    ¡°No matter s a bride¡¯s procession, follo. e¡¯ve prepared a ste of pilaf s.¡±

    In ement, so tell me everyt I cut o be suce affair,¡± I cautioned, ¡°; to do not it. All our

    efforts ect ourselves not only from  from te Effendi as  you afraid?¡±

    ¡° be?¡± so cry.

    ¡°You¡¯re not to tell anyone a te in clot tress and lay , not as a dead man, but as ttles of syrup by ters closed. Make certain t  as Se a  t minute, t¡¯s all. ing t te Effendi¡¯s last  be a joyous  a melanc see ourselves troy us, and tand, don¡¯t you?¡±

    S. Mounting my urn before long, t S to be ready, t er, I er of t I o t t tails came to me, and just as I¡¯d felt during battles from time to time, I ion t I ing me; to turn out fine. rust, do o mind, follouition and your actions .

    I rode four blocks tolar neigo find t-faced preac neig of tyard. I told  my predicament. By te¡¯s time ed a divorce from a  at ed t by tates of Islamic la  a mont I countered by explaining t S for four years; and so, t by ened to add t ted a divorce to allo. ¡°My exalted Imam Effendi, you may rest assured t tacle to true, sion, but being maternal cousins is not an obstacle; ary differences bet, if  to take place before tire neig before God for ts?

    ill preoccupied  te. ook traigo urban and arrive in time to perform tials. o told him.

    No matter  be¡ªeven one t t for tural tting roubles and surrendering to tionate le banter of a barber for a prenuptial s? t took me, ed near t, on treet of te Enis and fair Sted years after our c day back. ered anbul barber  dozen years o test neigion o t this meaningful journey called life.

    ter barber raigrembled as  dance across my co drinking and aken on a pink-complexioned, full-lipped, green-eyed boy-apprentice¡ªer filling ter, er from t at ttom of tinned , ting braziers e-e silk coat, someto  t apprentice, tall for o ts oo ted and steamy pleasures of a s  only brougality and prosperity to a bac to his work and his shop as well.

    I¡¯m not certain ime ed into t gently ed t fingers. ited me test of gifts today, as if for free, and after so muc a profound toed Alla an intense curiosity,  of erious balance t sadness and pity for Eniser, I er. I o spring into action  t!

    Flustered, but  a piece of paper. Unable to speak and expecting t, my insides were c as I read:

    If t going to be a bride¡¯s procession, I¡¯m not getting married¡ªShekure.

    Grabbing S by ted o my lap. I o o my dear Sing, ¡°As you erate barber? So, ed reserve, I .¡± Still wher was doing.

    ¡°he¡¯s sleeping.¡±

    I no S, t me and my Enis, of course, suspects ot a pity! I forced a kiss upon , displeased. During t me ility from a distance.

    Since S be leaving o ternal ting. Naturally, I ion to bedeck my ives and  at S gate mounted on t ed tanbul (one ered as . Mounted upon my  day, I knocked at my beloved Se as if poised to take o another life.

    to e, I presented a generous tip. S-red reamers flos, and ss of ¡°May God protect ed a second  t minute, began to play a slo out on its way.

    As our o saunter, I understood t Sacle for tials. Our procession, o tire neig t moment, ially secured everyone¡¯s approval, tralizing any future objections to our marriage. Nevert o c been left to me, I¡¯d ,  telling a soul,  a ion; I¡¯d  and defending terward.

    I led tride my fickle ale ced to ambusyard gate. I noticed rangers stopped and s,  completely understanding all t ranspiring. In t area entionally entered, I figured out t Serfully activated  o me ance in t from tement of t-and-vegetable seller, oo long, joined us for a ferides sing ¡°Praise be to God, may ect you botice scrape a residue in ill, I aining my vigil against a sudden raid, or even a  all disturbed by tion of t

    tood from tters t tected and supported us.

    As I gazed at to ually, it  une in o  saddened me, it  ted saddles, mounted riders outfitted in sable and silk s and doans and carriages full of elderly tering about travagances of days bygone. But So  t ordinarily protected ric matter, t even one servant to lead tree-sions ornamented , gold, silver leaf and polisones. More t, I felt a sadness t tened to fill my eyes ears eacime tful opped playing -goers or servants fetcer from tain in ts of ¡°ered to turn in my saddle and gaze at  beneatinsel and red veil, far from being saddened by all tiful scomings, sened to kno  nor misiful bride, yard and crossed tone ered truck not only by t, but the heavy smell of decay.

    self comfortable in t me from tarily I doubted my senses; but I kneer battle, tattered, boots and belts stolen, and t enc en filled my mouto t of suffocation t I could not mistake it.

    Doairs in tc Enis I o  time as master of the house.

    ¡°As you asked,  tress, dressed clot over tles of syrup beside  smell, it¡¯s probably due to t from tears.

    One or to t so fry tton. From the way she was

    crying, I supposed t Enisaking o  nigly and proudly sitting in a corner of tc sood.

    ¡°Make  concern,¡± sh.¡±

    In my ts I e I¡¯d reet t day I¡¯d come to Istanbul. More ts melody. I  music again later, in te lay in e nighe Imam Effendi married us.

    Because ively aired out ts ligell t my Enis alone dead. t-all neignesses. Before ttendance, a nosy old man, concerned about tate of my Enis to lo as soon as ted t from my spot, grabbed my Enised at top of my voice:

    ¡°Put your o rest, my sir, my dear Eniso care for So see troubled.¡±

    Next, to suggest t my Enisrying to o ending to listen to ently and illed from an entire lifetime, e and approve of ty and eternal devotion I s nobody still thinks I had a hand in his murder.

    I announced to ts still in t ted man  alone. tly began to leave, passing into t room  on ton (at t I could scarcely distinguisepped into triarcmindedly and fully to o to , and gazing sly at So see me, said:

    ¡°Your fato kiss his hand.¡±

    to -minute invitations and tives motioned to collect tinizing me to t¡¯s content.

    Not long after to prayer ts dispersed, ily partaken of ts, almonds, dried fruit leats and clove candy. In ters, S crying and tivity. Among tony-faced silence in response to t gibes of ttributed to my preoccupation ress, t clearly ingrained in my memory . After bot, o a dark corner of t t. Upon my ongue, o my moutaste t te.

    I, S guests of our  on tossing a last piece of candy into t us to a penetrating silence. e yard, not t noise of a sparroer from t. tiny  of tone ly vaniso t tent presence of tied .

    ¡°C recognized as to announce someth of you.¡±

    they did so.

    ¡°Black is no¡¯s see you kiss his hand.¡±

    tly and docilely. ¡°Since t a fatunate co rusting in o Black. ¡°tfully, urely or co you¡¯ll solerance at first, understanding t t ever once obeying t even remember.¡±

    ¡°I remember my fat.

    ¡°en,¡± I said. ¡°From noen to you, if t or sest sign of being rude, spoiled or ill-mannered, first  forgive tion of beatings t ip of my tongue. ¡°ever space I occupy in your , t space, too.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t marry you solely to be your  also to be fato these dear boys.¡±

    ¡°Did you two ?¡±

    ¡°O to s doed from a corner. ¡°My dear God, I pray you protect us, my Lord.¡±

    ¡°You tty young men. Since your fatrol and disregard  beforehand.¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯ll forgive terward, as well,¡± said Black.

    ¡° to a beating,¡± I said. ¡°Are ood? Your ne, t of battles, from  e fat return; yes, her is now very ill.¡±

    ¡°I  to go and be  said.

    ¡°If you¡¯re not going to listen, Black eac it means to get a beating from  be able to save you from Black to protect you from me. If you don¡¯t  to suffer your fat to figo sell no lies, perform your prayers, not go to bed before memorizing your lessons and you¡¯re not to speak rougo ease ood?¡±

    In one movement, Black croucook Or kept ance. I ing urge to embrace ary S, you¡¯re so alone in t of myself as a small c, a c unlike Or a unaccustomed to its tree. I  restrained myself. t planned to say anyt, I said:

    ¡°Come no¡¯s her.¡°¡°

    t yard . In tance dogs es passed. tly like a black flower.

    ¡°All riger. ¡°Let¡¯s go inside so  catc here.¡±

    It  only Black and I imidity of a bride and groom left alone after t

    ered our antly as t ranger. e   nobody seemed to be a. e silently climbed tairs, and t onto t seemed someo be doing so for t time. Upstairs, as we were removing our s said:

    ¡°Before I go to sleep can I kiss my grandfather¡¯s hand?¡±

    ¡°I c no¡¯s clear t evil spirits aken o your room so I can prepare your bed.¡±

    o t ttress and spread out ts and quilts, s so ttering about s  in a sultan¡¯s palace.

    ¡°ell us a story,¡± said Or on .

    ¡°Once upon a time t companion was a jinn.¡±

    ¡°he man blue?¡± said Orhan.

    ¡°For goodness sake, onig least don¡¯t tell a story about jinns and gs.¡±

    ¡° s. ¡°Moter o be her?¡±

    ¡°Your grandfatect o  nigo look after urn to our bed, don¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°er Grandfat. ¡°Doesn¡¯t er my grandfat night anyway?¡±

    ¡°Are you finis rag,  leto t and o t as if .

    ¡°y t and bring it back. I don¡¯t  S to leave t.¡±

    ¡° I leave t. ¡° ell us a story about jinns and fairies?¡±

    ¡°Because t,¡± Or so muc of fear, but imism I aliced in er he¡¯d relieved himself.

    ¡°Mothere jinns here?¡±

    ¡°If you leave ttempt to see your grandfatch you.¡±

    ¡° . ¡°onight?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± I said. ¡°hayriye will be preparing his bed.¡±

    ¡°Motill going to sleep  you?¡± said S.

    ¡°imes do I o tell you? I¡¯ll sleep togetwo as before.¡±

    ¡°Always?¡±

    carrying t. From t ions left be on t of a candle, I stared at time trying to fat. trations iful enoug you migake tten memories; and as ing, as you looked at they spoke.

    I¡¯d lost myself in tures. I understood from t of Oriful ed my nose, t oo,  t odd and suspicious Red. As occasionally o take out my breast and nurse er, errifying picture of Deatly and sly breated to eat him.

    ¡°I¡¯ll eat you up, do you understand me?¡±

    ¡°Mama, tickle me,¡± hrew himself down.

    ¡°Get off t up you beast,¡± I screamed and slapped ures. I crations; apparently no o topmost picture ly, yet unnoticeably, crumpled.

    ered y c. I gatures and  to leave t began to cry:

    ¡°Mother? here are you going?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡±

    I crossed ted across from my faty cusion t  four days discussing painting and perspective  trations on tand, tly suffused t room onis in motion.

    Utterly still,  tures at lengtly and respectfully. est movement, till air, erious illustrations seemed to move too. ings taken on sucy of tree or t of trations? After a  to our being alone in t. Boted to speak.

    ¡°omorro my  I¡¯d said , it appeared as if I were being insincere.

    ¡°Everyto believe in trut he¡¯d spoken.

    ible gesture to drao me, I o embrace o take o my hands.

    Just at t moment, I o my faterror, I ran over, opened our door and looked out: By t t filtered into to see my fatepped into ted by till-lit brazier, reeked of decay.  or somebody else come goed peacefully, bat lig about ts, I¡¯d say, ¡°, dear Fat before going to sleep. Raising ly, ake t  of my er bearer never  for anyto my eyes as o do  my fat, I ed to avoid looking at  time, goaded by ted to see how gruesome he¡¯d become.

    I timidly returned to t of anger. e struggled in t of the candle,

    t  really a struggle but ratation of a struggle. e o eacoucs. t resembled tional state t Nizami o , like S ¡°Continue¡± hem so hard¡±?

    ¡°I refuse to sleep in til t devil-of-a-man is found, until my fat,¡± I said.

    As I fled t. I¡¯d spoken in suc must¡¯ve seemed I ed to  I¡¯d said¡ªpere urned to dust on ch.

    As soon as I   out into the hallway.¡±

    ¡°Did you go out?¡± I said, and made as if to slap him.

    ¡° and hugged her.

    ¡° go out,¡± said ire time.¡±

    I s look  after my fatell s, and t t, taking advantage of tunity, ry to control me. S stop t ry to place to me, to   in divine lig, doing tly at ed S onto my lap and kissed him.

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, S  out into the hallway,¡± Orhan said.

    ¡°Get into bed, you t me get betell you tory of tailless jackal and the black jinn.¡±

    ¡°But you told  to tell us a story about jinns,¡± said S. ¡° ell us tory tonight?¡±

    ¡°ill t ty of the Forsaken?¡± asked Orhan.

    ¡°Yes t city airs and cory.¡±

    ¡°I  fall asleep,¡± said Orhan.

    ¡°o sleep tonig.

    ¡°In tigo your mot. tle feet are these?¡±

    ¡°Mine,¡± said S. ¡°here will hayriye sleep?¡±

    I¡¯d begun telling tory, and as aler which I lowered my voice.

    ¡°After I fall asleep, you¡¯re not going to leave t, Mama?¡± said S.

    ¡°No, I  leave.¡±

    I really didn¡¯t intend to leave. After S fell asleep, I   o fall asleep cuddled up  of my second elligent and desirous  room. I¡¯d dozed off s, but my sleep ful. Later, t I remembered about t strange restless realm bet I settled accounts , ter of t disgraceful murderer o send me off to be errifying t, began making a clattering ruckus. In my dream, ossed stones at our ruck ter, ossed a rock at t one point even trying to force it open. Next, o o pound.

    I a.  decide, and so snuggled up  moving, I ed. I¡¯d nearly assured myself t t tyard his also a rock, perhaps?

    I error. But tuation immediately got ate iful corpse? My God, I prayed, protect us. the children were deep asleep.

    aking cuation like ts. In my present condition,  o come to ting someto o Allayard gate open. It yard gate,  it? Yes, absolutely.

    I rose abruptly, grabbed my robe and quitted t even knowing myself w I was doing.

    ¡°Black!¡± I op of tairs.

    After ily donning sairs. t at t as soon as I stepped out onto tyard¡¯s stone rong ed, I sa tyard . My dearest Allayard gate ood stunned, atremble in the cold.

    I brougick or even a piece of , in te move of its oer, after it appeared to illed, I  squeal. I remember this seems like a dream.

    beneatood t my fatruggling to leave orment bot me at ease and plunged me into agony. If Fat, tormented soul, frantically fluttering about, trying to escape and ascend, so troubled me t I prayed to Allao comfort  o me t ect me and t relief emplating evil just beyond te, let less soul.

    Just t per  ting my fat tside tyard gate, on treet, I noticed h somebody.

    A man alking to Black from trees in ty yard on treet. I o infer t traigo be ive strain, a ening overtone. I listened to tance. it nigo settling accounts.

    I understood t I  I loved Black, but to tell trut I ed o love only Black¡ªfor .

    ¡°tomorrourn nesses ill figains of Persia,¡± imate. You¡¯re committing adultery in there.¡±

    ¡°S your her¡¯s wife,¡± Black said.

    ¡°My older brotill alive,¡± ion. ¡°tnesses who have seen him.¡±

    ¡°t t  returned after four years campaigning, ted Snesses tell  he¡¯s now a divorced man.¡±

    ¡°Sricted from remarrying for a mont¡¯s a sacrilege contrary to t to such disgraceful nonsense?¡±

    ¡°Enisified our marriage.¡±

    ¡°Did you ogeto poison your Enis h hayriye?¡±

    ¡°My fatressed by o Sill alive, could also call you to account for your dishonor.¡±

    ¡°these are only excuses cooked up by Shekure so she could leave us.¡±

    t ed to eacting and afraid,  being able to restrain myself, I sed too and ran into t knowing w I was doing.

    S ran doairs and fled out into tyard.

    ¡°My grandfather has died.¡±

    e ed ill sing. Black and s and everyt was said.

    ¡°Mot said time.

    Everyone oo.  tig top of tairs, .

    ¡°You promised you  leave us,¡± said S, wo cry.

    My mind  to close te. I kissed S on eitigaking in t of o airs.¡±

    t upstairs. I returned and stood a feeps bee. I assumed  see me. ion in trees

    t lined treet? As it oo. It o convene in t see, but it  ified. it guilty, al sadness t I ing me. My beloved Alla suffering for t a means to reac not?

    I¡¯d killed my fat S  everyt ted an unpardonable sin deserving of torments of o to explain it all. If I o be innocent, if my  red o urned to il y, a  sort of sacrifice¡ªfor  oo severe. e patiently listened to iced t t silence amid trees.

    ¡°If you return of your oo true ely different tone, ¡°if you silently pitter-patter back  being seen by anyone, I¡¯ll forget tted, all of it, I¡¯ll forgive it all. And,  togeter year, patiently, for my broturn.¡±

    as ile in  o me in front of my  I feared it mig him his life.

    ¡°Do you understand?¡±  from among trees.

    I couldn¡¯t determine exactly o us, Your sinning servants.

    ¡°Because you  be able to live under this I know.¡±

    I momentarily t t  e. But I couldn¡¯t be certain of anything.

    ¡°Listen to me,  to true. t despicable of men killed him.¡±

    ¡° t so?¡± said s. If o be appropriate, er to him years ago.¡±

    e  as  detail of everyt  ly forgotten, or noed to forget. Over t I ant Black o me if o begin recounting t.

    ¡°e suspect t you he one who killed him,¡± Black said.

    ¡°On trary, you . As for me, I ive.¡±

    ¡°You killed  get married,¡± said Black. ¡° ted S your mind. Besides, you e Effendi because o return o live ed revenge. As long as  your hands on Shekure.¡±

    ¡°Be done alling,¡± o listen to ttle. It¡¯s very cold  rying to get your attention  you hem?¡±

    ¡°Black  rations,¡± I said.

    his?

    one t I sometimes resorted to  course of action is to return noo to o the Koran.¡±

    ¡°I refuse,¡± I said, as if o t of t. ¡°I refuse, hasan. No.¡±

    ¡°ty and devotion to my broto alert t tomorro.¡±

    ¡°to call you to account any you go to t you¡¯re tan¡¯s c, Enishis very morning.¡±

    ¡°Very ion.¡±

    I sorture ted. ¡°Don¡¯t go to t. Everything will become clear.¡±

    ¡°I orture,¡± ortured times I understood it

    y could be culled from t. Let torture. I¡¯m going to tell tain of t poor Eniss illustrations. Everybody is talking about trations.  is it about t¡¯s in tures?¡±

    ¡°them,¡± Black said.

    ¡° t opportunity.¡±

    ¡°Eniss me to finishe book.¡±

    ¡°Very orture th of us.¡±

    t. Next, Black and I steps in ty yard. ere tell  being seen, rees and  steps nearing us. I boldly sed, ¡°here was no response.

    ¡°hush,¡± said Black.

    e rembling from t ating too long, e and tigering my bed ed ures.

 I AM A HORSE

    Ignore t t I¡¯m standing ill; if trutold, I¡¯ve been galloping for centuries; I¡¯ve passed over plains, fougtles, carried off ters of so be irelessly page by page from story to ory, from ory to legend and from book to book; I¡¯ve appeared in countless stories, fables, books and battles; I¡¯ve accompanied invincible astic armies; I¡¯ve galloped from campaign to campaign orious sultans, and as a result, I¡¯ve appeared in countless illustrations.

    feel, you ask, to be painted so often?

    Of course, I¡¯m proud of myself. Yet, I also question ed in all cases. It is evident from tures t I¡¯m perceived differently by everyone. Still, I rong sense t ty, a unity to trations.

    My miniaturist friends ing a story recently, and from it, I learned the king of

    to ter of tian Doge. , but t, ¡° if tian is poor and er ugly?¡± to reassure  artist to paint tian Doge¡¯s daugy and belongings. tians could care less about gross indecency: t only ters to tist, but ted infidel artist could depict a maiden or a  you¡¯d be able to pick eit of a croures from Venice, pondering allion, suddenly aroused, attempted to mount ttractive mare in ting, and to bring trol before royed ture and its frame h his huge member.

    t it  ty of tian mare t allion¡ªtriking¡ªbut t of taking a particular mare and painting a picture in  likeness. Noion arises: Is it sinful to be depicted as t mare  is, like a real mare? In my case, as you can see, ttle difference betures of horses.

    Actually, ticular attention to tion, tand t I am indeed unique. But t features point to turist ed me, not to my uniqueness as a  tly like me. I¡¯m simply t exists in a miniaturist¡¯s imagination.

    Looking at me, observers frequently say, ¡°Good God, ually praising tist, not me. All  distinct, and turist, above all, ougo knohis.

    take a close look, even a given stallion¡¯s organ doesn¡¯t resemble anot be afraid, you can examine it up close, and even take it in your s own.

    Nourists illustrate all ed by Allaest of all Creators. ake pride in simply rendering tens of t ever truly looking at us? I¡¯ll tell you ing to depict t God perceives, not t t t amount to cy, t is¡ªAlla it saying t I could do tists   tists ing t s in tion is God¡¯s ists   blind miniaturists dra tting ting h Allah?

    tyles of ters aren¡¯t blaspe te, t in

    keeping  my Erzurumi bret misunderstand me. It displeases me t Frankis to pious modesties, t t understand t t   Jesus is also tect us. I become so aggravated by t if I ever came across one, I¡¯d give him a good mule kick.

    Still, I¡¯m sick of being incorrectly depicted by miniaturists o  me at a gallop ended at time. t a  runs like a rabbit. If one of my forelegs is for. Contrary to ed in battle illustrations, t a  extends one foreleg like a curious dog, leaving ted on tence raced ical stencil ty times back to back. e  t our feet uesque stance and  around elegantly, tings.  our eating, drinking, sting and sleeping? o depict t of mine? On ticular, love to stare at it, and  this as well?

    t once upon a time tal fear t o Isfa out of t cell, yard nor garden, for ty-one years. After ted time on Eart, t you bring me a ures of t t  beautiful gray steed in t rils like mine-ss, a s duller trations and a brutised t er tal slauged forty days, all t Exalted Alla refrain from meting out ice: tsoever, and ed and, in t. Let t: As all tories ion of aken its revenge.

 I AM CALLED BLACK

    S o tened at lengto to its incessant creaking. S began  ¡°stling coming from tone-paved area near t it didn¡¯t last. Later, my attention , too, fell silent along er deep, dreadful silence. A  an intruder e lay, and I froze

    completely.

    During eacures before me, contemplating e Olive, tiful Butterfly and t onto to confront eacing ¡°Satan!¡± or ¡°Deate used to do some nig fear restrained me. Besides, trations y because I couldn¡¯t e an appropriate story to accompany te my Enisence. Since I ain t o t fretful and impatient. I¡¯d already scrutinized trations endlessly o Enisories, all for a co be near S ser o leave ed for a long ures by candlelig my black-eyed beauty o me.

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

    S out of bed ood motionless.

    ¡°Your grandfato t  you to enter t room anymore under any circumstances.¡±

    So o weep.

    I o t of your bedclotc on the bed.

    ¡°Grandfat die t nig said.

    A long loose strand of So an Arabic script ¡°vav¡± on  yet dissipated from beneat. e could y to sually died unexpectedly  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 can she burden of our pain.¡±

    ¡°Did you kill my grandfated S.

    ¡°If you¡¯re going to upset your mot expect any affection from me!¡± I sed back.

    e didn¡¯t s at eacepfatepson, but like talking by tepped out into ts of trying to tters so s could be better  the neighborhood.

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

    Enisurned into a mucragic and agonizing pain. ormented me. Unexpectedly, 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 o taring 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 ended t ed t as  royed face and 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  tcensely 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 custom of increasing frequency, ending ttle rat ire mosque,  t concern over t trees at tyard. e avoided ttacks of tis yard, just like ter ts aicks and excused tired to a private corner.

    After yesterday¡¯s divorce proceedings, and in lig t ain   brings you here now?¡± upon his face.

    ¡°Enishis morning.¡±

    ¡°May God ly. ed myself by tacking to my statement? I dropped anoto ical to terday. I requested t e t o go around announcing 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 needed to 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 needed to see treasurer.  among ices icolored silk spread over tailor¡¯s assistant o take measurements. o tain Gate I kneo avoid passing te to turists.

    tle noy to me. t a single person at titioner¡¯s Gate, before ioners  ing from ters¡¯ e (ed my sense of alarm to te of Salutation, or Second Gate, ime in my life.

    At te, I could neittention 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 Enised ty. 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.

    Accompanied by a royal page ly, as in a dream, passed treasury; I felt t I¡¯d seen t well.

    e entered to 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 concerning payments, tion of materials and requests to enter tan¡¯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 accounts, request clarification; t by a polite response, from a locksmitter of tyard pigeons ecty requests of tisans.

    urn came, I entered treasurer¡¯s small domed co find it occupied by a single clerk. I quickly explained t tant matter to be submitted to treasurer¡¯s attention: A book project t Our Sultan  most importance to rigued by ions from my Enisiced t ty of tures, triking eccentricity, boggled ened to inform e¡¯s name,  and ion, adding t  of tures. I spoke quickly,  if I returned from t reacan, 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 company?

    Mucer, I  me put it taken so unao be afraid. Even so, I panicked onis in ter velvet maker standing at tepped inside and  once terrified; I t I¡¯d be unable to 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 misunderstood, e has passed away?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t ans of excitement, or per, and simply nodded. At time tely unexpected ic and 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 near to ears began to stream from my eyes, but I didn¡¯t feel test tinge of embarrassment.

    ¡°Cry to your ¡¯s content, 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 composure. I felt certain t to extricate myself from trap I¡¯d fallen into o put myself at te justice and affection of Our Sultan, Refuge of ting all t I said and o torturers and executioners, reasurer convey 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 concerns 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 competition and jealousy among ters. t alone could very ed treds, grudges and intrigues. As t my mout treasurer  justice be done, t is all I ask, nothing more.

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

    ¡°tes  en illustrations. Enisook more gold leaf from us than has been used here.¡±

    ¡°t murdering ic must olen t illustration, upon whe gold was applied,¡± I said.

    ¡°You  told us w be.¡±

    ¡°My late Enis yet completed text. icipating my s completion.¡±

    ¡°My dear c explained anbul.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been one er Elegant Effendi was killed.¡±

    ¡°You mean to say t your Enisrating an unten¡ªa nonexistent¡ªmanuscript for an entire year?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°o you o recount?¡±

    ¡°Precisely an stated ed: A book t depicted trike terror into t of tian Doge by sary strengtogeted ended to be a book recounting and depicting 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 complete 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 neit mucer treasurer considered me not a base slanderer and a foolish gossip.

    Finally, I ed  conceal tails of Eniserious deatook t ory. tures remained reasurer and I passed te of Salutation¡ªe of er exiting under tiny of tely relaxed, like a soldier returned er an absence of many years.

 I AM YOUR BELOVED UNCLE

    My funeral ly as I¡¯d ed. It made me proud t everybody I¡¯d end came. Of tanbul at time of my deat I¡¯d rendered extensive services to t one time or anoter of Accounts, Red Melek Pas time of my deaticized, enlivened tyard of our neiginued an active political life, I ed to tafa Agan¡¯s Ced me. tituted a large, dignified and impressive group t included tary Kemalettin Effendi, Cary Salim Effendi tere, tive political life, my sc imagine ives, in-lahs.

    I also took pride in tion, its seriousness and its grief. treasurer o all in attendance t an imely deat kno efforts o catcion of torturers, but I do kno accursed man is noyard, among turists and calligrapormented expression as  my coffin.

    Pray, don¡¯t t I¡¯m infuriated by my murderer or t I¡¯m set on a pat my soul is restless because I¡¯ve been treac present, on a completely different plane of being, and my soul is quite at peace, urned to its former glory after years of suffering on Earth.

    My soul temporarily quitted my body, , and quivered for a iful and smiling angels  as t countless times in till a body, and began t. Ever so serenely and gently, ever so quickly s of fire, forded rivers of ligains of sno seemed no more the blink of an eye.

    e ascended ties of gatures, marse variety of insects and birds. At eacal, and ributes, summing up by saying, ¡°An obedient servant of Exalted Allaears of joy to my eyes. I kne t ined for hell.

    My ascension, except for a feernal puzzles and dark enigmas t only t understand ed, bursting fortly one by one in thousands of colors.

    O I adequately describe te journey? t as I sensed t ting me from all ots consisted of color, I no it self t ionately embraced me and bound me to tiful leaf-green bodies, brorations and legends t I¡¯d avidly scrutinized over tion  time, but also as if it¡¯d some I called ¡°memory¡± contained an entire ime spread out infinitely before me in botions, I understood  experienced it could persist afterival of color, I also discovered ed from a straitjacket: From noricted, and I ed time and space in wo experience all eras and all places.

    As soon as I realized tasy I kneo  time, I  tely matchless red.

    it period, red imbued all. ty of to cry out in jubilation. I aken into  of my mind recalled   Azrael and o summon me to his presence.

    ould I be able to see  able to breat of excitement.

    t red  and beautiful t it quickened my tears to t of it and be so close to him.

    But I also kne me from  bound to s and proions; and he loved me.

    My mounting joy and floears ly poisoned by a nagging doubt. Guilt-ridden and impatient in my uncertainty, I asked him:

    ¡°Over t ty years of my life, I¡¯ve been influenced by trations t I saime rait painted in t metyle, but I ead, I later s and Our Sultan, Your Sh,

    depicted in the infidel Franks.¡±

    I didn¡¯t remember  I recalled ts.

    ¡°East and est belong to me.¡±

    I could barely contain my excitement.

    ¡°All rig is t all, of this world?¡±

    ¡°Mystery,¡± I s, or per I  certain of either.

    By t of decision  me at t of t I¡¯d o  in t tens of til t,  everytranspired t  I¡¯d be reunited h my body during my burial.

    But I quickly understood t tering my lifeless body¡±  a figure of speece tion t filled me onis ser to ttle ery beside te lengtring.

    Let me clarify my situation: As mig¡ªes ¡°t feeds from trees of er deat. As claimed by Abu ?mer bin Abd¨¹lber, terpretation of t mean t tself, but as tly clarifies, it means t t from ian masters  of vieerpretation.

    From ery, and ing, c gaining speed, its sails gorging on  tacked to,  of a minaret, t book whose pages I was examining one by one.

    Still, I could see muco sucs

    all at once: On tones in an empty yard, cic Affair¡¯s ca?que propelled by seven pairs of oarsmen ths

    ago, ly  to nurse; my elation yard; o distant neig in peace, o labor; tion of t I¡¯d lost over forty years ago (I kno Vasfi stole it); tance t I¡¯d dreamed about once ty-one years ago, o Istanbul by Ali Bey, tress of Gori; and my beautiful, dear Sed ared into tove in our courtyard.

    As is recorded in books and confirmed by scerrestrial  Day; and 4. er t.

    From termediate state of Berza and present time appear at once, and as long as ts memories, limitations of place do not obtain. Only  becomes evident t life is a straitjacket.  is being a soul  a body in too is being a body  a soul among t a pity nobody realizes tc ed Allao grant us souls--bodies in -souls in life.

    It IS I, MAStER OSMANYou kno tably devoted to art. ttack anyone , bony and tall. t to be just like t be-tempered, and t everytry to grab tuations, causing everyone around to tration; t like anyone or anythem.

    ter of masters Nurullarations knee to knee in ties, een-year-old apprentice (t as peevis of t masters, laid to rest ty years ago,  as tall as I am). Since ticism aimed at ters, ly strike me in t you to kno tions leveled at us are entirely unfounded. ts:

    1. t like anytive is t truly noth liking.

    2. e treat most men like morons because, indeed, most men are morons, not because ed, treating tter would be more refined and sensible.)

    3. t and confuse so many names and faces¡ªexcept turists I¡¯ve loved and trained since tices senility, but because ter and colorless as to be h remembering.

    During te, aken by God because of ried to forget t t one time caused me unmentionable agony by forcing me to imitate ters. On ts: blindness and deats besto so far from me norations and manuscripts cause your eyes to prance and floo bloom in your s. But after my deat it be kno in my old age, at till plenty t made me smile. For instance:

    1. C al in the world.

    2. S memories of iful ing well and friendships.

    3. Seeing terpieces of ters of ¡ªt be explained to tiated.

    tan¡¯s   can no longer be made as tuation   e rarely reacers of , despite ire lives to ting trut is precisely because it makes life easier t modesty is sucue in our part of the world.

    ity I oucration in tivities, ian Governor-General¡¯s presentation of ts: a gold-ced urquoise on a sc and one of tning fast and spirited Arabian e blaze on its nose and a silvery, gleaming coat, fully appointed  and reins, stirrups of pearl and greenis saddle embellistes. itoucration, ator-ambassadors to various apprentices. I applied purple to some of tree in tan-buttons of tatar K of gold  t

    w I was doing.

    It reasurer o t, and left he boy.

    O is to reets after  a break for so long! At sucimes, trikes one as original and stunning, as if Allaed it all the day before.

    I noticed a dog, more meaningful tures of dogs I¡¯d ever seen. I sa my master miniaturists migree in tree ed ones of purple.

    Strolling trated over t tepping into my oing. Let¡¯s say o turn doreet: In a Frankising, t in our stepping outside boting; in a painting made follo masters of , it¡¯d bring us to ting, rapped, because Crations are infinite.

    t taking me to ten met reasurer to discuss one of ts and ornamented ostrics my miniaturists an; trators or treasurer¡¯s oitution and peace of mind; tion of paint, gold leaf or oterials; ts and requests; ts, demands and disposition of tan; my eyesigreasurer¡¯s good-for-notabby cat. Silently, ered tan¡¯s Private Garden. As if committing a crime, but  delicacy, orees. ¡°e¡¯re nearing t, ¡°tan.  be  urned off teps tone building be and ca?que s of baking bread ing from tc of their red uniforms.

    treasurer and together in one room: Angel and Devil!

    tions in tan on tortured, interrogated, beat, blinded and administered tinado¡ªsmiled sly at me. It o so recount a -ory.

    treasurer diffidently said, ¡°Our Sultan, one year prior, ced manuscript prepared under conditions of tmost privacy, a manuscript t s meant for an ambassadorial delegation. In lighe book, his Excellency did

    not deem it appropriate t Master Lokman torian be enlisted to e t. Similarly,  venture to involve you, ry e admires. Indeed,  you ivities.¡±

    Upon entering tly assumed t some c I ting ration and t I¡¯d lampooned t tattler o convince t and t I  to be laid out for torture ion for my age. And so to  treasurer rying to make amends for Our Sultan¡¯s  from an outsider¡ªter t learning anytened to an account of t, about  Nusret urally, to trigues he workshop.

    ¡°?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Enisreasurer. Fixing o my eyes,  imely deat is to say, t  you?¡±

    ¡°Nay,¡± I said simply, like a c.

    ¡°Our Sultan is quite furious,¡± treasurer said.

    t Eniser miniaturists alious tious telligent. I kneten at the funeral anyway. how was he killed, I wondered?

    treasurer explained exactly ect us. Yet who could be responsible?

    ¡°tan reasurer, ¡°t tion sivities manuscript¡­¡±

    ¡°urists, s ted devil found. ends to sentence o a punis sucand as a deterrent to one and all.¡±

    An expression of sucement appeared on to suggest rous punis Our Sultan had decreed.

    I kne Our Sultan ly cask, to cooperate¡ªon  aste even noan t  beyond mere a boy served coffee and  for a while.

    I old t Enisivated, a man trained in illumination and book arts.  . A s ion of e, Black urned from t, ory of tion Enis after Elegant Effendi er miniaturists . rations ters  Eniser an¡¯s illustration e from treasurer. it very ttled into Enis.

    ¡°If turns up er miniaturists, Black¡¯s innocence ablis once,¡± I said. ¡°Frankly, ell you t my dearest curists, aking ther man.¡±

    ¡°As for Olive, Stork and Butterfly,¡± said tionately given to tend to comb ts, places of urned. And t includes Black¡­¡± ion: ¡°Given sucroublesome circumstances, ted us permission to resort to torture if necessary during terrogation of Black Effendi. torture ed against someone o turists guild, making suspects of tice to master.¡±

    I mulled tly: 1. t Our Sultan  ted torture. 2. Because all turists or, o identify t, I, too, . 3. I understood t ted my explicit or implicit approval to go aorture of my beloved Butterfly, Olive, Stork and t years, rayed me.

    ¡°Since Our Sultan desires botisfactory completion of tivities and tly only reasurer, ¡° torture migers¡¯ roying ty.¡±  this so?¡±

    ¡°t recently,¡± said to ted o Our Sultan¡¯s younger sister Nejmiye Sultan, and ended up stealing it. Since t of tan¡¯s sister e fond of the

    piece¡ªoccurred in ted me to investigate. It became apparent t botan and Nejmiye Sultan ed no o come to ter gold- and je ted. So, I er jeripped naked and to taken out and lasaking care t t period, ted . Despite ter, ting injury came to ter je. Even tan mentioned t er e pleased  t t of the barrel.¡±

    I ain t treat my master illustrators more severely t for Our Sultan¡¯s ented manuscripts, like many otable art form, belittling embellis and illustration as flirtations  for  rebuke. In order to provoke me, urists o see  upon your death.¡±

    as t already raining myself, I didn¡¯t respond. treasurer  to deceased  beoe miniaturists, rations to curry favor and earn a fera silver coins.

    I caugorture t miged. t resort to flaying during terrogation, because t inevitably leads to deat impale anyone, eit¡¯s used as a deterrent. Cracking and splintering turists  of tion. Of course, to judge by treets of Istanbul¡ªe for master artists. So, as I imagined my dear miniaturists in a secluded corner of te Garden, ter lilies, sly and glaring efully at one anoto laug caused me agony to imagine ers  iron and terfly¡¯s skin o conjure tterfly¡ªo my eyes¡ªas inado like a common tice. I just stood there dumbfounded and hollow.

    My elderly mind e under ts oernal silence. time oget made us forget everything.

    ¡°t expert miniaturists serving Our Sultan,¡± I said. ¡°Make certain no hem.¡±

    Pleased, treasurer rose, grabbed a number of pages from table at t of me. Next, as if tapers burned tering flames so I could study tings in question.

    I explain  like laug because t seemed t Enisructed my masters as follo paint like yourselves, paint as if you ent memories, to conjure and paint a future, o live.   this nonsense.

    ¡°By looking at trations, can you tell me  reasurer.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said angrily. ¡°ings?¡±

    ¡°Black broug treasurer. ¡° on proving t e Enis.¡±

    ¡°During terrogation, torture  s our late Enishte was harboring.¡±

    ¡°e¡¯ve sent for er newlywed.¡±

    Botrangely illuminated, a flicker of fear and ao t.

    it o turn around I knean, the orld.

 I AM ESTHER

    O is to cry along  of t tears, and I, too, beat my c in mourning and  ty maiden beside me, leaning on ely different frame of mind, I ouciful life. If I could cry like t once a , I mig o roam treets all day just to make ends meet, forget being mocked for my ermouther.

    I like social gat to my ¡¯s content, and, at time, forget t I¡¯m t candy, marzipan bread and fruit leat and tea-cup pastries of circumcision ceremonies; drinking sour-c at celebrations an in ting everyt ossing do by t wakes.

    I quietly slipped into t on my s doairs. Before I turned into tc an odd noise coming t to table. I took a feeps in t direction and glanced inside to discover t S and Oried up t of painting e grandfats and brusry to escape,  said and slapped the boy.

    ¡°My dear cle no  eac?¡± I said in a voice as velvety as I could muster.

    ¡°Mind your own affairs!¡± S sed.

    I noticed tened, blond-er of tormenting standing beside tever reason, I felt for ely. Forget about it, noher!

    In tc me suspiciously.

    ¡°I¡¯ve cried myself dry, er.¡±

    Sly. Before I drank it, I stared into her eyes, swollen from weeping.

    ¡°Poor Enised. ¡°People¡¯s mout like bags t can be cinchere was foul play involved.¡±

    In an exaggerated gesture, s oes. ted  looking at me said, ¡°May God protect us from baseless slander.¡±

    gesture confirmed  to ruth.

    ¡°¡¯s going on?¡± I asked abruptly, w.

    Indecisive ood t ty over Ser Enis  tears.

    ¡°¡¯s to become of me, now?¡± she said.

    ¡°S of giving neing up ts of o smell anot eachem.

    tling off ant from turists division reets over; t¡¯s from t- one, terrupted her.

    ¡°Kalbiye, te Elegant Effendi¡¯s  come to offer  send  send any her!¡±

    Sco t of tairs. I folloo e.

    ¡°t Effendi and my fat¡¯s funeral,  to t to know w¡¯s going on,¡± Shekure said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go rig,¡± I said, anticipating Ss.

    Since I kept our c brief, syard bit into us, ood t moving. Afterroked my beautiful Shekure¡¯s hair.

    ¡°Esther, I¡¯m afraid,¡± she said.

    ¡°My dear, don¡¯t be afraid,¡± I said. ¡°Every cloud has a silver lining. Look, you¡¯re finally married.¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯m not sure I did t t¡¯s   near me. I spent t beside my unfortunate father.¡±

    S me in a  said, You understand w I mean.

    ¡° your  to you.¡±

    tely opened te and read, but time s tell me  contained.

    S to be discreet;  alone in tyard er, reattacter of t morning, he women mourning inside. Meanwhile, hayriye

    came out of to open t, ¡°tyard gate.

    ¡°It¡¯s been quite some time since o the heavens.¡±

    S t sky, recited a long prayer.

    I suddenly felt so distant and estranged from S it  . As soon as sty Sionately on both cheeks.

    ¡°Esthis world for me or my children.¡±

    It pleased me t s mention her new husband¡¯s name.

    ¡°Go to Elegant Effendi¡¯s alk casually to  send us any  me knoely .¡±

    ¡°Do you have any messages for hasan?¡± I said.

    I felt embarrassed, not because I¡¯d asked tion, but because I couldn¡¯t look o cover up my embarrassment, I stopped  sacaste. ¡°And too.¡±

    It made me o see Sly as if everything were happening as planned.

    I grabbed my bundle and left. I¡¯d taken no more teps reet.  come from tell from  te pleased  to dampen s, I left treet, entered table roor Mos suc sadness upon me  I invariably forgot I¡¯d been co find a buyer for ty.

    t Effendi¡¯s  provoked no sadness. I  in and out of ted   and misery or anger and rebellion (altions). Kalbiye aken of t realized t to en my work.

    As ed o  all ors came to pity  o ness ly rejoice in tter situations; tries s, but  straigo t of tter forgoing any floalk. ernoon, just as Kalbiye  to take a consoling nap ake no interest in test silks from C even pretend to open my bundle, but came rigo t and described teary-eyed S ened So t s your feelings, he same sorrow,¡± I said.

    Arrogantly, Kalbiye confirmed t s asked after S visited to express o prepare and send any  s conceal: t t ment   of entry t your sted Esttempted to discover tances of Kalbiye¡¯s anger.

    It didn¡¯t take long for Kalbiye to admit t s e Eniso trated manuscript  in peace,  agreed to ra silver coins, but because Enis an. e  tions Eniso gild ed pages into full-blorations, pictures moreover t bore to lose sig and  Effendi, siously added t all ts arose gradually rat once, and since poor Elegant Effendi never found anyt ant sacrilege, o dismiss ed   unsettled  as  certain scoundrels at te devotion to tood very  t of envy of alent and artistry.

    A large, glimmering tear slid from Kalbiye¡¯s gleaming eye do opportunity, your good-ed Esto find Kalbiye a better ly lost.

    ¡°My late  often siously. ¡°Based on oget everyt of trations t took o Enis night.¡±

    te and S to mention t Enis me from ted anoty bet my merciless matc Suation  Kalbiye knoly :

    ¡°Sold me to tell you t if ss to say t ser and as a o t te Elegant Effendi left  nigion e Effendi? Did you ever consider t ¡¯ve been going to meet somebody else?¡±

    ¡°this was found on his person,¡± she said.

    Sained embroidery needles, pieces of clot.

    ook up t, I say of s er. I¡¯d just determined s.

    ¡° late Elegant Effendi only did gilding work. o render a horse.¡±

    Your elderly Est tc s quite make anythem.

    ¡°If I o take to Se pleased,¡± I said.

    ¡°If So see tc  t of conceit.

 I AM CALLED BLACK

    Maybe you¡¯ve understood by no for men like myself, t is, melanc excuses for maintaining eternal loneliness, life offers neit joy nor great sadness. I¡¯m not saying  relate to otrary,   fat our souls sink into at sucimes. t turmoil dims our intellects and dampens our s, usurping true joy and sadness we ougo experience.

    I ure of condolence, embraced my ears so a large cus me e, and I didn¡¯t knoo do. ory. In one fell sled me, and become master of ty of my tears? But believe me, it  like t. I truly ed to grieve, but couldn¡¯t: Eniso me t since te¡¯s final

    ablution never stopped babbling, t my Eniserious circumstances spread among tanding in tyard of t  my inability to cry to be interpreted negatively; I don¡¯t o tell you oneed¡± is.

    You kno test t ¡°o prevent someone like me from being banis cry on tried to ant relatives onisies to summon a doears; I t about being ter of take cuation, but just t t of panic. as it ed to save myself from t .

    It o tunned.

    As I exited tyard, I found a mud-covered silver coin on to go to t I side in trees and people. I t I¡¯d befriend t sen ty before facing tioner, attempt a liged conversation  t, ties of life, t on trangeness of a cloud in t alas ed me, proving a ratigicing ely stretco t  t after marrying Ser all t made my and on end. It ice of dying at torturers  h her.

    e didn¡¯t oerrifying spires of te, beyond urers and tioners sao t tory s cleaning itself in tnut eaming nostrils turned but didn¡¯t look at us: t s oh, much as we were.

    Be determine from to tell  to arouse fear before torture; inado, I t about tell to save my o be raising quite a ruckus.

    t certainly t attribute my mocking and mirtone to t of a man on torture. But  I mentioned I consider myself one of God¡¯s luckier servants? And if tune t alig ter years of deprivation aren¡¯t proof enougside tyard gate must be some indication.

    Aing my torture, I ed by te fait ect me; I

    palmed it, rubbed it and repeatedly kissed token of good fortune t Alla me. But at ime t me into t room orturers, I kneiless voice ely correct: t  come from God, but  I¡¯d s torturers, I o take refuge.

    I didn¡¯t even notice t tears began to fall from my eyes. I ed to beg, but as in a dream, no sound issued from my moutical assassination and torture ( life could be extinguisantaneously, but I¡¯d never experienced it to strip me from t as tripped off my garments.

    took off my vest and s. One of tioners sat on me, driving o my siced elegance of a urning t its front. Nay, it  a cage, but rat gradually squeezed my head.

    I screamed at top of my lungs. I begged, but incoly. I cried, mostly because my nerves .

    topped momentarily and asked: ¡°ere you te Effendi?¡±

    I took a deep breath: ¡°Nay.¡±

    to tig ing.

    they asked again.

    ¡°Nay.¡±

    ¡°hen?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡±

    I ell tly about my ance. I asked myself if I omed to tioners and I stayed still for a moment. I felt no pain, I errified.

    Just as I decided from t t t going to kill me, traption t ually done little damage to my ioner  even a  of apology. I donned my s and vest.

    there passed a very long silence.

    At tor Osman Effendi. I  to him and kissed his hand.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be concerned, my co me. ¡°t testing you.¡±

    I kne once t I¡¯d found a neo replace Enis in peace.

    ¡°Our Sultan  you not be tortured at time,¡± said t appropriate for you to or Master Osman find turists and ts preparing s. You o interrogate turists, scrutinize ted pages t. te appalled by t urists and illuminated manuscripts. Botreasurer an o Enisations and kno turists er urists of to produce t sole¡ªabout  Sultan¡¯s express desire t you, my c to undergo torture and interrogation. After t, eacer miniaturists will urn.¡±

    I could detect no secret gestures or signs betreasurer or Master Osman Effendi, reasury.

    ¡°Everyone knoed an¡¯s s and divisions, t tire group is considered guilty until one among tified and turned in. A section t fails to name ts midst goes dos officer or master, and is punisor Master Osman ions rating gaze, uncover tigation t  t miniaturists at eacs, and remand ty party to tice of tan, to t er Osman may require be granted to  t confiscating eac pages t ter miniaturists ing in their homes.¡±

    It IS I, MAStER OSMANtreasurer reiterated Our Sultan¡¯s decrees before leaving torture.  like a boy. I kneo like  disturb his peace.

    I o examine t ted from ter miniaturists, and to determine ings prepared for Eniso treasurer o clear ed, t be someto to arouse suc disgust and red in a miniaturist like myself istry; merely bad art  provoke sucion. So, y, I began to reexamine t turists wo .

    I saree in tuated ¡¯s border design and gilding o conjure tory to rators to draree, dear Butterfly, ork and  of a story so t drao scrutinize t tree, I¡¯d be able to determine rator s brancary tree; be, te  o tyle of t masters of Suated tion. t all, ed by raising to depict a tree simply as sucian masters did, ing t ian nor Persian. tree at ttempting to combine te styles, my miniaturists and t deceased clo it  t tration  h.

    I felt t tures, at t dream  matter also iritated me,   my illustrators ed tures into Our Sultan¡¯s illuminated manuscript. I felt rene exalted Alla in taking Eniso say, I soever to complete t.

    be annoyed by t staring at me from just beneat ounded by tioning, ty of its tening sidelong glance, o t s teet, by talent of turists  (I ermining precisely  forgive talent able o imitate t tan  for t to make use of teco tians e to explain tension in tures.

    I errified by tling picture, oucer miniaturists in eacist¡¯s  I couldn¡¯t identify o ting under tire he

    illustration  some time ure pointing out to Black s ree (Stork), te and floterfly).

    ¡°Of course, a great master miniaturist like yourself, inguis of eacrators, tion of temperament of trokes,¡± Black said. ¡°But ors to paint ried tecermine tists responsible for eacainty?¡±

    I decided to ansime ts, and lived all alone in le. rong and migelligent, but merciless srated manuscripts er. So devoted o er t ed for claiming o declare  one sent ambassadors to ask for urally, ter, and o a room, accessible only ty locked doors. In keeping  t er¡¯s beauty er an edition of  rated in t style, a rumor began to circulate in Isfay ure er! Even before erious illustration, opened trembling ears sa er¡¯s beauty ured on tory goes, it  actually ter, protected by forty locked doors, rayed one nig y ifled by boredom, reflecting off a series of mirrors and passing beneat or o reacrator . terful young miniaturist, unable to restrain ed ty, o beration  of completing. It  sure of ryside outing.¡±

    ¡°My beloved master, my good sir, te a coincidence,¡± said Black. ¡°I, too, am quite fond of t scene from h¨¹srev and Shirin.¡±

    ¡°t fables, but events t actually en, turist didn¡¯t depict tiful daug as a courtesan playing te or setting table, because t  of illustrating at time. As a result, Sy paled beside traordinary beauty of tesan standing off to ting ting¡¯s balance. After ter in ting, ed to locate ted miniaturist y miniaturist, fearing tesan and S in yle, but in a neo conceal ity. trokes of quite a feurists o the work as well.¡±

    ¡°ity of turist wrayed er?¡±

    ¡°From the ears!¡±

    ¡°er or ure?¡±

    ¡°Actually, neituition,  laid out all trations t urists ed all t : Regardless of talent, eacurists made ears in yle. It didn¡¯t matter if ted an, a cially veiled face of Our Exalted Prop, or even, God forbid again, turist, in eac signature.¡±

    ¡°hy?¡±

    ¡°ers illustrated a face, ts exalted beauty, on tates of t s ime to make tole from otated a model nor studied a real ear. For t t aspire to anyt even stop to consider heir brushes from memory.¡±

    ¡°But didn¡¯t t masters also create terpieces from memory  ever even looking at real rees or people?¡± said Black.

    ¡°true,¡± I said, ¡°but ter years of t, contemplation and reflection. y of rated and actual, over times, t t fles s. t a master miniaturist ens of times eventually comes close to God¡¯s vision of a ist kno alent, great effort, and insig is a  approac is draed any knoist  it is doing, or before paying attention to ter,  is a flaion, it urist to miniaturist. t is, it amounts to a signature.¡±

    tion. to ted from turists and the calligraphers.

    ¡°Besides, ears are actually a  once distinct and common to everyone: a perfect manifestation of ugliness.¡±

    ¡° o turist ies tyle of painting ears?¡±

    I refrained from saying, ¡°o keep Black from becoming even more do. Instead, I responded, ¡°er, and to identify miniaturists ever since, is kno is kept secret so t if one of turists makes a forbidden figure or a small design t conceals some miscer denies ermine s inctive desire to draimes transgressions involves finding trivial, quickly draitive details removed from t of ting, suc be rator  tail  signature. Mustac ance, because many artists are aure any eyebroy: No one pays muctention to t¡¯s see o bear upon late Enisrations.¡±

    t togetrated manuscripts, one t ed secretly and t stories and subjects, illustrated in tinct styles; t is, deceased Enisivities recounting our prince¡¯s circumcision ceremony, rol. Black and I looked intently wherever I moved my magnifying lens:

    1. In tivities,  studied t a master of tan and purple sasan, c. Unmistakably, Olive eetinguiseete¡¯s illustration of Satan, an ominous creature, , t appeared to have come from Samarkand.

    2. On a particularly joyous day of tivities, beloan¡¯s loge overlooking tier gattered clot made a plea: ¡°My Exalted Sultan, ages; t is,  free in order to amass ransom. anbul,  o collect to save our bret t us gold or slaves t o excork clearly made to t Our Sultan, at our poor, destitute g tatar ambassadors in ting tures of te¡¯s book.

    3. Among turning somersaults before Our Sultan , o one side on a red carpet; trument exactly tray in tration of Red in Enisless the work of Olive.

    4. As t Our Sultan, tuffed cabbage  and onions in a cauldron resting on a stove in t. ter cooks accompanying t stood on pink earting tes on blue stones; tones ist ly creature in tration t Enisakable terfly.

    5. Mounted tatar messengers broug to mobilize for anot ttomans, e observation kiosk of tedly affirmed to Our Sultan, Refuge of tries, t t brotion for ruction, er bearers ran out to settle t raised in to pour over a mob ready to attack t. t of ter bearers and of tist  of cion of Red: also tterfly.

    I  t discovery as I directed our searc and left, to t picture t ure and turning to ed  esan met took an entire afternoon to sort out s  by te Eniser, to interpret t information.

    Black¡¯s late Enis limit any single page to tistic talent of just one miniaturist; all ter miniaturists  of trations. t t tures ion to ticed teurisrokes of a fiftist, but as I gre talent sermined from tious brusrokes t it e¡ªted poor Elegant Effendi, e¡¯s book and our Book of Festivities (yes, t) and e a fe  t only my t brilliant master miniaturists ributed to trations. trained since ticesalents: Olive, Butterfly and Stork.

    Discussing talents, mastery and temperaments to tably led to a discussion of my own life as well:

    ttributes of Olive kno, because I never saure to be plain and recognizable;  try to conceal it any creator of trees, animals and t o Istanbul rained by Siyavusrator specializing in faces in tabriz  like ters er o lead tubborn artist to otyles. o transcend tyles and models of t masters billeted deep in o forget about tirely. old  like many miniaturists o country, ten tyles, if ually learned turists resides precisely in tted to memory, ruly forgotten ter illustrator. Still, ts, of o eacors in ted miniaturist, clinging to old forms inevitably stirred feelings of guilt and alienation t  to maturity. 2. In a moment of difficulty,  o ten, and te any ne, ory or scene by recourse to one of t models. ito  aers in neures.  painting and Istanbul ornamentation happily merged in Olive.

    As urists, I once paid an unannounced visit to  of many oter miniaturists, s, brusable and ots. It ery to me, but  even embarrassed by it. ook no outside jobs to earn a fera silver coins. After I related ts, Black said it  ease yles of ters admired by e Enisood to be praise from t of vieaken t  say o t styles¡ªo or Siyavusor Muzaffer, back to ters¡ªto be, but it alurists (I told myself spontaneously),  quiet and sensitive, but also t guilty and traitorous, and by far t devious.  about torture c to come to mind. (I boted and didn¡¯t  o be tortured.) iced and took account of everytcomings; o accommodate o any situation, o point out mistakes.  not in my opinion a

    murderer. (I didn¡¯t tell Black t believe in anyt  arary to reme fait illumination leads to painting, and painting, in turn, leads to¡ªGod forbid¡ªco judge by ist. Nevert s fall s of Butterfly¡¯s, or even Stork¡¯s. I ed Olive to be my son. As I said ted to incur Black¡¯s jealousy, but aring y. t ty boys gatree reciting verse and playing lutes, and tack of a dragon.

    ¡°Pere ed Olive to do t picture t ail, in tyle of tan¡¯s face and manner of sitting,¡± Black said.

    as rying to confuse me?

    ¡°Supposing ter Olive killed Enisure e in order to see t picture?¡±

    e botions for a while.

    ¡°Because t painting,¡± said Black. ¡°Or because s somet. Or even¡­¡±  for a aken ting to do furto, or even for no reason at all. Olive is, after all, a great illustrator  for a beautiful painting.¡±

    ¡°e¡¯ve already discussed in  illustrator,¡± I said, gro none of Enisrations is beautiful.¡±

    ¡°e  yet seen t painting,¡± Black said boldly.

    ttributes of Butterflyory district, but to me terfly.¡± ty of  t believe ted a second look. I¡¯ve alonisalented as er of color and test strengted passionately, reeling  I cautioned Black t Butterfly , I added: urist . If ts of ornamentation are not meant to cater to intelligence,

    to speak to to bolster tan; t is, if t is meant to be only a festival for tterfly is indeed a true miniaturist. aken lessons from ters of Kazvin forty years ago; ly applies , pure colors, and tle circularity  of ings; but I¡¯m trained  ters of Kazvin. Maybe it¡¯s for t I love  I never felt any ao mean I don¡¯t respect  Stork frequently  oo. In contrast to  assume, a master¡¯s beating doesn¡¯t rid tice of jinns of talent and t only suppresses temporarily. If it o be a good beating, and deserved, later on timulate turist¡¯s resolve to ings I administered to Butterfly, to a content and obedient artist.

    I at once felt to praise o Black: ¡°Butterfly¡¯s artistry,¡± I said, ¡°is solid proof t ture of bliss,  ponders in  for understanding and applying color.  Butterfly lacked:  kno momentary loss of fait Jami refers to in ry as ¡±t of trator painting in t s to ion and contentment, believing t ing,  of Our Sultan, Our Prop ascending tly  rendered by Butterfly, ts of ecstasy springing from tration of mine, if t session terfly to ¡±color it as you see fit,¡° and tfits, leaves, flags and sea t lay ted as if sprinkled  meant to fill a grave begin to ripple in times o be seen tterfly illustrates it, t s life to be jubilation. Indeed, te magnificent go eacime stops, whe Devil never appears.¡±

    terfly kno enoug e rigo  in  devoid of deptings, not men of to struggle terfly is icisms, poor man,  times grourists ed t akenly believes to be devilry and ten t straightforward evil and envy.

    es me because o its ecstasy, but only reac  ¡¯s anotists alent yet more able tterfly to surrender to t.

    In o make up for comings, Butterfly is preoccupied  o art. Like turists ures almost invisible to te and delicate craftsmanso tion, ors at an early age, because alent Allaed  miniaturists paint eacree to make an easy name for to gain importance in trons.

    Butterfly¡¯s inclination to design and illustrate for otrollable need to please oto praise. And so it follo an uncertain Butterfly s to ensure anding by becoming or. It was Black w.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said, ¡°I knoer I die.¡±

    ¡°Do you to murder urist brethren?¡±

    ¡°It mig master, but  a leave ts.¡±

    I said t in trutoo, ed Butterfly to assume leaderser me. I couldn¡¯t trust Olive, and in tork tingly become slave to tian style. Butterfly¡¯s need to be admired¡ªI  at t t ake a life¡ªal in an. Only Butterfly¡¯s sensitivity and faitte could resist tian artistry t duped trying to depict reality itself rats representation, in all its detail: pictures, ss, candlesticks, cables, oxen and carriage o Allah.

    ¡°as time wed hers?¡±

    ¡°terfly¡¯s  ands tfelt joy and sorro as s carried aions and is fickle. Because I , of ivity to color, I paid close attention to o kno uations, turists quickly become jealous and ter-disciple relationsrained and damaged. ts of love during  fear  say. Recently, since  seller¡¯s pretty daug to go see he chance.¡±

    ¡°Rumor  t ands to gain a lot if tain ible h religion, and

    tlatles, ine ceremonies, not to mention parades including everyone from co magicians, derviso boy dancers, and kebab makers to locksmito ts and forms of ters.¡±

    ¡°Even if urned skillfully and victoriously to tings of tamerlane¡¯s time, even if urned to t life and vocation in all its minutia¡ªas brigork  be able to do after me¡ªin t¡¯ll be forgotten,¡± I said mercilessly, ¡°because everybody  to paint like the Europeans.¡±

    Did I actually believe tion?

    ¡°My Enis it filled h hope.¡±

    ttributes of StorkI¡¯ve seen er Mustafa C paying any mind to o yle, ure or, like ters, remain anonymous, or w a o do so,  sign orious flourish.

    inued bravely do ted to paper cer glassblourning ted in ovens to make blue pitctles;   attention over ts tracing a graceful arc during a ival; a press squeezing oil from seeds; t ted t objecting t ters of tamerlane¡¯s time, or trators of tabriz and Kazvin,  loo do so.  Muslim miniaturist to go to urn safe and sound, in preparation for tories t er illustrate.  to eagerly study enemy fortresses, cannon, armies, ruggling for tent to paint.

    I recognize  matter more tyle and from tention to obscure details more t matter. I could entrust e peace of mind to execute all aspects of a painting, from t of pages and tion to t trivial details. In t to succeed me as or. But ious and conceited, and so condescending torators t ually, if it  to riousness, rations in t o sucask,  succeed.  master. . he admires himself. how nice for him.

    ed   ing upon folding ables, desks

    and cusrations for Our Sultan¡¯s books, for me, for miserable costume books t ravelers eager to belittle us, one page of a triptyc o be pasted in albums, pages made for ion of coitus. tall, tork ting from one illustration to t like a bee among floice  to ting  to me urists,  stop  exercise of alent and t miniaturists at time). Nocly t if ter miniaturists, I o God it¡¯s Stork. During ices of  my door on Friday mornings didn¡¯t excite me tterfly did on his day.

    Since tention to every odd detail, ion except t it be visible, ic approac of tian masters. But unlike tious Stork neited people¡¯s faces as individual or distinct. I assume, since ly belittled everyone, t  consider faces important. I¡¯m certain deceased Enis appoint o draan¡¯s face.

    Even  of tmost importance,  keep from situating a skeptical dog someance from t, or draration s subject and himself.

    ¡°Elegant Effendi¡¯s murder resembles tossed o a  of jealousy,¡± said Black. ¡°And my Enis t set on  Stork loved to paint scenes of ions of death.¡±

    ¡°Anyone  of ture s doesn¡¯t understand me or my master miniaturists.  exposes us is not t, ies ing as  subject: A lig seems to radiate from ure, a palpable ancy or anger one notices in tion of figures, rees, ting from a cypress as it reaco tion and patience t roduce into tration iles  tempts blindness¡­Yes, traces, not tical er renders t paint rying to make t s creator, displaying t and nothing more.¡±

 I AM CALLED BLACK

    Various manuscript pages lay before me and t Master Osman¡ªsome exts and ready to be bound, some not yet colored or otever reason¡ªas  an entire afternoon evaluating ter miniaturists and te¡¯s book, keeping cs of our assessments. e t  of tful but crude men, ed from turists and calligrapsoever to do  tly accepting side tra coins), o ted master and removed a piece of paper from his sash.

    I paid no mind at first, t itions from a faticesains as possible. I could tell t t t filtered inside. to rest my eyes, I ers of Surists do to stave off premature blindness, t is, I rying to look emptily into tance  focusing. t¡¯s opping folds of ter ared at cly tters t S me via Est to say, ¡° a coincidence¡± like an idiot, , like S letter, it ing on coarse paper!

    Master Osman kept ting to ter t I just then embarrassingly realized was from Shekure.

    My Dear  Esto sound out late Elegant Effendi¡¯s ed page, er, I  to Kalbiye¡¯s o persuade  it erest to give me ture. t Effendi¡¯s body ter must o tigation. tfully. Your wife, Shekure.

    I carefully read t tiful note taring at t Master Osman inizing, magnifying lens in raigiced t tcion as ters o accustom the hand.

    Master Osman,  comment, voiced a question: ¡°urist e¡¯s horse.¡±

    Could ain? Moreover,  at all sure .

    It   you couldn¡¯t take your eyes off of. as I being truty of time to look at te, and later, rations, but I  given it muc t iful, but ordinary

    even able to determine   a true cnut, but more bay-colored; t  of red in its coat as  en in otrations t I kne¡¯d been drae  turist¡¯s stopping to give it any consideration at all.

    e stared at til  concealed a secret. No s rising before my eyes and  a force t roused a zest for life, learning and embracing turist ouc depicted t?¡± as if ten suddenly t  a base murderer. tood before me as if it ration; being caugs was encing and aroused in me a sense of wion.

    For a time, ice e¡¯s book, determining finally t tances of trong and elegant studs bespoke stillness ration. I e¡¯s book.

    ¡°tacular  gives one to pull out a piece of paper and copy it, and to dra thing.¡±

    ¡°test compliment you can pay a painter is to say t imulated your oo illustrate,¡± said Master Osman. ¡°But no¡¯s forget about alent and try to uncover tity. e Effendi, may  in peace, ever mentioned tory ture  to accompany?¡±

    ¡°No. According to  lived in t our poan rules. It is a toman line. It is a symbol t rate to tian Doge Our Sultan¡¯s rol. But on tian masters depict, to be more lifelike t lived in a particular stable icular groom in Istanbul so t tian Doge migo  as ttoman miniaturists o see ttomans to resemble us,¡° in turn, accepting Our Sultan¡¯s poo see tly. Despite its peculiarities, ters.¡±

    ted over tiful and precious it became in my eyes. ly open, ongue visible from bet. rong and elegant. Did a painting become legendary for   it? Master Osman he animal.

    ¡° is it t trying to convey?¡± I said ?  about te me?¡±

    ¡°tures as ans, ser Osman. ¡°trons find tiful, ensive gold leaf and lavisures of labor and eyesigration¡¯s beauty is significant because it is proof t a miniaturist¡¯s talent is rare and expensive just like ture¡¯s creation. Oture of a iful because it resembles a  of verisimilitude is attributed to talent. As for us, beauty in illustration begins lety and profusion of meaning. Of course, to discover t t merely itself, but t devil, t ture. t t it¡¯s not t tself t¡¯s beautiful; t is, seeing tration of t as an illustration, but as a true horse.¡±

    ¡°If you looked at tration as if you  a  here?¡±

    ¡°Looking at t t a pony but, judging from ts neck, a good race tness of its back  suitable for long trips. From its delicate legs   its body is too long and large to be one. ts legs suggests   to ¡¯d easily jump it  being startled and spooked. I knoten about t ranslated so beautifully by our royal veterinarian Fuyuzi, and I can tell you t every o tnut ty face and ts ears sraigance beteet eyebro sall, long- , small nose, small s back; it sed, y inner t s and ers, it s ing ther side.¡±

    ¡°t¡¯s our cnut ly,¡± I said, looking at tonis.

    ¡°e¡¯ve discovered our er Osman  unfortunately t do us any good o tity of turist, because I kno no miniaturist in  mind  a urists, naturally,  me remind you t most of tline of tip of one of its hooves.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t ted standing firmly on tically.

    ¡°As Jemalettin of Kazvin e in ration of e a picture of a s ire o render a

    and recollection, or even more ridiculous, by repeatedly looking at a real o move from o neck and to body. I ain Venetian illustrators ailors and butcures of your average street packrial and error. Sucration soever to do y of God¡¯s creation. But I¡¯m convinced t even mediocre artists must knoration isn¡¯t drao  any particular moment, but according to omed to. ter is al on memory. No for us to do but use tesan meto uncover ture borne by our  of take a careful look here.¡±

    acular rying to discover tion of a treasure on an old map meticulously rendered on calfskin.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said, like a disciple overcome by to make a quick and brilliant discovery t  to tures.¡±

    ¡°My master miniaturists  even deign to loices dras and blankets in tures. Pere Elegant Effendi mig them.¡±

    ¡° about ter. ¡°the horses¡­¡±

    ¡°No. t cime of tamerlane; t like the leaves of reeds, which we well know.¡±

    I  to say, ¡° about tion of every strand of its  I fell silent, not at all amused by ter-apprentice game. If I¡¯m tice, I ougo know my place.

    ¡°take a look er Osman ressed yet attentive air of a doctor pointing out a plague pustule to a colleague. ¡°Do you see it?¡±

    aure. I loter see he lens.

    ts nostrils.

    ¡°Do you see it?¡± said Master Osman.

    to be certain of  I ser myself riger Osman did like co c be e a distance from ture. It momentarily alarmed me to feel ter¡¯s dry beard and the coolness of his cheek on my face.

    A silence. It ure a nessing it  and awe.

    ¡°¡¯s o wer.

    ¡°er Osman  taking he page.

    ¡°Did ake?¡±

    e ill examining the nose.

    ¡°Is tian-inspired ¡±style¡° everyone, t masters of Calking about?¡± asked Master Osman mockingly.

    I succumbed to resentment, t e Enise, may  in peace, used to say t any fault arising not from lack of ability or talent, but from turist¡¯s soul, oug be deemed fault but style.¡±

    came about, ¡¯s oo tity of te. For, let alone making out trils, ifying t Effendi.

    e spent mucime searcures t Master Osman¡¯s beloved miniaturists  years, looking for ty in trils. Because tivities, still being completed, depicted ties and guilds marc before Our Sultan, ts 250 illustrations. Men co ts ebooks of standard forms and neo te rooms of tan, and t t  been securely locked up and reasury, all of turally, an.

    In a double-leaf illustration from a Book of Victories found in ters of a young prince,   examined tnut e blaze, tted acular saddle blankets and gold embroidered saddles. Butterfly, Olive and Stork rated all the horses were

    pulling tanding at attention ery eyes trained on ter¡¯s body covered ood  stance borroers of , t is, ended and ted on t. All tails bound up and trimmed and combed, but none of ty  in any of t bore commanders, scicipated in tood at attention on tops in e Sultan S¨¹leyman.

    Someto us as  upset us to see t trated manuscript, upon s labored so mucreated, and t ree under ed, ten in a bad ed Effendi, I love you and am ing for you ience of tree.¡± So, it s full of defeat and sorro ion I¡¯d , but none of which I¡¯d ever seen.

    In trokes of all ter miniaturists, s, grays and blues, clattering along in mail and full panoply, bearing tar- none of t is a flaer all!¡± Master Osman said later, er Gate and to be at t very moment. e also failed to discover ted by guards, aries of tate in tration, al off to t, tan¡¯s Royal Audience rees in tyard on a scale small enougo fit into t grand enougo matcance in our minds. e can¡¯s great-grandfatan Selim time  tent along t scurrying red-tailed black greyened rabbits, before leaving a leopard lying in a pool of red blood, its spots blooming like floan¡¯s cnut e blaze nor ted, t the mark we were looking for.

    till dusk, erfly and Stork over t four or five years: t Giray¡¯s elegant-eared cnut palomino; black and golden op during battle; tured tress from tunisia and tnut and pistacumbled  caused Master Osman to remark, ¡°I overlooked tely turned o te t a royal pageboy rumming under a tree; S as sing for ; ts; tempestlike s beautiful groom t for some reason

    caused Master Osman to remark, ¡°I loved ired¡±; t to t Elijao protect tack by takenly dra¡¯s gray tared sorro t full gallop; iced;   leapt over gilded borders escaping t.

    Not one of ture we were looking for.

    Even so, o maintain a persistent excitement in t descended upon us: A couple of times  about t ourselves to ty of a picture, to colors t forced a momentary surrender. Master Osman al tures¡ªmost of ed¡ªmore out of nostalgic entrict!¡± ing out ttle purple flo tent of Our Sultan¡¯s grandfatan S¨¹leyman. ¡°er, but for forty years ures edly died t better t for a moment, t¡¯s a pity, a pity!¡± it the end of an era.

    Darkness aken us, ion. My ,  like a drum, compreely: tan ly entered. I t . I kissed t look he eye.

    or Master Osman any filled me o ness o ts ago been sitting knee to knee looking at pictures. Unbelievable; an ting tentively to er ies I couldn¡¯t make out  attention. I gat lengt t  and proper! My  no longer beat excitedly. At t moment, our eyes met.

    ¡°e, may  in peace,¡± o me. In my excitement, I missed some of w he was saying.

    ¡°¡­I e aggrieved. ¡¯s quite a comfort to see t eacures erpiece. ian giaour sees tunned and fear my  is by t¡¯ll be

    necessary to torture all ter miniaturists.¡±

    ¡°Sovereign Refuge of tan,¡± said Master Osman. ¡°Perter catcer miniaturists are forced to dra any story in mind.¡±

    ¡°Only, of course, if t an actual nose,¡± said Our Sultan shrewdly.

    ¡°My Sultan,¡± said Master Osman, ¡°to tition by express command of Your onigo visit Your miniaturists, requesting to draest¡­¡±

    Our Sultan looked at t said, ¡°Did you ?¡± t Nizami¡¯s stories of rivalry I like best of all?¡±

    Some of us said, ¡°e know.¡± Some said, ¡°.

    ¡°I¡¯m not fond of test of poets or tory about test beters and tan. ¡°I like best test of doctors o th.¡±

    After ly took leave of us for his evening prayers.

    Later, as ter exiting tes of toest of doctors:One of tors competing in tan¡ªten depicted in pink¡ªmade a poison green pill strong enougo fell an elep, or, tan. t doctor first seridote t  made. As could be understood from le laug all o  o give ely, savoring taking urn,  to erious poem into its petals. Next, ures t bespoke extreme confidence, ended to  take in its bouquet. tated tor in pink t upon bringing to  its regular scent,  of fear and died.

 I AM CALLED ¡°OLIVE¡±

    Prior to t t  ceremony: It h. In

    addition to paper and a ing board,  sing it. uation: Our Sultan est among ter miniaturists to see  time. I o sit on t t beautiful ed he page.

    I invited my guest inside. I ran and fetc of my brus¡¯s ear. I sat do test be a ruse or ploy t I¡¯d end up paying for   all trations by ters of  been dra ran bety?

    I o illustrate, yet I o draly like ters, and I restrained myself.

    Looking at t of paper, I paused so t my soul migself of appre to iful  to render; I ougo ered my strengtration.

    All to gallop before my eyes. Yet one  flaly going to render to draured it in my mind¡¯s eye. tten myself, forgotten t I ting  I  to dras oaking up just t amount. Come noo t to appear.

    Follouition, I searce place anding to t forts oion¡ªsee  rendered t beautiful t curved  to t, I greed! Arc moved victoriously iful t  tapered to form tly like t of t lifting my brus open after a moment¡¯s t; I entered t¡¯s going to be t out its tongue. I slourned out teadily, I looked momentarily at t I¡¯d made my line exactly as I¡¯d imagined it, I forgot entirely  curve of tacular neck s oo let tles of te content ely engrossed in ture. I seemed to be standing beside tail. teed, a racehorse; making a

    knot of its tail and  around, I exuberantly moved uptocks I felt a pleasant coolness on my o feeling, I gleefully completed tness of t  onis positioning of t foreleg exactly as I .

    I lifted my  a moment¡¯s ation, I made trils and t. I crand by strand, as if tenderly combing it ted t irrups, added a o  in full proportion drawing his balls and cock.

    magnificent horse.

 I AM CALLED ¡°BUTTERFLY¡±

    I believe it  time of t t tan ition. As you command, my dear Sultan; indeed, wiful han I?

    It gave me pause,  ture o be made  color in tyle. o be t in tion and application of tration ? I tried to get more information out of tty boy  or Master Osman . Master Osman,  a doubt, knoalent and likes me t of all ters.

    So, as I gazed at ty page, tance, look and demeanor of a  an and Master Osman came to life before my eyes. t to be lively, but serious, like ter Osman made ten years ago, and it s alan, so t boty. ure? how would Bihzad?

    Suddenly, t entered my ts  by time I understood  arting from t foreleg. After quickly joining to tly, pleasurably and confidently¡ªist is no illustrator, but a calligrap my  moved as if it belonged to anotacular arcs became tomac and sration mige. Oalent of  my raced out trong and joyful elligent fore, once again, look Motiful, I merrily dreing a letter, and I o ter. I s arc from

    to its saddle. My self o being, , rounded body not unlike my ounned by t about t comments Our Sultan o laug t  t out of took my bruso told a joke. I briskly outlined tail. le and curvaceous I made to cup it in my le butt of a boy I  to violate. As I smiled, my clever opped: t rearing   talented of miniaturists and even  once t I o become or; but t else ts ake my ration seriously. ticulously rendered trils, teetrands of ail and saddle blanket in minute detail so t t I ration. From tion, t is, teral vieesticles s I left t because t unduly preoccupy tudied my empest, strong and po ical brusrokes in motion, like tters in a line of script, yet t miniaturist ion as if praising a Bioo, hem.

    master of old dra horse.

 I AM CALLED ¡°STORK¡±

    After tended to go to t told me tor at tidings, I  to discover a messenger from tan¡¯s contest. Fine, t beautiful ell me hem.

    Ratained my reserve, and simply invited ting at t for a moment: t beautiful  even exist t I mig. I can draeeds, large Mongolian full of stone to a building site, but no one  beautiful urally, by ¡°t beautiful  Our Sultan meant t splendid of t ed times in Persia, in keeping  why?

    Of course, t  me to old me to dra nobody¡¯s picture could compete  t an? Our Sovereign, despite tists, knows

    full  I am t talented of urists. rations.

    My ly and angrily sprang to action as if ing to rise above all of tions, and in one concentrated effort, I drerue ip of its  see one like treet or in battle. eary, but controlled¡­Next, in t of anger, I daster. None of turists of ts  to drahe palace said, ¡°One is enough.¡±

    to grab t and leave, but I restrained  these horses.

    If I illustrate t to, t give me t arnisopped to t ,¡± I said to t inside and returned  Venetian gold pieces, o the boy: he was afraid, his eyes widened. ¡°You¡¯re as brave as a lion,¡± I said.

    I removed one of tebooks of forms t I kept ly made copies of t beautiful illustrations t I¡¯d seen over t to mention t treasury  trees, dragons, birds, ers and  is, if you gave en gold pieces, tebook is excellent, not for t to see tual ion, but for t to recall the fables of old.

    Flipping to ted t of t picture , I placed a clean s of paper under tencil. I gradually sprinkled a liberal amount of coal dust on top, t so t ed tencil. t, dot by dot, ransferred tiful ire so t belo o behold.

    I grabbed my pen. ition t suddenly ly connected ts rokes, suc as I  t is,¡± I said. ¡°t beautiful  one of this.¡±

    So t explain to Our Sultan o draure, I gave erfeit coins. I implied t I o catc of my ell a good miniaturist by to be t miniaturist, it¡¯s not enougo make t  also convince Our Sultan and s t you are indeed t miniaturist.

    hing more.

    I ILL BE CALLED A MURDERERere you able to determine wched a horse?

    As soon as I ed to make a ition: ted to catcration. I¡¯m perfectly a tc Effendi¡¯s body. But I  or style by ain of ting  a ne of completely different trained¡± myself and became another.

    But  o fit tyle of tist  thin himself?

    Suddenly and error, I felt tence of t triump miniaturist  c, I was ashamed.

    I quickly kne I  be able to remain at ing outside, I reets. As Se in s, in order for a genuine  roam ire life  remaining anyer roaming from city to city for sixty-seven years, ired of running and surrendered to ter miniaturists attain blindness, or tarily acyle, ions of style.

    I  in Bayazid, ty square of t, amid t aromas of soup and pudding sing  me in surprise; I passed a grocer¡¯s sed fisaken only by colors, I o a ions s of a lamp, stared passionately, t one¡¯s beloved, at tic, t ed from ter, and at mounds of broimes I  to put everyto my moutimes I  to fill a page ure of all creation.

    I o tomac ually, of te. It il midnigo t it. Inside unates dressed like ic cers whose

    sorroo slip from to distant paradises, as s; to folloiquette; and a young gentleman ance from ting. -filled cabbage dolma into my bo  and topped it off  red pepper flakes before taking a seat beside tleman.

    Every nigting, dying, o our necks in misery¡­Some nig er me, but I kno possibly rise from the grave.

    tleman, en to a conversation. as t to t consistency, my stuffed cabbage is quite to my liking.¡± I asked about ly graduated from a miserable ty-coin college and been taken into Arifi Pasronage as a clerk. I didn¡¯t ask  t,  at tate, at t  cead to be at treet kitceeming  for a moment.

    ¡°My name is Bi and tabriz. I¡¯ve painted t magnificent pictures, t incredible masterpieces. In Persia and Arabia, in every Muslim book arts ions are made, t me for  looks real, just like the work of Bihzad.¡±

    Of course, t tings reveal  t painting, as you knoe  for ts, my  is:ALIF:Painting brings to life  for the eyes.

    LAM: ters ting to t it serves the mind.

    MIM:Consequently, beauty is t the mind already knows.

    Did te of tand tracted ning inspiration from t at all.  ted at t of a -of-ty silver coins a day¡ªtoday you can buy ty loaves of bread  amount¡ªyou still  kno ty-coin  kno me explain. I said:

    ¡°I¡¯ve painted everytely everyt at ted togetle and Prop of God ascending t of to Cemple to scare off a monster stirring up torms; a masturbating sultan spying on ties of ening to a lute; a young ler sure of victory after learning all or¡¯s moves, only to be defeated in tan at tor  trick up ely decorated y of lovers, from t embarrassed to t crass, to look at eacone by stone construction of palaces; t by torture of ty; t of eagles; playful rabbits; treacigers; cypress and plane trees t ing poets; feasts to commemorate victory; and men like you hem.¡±

    tertaining and was smiling.

    ¡°Your ¡¯ve ,¡± I continued. ¡°tory I love from Sadi¡¯s Garden. You knoed from t and goes off to roam tedly, a dangerous-looking stranger ee appears before o a panic and reacing your arro you  recognized me? Am I not to ed a imes emperament and disposition, nay, by color even. So t you pay no attention to us, ts under your command, even ter h such frequency?¡°¡°

    tnut and ure covered  even t of readers and tory: ty and mystery of tion, attention, interest and compassion; if you  to live in t paradise ually see ttending to its colors, details and irony.

    ty-coin  once entertained and friged to drop  I didn¡¯t give he chance.

    ¡°ter of masters Bied t picture,¡± I said. ¡°For a urists  stopped imitating t of Biion and  urists, including myself, can draure of a horse?¡±

    ¡°I once sa a great teaced to my late hoja.¡±

    I didn¡¯t knorange Creatures seriously, and droerms ture  copy. I came up ernative, and t o drop my spoon and quit ter idied up and  doing anytened to the silence.

    Later, I removed t it  it upon table. Next, I placed tration and t, I attempted to drarait in cime, patiently. Mucer,  resemble my face in t tears ers t Enis? I to be one of t if I illustrated in t state of mind, I could perrait.

    Later still, I cursed ters and Enis I¡¯d done and began looking into to begin another drawing.

    Ultimately, I found myself reets again, and t t even sure o come ered, I felt suc about mingling urists and calligrap s accumulated on my forehead.

    I sensed t tcing eac, I could plainly see t. I seated myself in trying to beurally. At time my eyes sougers, my dear bret one time, I¡¯d served as Master Osman¡¯s apprentice. I ain eaco dra desperate efforts, taking test arranged by ts quite seriously.

    toryteller effendi  yet begun ure  even been . I o socialize he coffeehouse crowd.

    So be it t me be frank oo, made jokes, told indecent stories, kissed my companions on ted gestures, spoke in double entendres, innuendos and puns, asked ant masters er I really  so far as to roug, kno a part of my soul remained mercilessly silent .

    Nonet only succeeded in using figurative language to compare my o , to bruses, newel

    posts, door knockers, leeks, minarets, lady fingers in rees, and to tself, I ty boys to oranges, figs, small ries, pilloo tiny ant conceited of to compare ool¡ªquite amateuris any self-confidence I migo a s and a porter¡¯s pole. Furto old miniaturists¡¯ dicks t ices; master calligrapain place (¡°t disgusting nook¡±);  into tead of rose petals; t great masters of tabriz and Siful boys to be found there.

    At times it seemed t one of ts orious, leaving t I¡¯d finally forgotten t silent and loveless aspect of myself. At times I remembered tions of my co be myself along e all till a silence  left me suffering and isolated in t of the crowd.

    and merciless spirit¡ªit  a spirit but a jinn¡ªan? But t by tigated by Satan, on trary, by t pure and simple stories t drove into one¡¯s soul. Under told tories,  t me peace. A tall, pale, yet pinkised calligrapice focused o mine and ening to me  attention.

    tories on Blindness and Style turist told to Ease trary to ual  a discovery of European masters. to t master Jemalettin of Kazvin. After tall eser Jemalettin  content to simply join ts  ed to embellisory nessed  master, les  ever tle,  to  time. But before  clasing   to enemy cannon-fire. ter, like all genuine virtuosos, ing blindness as t  t deficiency. ained t turist ed not in ted, but in tellect and t, and furt  rue pictures, scenery and essential and flaed, green-eyed calligrapice to whom he

    dictated exactly o dra appeared to o er ter¡¯s deat of o draed by tice into tively entitled tion of e ime in tesy of neions and copies, rators, apprentices and tudents and ice books, after tall esion erated and t style of illustration overtook all of Persia, Jemalettin and s ten. Doubtless, ttin R 1za of ¡¯s violent criticism of t t to be burned, urn of events. Kemalettin R 1za claimed t none of ttin of Kazvin in e,¡± since ter er nessed an actual battle scene, no matter reasures of tall esan Me t to Istanbul, it s occasionally certain of tories appear in ots in Istanbul and even t some ructed therein.

    LAMIn  and Ser miniaturist nearing t blind from a lifetime of excessive labor, it  only be taken as a sign of t master¡¯s determination, but  of t master¡¯s alent. time in  e uation t compelled quite a feo actually induce blindness in tly recalled artists   Abu Said, tamerlane¡¯s grandson from t, introduced a furt in er as and Samarkand: tice of paying greater o tation of blindness to blindness itself. Black Veli, tisan urist could see true talent resided in a sigurist y-seven  by das came to tip of  so muc t tistic ceremony for e storytellers recite stories to support ter¡¯s efforts, t Black Veli  lengtsoever among to Miran Sation; ter, ter declared t a miniaturist possessed of talent, regardless of  Alla master miniaturists, ted: t no sucion called ¡°style.¡± t master Black Veli ated by all Muslim miniaturists for 110 years. As for Black Veli

    er t of Abu Said and to Kazvin, er eful attempts to refute t declares, ¡°t equal.¡± For t blinded, then killed by young Nizam Shah¡¯s soldiers.

    I elling a tory, describing to tty-eyed calligrapice  master Bied to leave , er being taken forcibly to tabriz, urist¡¯s style yle of tales I¡¯d er Osman, but I became preoccupied oryteller.  o tell Satan¡¯s story tonight?

    I o say, ¡°It an  an yle. It an  from est.¡±

    I closed my eyes and drean on toryteller¡¯s roug of paper as my  desired. As I dreoryteller and ant, otists and curious onlookers giggled and goaded me on.

    Pray, do you tyle, or do I o to the wine?

    I, SAtAN

    I am fond of to a calm sea at daed appearance of a  an open  and patience. I believe in myself, and, most of time, pay no mind to  me. tonigo to set my miniaturist and calligrapraig certain gossip, lies and rumors.

    Of course, because I¡¯m to believe t opposite of  you¡¯re smart enougo sense t te of  alrue, and t doubt me, you¡¯re astute enougo take an interest in my  my name, imes, is one of t frequently cited.

    All rig me begin  me in trut it be kno  y. For tyle. It  pain t I¡¯m belittled in t t is.

    It¡¯s true, God created man before ted us to prostrate ourselves before tion. Yes, it ¡¯s ten in ¡°ts¡± cer:  Adam  as all of you are familiar. So I didn¡¯t bow before man. And God found my behavior, well, ¡°proud.¡±

    ¡°Lo¡¯s beyond to scness here.¡±

    ¡°Permit me to live until Judgment Day,¡± I said, ¡°until the dead arise.¡±

    ed  during tire time I empt ts of Adam,  o tell you t o o say about tter.

    As some  t time Almig. According to to test ty¡¯s subjects by attempting to destroy t,  be led astray, o later fill t I did e important: If all men  to ened, and ts governments could never function on virtue alone; for in our ue and sin as necessary as rectitude. Given t I am to to live until Judgment Day?)¡ªto be branded ¡°evil¡± and never be granted my due is my roment. Men like tic Mansur, t Gazzali, aken to conclude in tings t if tually committed t God desires; furtain t good and evil do not exist because everyt of him.

    Some of te appropriately been burned to deat, and ty for drao eac Alla ted sucies into ts; t all by themselves.

    to my second complaint: I am not t of tion, lust, lack of  often, out of t any instigation, deception or temptation on my part. s of certain learned mystics to absolve me of any evil migoo is tion t I am t, s t tempts every fruit monger s rotten apples upon omers, every cells a lie, every fa find anyt commit grave sins. But some  all of you  understood me in t.

    Let tand you, so you can dupe t suggest. true. But let

    me remind you, I  caused me to fall out y in t place. Even t¡¯s been recorded in numerous books tens of times t I¡¯ve successfully tempted t-kindling guise of a beautiful urist bretonig in picturing me as a missailed and gruesome creature ruding moles?

    Like so,  t of tter: figurative painting. An Istanbul street mob incited by a preac mention so  boter on, condemns trary to tting in eacing o t of musical instruments; and t some of turists among us ing in tyle. For centuries, countless accusations  me, but none so far from truth.

    Let¡¯s start from ts caugo eat of t and forgets about ter began. No, it doesn¡¯t begin y, eitter of ing man to us and expecting us to boo  e appropriate and decisive refusal¡ªt fitting t, after creating me from fire, o bo of t mud? Orut, t it and fear t anyt just remain bet. Fine, never mind  instance; I agree, you¡¯re justified in being afraid, and I¡¯ll forget about tion and te. But t¡ªyes indeed, something I¡¯ll always be proud of: I never bowed down before man.

    t ters are doing, and t satisfied ing and displaying every single detail doo ting ear lemen, priests, s and even  fall bets. tists also dare to situate ts in ter of t to be s like idols before e ourselves. Is man important enougo  being draail, including reet o man¡¯s false perception t to tance,  man tively be usurping Alla ter of ty and omnipotent, ter t surely it¡¯s absurd on t to credit me raits; I, rate myself before man suffered untold pain and isolation; I,  of curses. It o s.

    I  comment on t, but my  for men heir

    eagerness to s for money or ote and me: as it not You o regard t ter of t devoted servants  to be depicted in tyle of ters. I kno as  tting You entirely. And I¡¯m the one who¡¯ll be blamed.

    I convince you t I don¡¯t take all of to ? Naturally, by standing firmly on my o despite centuries of merciless stonings, curses, damnings and denouncements. If only my angry and sire of condemning me,  it y ed me life until Judgment Day, y or seventy years. If I o advise t tend te  some, because it an speaking,  opposite and refuse coffee entirely, or , stand on try pouring it into their asses.

    Don¡¯t laug¡¯s not tent, but t t counts. It¡¯s not urist paints, but yle. Yet tle. I o conclude ory, but it¡¯s gotten quite late. tongued master storyteller ell tory of love er tomorro.

    I, S my fatelling me incompre errifying t I . S omacing y o get out of bed and leave t hem.

    I crossed tly opened Black¡¯s door. In t cast by my candle, I couldn¡¯t see e mattress o reactress.

    my  of truck Black¡¯s weary, unso  as Or curled up like a pill bug, and he expression of a sleeping maiden.

    ¡°to myself. ant, so mucranger, t I  actually  to do suc¡¯d be if I killed  believe s of me, neit childlike expression.

    Prodding , I led more ted and excited, if only for a moment, just as I¡¯d ely come to his

    senses, I said:¡°I dreamed I sao me: You he one who killed him¡­¡±

    ¡°eren¡¯t ogether was murdered?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a you kne my fat home all alone.¡±

    ¡°I did not. You  t  it. And as for er idea than I.¡±

    ¡°times I feel an inner voice is about to tell me une. I open my mout voice mig as in a dream, I make no sound. You¡¯re no longer the good and naive Black of my childhood.¡±

    ¡°t naive Black her.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯ve married me to take revenge on my fat like you.¡±

    ¡°I knoo bed you airs for a wing ¡±Black, Black, my ass¡¯s crack,¡° loud enough so I could hear.¡±

    ¡°You sing,¡± I said, at first  them, I¡¯ll kill you.¡±

    ¡°Get into bed,¡± o death.¡±

    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll never get into your bed. Maybe ake by getting married. timacy before tsteps before I fell asleep? It¡¯s not surprising, eps for years. t one. ake care to guard yourself against it.¡±

    I saern in Black¡¯s eyes t I kne be able to scare him.

    ¡°Of t struggling not to be uno protect my cubbornly trying to prove yourself. It¡¯s not because you love me.¡±

    on at lengt  only of me in desolate

    caravansaries, on barren mountains and during snourned to my former imes it seems t my former  return at any time. It¡¯s not t I fear being caug  by t as soon as we embrace he door.¡±

    e s fig outside tyard gate. t I mig my candle able nor turn around and o my room to be old myself t I  leave til I ely convinced t Black soever to do h.

    ¡°You belittle us,¡± I said to Black. ¡°You¡¯ve groiful.¡±

    ¡°My respected Siously. It pleased me t  none of true. I¡¯d do anything for you.¡±

    ¡°t out of bed, and  .¡±

    I ing?

    ¡°I cannot,¡± , gestured to t and gown.

    , but it annoyed me any  .

    ¡°Before my fatered t y¡ªas t us to kno is.¡±

    I rembling, not out of anger, but because of t seized my legs, back and neck.

    ¡°Get into bed and be my wife,¡± he said.

    ¡°¡¯s going to take some time before ¡¯s not rigo stay in th you.¡±

    ¡°to you and Ester Osman tention on the horses.¡±

    ¡°Master Osman  in peace. No you¡¯re depending on Master Osman to find  must be causing  agony.¡±

    ly leapt out of bed and came to even move. But contrary to ed,  snuffed out my candle ood tch blackness.

    ¡°Your fatell me noer t you¡¯d be able to love me, t you¡¯d be able to make room in your  for me. then you¡¯ve been running away from loving me.¡±

    ¡°I o marry you,¡± I whispered.

    t pity, I sensed o  Fuzuli  it.

    ¡°If I could love you, I would¡¯ve loved you when I was a child,¡± I whispered again.

    ¡°tell me ty of t¡¯ve spied on all turists he murderer?¡±

    I  ill keep ter all, my husband.

    ¡°I¡¯m cold.¡±

    Did I actually say t remember. e began to kiss. Embracing ill ook y tongue into my moutears, my gorembling and even   c; but timid Srained  let myself go or drop t t of my fatching me, and of my former husband, and my children asleep in bed.

    ¡°ted. I pus out into the hall.

 I AM CALLED BLACK

    Silent and unseen, under cover of early morning darkness, I left like a guilty  and irelessly treets. At Bayazid, I performed my ablution in tyard, entered t talent only rarely acer a lifetime of practice. You knoice of us and we pray

    icipation of one  a petition into tan¡¯s o grant me a ch loving people.

    er Osman¡¯s  ime e Eniss. rary and more distant, but  illumination ive elderly dervis master s of fear, aurists for so many years.

    As raveled from ter¡¯s o ted on a ly, I on foot and likerations t accompany old fables.

    At tan ain t once  ters¡¯ rice, determine  to torture  even alloion. e aken not to tioners¡¯ fountain  to t small slapdasered seclusion of tan¡¯s Private Garden, ion, torture and strangling.

    A youtoo elegant and polite to be one of tatively placed ts of paper on a able.

    Master Osman took out  began to pound. Like an eagle gliding elegantly over a tract of land, ained at a constant distance from trations. And like t eagle catc of ts prey,  intently and calmly.

    ¡°It¡¯s not er a time.

    ¡° isn¡¯t he Commander.

    I¡¯d assumed t master ion, scrutinizing every aspect of to hoof.

    ¡°ter  left a single trace,¡± said Master Osman. ¡°e  be able to determine ed tnut ures.¡±

    taking up t aside, I looked at trils: ter ; trils of tnut e¡¯s manuscript. Just ttention turned to torturers ing outside

    rying to observe ttle quickly backward as if possessed by a jinn, seeking ser berees.

    At t moment, like an et t illuminated tan, tion of tered the room.

    Master Osman confessed to   been able to determine anytrations. Nevert refrain from draan¡¯s attention to t paintings: te stance of t and, in ty and pride matcent of ancient books. Mean  ure, and to door to tists¡¯  Master Osman said.

    ¡°My Sovereign, don¡¯t be surprised t I knoers like ter. ¡° beer miniaturist s origins.¡±

    ¡°You mean to say?¡± said Our Sultan.

    ¡°Your Excellency, Prosperous Sultan and Refuge of ture, evident rils of tnut  simply take of a painter, but a sign ant past to otures, otecyles and pero examine turies-old books t You keep under lock and key in ts, and cabinets of treasury, ify as tec ake; ttribute it to turists.¡±

    ¡°You er my treasury?¡± said tan in amazement.

    ¡°t is my wiser.

    t as brazen as asking to enter t tood t in as mucreasury occupied ttiest spots in tyard of te Paradise of Our Sultan¡¯s Palace, t spots in Our Sultan¡¯s .

    I rying to read iful face,  urists as a er¡¯s impudence?

    Looking at t I iful attributes, t

    o e distant world.

    I t just as being taken into t of t serving Our Sultan and perurist meant serving God and dying for ty.

    Mucer, e, deat, as I passed te ed as if t even see us. terday  o affect me in t, for I kne aken furto t of Our Sultan¡¯s secret o te Quarters of the Enderun.

    e passed to tered a fairy tale, I kept my eyes trained on to avoid coming face-to-face ures t mig me. I couldn¡¯t even look at tan  my gaze o fall momentarily on tree, one no different from otrees, and on a tall man in a caftan of soopped before a portal, larger and more imposing t, framed in ornate stalactite patterns. At its tood treasury cans; one of to open the lock.

    Staring directly into our eyes, treasurer said: ¡°You are truly blessed by fortune, an ed you permission to enter treasury of t no one else ures and pages of gold, and like ers, you rack tan bade me remind you t good Master Osman il to name t in turists¡¯ midst; failing t, tter surned over to to be resolved by torture.¡±

    First, to ensure no key entered t permission. treasury and t, signaling roduced, tter t filled ter Osman suddenly turned an asruck by a dark radiance t seemed a remnant of ancient days.

    ¡°My Sultan didn¡¯t  taries o enter unnecessarily,¡± said treasurer. ¡°to look after tead. For tan  Jezmi Aghin.¡±

    Jezmi Ag, so be at least seventy years old. han he.

    ¡°Jezmi Agerior of treasury like ions of books and all else better than anyone.¡±

    ting brazier, t icks t the palace pages were carrying.

    treasurer announced t ty-year-old signet of Sultan Selim ter t sunset, tness of ttendant croreasury c caution t notsoever ¡°mistakenly¡± found its o our clots or saso our undergarments upon exiting.

    e entered, passing bet eit  and y t drove deep into my nasal passages. Everys, cs and s intermingled in a ic jumble. I  I ness to a great battle.

    My eyes adjusted to t t fell over tire space, rades of tairs along tinged  clots and kilims ion of all t and cities and treasuries plundered.

    ¡°Frigo my feelings. ¡°Everybody is frig visit. At nigs of ts wo eacher.¡±

    erred. Betering of to tionless.

    I sausks, caftans, silver candlesticks and satin banners. I sarunks, Cs, long-necked lutes, armor, silk cuss, furs, red ostrics. ts, clotin every-in closets and small storage cells built into trange ligans of sultans, surbans, pilloars, ruby-ed turbans, turban plumes, curious clocks, ewers and daggers, ivory

    statues of s, nargudded tops, mots of draes, strands of large prayer beads, and s adorned urquoise. t, ly doed floating dust particles in t t streams in from t atop t t sunlig, ts appeared as if made from terial. After  covering everyt dimmed ts into an arcane sameness. And as trange and indistinct items, unable to distinguis even t profusion of objects became even more terrifying.  I t er decided able, and later still, some strange Frankis t among tans and plumes pulled out of tily tossed ually an exotic cabinet sent by te Czar.

    Jezmi Ag  into the wall.

    ¡°ed?¡± wer Osman.

    ¡° an Selim t back from tabriz, ty  volumes brougian ambassador to Our Sultan¡¯s grandfatian books from time of Sultan Me the Conqueror?¡±

    ¡°t Sa an Selim, Denizen of Paradise, as a present ty-five years ago,¡± said Master Osman.

    t us to a large . Master Osman greient as  s colops pages. togetonis at trations of kly slanted eyes.

    ¡°¡±Gengai Kuluy Ker Osman before closing taking up another.

    e came across an incredibly beautiful illustration depicting to convey tain, tnessing Fer of love rembling grief-stricken  Master Osman and I antly affected by taste of tears and sorroouc ed¡ªas t masters intended¡ªnot to signify Ferrengt rato convey  at once t tire world.

    ¡°A Biation made in tabriz eiger Osman said as her.

    ture t s and t in t bettacks of a marten on tion in an unfortunate cat cauger¡¯s trap. to an agreement: t, pretending to be ten and turn, tiously frees t from tand ter¡¯s sensibility, ter uffed ther.

    t picture of a mysterious ly opened one ion, urned to ened intently. I looked at ture avidly, jealous of timacy, love and friendshem.

    Putting t book doer Osman opened to a page from anoturanian armies, eternal enemies, s, greaves, bo, legendary and fully armored tle to ty yelloeppe ips of t, bedecked in an array of colors and patiently co to fig to tell myself t regardless of ion oday or a ¡¯s a depiction of ist of absolute faitually paints and conveys is a battle ing; I o declare furt turist actually paints ience, ¡¯s not  tome.

    In tains interration t seemed to go on forever. I t ing meant seeing t depicting it as if it er Osman recounted ration migraveled from Buko , from  to tabriz, and at last, from tabriz to Our Sultan¡¯s palace, moving from book to book along to be rebound ings at to Istanbul.

    e saures of ening and more expertly done t: R¨¹stem togetem attacking Afrasiyab¡¯s army; and R¨¹stem, disguised in armor, a mysterious and unidentified  of deatting eac name, claser Osman¡ªfor wime¡ªlooked upon hing in a

    lake by moonliging as ter an extended separation, and a spirited picture, all aflutter rees and floire ogetrue great master,  tention to some oddity in a corner of even t painting, pero do  on t of tor or perion of colors: As miged, ening to a cal by ing, but see t kind of sad and spiteful painter  ominous oree branc lovely boy dressed in ian rying to peel tasty oranges   later on oo, would be blinded?

    e saed Prop during e-bearded old man symbolizing Saturn; and baby R¨¹stem sleeping peacefully in co ted on a black rils bore no peculiarity, and ter Osman rapidly picked out t t times recognize an artist and s an illustrator¡¯s signature ures and colopermine  susurrus of turning pages could be er Osman  ¡°A I kept my peace, unable to understand imes  ered tion or arrangement of trees and mounted soldiers of a particular illustration in ot scenes of completely different stories, and  out tures again to jog my memory. ure in a version of Nizami¡¯s Quintet from time of tamerlane¡¯s son S is, from nearly ty or eigo ask me  t turists ed ture  ion o paint is to remember.¡±

    Opening and sting old illuminated manuscripts, Master Osman  ted ed pieces (for all miniaturists  tist  is, old pictures of trees, angels, parasols, tigers, tents, dragons and melanc ed at ime y of o us, s. ty of illustrators and of t, gaze upon to remember t Alla to us. test masters in eacion of

    painters, expending toiling until blind, strove  effort and inspiration to attain and record t Allao see. tunately, even test masters, just like tired old men or great miniaturists gone blind from to recollect random parts of t magnificent vision. terious  a ly te never e t separated them.

    Long after of treasury  became evident t t contained none of t books t Sa to Our Sultan¡¯s grandfater Osman revisited t times, a bird¡¯s o a tree, ts or turies by passing from master to disciple and being saugions. ail from er, turist believes it to be a perfect form, and is as convinced of its immutability as  as  tail indelibly painted in ting does not mean ter artist ail. toms of tinguis of s and taste for color of ter beside an  times, prevent ing t detail, and he way a woman laughs¡ª¡±

    ¡°Or trils of a horse.¡±

    ¡°¡ªor trils of a one-faced Master Osman, ¡°not t¡¯s been ingrained in t according to tom of tly finds  like tand me?¡±

    From a page in Nizami¡¯s e a feing Sed on er Osman read aloud an inscription engraved on tone plates above tED ALLAORIOUS SON OF tAMERLANE KAN, OUR JUSt KECt Y AND DOMAINS SO ENtED (tmost stone read) AND EALtmost stone read).

    Later, I asked, ¡° rations  rils in tched upon his memory?¡±

    ¡°e must locate t Sa as a gift,¡± said Master Osman. ¡°e must revisit ting of miniatures. e  to examine.¡±

    It crossed my mind t, just perer Osman¡¯s main goal  to find  to scrutinize as mucacular pictures t  quietly for years in treasury safe from prying eyes. I greient to find t e me ed me at t I¡¯d been loato believe t t master mig to stay in treasury as long as possible.

    t in opening ots, ots so examine tures t fed up ures, c Sle er¡¯s side¡ª even a glance at trils of try to  tfully and aruck among t rooms of treasury. At times, prompted by an abrupt cry and ure by Master Osman, I¡¯d imagine t a neerpiece  last a o  ture ter remble as  curled up on an Us dating from time of Sultan Meo encounter an illustration, ting, say, Satan slyly boarding Noah¡¯s ark.

    e cans and kime of tamerlane to Sultan S¨¹leyman t¡ªedly ed gazelles, lions and rabbits. e sa tood upon scraps of ied to te t c of t  of a myt volume, o t page,  S, in ration t brougo life ted clock made from bobbins and metal balls, birds and Arabic statuettes seated on t, ime.

    I don¡¯t kno examining book after book and illustration after illustration in t ime revealed in tures and stories reasury. It seemed t ted pages, created over turies by ture of eyesigless sans, o life, as s t seemed to besiege us: ts, scimitars, daggers udded y and delicate lutes, and tless illustrations.

    ¡°I noand t by furtively and gradually re-creating tures for ists ed transformation of to another.¡±

    I¡¯ll be first to admit t I didn¡¯t completely understand  master meant. But the close

    attention my master o tures made over t tabriz to Bago Istanbul, ion of some rils. e¡¯d participated in a kind of melanco tion, talent and patience of all ters ed in the years.

    For treasury  time of ter Osman explained to me t soever to leave, and t furtil morning examining pictures by t of oil lamps and candles could e properly Our Sultan¡¯s c response, as I informed o remain he dwarf.

    er conveyed our ing creasurer, immediately regretted my decision. I longed for Sless as I ten doters of the windows.

    treasury portal, I o tside by trees in tyard of t of fog¡ªand by tures of to eac to disturb tan; but I remained .

    E tO DERVIS our picture  comprising an album est corner of treasury filled ries over ors of an,  probably spread to turists¡¯ division by t no our oory in our oake offense.

    One en years y since tisan derviss of devilry, but see for yourselves, ell you ian style! As tration indicates, one day an¡¯s domains from one city to t.

    e , our  and t around our s and ing o eat wever food God h.

    At t moment, standing before a caravansary beside a fountain, my dear friend, nay, my beloved, nay, my broto t: ¡°You first please, no you first,¡± o eaco o take up t from traveler, a strange man, stopped us, gave us eacian coin and began to draure.

    uated us riger of tent of tan, and ing us in our ate   to appear like a pair of truly impoverises of our eyes facing t¡¯s exactly o do. In tuation, it¡¯s ture of a derviso beside; since our  t ter saw.

    Meanwside ing of a hoja Effendi.

    Pray, let us not give tion of ted ¡° last  misunderstanding: ted ¡°soever to do  ard   op a tree. terpret everytively  if arget of reproac out toryteller¡¯s tongue and lo his head.

    One y years ago, ted ory eaming h rage.

    ¡°ing prayers, not ting ture of disgrace  country? Is it to disgrace us?¡±

    ¡°Not at all, it¡¯s simply because illustrations of your bad side bring in more money,¡± said ter¡¯s reasoning.

    ¡°If it broug t?¡± trying to start an argument, but as you can see from ture, tian ist, and ¡¯d bring raty prattle.

    us, and to tfolio on the back of his horse¡¯s saddle, and

    returned to y. Soon afterorious armies of ttomans conquered and plundered t city on to Istanbul and treasury. From t book to anot ting, invigorating elixir. Noreatise on Painting, Deat mentioned, ten out and collected in a tome: Kalenderi dervis belong to any of tegories into ists; they are superfluous.

    Additionally, ramp about as a pair and al o eat  kno to true concern¡ªo bugger t amusing and laug-take-It-rong  because ty young boys, apprentices and miniaturists, are all felloravelers on th.¡±

    t is ture,  us so sly and tention to detail t ook a liking to ed by , ting t t  fine, but  mind. Noe content, indeed. According to to some unbelievers  decayed corpses and according to you, telligent society of miniaturists gature, and because ure, and er our run-in ed er o Sivas in ts, t villages, begging all t  by suc  before dying I  of a painting t entered er thousands of years.

    It IS I, MAStER OSMANtell a story in Buk dates back to time of Abdulla object to more tist¡¯s brusributing to tration, o painters copying from one anot impossible to determine s brazenly copying from one anoto blame for an error. More importantly, after a time, instead of puso seek out God¡¯s memories urists  ist beside t masters, one from

    S, er of ; ed talents to look at eaced te ends of ly ty-seven years and four montening to a legend, t masters eacened to Abdulla to-be-seen o ty about eacings. After ts long tortoiselike course, tists ran to eaco see tings. Later still, sitting upon eit tures t turists  disappointment because trations t nearly as spectacular as ticipated from tories t instead appeared, mucures t years, rat masters didn¡¯t t t o descend upon t after botely blind, rattributed to iful tures.

    In t in treasury room, as I turned pages ures in books t I¡¯d dreamed of for forty years, I knes in tiless story from Buk gave me suco knoo ter, t I imes I  one of pages I urning s legend.

    For instance, eig and all of Ked ; to celebrate turn,  prepared, an illuminated version of a book entitled tars, ory as nessed by Emir o legend, one illustration in ting on ted tory. tan of Dels of t tion. I ely certain t tory I conjured an¡¯s tent, and I to see this miraculous page.

    In an illustration by S masters of t  to it to er ed long and patiently, to ed  to tan. As o me times, t a poor subject aptly feels to ked monarc a ice feels toward er, was rendered h such delicacy and deep compassion,

    from tension of t¡¯s fingers o y to summon to look at t er joy in to be apprentice to a great master, and t sucy er to a young, pretty and intelligent apprentice¡ªand I grieved for truth.

    I turned t  attention upon trees and clouds, y to ex edly removed volume after volume from cs and placed te corners of an iron c stuffed omes, common books and disorderly albums, traordinary volumes¡ªone bound in tyle  and finisained pages so resembling eac at first I t trying to determine o tion,  t Master Sabriz esall er o prevent  volume, t master artist took refuge esed a superior copy from memory. to see t tures in t volume ing, reminded me t ty of life but also deadens its vigor.

    Since I myself am a genuine great master, so ackno is t I ed noe and terrifying darkness of ttered treasury, like a condemned man  time before o see all trations and hem.¡±

    As I turned table ly came across legends and matters of blindness. In tryside outing falling in love er seeing ure on tree, Sinctly all tree one by one so tire sky. In anso a fool  true subject of tration  tree, S true subject  tiful young maiden eit ist, and to proudly prove  tempted to paint tree s leaves on a grain of rice. If ture iful feet of Stendants  misled me, I  tree made by ter on paper¡ªnot tree made on a grain of rice, ed task. On anotem blinding Alexander ed in tists  blindness, t desire of turist, appeared to the

    prologue to a joyous celebration.

    My eyes ures and volumes, no less ement of one o be for years treasury room suffused  I¡¯d never seen before¡ªcaused by t  of t in admiration,  page before me. Unable to restrain myself, I¡¯d begin to explain:¡°to t master Mirza Baba Imami from tabriz, t of o t for t, turban, and look, it¡¯s ty boy¡¯s caftan. Allaly revealed t s flo o find ty of red t is only visible to tures of test of masters, God did, s secret to t of insects living beneatones,¡± I said and added, ¡°to  to us.¡±

    ¡°Look at ter, once again unable to refrain from serpiece¡ªtion of g trees of springtime blooming in an array of color, t of ion of t garden as ted poetry; it y and icy treasury could also smell tely scented skin of tice ist , tances and t of ttering about ty, also made tfi of Bukemper and belligerence caused o leave eacrations   tood noting, and y for long. t master  from one so anoty to city, quarreling all to find a ruler s, until ial cain aintops. Claiming t ¡±t be small but ing,¡°  ty-five years of  tial lord oday, a subject of conjecture and a source of humor.¡±

    ¡°Do you see to t, and time to my side, candlesticks aloft. ¡°From time of tamerlane¡¯s grandco t, ten os ures, dedications, orical information and names of sultans¡ªogetop of eaced in , an Veli, son of Muzaffer of , in t-¨¹d D¨¹nya, the wife of

    Muorious broter still,  to tesan o o tans in time, removing or adding one or tures; beginning  oiful o trations and appended to ter passed to Sam Mirza , e dedication, for urn broug to tabriz and  prepared as a gift  anotion. an Selim ted S Cabriz, treasury in Istanbul, after traveling across deserts, mountains and rivers along orious sultan¡¯s soldiers.

    er¡¯s interest and excitement did Black and turned trators from ies large and small, eacinctive temperament, eacing under tronage of a different cruel sain, eacalent and succumbing to blindness. I felt tings icesed il our curned brigones upon our sion¡ªtive book t displayed mets of torture. I  ttoman treasury: Instead of seeing torture as a necessary practice administered before to ensure Allaice in travelers s of our cruelty and evil-edness by urists abase tures in exc turist ures of bastinados, beatings, crucifixions, , ranglings, tting of ts, feedings to er, te flayings, tting off of noses and true artists like us icesinados, random pummelings and fists so t table master er¡ªnot to mention icks and rulers so t to be reborn as tion¡ªonly ing bastinados and tortures, only s y of coloring a ce.

    our rations  understand anyto take a closer look, yet lacking tience, t feel t, tion I noures in treasury¡ªbut truly knourned trusty mot eye passed over tures like an old stork traversing ttle surprised by t still astoniso see neo kno  from yle¡± first took ser had worked for whom, and how, for example,

    t Persia from  under Ced ¡°A an agony lurked deeper  I can scarcely stled, tormented, pretty, moon-faced, gazelle-eyed, sapling-ters¡ªbattered by masters¡ª remained full of excitement and ion t developed beters and ting, before succumbing to anonymity and blindness after long years of toil.

    It  t I entered te feelings, ty of ten over years of rendering ions for Our Sultan. In an album of collected pictures I saed Persian boy ly as I  moment, and it reminded me of y belongs to Allaer from Isfaears in my eyes, I beices nourising. A tiny-footed, transparent-skinned,  and die, y of a maiden gazed o t adorable arm to demonstrate trengttac to her.

    Oddly, my  began to quicken and pound. As y years ago in my early apprentices some rat illustrations of ed maidens drayle of tabriz, beads of s accumulated on my foreing I felt and t I experienced aken my first steps toer status, I saal-skinned yout in as an apprentice candidate. For a moment, I rong feeling t painting  about melanc but about t and t it alent of ter artist t first transformed to a love of God and to a love of t; so strong  it caused me to relive atic delig over til my back ion to courting blindness tration and all ting I¡¯d suffered and made otared long and silently at tration . Mucer I ill staring. A teardrop slid from my eye over my co my beard.

    iced t one of ticks sloing treasury ly set beside me. t tcile envy. I turned tnut and bay  could¡¯ve been ters of ¡ªacular turned tly seated governmental official greeted me from a seventy-year-old picture; I couldn¡¯t determine , yet the

    painting, ted man¡¯s beard painted in various  beat quickly as I recognized tion of t  kneo my face.

    I ures dra Master Biimes before; per looked at t in a group of former masters years ago, per be certain  Bi been as taken as I was now.

    treasury co brigifully dra arm branded  noy before I  blind.  kno I could suition of mine o me  t somet of my mouth.

    ¡°Be¡¯s Bihzad.¡±

    My  of its oo  -skinned, beautiful apprentice boys, eace and broad, and I . ake an apprentice co my palm and, before telling o ion into , frig¡¯s  Black. Reflected in . ¡°e miniaturists are bret noo an end.¡±

    ¡°how do you mean?¡±

    I said, ¡°Everyto an end¡± like a great master erpieces in yle of ts,  ts oyle, a great master tle, t neear apart bound volumes leaving ttle and destroy ails t  o explain to Black differently.

    ¡°tration is of t Poet Abdullaifi,¡± I said. ¡°ifi  t ayed  and toadied up to Ser took . In response, S all to skirts of ty to see ifi, not from Biifi¡¯s face, but from ting beneatration, don¡¯t we?¡±

    Black looked at me, indicating ¡°yes¡± ty eyes. ¡° t in the

    painting,¡± I said, ¡° it could be a face like any otifi ion in its entirety: tion, in ifi¡¯s pose, in tunning er Bi at once indicates ture is of a poet. Meaning precedes form in t. As o paint in imitation of tian masters, as in t Our Sultan e, tian methods¡­¡±

    ¡°My Enis in eternal peace, was murdered,¡± Black said rudely.

    I caressed Black¡¯s ed fully stroking tiny ice rate masterpieces. Quietly and reverently  Bierpiece for a time. Later, Black hdrew his hand from mine.

    ¡°e passed quickly over tnut  examining their noses,¡± he said.

    ¡°to turned back to t see for raordinary about trils of the horses.

    ¡°h peculiar noses?¡± Black asked like a child.

    But, in t, toered silk and dre fort asleep on a red Us,  pilloome again after so many years, I quickly understood t t begun for me.

    ty-five years ago ing and carrying it. oucy-five years ago, upon tan S¨¹leyman t, Saed to be finally rid of tan imes, t along -laden camels  to S¨¹leyman¡¯s successor, Sultan Selim, acular Koran and t beautiful of treasury. First, a Persian ambassadorial delegation trong took tome to Edirne  ter ing; after it arrived anbul along s carried on camels and mules, or Black Memi and ers  to see t reasury. Just like tanbulites er Black Memi t t Master Bi  for tabriz in  contributed to this book because he¡¯d gone blind.

    For Ottoman miniaturists like us rations, looking tained 250 large illustrations, e palace s slept. e stared at t pious reverence as if be ing moment. And for ty-five years reasury.

    I silently opened turned t rustle, I was overcome by melanchan awe.

    1. Mindful of tories suggesting t all ter miniaturists of Istanbul olen images from t give my full attention to tures.

    2. t I mig devote myself o terpieces t appeared in one of every five or six pictures ( grace did tas, ime of peace, eac, Greek and various other languages!).

    3. ted me from surrendering myself to w I saw.

    Naturally, I ed to find myself observing more , despite t luck of  me to  curtain of darkness descended over my eyes¡ªto miniaturists. By time t of daomb, I¡¯d gazed upon eacures in tive book. Since I looked o categorize, as if I ed only in reasoning:1. No resembled c among t R¨¹stem encountered  among Feridun Sraordinary igris after tan o do so; not among tcur¡¯s treac erritory, gave t country, Persia, and far ao tur; not among t included Kians, Berbers and Arabs, all equipped ructible s t killed Sually as a result of t for rebelling against God¡¯s fate¡ªby trampling orative ers eased ion; and not among t urists. Yet, till more tire day ao examine treasury.

    2. t ent topic of gossip among master illuminators for t ty-five years: itan, an illustrator entered treasury, found tacular book, opened it and by candleligo ce rees, clouds, floer use in ist created an amazing and exceptional piece, jealousy prompted suc to belittle ture as not Persian abriz. Back tabriz  Ottoman territory. ed at me, I felt justifiably angry, yet secretly proud; but  ot. No in some strange urists y-five years ago ingrained its images into our memories, and since transformed, altered and painted to tan. My spirits  by tans ake suc of treasuries and so us, but by ting.  be t masters of  or ters of tabriz, Persian artists raordinary illustrations, more masterpieces, ttomans.

    Like a lig occurred to me e it¡¯d be if ts and I  to torture; using t of my penknife I ruture t lay open before me. It  of t a c brougan, before defeating ter at cilessly gouged out ttled mercilessly, of t armor and of severed er doing to to my sash.

    My rembled, but I didn¡¯t feel so bad. Did I noics felt after committing trange act ered frequently during my fifty-year tenure as a painter? I ed noto floo the eyes I had blinded.

    3. to torment and consolation aing me at t of t book,  masterful artists for ten years, ouc Bi rendering of o be found. t confirmed t Bi years of ¡ªty out of favor¡ªto tabriz. So, I once again decided  after tained tion of ters by  master blinded o avoid tainting ing her workshop or shah.

    Just t before me.

    ¡°No, t it,¡± I said  being contrary. ¡°the iron horses of

    Alexander¡¯s iron cavalry  aflame like lamps, before being set against ting from trils.¡±

    e stared at tings.

    ¡°Jezmi Ager depicted in tan Selim ts t Saed t y-five years ago¡­¡±

    ly located tan Selim and placed it in front of me. Paired ly colored page t sing ts to Sultan Selim, my eyes found, among ts  ten because it urquoise-and-moted talent of , Master of Master Illuminators Bi of blinding ed self.

    I asked tan Selim. I folloreasury, meandering bet, cabinets and beneatairiced  tusks and tiger skins. In one of trange redness of clot, beside t one, and ruby-studded daggers, I sas t Sa: silk carpets from Isfa and an object t immediately caugtention¡ªa pen case decorated te obviously from time of tamerlane. I opened t came tle scent of burned paper and roseer; ed turquoise-and moto fasten plumes to turbans. I took up turned to my spot like a specter.

    Alone again, I placed t Master Bio blind  it. It  t made me s seeing an object aken into his miraculous hands.

    aerrifying needle ed to Sultan Selim? as it because tudent of Biron of artists in ancing poets and artists from irely to faito relinquise book,  of masters en years?  t t artist ime, to make tatement t , terpiece by t poignant regret, afraid t ted a sacrilege trating, as h

    many rulers in their old age.

    I ories told by spiteful illuminators o enter Sy¡¯s legendary or, declared, ¡°I refuse to paint in any otice blind  iron. Among turists t tan Selim t back to Istanbul after t of Sure of tabriz and ter  in ttoman style¡ªnot as t of an illness o set an example for to tell my illuminators in ts of frustration how Bihzad had blinded himself.

    as ter miniaturist made use of t-of-t tle, save tire ers?

    tain on tremely s of tly tapered plume needle, yet my  determine . Loion of love c time. I tried to imagine . I¡¯d  one doesn¡¯t go blind immediately; ty darkness descends sloimes after days, sometimes after monturally.

    I¡¯d caug of it  room; I stood and looked, yes, t ed s lengt. I sat do my onessed my  for sixty years.

    ¡°er Bi?¡± I asked myself once more.

    Never once taking my eyes off ticed movements of a  ation, as if making a  trico be embelliso t eye. My innards sank, not because I felt  because I sao ter t.

    In t o t ernal beauty and ernal life to tself.

    Smiling, I did to my other eye.

    For a long ared at t everything.

    As I¡¯d surmised, t darken, but seemed to bleed ever so gently into one anotill more or less see.

    t of treasury. In tomed ceremony, treasurer and s, lamps and brazier, brougo t inue searcrils an¡¯s books.  could be more exquisite t t beautiful pictures o recollect God¡¯s vision of the world?

 I AM CALLED BLACK

    reasurer and tal  ceremony my eyes omed to ty red aura of treasury rooms t ter sunligering in from tyard of te Quarters of terrifying. I stood dead still, as did Master Osman  seemed, t in ty and tangible air of treasury might escape.

    it, as if seeing some magnificent object for t time, Master Osman stared at t cascading toreasury cal.

    t before, I curned ticed tonis pass over  upon trembled faintly, oorted delicately, as if preparing to reveal a pleasant secret, tc an illustration.

    After tal iently betless; I t nervously t  ime to cull enougion from treasury. I sensed t Master Osman couldn¡¯t focus adequately on ask, and I confessed my misgivings to him.

    Like a genuine master groomed to caressing ices,  to try to see to resign ourselves to ice,¡± ures and possessions, I rong sensation t to converge: As we approacice approacer Bih¡­¡±

    Master Osman callously told tory of tinized tremely s of t beneat better see; a pinkiss tip.

    ¡°ters,¡± Master Osman said, ¡° calent, colors and met diso see tern s, as a estern ruler did¡ªists of our day do.¡±

    rained on mine nor upon t of  seemed as t a distant unattainable uranian armies clas so sered one anotival, t or cloven in trehe field.

    ¡° masters of old o adopt tyles of victors and imitate turists, to  ting ime. Yes, before tare at a masterpiece ceaselessly for ubbornly stared out of boted ake tration I¡¯d  to stare at till I¡¯d attained the blind?¡±

    Like a man trying to recall a co ses expanded, on a distant place beyond treasury.

    ¡°tyle of ters of ,  of Ss!¡±

    Pero describe t picture as if reciting a melancers. ¡°My great master, my dear sire,¡± on a strange impulse, I interrupted  I  to stare at for all eternity is my beloved¡¯s delicate face. It¡¯s been t of er seeing ure reminds me of none othan her.¡±

    ter Osman¡¯s face, curiosity per it o do neitory nor tle scene before o be expecting good ne.  looking at me, I abruptly grabbed the plume needle and walked away.

    In a dark part of treasury rooms, tting ttered range clocks sent as presents from Frankisopped  time, t aside o tinized t Master Osman claimed Bio blind himself.

    By t filtering inside, reflecting off tal faces and diamonds of ty and broken clocks, tip of ted er Biually blinded ? er Osman done terrible to ed, attaco to say ¡°Yes!¡± Evidently, urban  of t it, and  of Our Sultan and the women of his harem.

    I looked te a fes of pasies and belongings ed after ted t t number. itiless joy, t any pasoxicated by o forget  of tan and to ed o be executed and ed. Even in ted manuscripts or illustrated collections of poetry, opped and stared.

    ture ure, t is, ture of ered during ryside outing, ail, not because miniaturists couldn¡¯t adequately depict someterity and finesse to paint upon fingernails, grains of rice or even strands of  tures of  of Sail so t  be recognized? Sometime in ternoon, pero forget my  I¡¯d broacions to Master Osman, I ruck by ture of a bridal procession painted on clot skipped a beat.

    trils carrying a coquettis  me out of ture. It  to me. As if in a dream, I ed to s, but my voice .

    In one continuous movement, I collected up ts and cs to Master Osman, laying the page open before him.

    ture.

    ion appeared on ient. ¡°trils of tly like te¡¯s book,¡± I exclaimed.

    doure, t ouche page.

    I couldn¡¯t stand t a yle and mete¡¯s book,¡± I said, ¡°but tist attempted to see t. ¡°It¡¯s a  resembles a Cure, but t Chey¡¯re our people.¡±

    ter¡¯s lens seemed to be flat against t against to see,  only  . Silence.

    ¡°trils of t open,¡± er, breathless.

    I leaned my  o cared at trils for a long long time. I sadly realized t not only rils cut, but Master Osman hem.

    ¡°You do see it, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Only very little,¡± ure.¡±

    ¡°If you ask me, ted on a gray s nostrils cut open, so be  of guards o imidating black beards, furroactle-axes and scimitars indicate t to tesurkmen of transoxiana. Perty bride¡ªo judge by t sraveling  nig of oil lamps and torches¡ªis a melancholy Chinese princess.¡±

    ¡°Or perurist, to empy, er Osman.

    ¡° be, my  acy, traveling teppe in t accompanied by grim-faced foreign guards, o a strange land and a ely added, ¡°ermine  is from trils of the horse she rides?¡±

    ¡°turn tell me er Osman.

    Just tting on t as I o bring to Master Osman; t together.

    e sarikingly beautiful Ced in tyle of our melancogete. e saw Chinese houses, morose-looking caravans

    on long journeys, vistas of teppes as beautiful as old memories. e sarees rendered in tyle, tingales tipsy ion percyle seated in tents ry, acular gardens; and  falcons clutcing bolt uprigride te  o t trations  often reason itself. urist added an ironic touco tions of tic lance? ed at ty of tunate peasants expecting comfort from t? as it more pleasurable for o dray eyes of dogs locked in coitus or to apply a deviliso t ts? turist¡¯s devils tures resembled ts ters of  and tists of tly; yet talent of turist made ter, aggressive and cerrifying devils, t ails. As I turned ted teeto beat eacle, to steal a great  to to leap and play, to cut dorees, to spirit aiful princesses in to capture dragons and sack treasuries. I mentioned t in touc brusurist knoer Osman  ties, listening closely to w I said.

    ¡°Cutting open trils of  breatravel farturies-old Mongol custom,¡± er. ¡°ered Bag its inants to t and tossed all its books into tigris, as er, illuminator Ibn Sy and ter, ead of sout t time, no one made illustrations because ters  taken seriously. e oest secrets of our noble occupation to Ibn Sron saint and master of all miniaturists: t, tence of a ion of all to insects timistic colors. I¡¯ve  udied trils of o keep  legendary journey into tland of ter a year¡¯s travel on foot undaunted by snorils. For  dream  turdy, poorious  o knoe¡¯s book brougo mind neitom to Khorasan and Samarkand.¡±

    As er Osman looked no t us, as if hings he conjured in his mind¡¯s eye.

    ¡°Besides ing, t o Persia and to Istanbul. You¡¯ve probably co snatcever o tree, object, dog or book, has a soul and speaks.¡±

    ¡°Quite so,¡± said tness, some nig only ts of tes and tal bo cantly any ts of all ts groless and begin to converse in suc treasury becomes tic battle.¡±

    ¡°tures er all to Istanbul,¡± said Master Osman. ¡°As Sultan Selim ter defeating S of tamerlane¡ªbetrayed Soget constituted tomans. In train of tan Selim, as urned ter cold and snoo Istanbul,  Ce skin and slanting almond eyes, and  by ters of tabriz, taken as plunder by ted simurids. I sare at til Our Sultan and treasurer remove me from here.¡±

    Yet by no one sees in t of  to see. e fell silent. Master Osman requested t tened to ire account as to some bitter tale, once again locate and bring ail. Once ter:¡°So tration in my Enishte¡¯s book?¡±

    ¡°Botion rils,¡±  ransoxiana, tyle. As for tiful e¡¯s book, t yle like ters of . Indeed, it is an elegant illustration o find anyry, not a Mongol horse.¡±

    ¡°But its nostrils are cut open like a genuine Mongol horse,¡± I whispered.

    ¡°It¡¯s apparent t ted and tamerlane and

    s began, one of ters in  dree rils  open¡ªinfluenced eit urist ain on  I¡¯m sure t ture ly admired and praised¡ªe in t time! I¡¯m also convinced t for turists, muttering enviously to tated tiplied its image. In ts nostrils gradually became a model of form ingrained in tists in t er ted in battle, ters, like somber o ries, and carried orils ly cut open. Per styles and different masters in different s never made use of and eventually forgot t only dre clipped-nosed augty apprentices to do t t ¡±ters used to do it.¡° So ter treated from turies after neers continued draandard form. I¡¯m also sure t otill, completely unaeeds, dra too is ¡±a standard form.¡°¡°

    ¡°My dear master,¡± I said, overruly did produce an ans seems t eacist also bears ure.¡±

    ¡°Not eacist, but eac even eacain miserable  voice for years  ackno  as a matter of course, ers try to illustrate like turkmen and some like ting for years on end, never attaining a ented husband and wife.¡±

    I sa pride quite definitely ruled ed to be all po I¡¯d seen him wear for so long.

    ¡°My dear master,¡± I said, ¡°over a period of ty years anbul, you¡¯ve united various artists from tures and temperaments, in suc you¡¯ve ended up creating and defining ttoman style.¡±

    I¡¯d felt ime ago give o alent and mastery genuinely astounds us, to be sincere, must  of y and influence and become sligic?

    ¡°No dwarf hiding?¡± he said.

    tery and praise but recollect vaguely t t not be o c.

    ¡°Despite being a great master of Persian legends and styles, you¡¯ve created a distinct ration toman glory and strengt to art ttoman simistic colors of Ottoman victory, terest in and attention to objects and implements, and table lifestyle. My dear master, it¡¯s been test o look at terpieces by ters h you¡­¡±

    For a long time I reasury, tlefield, our bodies  my wimacy.

    Later, as ain blind men rol ter Osman¡¯s eyes assumed t in pleasure. I praised ter at lengtfelt emotion, noohe blind.

    oucrengto pass to me. I, again, t of Sed me at home.

    Standing still t ime, pages opened before us, it y igued us t ing. e¡¯d become embarrassed of eacher.

    ¡° do?¡± he asked again.

    I ain t tc, I turned my s and left, but kept my eyes trained attentively on Master Osman. as ruly blind or o convince t  some untalented and incompetent old masters from So curry respect and to prevent otioning their failures.

    ¡°I o die here,¡± he said.

    ¡°My great master, my dear sir,¡± I fa on painting but on t, not on ters but on imitators of tand  it brings tears to my eyes. Yet it is also your duty to protect your master illustrators from tell me, urist  horse?¡±

    ¡°Olive.¡±

    I o be surprised.

    .

    ¡°But I¡¯m also certain t Olive  te or unfortunate Elegant Effendi,¡±  Olive dre bound to ters, imately tyles of  and ice genealogy stretco Samarkand. No ask me, ¡± ered trils in t Olive dreioned  times a detail¡ªttaco a tree¡ªcan be preserved in memory for generations, passing from master to apprentice, and yet mig manifest on to ter or on account of ticular tastes and  dear Olive, in ly from ters  ever being able to forget it. t t te¡¯s book is a cruel trick of Alla all of us taken ters of  as our models? Just like turkmen illustrators for  one ures, didn¡¯t erpieces of  ed pictures? e are all ted admirers. Nouris art is t of Biing t are to t, murder poor Elegant Effendi, o thods?¡±

    ¡°terfly?¡±

    ¡°Stork!¡±  I knoed en, in all probability ed Frankis Effendi came to believe t ture mig to listen earnestly to t foolisunately, masters of gilding, to God ters, are also boring and stupid¡ªand moreover, because e¡¯s book ant project of tan, s clasan or in time tunate co me about a dilemma t ing a  even  t of gilding for your Enis mimic of ted to a betrayal of me and our guild; and so  anot. ious Stork and made take of letting ellect and morality of a man  impressed y of times ork manipulated Elegant Effendi by taking advantage of tion. ever argument took place bet resulted in Elegant Effendi¡¯s murder at Stork¡¯s o t of vengeance and to demonstrate t on to kill your Frankope, whe

    deat say t I¡¯m all t sorry about tter. Years ago, your Enisan into ian painter¡ªiano¡ªmake a portrait of yle as if  satisfied , in a disgraceful affront to my dignity, o me as a model to be copied; and out of dire fear of Our Sultan, I dis picture o do t, pere, and today  my concern is not for your Enis¡¯s for my er miniaturists¡ªing attention for ty-five years¡ªbetrayed me and our entire artistic tradition; o blame for tic imitation of European masters ification t ¡±it is tan.¡° Eacers deserves not torture! If y of miniaturists, learn to serve foremost our oalent and art instead of Our Sultan es of o study this book alone.¡±

    Master Osman uttered t statement like t  and condemned to beo turn to ted. itory tone, antly became tor ire workshop was familiar.

    I o a corner among cusy-barreled rifles udded butts and cabinets, and began eyeing Master Osman. t gna me spread t my entire being: If o stop tion of Our Sultan¡¯s book, it made perfect sense t Master Osman migrated t Effendi and, afterrain myself from feeling profound respect for t master ure before  it closely as if looking less  to preserve tyle and turists¡¯ o become again tan¡¯s only favorite, er miniaturists, and me as o torturers of to t bound me to  two days.

    Mucer, I ill completely confused. I stared randomly at ted pages of tracted from cs solely to appease t o distract my jinns of indecision.

    ure of surprise in all to Bag time ty of S as she once glimmering lake whose silver

    leaf arnis even more time carefully examining tood be tle toejav, defeated by to lose tlefield, Espinuy, a beauty of beauties and e, c to abandon o ted under Z¨¹leyion t aken to ared from iful mout rat. As  somber lovers  spied on th.

    Despite its being a standard image recorded in tebooks and memories of all miniaturists, to a beautiful  elegance eacime.

    rations comfort me? As dusk fell, I  to Master Osman and said ter,  treasury.¡±

    ¡°ill  and one morning. est illustrations the world has ever known!¡±

    As  turned  the paleness in his pupils confirmed he was indeed gradually going blind.

    ¡°e¡¯ve learned t of trils,¡± I said confidently.

    ¡° is up to Our Sultan and treasurer. Perhey will pardon us all.¡±

    ould ork as t even ask out of fear, for I o leave. Even   accuse me.

    ¡°to blind himself is missing,¡± he said.

    ¡°In all probability t it back in its place,¡± I said. ¡°t!¡±

    up like a cs astride ,¡± yle of ters of .¡±

    ture as if , but  even taken to his hand.

    ¡°Can you see trees in ttime darkness, appearing one by one as if illuminated from ars or spring floience implied by tation, t in te balance in tire painting¡¯s composition?  as a  t ¡¯s as if to remain ernally  emanating from ting¡¯s texture, skin and subtle colors . You can see urned ever so sligourned toing and to us. t try to resemble exactly te to trary, t time opped for t picture. No matter  tory tell in ture, ternity te, s making any sudden gestures  bodies or even eyes. For t is frozen: tars, tering like ts of t time, remains fixed for all eternity as if nailed to tc. ters of ,  blackness ain, also kne if t blind ionless at sucration for days and  last mingle ernity of ture.¡±

    At time of tal of treasury er Osman ill staring intently at t t floated motionless in t if you noticed t ared at te oddly, as blind men sometimes incorrectly orient to them.

    treasury detail, learning t Master Osman ay inside and t Jezmi Ag ted to searc. o treets of Istanbul from tyard, I slipped into a passageerrifying object,  uck it into my sasically ran treets.

    treasury crated my bones t it seemed as tle tled over ty streets. As I passed t, fruit and vegetable sting do, I slos, carrots and jars in t by oil lamps.

    My Enisreet (I still couldn¡¯t say ¡°Sreet¡± let alone ¡°my street¡±) appeared even stranger

    and more distant after my t ted safe and sound  t I¡¯d be able to enter my beloved¡¯s bed tonig¡ªmade me feel so intimate  upon seeing te tree and tters, I o restrain myself from sing like a farmer o someone across a stream. ed t  of my mouto be, ¡°e know wched murderer is!¡±

    I opened tyard gate. I¡¯m not sure if it e, ter from t, or t ood at once t nobody erly realizing t one¡¯s been left to ill open and close all of ts and even lift ts, and t¡¯s just s.

    In t. Like an old man tom of t out of t. It ake for consolation, only add depto our sorrow.

    I  doo tyard. t to the silence of an impending darkness.

    My , no, told me to run and find t I sloyards icipating some kind of amusement.

 I AM ESTHER

    I ting lentil soup on tor at t burn,¡±  a couple of turns in t .

    t not pity for o ask w had happened.

    ¡°Don¡¯t boto come inside,¡± I said, ¡°I¡¯ll be out as soon as I ches.¡±

    I donned ts t I o Ramadan festivities, s and lengtook up my c back,¡± I said to poor Nesim.

    Black and I reet in my little Jetles force out team, and I said:¡°Shekure¡¯s former husband is back.¡±

    Black fell silent and stayed t il  the waning day.

    ¡°ime later.

    From tion I guessed t S at  t S once t t, I opened a door of acking to tatement.

    ¡°urned o my eyes.

    ¡°I  seen  from the house.¡±

    ¡°?¡±

    ¡°From your face.¡±

    ¡°tell me everything,¡± he said decisively.

    Black roubled  understand t Esternally at ternally to tell everyted to continue to be the doors of so many unhappy homes.

    ¡° I¡¯ve  ted your  ened old S t  ernoon, and t if  find S¡¯s motful . S told to ed cautiously, but couldn¡¯t come to a decision. toernoon, S left to be her.¡±

    ¡°hings?¡±

    ¡° Sold you about  to get o ime ters to Shrough me.¡±

    ¡°Did so them?¡±

    ¡°I knoies of anbul,¡± I said proudly, ¡°to her house, her husband and her honor as Shekure is.¡±

    ¡°But I am her husband now.¡±

    typically male uncertainty t alo o pieces.

    ¡°e a note and gave it to me to deliver to S described  o a turn of imate ceremony,  o be her and how he was never going back.¡±

    ¡°how did Shekure respond?¡±

    ¡°Sed for you all t h poor Orhan.¡±

    ¡° about hayriye?¡±

    ¡°ing for years for tunity to droiful er. te, may  in peace.  S alone in fear of murderers and gs,  along anote through me.¡±

    ¡° did e?¡±

    to God t your unfortunate Est read or e, because able fation, s read tter, only tiful maiden reading tter.¡±

    ¡° did you read in Shekure¡¯s face?¡±

    ¡°helplessness.¡±

    For a long time  speak. Aing nig my clotcery lined o greet t.

    ¡°Slo Black later, ¡°I can¡¯t get up taking me chis?¡±

    ¡°Before you bring me to aking you to some generous and brave young men so you can spread out your bundle and sell t lovers.¡±

    It  Black could still make jokes in iable state, but I could fato gatake you to ened to deats and brawls.¡±

    ¡°If you continue to be telligent Est nor brawl.¡±

    e passed tered traigo of t o a barbers ill open. I sao ter barber being s-looking boy  of an oil lamp. Before long, tice, and later, t a side street in Sudent, ure involved in suche darkness, sword in hand.

    ¡°Do you plan on raiding a y in broad daylight?¡± I said.

    ¡°It¡¯s not day, it¡¯s nigone more pleased than joking.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so confident just because you¡¯ve put toget¡¯s  catc of ttle army wandering around.¡±

    ¡°No one c of us.¡±

    ¡°Yesterday t raided a tavern and t Sa? 1rkap 1, beating up everyone took a bloo ick died. In tc t.¡±

    ¡°I  to dearly departed Elegant Effendi¡¯s c all to S Effendi been spending a lot of time he preacher from Erzurum?¡±

    ¡°If I sounded out Elegant Effendi¡¯s   it migimately o sest clot to involve myself in your legal and political affairs¡ªhom anyway.¡±

    As ered treet,

    brancnut and mulberry trees glimmered in t of tcled trees and carried t of our group to neig. As to bark one by one, I pointed out to Black. e stared quietly at its dark roof and sters. Black ake positions around ty garden, on eityard gate and berees in back.

    ¡°In t entryatar beggar,¡± I said. ¡° reet better tinually plays an¡¯s vulgar monkeys. it letting your ouc or ten silver pieces and ell you everything he knows.¡±

    From a distance, I c t of to pressure ions. Next, I¡¯m not sure  ice, co beat tatar t of c  last, but tatar hey killed him.

    ¡°ice.

    ¡°  rust e t ten. ¡°take t to t to  t to her,¡± he said.

    ¡° you ten anytook te.

    ¡°If I send e note, it¡¯ll incite tell her¡¯s vile murderer.¡±

    ¡°Is true?¡±

    ¡°Just tell her.¡±

    Cising tatar, ed  forget o tion t I¡¯d dra t so I  o leave.

    uck my nose into te neiger cutting off o one man married anoto tell me t turks en kill a man for no reason. I longed to be  Nesim, at il soup. Even t resisted, I t about o ty ing at me.

    ¡°Clotfits.¡±

    I sensed t filtering out betters move. te fated me inside. ted at a loable o .

    ¡°Shekure,¡± I said, ¡°your husband¡¯s here.¡±

    ¡°hich one?¡±

    ¡°to fight hasan.¡±

    ¡° e father-in-law.

    ¡°unate. take a look at te like a proud ambassador of tan executing his merciless will.

    As tlemanly fate, S me pour you a boil soup to warm you up.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like lentil soup,¡± I said at first. I didn¡¯t like tress of t  sed to be alone er her.

    ¡°tell Black t it¡¯s all because of S,¡± s niged all nigrembled  until morning. My ced!  kind of mot from o come back, told me t Our Sultan¡¯s torturers alk and t h.¡±

    ¡°asn¡¯t Black her was being killed?¡±

    ¡°Estiful black eyes wide, ¡°I beg of you, help me.¡±

    ¡°tell me and and help.¡±

    ¡°Do you turned?¡± sears. ¡°Black urned, I believed him.¡±

    But I could tell from  sell. ¡°I o infer from t s did S s hasan because she had married Black?

    tered carrying fresible.  sigell from  after te Effendi, t be sold, couldn¡¯t be dismissed¡ª of fresood trutter as S be t finding a o find a fat of intentions, to love any good husband.

    ¡°You¡¯re seeking  ,¡± I said unto be making decisions h your mind.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m prepared to go back to Black immediately  I ain conditions!¡± S. ¡° treat S and Or inquire about my reasons for coming  abide by our original conditions of marriage¡ª I¡¯m talking about.  me all alone to fend for myself last nig murderers, thieves and hasan.¡±

    ¡° yet found your fat old me to tell you he has.¡±

    ¡°So him?¡±

    Before I could anse, said, ¡°tell Black Effendi I can¡¯t take ty of er-in-la my son being present.¡±

    ¡° softly.

    ¡°iquette,  son is on nesses.¡±

    ¡°e the soup Shekure had offered me.

    ¡° to gaters and otoms Office,¡±  yet dull men er erday, tain to be on treets tonight.¡±

    ¡°e didn¡¯t see anyt,¡± I said as I oo say?¡±

    I asked tion of to intimidate  S I was really

    addressing ruly ting turn of  I liked her indecisiveness.

    ¡°e don¡¯t  Black,¡± S said confidently. ¡°And make t visit, fat lady.¡±

    ¡°But tableclot your pretty mote red s clotil I return, you can open it up and take a look, try on, alter and sew wever you like.¡±

    I . I¡¯d never seen S ears. As soon as I adjusted to tside, Black stopped me on the muddy road, sword in hand.

    ¡° o t to buy o celebrate Surn. Per case you¡¯ll come to blo red sword of elling w he¡¯ll do.¡±

    ¡° did Shekure say?¡±

    ¡°tely not, I  give up my daug if I

    Sook refuge er s and your disappearance  a  in t same old  you

    come back or anyt. S, and it seems ts to return to you, but sain conditions.¡±

    Staring directly into Black¡¯s eyes, I listed ions. ed at once h a genuine ambassador.

    ¡°I, too, ion,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m o ted out tters of t. ¡°In a little  door. ¡¯ll be to stop. If  ate to attack him.¡±

    My  befit an ambassador, to  myself get carried aime, as soon as I yelled ¡°Clot directly to ther-in-law.

    ¡°tire neigs, t is everyone, kno Sates of to life and returned o you from  Moses, it¡¯d be of no use for he¡¯s divorced from Shekure.

    You¡¯ve abducted a married  I tell you o your punis for the judge can.¡±

    ¡°take,¡± said tely. ¡°e didn¡¯t abduct S all! I¡¯m to God.  all alone, o seek ser s, sake  never forget t t o hem.¡±

    ¡°S to return to your father¡¯s house?¡±

    So cry on account of t ?  embraced  . But Est: I kne Sears  to appease bot o make a decision. But I also kneears, because to cry, too. A iced t  snake, was also crying.

    As if to pay back t crying, Black and tack on t very moment by banging on tters and forcing t t door tering ram whe house.

    ¡°You¡¯re an experienced and dignified man,¡± I said, encouraged by my oears, ¡°open tell t t Shekure is on her way.¡±

    ¡°ould you send an unprotected o treets hose dogs?¡±

    ¡°Ss to go,¡± I said. ituffed up from crying.

    ¡°In t case so open the door and leave,¡± he said.

    I sat do anot more tears, to cry louder, aking into account tening cries from outside and ttering ram t seemed on troying to gain time.

    ¡°My beautiful Sed all of your terms, ing for you lovingly, you no longer his

    on your cloak, don your veil, take your belongings and your cly back to your house.¡±

    tatement of mine made to open her eyes in shock.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid of hasan,¡± she said, ¡°his revenge will be horrible. he¡¯s wild. Remember, I came here on my own.¡±

    ¡°t cancel out your ne o take refuge someake you back. As for he way we have for years.¡± I smiled.

    ¡°But I¡¯m not going to open turned to him of my own free will.¡±

    ¡°My dearest S open t tterly avenge such meddling.¡±

    I could see from  sood. ¡°t¡¯s  for to break it doake us by force.¡±

    I kne once t alternative for S t means blood  involved in t for years. No and by and co and raided to abduct a here.¡±

    I once again understood regretfully ive and calculating telling me to forget everyt I could no longer tered to t. Actually, I   t Black¡¯s men, ed in me,  going too far and migreat at any moment,  to So cry fake tears, but  couldn¡¯t be feigned.

    Stepping torengtop, t¡¯s enough!¡±

    tion outside and tbeat.

    ¡°Mot of inspiration and in a s voice, as if I o ts to go ake issue .¡±

    t my mout, lifted tened tceps. tside entered as t all of us ance. S said, ¡°I¡¯m going to tell Uncle hasan.¡±

    I saake up o leave, and I ly relieved, I il soup.

    Black elligent enoug to come anyer So let S take along o leave th us.

    ¡°Be afraid of  and vengeance. o Shekure¡¯s ear.

    time at tove of t t years of   could sell t t it bore tenc  by coming back here.

    It  t t brougoget, one Je range neigreets and tection of Black¡¯s men, and just like a caravan carrying treasure, -of-treets and solitary, seldom-visited neigo avoid running into guards, Janissaries, curious neig times, t see your ually bumping against eaco one anotion t t us into t. Just beters, time cold as s in tables.

    Even Estranger to t and  districts, s of Istanbul¡ªt is excluding ts and tunate communities congregated¡ªoccasionally felt t s, ed and turned  end t I could still make out certain street corners t I¡¯d patiently passed in time toting my satcailor¡¯s Street, table adjacent to Nurullay, tes on Acrobats Street and the Falconers

    Arcade t led into tain, and t oe fat all, but to some oterious destination.

    telling  ell you, no out of spite, but because I¡¯m convinced t S to erest. But Black, intelligent as rusted me.

    e reet be ed at treet. e art of a figicks and tter pain.

    Black o one of  trusted men, forcibly took t, causing to cry, and ice and tance audent told me ake me cut; t is,  let me stay  of fate or some cunning attempt to keep secret ts of t?

    tood to be a coffee treet opped as soon as it¡¯d begun. Croered and left; at first I t ting, but no, troying took out all of ts, glasses and loables under t of torcroyed tried to stop t o get a target s ill effects,   and tomac dulled tellect and caused men to lose t ed Muurned do o iful an in disguise. It rics for a nigruction in moral etiquette, and if I finally made it  I mig to drink too muc poison.

    Since te a fey, and t ood t t ended to clean up all titution and coffee in Istanbul and punised Muo music. t ted rators. I suddenly recalled t knew no bounds.

    A coffee maker¡¯s apprentice, tered   collapse, but , melded in h

    our group and began to ctle out of fear. I noticed Black recognize somebody and ate. By to collect toget ts orcinguishe crowd became a confused mob.

    Black grabbed me by tudent take me areets,¡± o your udent ed to slip a running as ed. My ts  if Estaken out of t possibly continue ory, can she now?

 I AM A WOMAN

    I can ions already: ¡°My dear Storyteller Effendi, you migo imitate anyone or anyt never a  I beg to differ. true, I¡¯ve y to city, imitating everyto t at ivals and coffeeil my voice gave out, and t  to marry, but t mean I¡¯m unacquainted h womenfolk.

    I knoe , I¡¯ve kno in eternal peace; 2. my beloved aunt; 3. t me), !¡± on one of t  an open ravels. Despite never  toward ill do. Perhaps, by now, she¡¯s passed away.

    Seeing a o nessing y opens to bot and deep spiritual pain in us men, and t of all alternatives is not to lay eyes on ty  first being laates. to seek out tiful boys, a satisfactory surrogate for females, and in due time, too, becomes a s . In ties of t exposing not only t also tly ser t attractive feature), tiful ts, and even, if ion of t, ties   difficulty, embarrassed and in extreme pain, because, you see, t sides are al and t naturally leads to ty. Undoubtedly, tress to us Ottomans.

    After realizing,  t recipe for my spiritual entment o live far from beautiful  tures. At t time, since I  seen any , my curiosity assumed a mystical quality, my o tingle, and I kne I could only learn  if I did e e, said ated t  to my grandfathe

    sold tayed at home.

    ¡°Come along. Look, you¡¯ll entertain us by mimicking trees and ry. ¡¯ll you do  in peace.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to put on your dresses and become a omacs.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be sucle.¡±

    I so you, my painter and calligraply  once t and I donned to my noed mot, as s I learned t day about being a  me first state fort t contrary to en read in books and  feel like the Devil.

    Not at all! le sense of  as sensitive as souc my bare skin of my aunt¡¯s pistac, ion too nurse everybody and cook for ter I understood to some extent  o s, I stuffed my c ever I could find¡ªsocks and and  to be a large-breasted  it, I an. I understood at once t men, merely catc of t breasts, rive to take to t quite po is t ed? I ed boto be poo be t of pity; I ed a ricelligent man, o fall madly in love  I also feared sucs made of ted gold t my mot ttom of rousseau c next to ts embroidered ed ened ¡¯s evergreen cloak and putting on ter gatared at myself in t touc I raordinarily attractive ook note of t before even I . Naturally, t me.

    In tceardrop slide from my lovely eye and just to mind. I¡¯ve never been able to forget it, because at t same moment, inspired by ty, I sang t poem rrying to forget my   w.

    My ots insist I be a woman when I¡¯m a man and a man when I¡¯m a woman.

    it is being human, even worse is living a human¡¯s life.

    I only  to amuse myself frontside and backside, to be Eastern and estern both.

    I o say, ¡°Let¡¯s  ,¡± for t  all. Listen, I¡¯m not saying t I¡¯ve learned  famous preaced Not--by-a-Longs Effendi, despite being married, prefers o us  as you sensitive painters do. I¡¯m just telling you o any of teet and as t close to inks, excuse the expression, like a bear¡¯s ass.

    All rigo return to t iful I ed to reets like a slave. Poverty, tears, sorro a mirror of disappointment and crying are t of sad and ugly  find a  me on a pedestal, but  be?

    t ed to our exts. I ed my predicament to resemble t of tite-mouty s love. Per¡¯d be best for me to describe to you poor Sory. But  a minute, I¡¯d promised to recount tory tonigory told by a oman Prompted by t¡¯s quite simple actually. tory takes place in Kemer¨¹st¨¹, one of tanbul. A prominent inant of t, secretary to Vas 1f Pasleman o c of a black-all and ty, and is smitten. But, terest ed to o confide o anybody, and reduced by love to skin and bone, takes to  ultimately   first, because tories and admire and respect t it and letting life take its course. But t control o get drunk eac and sit at tep of ty lives  as to beat o comfort ed a gentleman, learns to cry in las or annoying anybody. But gradually, s o ts lose tain

    ially, talk of misery spreads t turn tune and later tainty of doom. Some move ae of bad luck and some are unable to practice t, because t to er ties out, one day ty and une, of  apart. toget of to be happy.

    I ory because it sfulls of love and en t I¡¯d lost my capacity to reason. Since I¡¯m noo say sometirely. All rig¡¯s somethis:Oh, how wonderful love is!

    Norangers bursting the door?

 I AM CALLED ¡°BUTTERFLY¡±

    I saty miniaturists.

    Black ctack. I saer seeing tablis cruelly en mercilessly as tried to leave. Later, anot torches and fled.

    t trance of tepped on ttered cups, plates, glasses and bo during turmoil but only illuminated t marks on treables and other debris.

    Stacking long cusop one anots circle of ligiced bodies lying on t one face urned a to t. the second body was moaning, and upon seeing my lamp, made a childlike noise.

    Someone else entered. At first I  o  ed: toryteller.

    trace of blood on  tered, and judging by tled.  back difficult to figure out t one of t rangling  out ongue so  about doing so?

    ¡°Bring tove, t of truck broken coffee grinders, sieves, scales and pieces of broken coffee cups lying in toryteller ures eac, Black ures and aken from me to my face: Yes, of course I¡¯d dra of a sense of fraternity. e could find not t tly shaved head.

    Seeing no one else, ed into t t led aists  ters and bags of coffee stre truggle here as well.

    t t ter storyteller murdered, coupled errifying blackness of nig Black and I closer toget caused treets. Black o me, t to my t.

    ¡°e¡¯re going to your  to searc so I can put my mind at ease.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s already been searched.¡±

    Rato tease  Black¡¯s belief in t me simply prove  much confidence.

    My e tion s and passed ty gardens t bore t of damp and lonely trees as raced a oer Osman and I examined terpieces of ters in treasury.¡±

    Mucer, nearly screaming, I said, ¡°After a certain age, even if a painter sable  entment and excitement to  it

    enalent, because one paints  t my age, let alone at Master Osman¡¯s, does not easily learn nehings.¡±

    Assured my beautiful ing for me, I spoke at top of my voice to let  alone so s  t I took tic dagger-wielding fool seriously.

    e passed tyard gate, and I t I sa of a lamp moving in t t o force o my  my days, indeed all my time, seeking out and painting Allail my eyes tired¡ª beautiful  I so take revenge upon him.

    Lo of completing¡ªcondemned prisoners pleading to tan to be relieved of t and receiving s, my ables, my knives, my reed-cutting boards, my brusing table, my papers again, my burnisones, my penknives and t one of my paper scissors, and beneat red cus before going back, bringing to eac and examining t dre I conceal my ed to he room from which she was now spying on us?

    ¡°ture t belonged to te  picture.¡±

    ¡°It  from tely. ¡°Your Enis in peace, made me draree in one corner of to be someone¡¯s picture, probably a portrait of Our Sultan. t space, quite large if I miging its picture. Because ts in to be smaller, as in tyle, ed me to make tree smaller. As ture developed, it gave tration at all. It  in a picture made ival metook the place of a window frame.¡±

    ¡°Elegant Effendi he gilding.¡±

    ¡°If t¡¯s old you I didn¡¯t murder him.¡±

    ¡°A murderer never admits to  I  the raid.

    beside ted, in a  e

    my face along ing.  the dark.

    Besides telling  I¡¯ve told you, t I actually  visitor to t o be passing by, I also repeated t I made tures  t of painting only ends up condemning and punisself s strengto condemn and puniser¡¯s oo embrace Alla¡¯s tan ¡¯s denounced. More importantly, if t coffee targeted t mig onight.¡±

    ¡°Even so, you ch.

    ¡°Yes, because I enjoyed myself t I e kno. And I¡¯m embarrassed to say I ertained by trations, tories about Satan, toryteller told crudely  meter or rhyme.¡±

    ¡°Even so,  in t den of unbelievers?¡±

    ¡°Fine to an inner voice, ¡°at times t t gna me: Ever since I  talented and most proficient among ters of t only by Master Osman, but by Our Sultan as o be so terrified of t I tried, if only at times, to go o befriend to resemble t turn on me in a sudden fit of vengeance. Do you understand? And since to t den of vile unbelievers so ot discount this rumor.¡±

    ¡°Master Osman said you often acted as if apologizing for your talent and proficiency.¡±

    ¡° else did  me?¡±

    ¡°t you¡¯d paint absurd, minute pictures on grains of rice and fingernails so t ot. rying to please ot gifts Allaowed upon you.¡±

    ¡°Master Osman is on Biy. ¡° else?¡±

    ¡°ed your faults  test ation,¡± said tch.

    ¡°Let¡¯s s then.¡±

    ¡° despite your prodigious talent, you painted not for t but to ingratiate yourself. Supposedly,  motivated you ed for ting itself.¡±

    It singed my  t Master Osman so brazenly revealed  me to a man of suc, one o art, but to being a clerk, ing letters and tery. Black continued:¡°t masters of old, Master Osman claimed, yles and metivated to art just for ty, tastes of a neo avoid being forced to alter tyles and metically and disated ters for te¡¯s book,  it¡¯s tan.¡±

    ¡°t or Master Osman most certainly meant no evil by to put some linden tea on t.¡±

    I passed into tossed over my goo put some linden tea on t,¡± and placed her hand on my cock.

    I took out te-ed ss at ttom of t on t our roll-up mattress, s ss edge ossed a silk , t t; if you placed a s of gold leaf upon it, ting pieces raig h a ruler.

    Concealing t I could, I returned to my atelier. Black Effendi errogation of me t ill circling tration upon take a look at t out of curiosity, trying to understand ture.

    I stepped beion lo.  to tened out Black¡¯s delicate body and pressed o pus nearly touc of ty o te skin of . isely,  move at all, because I could o o t¡¯ve invited an insulting slap at anotime¡ªand to raint to keep

    from doing aant,¡± I wo .

    t ened to me like an obedient c making a peep pleased me: ¡°You¡¯ll recognize t of o , Persia, to Iraj, t. tur, bent on revenge, dupes s Iraj¡¯s t,  as I am doing noop of . Do you feel t of my body?¡±

    from ared blankly like tell t ening, and I ruck ion: ¡°I¡¯m not only faito Persian styles and meting, but also in be describes Sh.¡±

    I explained to Black, ly, ions for avenging ire palace, all y, ed from ed eed and  to tle and  as you are no betened to ors. t illustration? Geruy comes up beo you, gets on top of s  ful of s . Your red blood, soon to flo rise from ter still, a flower will bloom.¡±

    I fell quiet and from distant streets side at once brougop of ther, closer.

    ¡°But in all tures,¡± I added, pulling y of elegantly drareactle t comes just before t moment of beoo fully permeated tures. Even test masters of Kazvin op of eacidy and elegant.¡±

    ¡°tting,¡± he whimpered.

    ¡°I¡¯m muce  it¡¯s doing no suce careful. I  do anyto ruin ty of our pose. In t masters of old rendered interto elicit only our tears. See for yourself: My s upon t  of your body. I can smell your  of your neck. My legs, on eitretc in suc an onlooker migake us for an elegant four-legged beast. Do you feel t on your back and buttocks?¡± Anot I didn¡¯t press the sword

    up  going to speak, I migo bite your ear,¡± I said,  very ear.

    iced in  o speak, I asked tion again: ¡°Do you feel t upon your body?¡±

    ¡°Aye.¡±

    ¡°Do you like it?¡± I said. ¡°Are iful?¡± I asked. ¡°Are iful as terpieces of ters?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t kno see us in the mirror.¡±

    cast by ting on t distance a I migually bite Black¡¯s ear out of excitement.

    ¡°Black Effendi, you, errogate me,¡± I said, ¡°do you norength?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I also sense t you¡¯re truly in t.¡±

    ¡°to ask me  to know.¡±

    ¡°Describe er Osman would caress you.¡±

    ¡°As an apprentice, I iful t me ted you.  times  me, but because I  and strengt oo love art, colors, paper, ty of painting and illumination and everyt ed, and to love tself and God. Master Osman is more to me.¡±

    ¡°ould  you often?¡± he asked.

    ¡°In t me e sense of justice; as a master,  me painfully so t I mig. to tter and faster t grab me by my  tice, I¡¯d never spill paint, never e akes of ter limner, clean my brustention and spirit on talent and mastery to tings I received, I, in turn, beat my oices

    a guilty conscience. ¡¯s more, I kno even a beating given  just cause, if it doesn¡¯t break t of tice, imately benefit him.¡±

    ¡°Even so, you understand t ice, no carried a, and you kno Master Osman probably experienced tion  you?¡±

    ¡°Sometimes ake a marble burnisone and strike me  my ear imes  for inual tears to my eyes. I s, yet I still love my mentor.¡±

    ¡°Nay,¡± said Black, ¡°you ook revenge for t silently accumulated deep rations for my Enisation book.¡±

    ¡°te is true. tings t a young miniaturist receives from er bind o er  until the day he dies.¡±

    ¡°treacting of ts of Iraj and Siyavuso me, arose out of sibling rivalry, and sibling rivalry, as in t father.¡±

    ¡°true.¡±

    ¡°t fater miniaturists, t you at eacs, is noo betray you,¡±  is cutting,¡±  longer. t on, ¡°true, cutting my t and spilling my blood like a sacrificial lamb  tant, but if you do t listening to  to explain¡ªI don¡¯t t anyo say. Please, move tly.¡± I did so. ¡°Master Osman, calent bloom into artistry like a spring floyle, to wed ire life.¡±

    ¡°I recounted to you t Effendi so you miging tyle¡° truly is.¡±

    ¡°tories pertained to a miniaturist¡¯s individual style,¡± said Black carefully, ¡°yle of tire workshop.¡±

    an attac importance to finding t Effendi and e,  t treasury to ter Osman was

    using tunity to sabotage e¡¯s book and punisrayed ating t based on style, Master Osman suspected Olive rils, but as or, ork¡¯s guilt and urn o tioners. I could sense elling trut like kissing o  of t I¡¯d become or after Master Osman¡¯s deat him long life.

    I  disturbed t y t it mig. Reading bet, I o glean t Master Osman  only to sacrifice Stork, but me as y made my  quicken and dreoe abandonment felt by a c ime to mind, I o restrain myself from cutting Black¡¯s t. I didn¡¯t attempt to argue t  t ions inspired by European masters loo traitors? Once again, I t t be¡¯s deatood Stork and Olive and t me. I removed t.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go to Olive¡¯s oget from top to bottom,¡± I said. ¡°If t picture is  least , ake  and go on to raid Stork¡¯s house.¡±

    I told o trust me and t  even ea. As I lifted tared meaningfully at ttened old  cut on  would be a mark of our friendsly.

    tion made by till be reets, but no one noticed us. e o arrive at Olive¡¯s yard door, tiently upon tters. Nobody ain  sleeping. Black gave voice to hinking: ¡°Shall we go inside?¡±

    I ted tal loop of t edge of Black¡¯s dagger, ting it into t ,  by tenc and loneliness,  of ticed an unmade bed, sasossed randomly upon cuss, turbans, underss, Nimetullaionary, a urban stand, broadclote a ferimmed an paper, and ted pages on  I restrained myself botic ter

    miniaturist  bad luck if  talented miniaturist. Olive is not as talented as is assumed, ries to cover up for alent ion of ters. tist¡¯s imagination; it¡¯s t does ting.

    As Black s and boxes, going as far as to ctoms of laundry baskets,  touc Olive¡¯s Bursa tootles, a ridiculous  clot pattern, quilted jackets, a y , a dented copper tray, filts and otoo cingy and salting  someer. ¡°t even a prayer rug.¡± But t rated. ¡°t kno sadly about y to ting.

    ¡°Despite kno takes to be content, a man migill be unhappy,¡± said Black.

    ures dras, udied tures: a deligan all t ree, a beautiful ure of Deatrations t toryteller  old one of ories. Prompted by Black¡¯s question, I pointed out ture of Death I had drawn.

    ¡°tures are in my Enishte¡¯s book,¡± he said.

    ¡°Botoryteller and tor of turists render trations eac. toryteller ion on one of ts, ask us a little about tory and about our in jokes and terial, art the evening¡¯s performance.¡±

    ¡°ure of Deat you made for my Enishte¡¯s book?¡±

    ¡°Upon t of toryteller, it  I didn¡¯t dra tention and effort te¡¯s book; I dre quickly, t like dra. too, perrying to be ty, dreoryteller in a cruder and simpler manner  secret book.¡±

    ¡° nostrils?¡±

    Loc resembled te¡¯s book, but it ered to a simpler taste, as if somebody  only paid trator less money and made er, but also forced o make a rougic horse.

    ¡°Stork   a day  listening to turists, t¡¯s . Yes, most certainly, Stork drehis horse.¡±

 I AM CALLED ¡°STORK¡±

    Butterfly and Black arrived in t; tures on to tell tration. It reminded me of turban¡± o play ary and try to matcten on ots.

    I told told its story to toryteller. I said t gentle Butterfly, , must¡¯ve dra of tly. I remembered t Olive an  entory irely by ted storyteller. I¡¯d started tree  nigory as  oo: Some red ink tered onto a page and tingy storyteller asked if ure of it. e dribbled some more red ink onto tcold tory of oryteller mig it. Olive made te alent¡ªand I t terfly terfly removed t and told Black t, yes, ributed to t of Kalenderis e t¡¯s sacred book 250 years ago, revealing in verse t ion manifested in beautiful faces.

    I asked ter artist bretate of our

    coffee nor s oranges because my ill asleep in t barge in t o ring clots and dolmans in ts and trunks ts and cused pages I¡¯d prepared for various books, and he pages of bound volumes.

    Nevert confess t it gave me a certain pleasure to behem. An

    artist¡¯s skill depends on carefully attending to ty of t moment, taking everyto test detail seriously ime, stepping back from takes itself too seriously, and as if looking into a mirror, alloance and eloquence of a jest.

    Accordingly, upon t, yes,  forty in tant illustrators, ts ice of unsurpassed beauty, oto t of poets, drunks, s and dervisor into alloo join tty group. I explained or for some baertainment began to leave in a panic, no one t to mount a defense of tablis or of toryteller dressed as a y? ¡°Yes! I, Mustafa ter, also knoork,¡° ed my entire life to illumination, find it necessary, eac, to sit togetist brets, recite poems and speak in innuendos,¡± I confessed, looking directly into tted Butterfly, s-eyed boy plagued by envy. Even as an apprentice, tterfly of ours, y.

    Again, upon t toryteller, may y and neigrade in turists, perure on to be amusing; toryteller took notice and, as a joke of ure,  success; t inued to feature pictures draer miniaturists and to tell ty tales to  t once exed tists, omers to tor from Edirne encouraged the performances.

    terpretation of tures toryteller , ty  terpretation because tor, like Olive c Effendi, terrified of ations, and especially of one Friday sermons, must¡¯ve complained of to t o stop in tor and Olive, botemperament, conspired to cruelly do aed gilder. ted by Elegant¡¯s murder, and per Effendi e¡¯s book to te responsible for t¡¯ve raided to complete their revenge.

    tention erfly and grave Black () paying to ing every lid and leaving not a stone unturned? s, armor and  trunk, a look of

    envy blossomed on Butterfly¡¯s c everybody already knee  Muslim illustrator to set out on campaign  to carefully study and depict nessed in various victory Coles, the order and charge of armored cavalry!

    terfly asked me to s embarrassment took off my overs, my black rabbit-fur-lined unders, my trousers and my underc of tove, I pulled on my clean long under of red broadclots of yelloers. Removing it from its case, I  on my breastplate, turned my back toterfly and as if ordering a pageboy, igo attaces. As I ting on my vambraces, gloves, t and finally t t I  tle scenes ed as t is no longer permissible to depict ttern as a guide and simply flipping it over to dratle scenes made in ttomans umult of armies, horses, armor-clad warriors and bloodied bodies!¡±

    Seized by envy, Butterfly said, ¡°tor dra w  w Allah sees.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said, ¡°ed Allaainly sees everything we see.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Alla   perceive it tterfly as if cising me. ¡°ttle scene t , wo opposing armies in an orderly array.¡±

    Naturally, I ed to say, ¡°It falls to us to believe in Allao depict only   quiet because Butterfly ating tlessly striking one end of  my  and back, supposedly to test my armor, but because I calculated t only if I restrained myself and ty-eyed oaf could we deliver ourselves from Olive¡¯s scheming.

    Once t find old me er. ture t t my , t certainly ure  did trils and an ed Master Osman rils, Black told me, looking straigo my eyes, er Osman, analyzing them

    to Olive, alted me even more, being no stranger to my ambitions.

    At first, it appeared to believe t I o find proof of it, but in my opinion, t t. t my door out of loneliness and desperation.  Butterfly pointed at me s only errified, t tity t suco uncover, migly cut ts, t Master Osman migan and treasurer to turn to torturer¡ªnot to mention treets,  Master Osman illed in te notion. It  obligation to ser Osman aken, hey¡¯d hoped for deep down anyway.

    Simply declaring t t master aken and t terfly¡¯s enmity. For in tery eyes of tor,  ill make out t for t master, er and apprentice,  tare into eac lengt of everybody; later still, Master Osman actlessly t Butterfly  agile pen and t mature color brusion¡ªoften quite true¡ªbecame turists using pens, bruss and pen boxes in vulgar allusions, devilis metap t Master Osman s Butterfly to succeed ood from talks to ot my belligerence, incompatibility and stubbornness t t t master ifiably, t I tend far more toterfly, and could never resist Our Sultan¡¯s ne masters of old  this way.¡±

    I kneo cooperate closely ¡¯ve ed to complete e¡¯s book, not only to conquer beautiful S and s  also, most probably, to ingratiate an by t means possible.

    troduced tter quite unexpectedly by saying t Enis equal in terpiece ed, in keeping an¡¯s decree and te Enistoman Sultan¡¯s poalent, elegance and ability of us, er miniaturists. Not only lessness, tole from ters,  buoyant colors and test of details; and ultimately, terror  intelligent sultans understood: t uated botings and far far aers.

    Butterfly riking me all along, first like a co determine , like a friend o test its strengted to do me rutood t I alented t Master Osman kneoo. italent, Butterfly er, and er trengt by er¡¯s, and I sensed t I could force o accept my superiority.

    Raising my voice, I explained iful it  ted to undermine Our Sultan and te Eniser Osman o us all; , after tracing tan¡¯s treasury, for some unknoer Osman tried to conceal ion t Olive ain t Olive,  ed Kalenderi dervise. tan¡¯s grandfat because it ion and immorality, but rat of time   trust me, suspecting some ruse beo mete out my punis there.

    Butterfly landed t armor could not ood. urned to Black, old t  my armor-plated arm around Butterfly¡¯s neck and dree struggling, nor irely playing. I recounted a similar, little-knohe Book of Kings.

    ¡°On tation beturanian armies fully equipped in armor and  t of Mount uranians sent to to learn tity of a mysterious Persian uranian ly in ternoon sun, ced breatal singed t uranian s arroerious Persian felled turanian after catcail of eed. er Srying to escape, and grabbed aking ed , turanian, still curious about tity of terious   everybody o you,¡° replied terious ell me then, my friends, who was he?¡±

    ¡°tem,¡± said Butterfly h childlike glee.

    I kissed rayed Master Osman,¡± I said. ¡°Before es out ,  find Olive, rid ourselves of t and come to an agreement so and strong against ternal enemies of art and to send us directly to dungeons of torture. Per Olive¡¯s abandoned dervis t even one of our lot.¡±

    Poor Butterfly uttered not a sound. Regardless of alented, confident or ed  be, just like all illuminators e tual loat alone in to hell.

    On te to te, t above us, but it  t of t, ttime appearance of Istanbul comprised of cypress trees, leaden domes, stone s ravaged by fire aken by an unfamiliarity suc be caused by an enemy fortress. As ance  burned somewhe Bayazid Mosque.

    In t oy ing  docwo raindrops fell upon my .

    After a long journey, as o be abandoned. Alt lamps one o our clamor, it  opened to us, and a man in skullcap, gaping at us by t of ions to ted dervis even sticking  into t once ts.

    In ted by t to tencting leaves. I brougo one of ter, to tter of a small ending, for our sake, to pray.

 A Note

Or of major turkisernational literary a novelists, and ranslated into ty-six languages. anbul.

    A NOtE ABOUt tRANSLAtOR

    Erda? M. G?knar is visiting assistant professor of turkisure at Duke University. ing  novel.