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—a nonexistent—manuscript 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—e of er exiting under tiny of tely relaxed, like a soldier returned er an absence of many years.