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permission； I shall quit the Treasury。”
“How do you mean！” he said。 “We still have one night and one morning。
How quickly your eyes have had their fill of the greatest illustrations the world
has ever known！”
As he said this； he hadn’t turned his face away from the page before him；
yet the paleness in his pupils confirmed he was indeed gradually going blind。
“We’ve learned the secret of the horse’s nostrils；” I said confidently。
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“Ha！” he said。 “Yes！ The rest is up to Our Sultan and the Head Treasurer。
Perhaps they will pardon us all。”
Would he name Stork as the murderer？ I couldn’t even ask out of fear； for I
worried he wouldn’t allow me to leave。 Even worse； I had the recurring
thought that he might accuse me。
“The plume needle Bihzad used to blind himself is missing；” he said。
“In all probability the dwarf put it back in its place；” I said。 “The page before
you is so magnificent！”
His face lit up like a child’s； and he smiled。 “Hüsrev； burning with love； as
he waits astride his horse for Shirin before her palace in the middle of the
night；” he said。 “Rendered in the style of the old masters of Herat。”
He was now gazing at the picture as if he could see it； but he hadn’t even
taken the magnifying glass into his hand。
“Can you see the splendor in the leaves of the trees in the nighttime
darkness； appearing one by one as if illuminated from within like stars or
spring flowers； the humble patience implied by the wall ornamentation； the
refinement in the use of gold leaf and the delicate balance in the entire
painting’s position？ Handsome Hüsrev’s horse is as graceful and elegant as
a woman。 His beloved Shirin waits at the window above him； her neck bowed；
but her face proud。 It’s as if the lovers are to remain here eternally within the
light emanating from the painting’s texture； skin and subtle colors which were
applied lovingly by the miniaturist。 You can see how their faces are turned ever
so slightly toward one another while their bodies are half…turned toward us—
for they know they’re in a painting and thus visible to us。 This is why they
don’t try to resemble exactly those figures which we see around us。 Quite to
the contrary； they signify that they’ve emerged from Allah’s memory。 This is
why time has stopped for them within that picture。 No matter how fast the
pace of the story they tell in the picture； they themselves will remain for all
eternity there； like well…bred； polite； shy young maidens； without making any
sudden gestures with their hands； arms； slight bodies or even eyes。 For them；
everything within the navy…blue night is frozen： The bird flies through the
darkness； among the stars； with a fluttering like the racing hearts of the lovers
themselves； and at the same time； remains fixed for all eternity as if nailed to
the sky in this matchless moment。 The old masters of Herat； who knew that
God’s velvet blackness was lowering over their eyes like a curtain； also knew
that if they went blind while staring motionless at such an illustration for days
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and weeks on end； their souls would at last mingle with the eternity of the
picture。”
At the time of the evening prayer； when the portal of the Treasury was
opened with the same ceremony and under the gaze of the same throng；
Master Osman was still staring intently at the page before him； at the bird
that floated motionless in the sky。 But if you noticed the paleness in his pupils
you’d also realize that he stared at the page quite oddly； as blind men
sometimes incorrectly orient themselves to the food before them。
The officers of the Treasury detail； learning that Master Osman would stay
inside and that Jezmi Agha was at the door； neglected to search me thoroughly
and never found the plume needle I hid in my undergarment。 When I emerged
onto the streets of Istanbul from the palace courtyard； I slipped into a
passageway and removed the terrifying object； with which the legendary
Bihzad had blinded himself； from where it was； and stuck it into my sash。 I
practically ran through the streets。
The cold of the Treasury chambers had so perated my bones that it
seemed as though the gentle weather of an early spring had settled over the
city streets。 As I passed the grocer； barber； herbalist； fruit and vegetable shop
and firewood shop of the Old Caravansary Bazaar； which were shutting down
one by one for the night； I slowed my pace and carefully examined the casks；
cloth sheets； carrots and jars in the warm shops lit by oil lamps。
My Enishte’s street （I still couldn’t say “Shekure’s street” let alone “my
street”） appeared even stranger and more distant after my two…day absence。
But the joy of being reunited safe and sound with my Shekure； and the
thought that I’d be able to enter my beloved’s bed tonight—since the
murderer was as good as caught—made me feel so intimate with the whole
world that upon seeing the pomegranate tree and the repaired and closed
shutters； I had to restrain myself from shouting like a farmer hollering to
someone across a stream。 When I saw Shekure； I wanted the first words out of
my mouth to be； “We know who the wretched murderer is！”
I opened the courtyard gate。 I’m not sure if it was from the squeak of the
gate； the carefree way the sparrow drank water from the well bucket； or the
darkness of the house； but with the wolflike prescience of a man who’d lived
alone for twelve years； I understood at once that nobody was home。 Even
bitterly realizing that one’s been left to his own devices； one will still open and
close all of the doors； the cabis and even lift the lids of pots； and that’s just
what I did。 I even looked inside the chests。
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In this silence； the only sound I heard was the thudd