t.

    Immediatelyofftotheside,beforealongter,IsawtheHeadIlluminator,MasterOsman,forthefirsttimeinfifteenyears;heseemedlikeanapparition.WheneverIplatedillustratingandpaintingduringmytravels,thegreatmasterwouldappearinmymind’seyeasifhewereBihzadhimself;now,inhiswhiteoutfitandinthesnow-whitelightfallingthroughthewindowfagtheHagiaSophia,helookedasthoughhe’dlongbeeohespiritsoftheOtherworld.Ikissedhishand,whioticedwasmottled,andIintroducedmyself.IexplainedhowmyEnishtehadenrolledmehereasayouth,butthatI’dpreferredabureaucraticposta.Iretedmyyearsontheroad,mytimespeerncitiesintheserviceofpashasasaclerkortreasurer’ssecretary.Itoldhimhow,wwithSerhatPashaandothers,I’dmetcalligraphersandilluminatorsinTabrizandproducedbooks;howI’dspenttimeinBaghdadandAleppo,inVanandTiflis,andhowI’dseenmanybattles.

    “Ah,Tiflis!”thegreatmastersaid,ashegazedatthelightfromthesnow-cardenfilteringthroughtheoilskincthewindow.“Isitsnowingtherenow?”

    HisdemeaedthoseoldPersianmasterswhogrewblindperfegtheirartistry;who,afteracertainage,livedhalf-saintly,half-senilelives,andaboutwhomendlesslegeold.IstraightawaysawinhisjinnlikeeyesthathedespisedmyEnishtevehementlyandthathewasfurthermoresuspiciousofme.Evenso,IexplainedhowintheArabiassnowdidn’tsimplyfalltotheEarth,asitwasnowfallingontotheHagiaSophia,butontomemoriesaswell.IspunayarshefortressofTiflis,thewasherwomensangsongsthecolorofflowersandchildrenhidicecreamuheirpillowsforsummer.

    “Dotellmewhatthoseilluminatorsandpaintersillustrateinthetriesyou’ve