ffice.JihanShahforthtedthiscleveridea,whichhepassedontohiscircleofsycophants,untilitultimatelyreachedtheearsofSheikhAli.Evenso,SheikhAlididhebookhalffinishedaabrizasother,mediocreillustratht’vedone.Hedidtogameslikeslowingdowntheprogressofthemanuscriptormakinginferiorillustrationssoitwouldn’tbe“perfedtherebyforestallinghisimmiblinding.Indeed,heworkedwithevenmoreardorandvi.Inthehousewherehelivedalone,he’dbeginwafterthemprayersandtinueillustratingthesamehorses,cypresses,lovers,dragonsandhandsomeprincesbydlelightinthemiddleofthenightagainandagainuntilbittertearsstreamedfromhiseyes.Muchofthetime,he’dgazefordaysatanillustrationbyohegreatoldmastersofHeratashemadeacopyonanothersheet.Intheend,hepletedthebookforJihanShahtheBlacksheep,andasthemasterminiaturisthadexpected,hewasatfirstpraisedandshoweredwithgoldpieces,beforebeingblihasharpplumeneedleusedtoaffixturbanplumes.Beforehispainhadevensubsided,SheikhAlileftHerataojoinTallHasaesheep.“Yes,indeed,Iamblind,”heexplaiallHasaIremembereachofthesplendorsofthemanuscriptI’veilluminatedforthelastelevenyears,downtoeachmarkofthepenandeachstrokeofthebrush,andmyhanddrawitagainfrommemory.MyExcellency,Icouldillustratethegreatestmanuscriptofalltimeforyou.Sincemyeyeswillnolongerbedistractedbythefilthofthisworld,I’llbeabletodepictallthegloriesofAllahfrommemory,intheirpurestform.”TallHasanbelievedthegreatmasterminiaturist;aerminiaturist,keepinghispromise,illustratedfrommemorythemostmagnifitofbooksfortheruleroftheWhitesheep.Everyohespiritualpowerprovided