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.