I AM CALLED BLACK-4
I AM CALLED BLACK-4 (第1/3页)
WasNuritheMiniaturist,whowasmuchmoresubtleinthoughtthanI’dassumed,beingreservedbecauseheunderstoodthatmyEnishtesentmeheretoinvestigate,orwashemerelyparrotingHeadIlluminatorMasterOsman?
“IsEleganttheoneresponsibleforallthisgildingwork?”Iasked.“Who’sdoingthegildingnow,inhisstead?”
Theshoutsandscreamsofchildrencouldnowbeheardthroughtheopendoorthatfacedtheinnercourtyard.Below,oneofthedivisionheadshadstartedadministeringthebastinadotoapprenticeswho’dmostlikelybeencaughtwithredinkpowderintheirpocketsorgoldleafhiddenawayinafoldofpaper;probablythetwowhomI’dseentremblingastheywaitedinthecold.Youngpainters,seizinganopportunitytomockthem,rantothedoortowatch.
“BythetimetheapprenticespaintthegroundoftheHippodromeherearosecolor,finishingitoffasourMasterOsmanhasdictated,”saidNuriEffendicautiously,“ourbrotherElegantEffendi,Godwilling,willhavereturnedfromwhereverhe’sgoneandwillcompletethegildingonthesetwopages.Ourmaster,OsmantheMiniaturist,wantedElegantEffenditocolorthedirtflooroftheHippodromedifferentlyineachscene.Rosepink,Indiangreen,saffronyelloworthecolorofgoose**.Whosoeverbeholdsthepicturewillrealizeinthefirstrenderingthisisadirtsquareandshouldbeearth-colored,butinthesecondandthirdpictures,he’llwantothercolorstokeephimselfamused.Embellishingoughttobringmerrimenttothepage.”
Inoticedsomepicturesonasheetofpaperthatanassistantleftinacorner.Hewasworkingonasingle-leafpictureforaBookofVictories,thedepictionofanavalfleetheadingofftobattle,butitwasobviousthatthescreamsofhisfriendswhosesoleswerebeingseverelybeaten,provokedtheillustratortorunoffandwatch.Thefleethemadebyrepeatedlytracingidenticalshipswithablockpatterndidn’tevenseemtofloatinthesea;yet,thisartificiality,thelackofwindinthesails,hadlesstodowiththeblockpatternthantheyoungpainter’slackofskill.IsawwithsorrowthatthepatternhadbeencutviolentlyoutofanoldbookwhichIcouldn’tidentify,perhapsacollagealbum.Obviously,MasterOsmanwasoverlookingquitealot.
Whenwecametohisownworktable,NuriEffendiproudlystatedthathefinishedagildedroyalinsignia
forOurSultan,whichhe’dbeenworkingonforthreeweeks.IrespectfullyadmiredNuriEffendi’sgoldinlayandtheinsignia,whichhadbeenmadeonanemptysheettoensurethatitsrecipientandthereasonforitsbeingsentwouldremainsecret.IknewwellenoughthatmanyimpetuouspashasintheEasthadrefrainedfromrebellionuponseeingthenobleandpotentsplendoroftheSultan’sroyalinsignia.
Next,wesawthelastmasterpiecesthatJemaltheCalligrapherhadtranscribed,completedandleftbehind;butwepassedoverthemhas
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