Chapter 8: Süleyman and the Voivod (Part 2)

To my wife Nilüfer, my beloved flower, I write to you from the forest a little away from the camp where I have come for peace and quiet and because writing to you brings the thought of you closer to my mind.

By the blessing and mercy of God and the speed of military couriers, your letter has reached me just before the full moon.

Your words were a great comfort and reassurance to me, and I folded your letter and placed it next to my heart before I went up the mountain on the first night of my task.

The briefing that I gave to Yahya Bey upon my return was conveyed rapidly to Karahmet Pasha, and it was not long before I was brought in front of the vizier himself to explain the situation.

That evening there was much discussion between the commanders of the army and the sages on the wisdom and legality of meeting the Lord under the mountain's terms.

Eventually it was decided no idolatry was being committed, that any chance of returning the cohort was better than no chance, and the situation would be no worse if we did not succeed than it was now.

I would return at the appointed time and find out what the terms were.

Obviously, if the terms would require anything that would jeopardize the war effort, the men would be considered lost, but any lesser thing could be granted, given it was within the realms of possibility.

One of the sages expressed his hope that we would not be asked to bring the moon or a flying horse or something similarly impossible.

Once again, I went up the mountain to the cave, this time by the light of the first night of the full moon.

I was accompanied by the same two scouts who seemed to take great pride in being my guard.

Their names were Isak and Hüseyin.

I regret that I had not remembered to ask this before, but I had a great deal on my mind at the time.

I did not need to tell them not to shoot at the creatures of the forest this time, and any comment I gave them they obeyed immediately and with great difference.

When we reached the cave, Isak asked me how long they should wait if I did not return, as they had waited well into the afternoon for me the last time.

This was a surprise to me, as I had thought very little time had passed inside the mountain.

I said to wait no more than a day, and if I did not return, ask Yahya Bey to write to my wife to tell her of my death.

At this, Hussein appeared that he might weep and told me that his brother was one of the men who had been taken and expressed his deepest thanks that Suleiman the teacher would go inside the mountain to get them back once again.

Hussain was of an age that we could have been classmates if he had been of a better family, and so I felt awkward being addressed as teacher by him.

But I took his hand in mine and said that with God's mercy, we would prevail, and that he should pray for me.

This he agreed to most emphatically.

I went into the cave with their prayers for my safety receding behind me, and stood before the rock wall, which opened up again before me.

This time, when I stepped inside, I found myself not in the vast hole whose sides I could not see, but instead in a new hole of smooth white marble, and the walls this time were carved with friezes of animals running among the trees.

The Lord sat upon a golden throne in the center of it.

He was as magnificent as before, this time clad all in black leather, blackened mail, and black furs.