pulled apart the dead shah’s books; and rearranging the pages; began to
assemble new volumes。 His calligraphers replaced the epithet of “Always
Victorious Selahattin Khan” with that of “Victorious Fahir Shah” and his
miniaturists set about replacing the late Selahattin Khan—masterfully
portrayed on the most beautiful of manuscript pages—who was; as of that
moment; starting to fade from people’s memories; with the portrait of the
younger Fahir Shah。 Upon entering the harem; Fahir Shah had no difficulty in
locating the most beautiful woman there; yet instead of forcing himself upon
her; because he was a refined man versed in books and artistry; and resolving
to win her heart; he engaged her in conversation。 Consequently; Neriman
Sultan; the late Selahattin Khan’s belle of beauties; his teary…eyed wife; made
but one request of Fahir Shah: that the illustration of her husband in a version
of the romance Leyla and Mejnun; wherein Leyla was depicted as Neriman
Sultan and Mejnun as Selahattin Khan; not be altered。 In at least this one page;
she maintained; the immortality that her husband had tried to attain over the
years through books should not be denied。 The victorious Fahir Shah bravely
granted this simple request and his masters of the book left that one picture
alone。 Thereby; Neriman and Fahir immediately made love and within a short
period; forgetting the horrors of the past; came to truly love each other。 Still;
Fahir Shah could not forget that picture in Leyla and Mejnun。 Nay; it wasn’t
jealousy that made him uneasy or that his wife was portrayed with her old
husband。 What gnawed at him was this: Since he wasn’t painted in the old
legend in that splendid book; he wouldn’t be able to join the ranks of the
immortals with his wife。 This worm of doubt ate at Fahir Shah for five years;
and at the end of a blissful night of copious lovemaking with Neriman;
candlestick in hand; he entered the library like a mon thief; opened the
volume of Leyla and Mejnun; and in place of the face of Neriman’s late
husband; drew his own。 Like many khans who had a love for illustrating and
painting; however; he was an amateur artist and couldn’t portray himself very
80
well。 In the morning; when his librarian opened the book on a suspicion of
tampering and beheld another figure in place of the late Selahattin Khan; next
to Neriman…faced Leyla; rather than identifying it as Fahir Shah; he announced
that it was Fahir Shah’s archenemy; the young and handsome Abdullah Shah。
This gossip provoked Fahir Shah’s soldiers and emboldened Abdullah Shah; the
young and aggressive new ruler of the neighboring country; who;
subsequently; in his first campaign; defeated; captured and killed Fahir Shah;
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