Lame loyally remembered that I’d rendered extensive services to them at one
time or another。 The presence of the Minister of Accounts; Red Melek Pasha;
who; at the time of my death was both in high favor and much criticized;
enlivened the humble courtyard of our neighborhood mosque。 Had I lived and
continued an active political life; I would’ve been promoted to the same rank
as Mustafa Agha; the Sultan’s Chief Herald; whose presence especially
delighted me。 The mourners constituted a large; dignified and impressive
group that included the Divan Secretary Kemalettin Effendi; Chief Secretary
Salim Effendi the Austere; the heralds of the Divan—each of whom was either
a dear friend or an archenemy—a group of former Divan councillors who’d
resigned early from active political life; my school friends; others who’d
somehow learned of my death—I cannot imagine how or where—and various
other relatives; in…laws and youths。
I also took pride in the congregation; its seriousness and its grief。 The
presence of the Head Treasurer Haz?m Agha and the mander of the
Imperial Guard made clear to all in attendance that His Excellency Our Sultan
was sincerely aggrieved by my untimely death。 I was; indeed; very pleased by
this。 I don’t know whether the sorrow of Our Glorious Sultan means great
efforts will be made to catch my rogue murderer; including the mobilization of
torturers; but I do know this: that accursed man is now in the courtyard;
among the other miniaturists and calligraphers; wearing a dignified and
exceedingly tormented expression as he gazes at my coffin。
Pray; don’t think that I’m infuriated by my murderer or that I’m set on a
path of revenge; or even that my soul is restless because I’ve been treacherously
and cruelly slain。 I am; at present; on a pletely different plane of being;
and my soul is quite at peace; having returned to its former glory after years of
suffering on Earth。
My soul temporarily quitted my body; which was writhing in pain as it lay
covered in blood from the blows of the inkpot; and quivered for a while within
an intense light; afterward; two beautiful and smiling angels with faces bright
as the sun—such as I’d read about countless times in the Book of the Soul—
slowly approached me within this ethereal brilliance; grabbed me by my arms;
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as if I were still a body; and began their ascent。 Ever so serenely and gently; ever
so quickly we ascended as if in a blissful dream! We passed through forests of
fire; forded rivers of light and forged dark seas and mountains of snow and ice。
Each crossing took us thousands of years; though it seemed no more than the
blink of an eye。
We ascended through the seven Heavens; passing varieties of gatherings;
peculiar creatures; marshes and clouds swarming with an infinite variety of