Allah Kerim! Look upon us as already sleeping the sleep of
eternity. At the trump of the Angel of the Resurrection we also shall
arise like the rest."
And Achmed listened to the words of the Kapudan, and at dawn of day
vanished from amongst them. When they sought him in the early morning he
had not yet come forth from his harem.
The four dignitaries knew very well what that signified.
Early in the morning, when the dawn was still red, Sulali Effendi and
Ispirizade came for the Chief Mufti, and invited him to say the morning
prayer with them.
The Ulemas were already all assembled together, and at the sight of them
Abdullah burst into tears and sobs, and said to them in the midst of
his lamentations:
"Behold, I have brought my grey beard hither, and if it pleases you not
that it has grown white in all pure and upright dealing, take it now and
wash it in my blood; and if ye think that the few days Allah hath given
me to be too many, then take me and put an end to them."
Then all the Ulemas stood up and, raising their hands, exclaimed:
"Allah preserve thee from this evil thing!"
Then they threw themselves down on their faces to pray, and when they
had made an end of praying, they assembled in the kiosk of Erivan in the
inner garden where the Grand Vizier already awaited them. Not long
afterwards arrived the Kiaja and the Kapudan Pasha also, last of all
came the sick Damadzadi and the Cadi of Medina, Mustafa Effendi, and
Segban Pasha.
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