"Allah Kerim! Allah Akbar! La illah il Allah, Mohammed rasul Allah! God
is sublime. God is mighty. There is one God and Mohammed is his
Prophet."
And after a few moments he called again:
"Come, ye people, to the rest of God, to the abode of righteousness;
come to the abode of felicity!"
Guel-Bejaze awoke. Halil washed his hands and feet, and turning towards
the mehrab[9] began to pray.
But in vain he sent away Guel-Bejaze (for women are not permitted to be
present at the prayers of men nor men at the prayers of women); in vain
he raised his hands heavenwards; in vain he went down on his knees and
lay with his face touching the ground; other thoughts were abroad in his
heart--terrifying, disturbing thoughts which suggested to him that the
God to Whom he prayed no longer existed, but just as His Kingdom here
on earth was falling to pieces so also in Heaven it was on the point of
vanishing. Thrice he was obliged to begin his prayer all over again, for
thrice it was interrupted by a cough, and it is not lawful to go on with
a prayer that has once been interrupted. Once more he cast a glance upon
the darkened city, and it grieved him sorely that nowhere could he
perceive a half-moon; whereupon he went in again, sought for Guel-Bejaze,
and told her lovely fairy tales which, he pretended, he had been reading
in the Talik book.
The next day Halil gathered together in his secret chamber all those in
whom he had confidence. Among them were Kaplan Giraj, a kinsman of the
Khan of the Crimea, Musli, old Vuodi, Mohammed the dervish, and Sulali.
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