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第104章

my name is red-我的名字叫红-第104章

小说: my name is red-我的名字叫红 字数: 每页4000字

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373 
 
talking  about。  He  left  me  all  alone  to  fend  for  myself  last  night  against 
murderers; thieves and Hasan。” 
“He hasn’t yet found your father’s murderer; but he told me to tell you he 
has。” 
“Should I go to him?” 
Before I could answer; the former father…in…law; who’d long since finished 
reading  the  note;  said;  “Tell  Black  Effendi  I  can’t  take  the  responsibility  of 
handing over my daughter…in…law without my son being present。” 
“Which son?” I said for the sake of being shrewish; but softly。 
“Hasan;” he said。 Since he was a man of etiquette; he blushed。 “My oldest 
son is on his way back from Persia; there are witnesses。” 
“Where’s  Hasan?”  I  asked。  I  ate  two  spoonfuls  of  the  soup  Shekure  had 
offered me。 
“He  went  to  gather  the  clerks;  porters  and  other  men  of  the  Customs 
Office;” he said in the childish manner of decent yet dull men who cannot lie。 
“After what the Erzurumis did yesterday; the Janissaries are certain to be on 
the streets tonight。” 
“We didn’t see anything of the sort;” I said as I walked toward the door。 “Is 
this all you have to say?” 
I  asked  this  question  of  the  father…in…law  to  intimidate  him;  but  Shekure 
knew  full  well  that  I  was  really  addressing  her。  Was  her  head  truly  this 
befuddled  or  was  she  hiding  something;  for  example;  was  she  awaiting  the 
return of Hasan and his men? Oddly; I sensed that I liked her indecisiveness。 
“We don’t want Black;” Shevket said confidently。 “And make this your last 
visit; fat lady。” 
“But  then  who’ll  bring  around  the  lace  tablecloths;  the  handkerchiefs 
embroidered  with  flowers  and  birds  that  your  pretty  mother  likes;  and  your 
favorite red shirt cloth?” I said; leaving my bundle in the middle of the room。 
“Until  I  return;  you  can  open  it  up  and  take  a  look;  try  on;  alter  and  sew 
whatever you like。” 
I was saddened as I left。 I’d never seen Shekure’s eyes so wet with tears。 As 
soon as I adjusted to the cold outside; Black stopped me on the muddy road; 
sword in hand。 
“Hasan’s not home;” I said。 “Perhaps he’s gone to the market to buy wine 
to celebrate Shekure’s return。 Perhaps he’ll soon be back with his men。 In that 
374 
 
case  you’ll  e  to  blows;  because  he’s  crazy。  And  if  he  takes  up  that  red 
sword of his; there’s no telling what he’ll do。” 
“What did Shekure say?” 
“The father…in…law said absolutely not; I won’t give up my daughter…in…law; 
but if I were you I wouldn’t worry about him; worry about Shekure。 Your wife 
is  confused。  If  you  ask  me;  she  took  refuge  here  two  days  after  her  father 
perished  for  fear  of  the  murderer;  because  of  Hasan’s  threats  and  your 
disappearance without a word。 She knew she couldn’t spend another night in 
that same house plagued by the same fears。 They also told her that you had a 
hand  in  her  father’s  death。  But  her  first  husband  hasn’t  e  back  or 
anything like that。 Shevket; and it seems the father…in…law; believed Hasan’s lie。 
She wants to return to you; but she has certain conditions。” 
Staring  directly  into  Black’s  eyes;  I  listed  her  conditions。  He  accepted  at 
once with an official air as if he were speaking with a genuine ambassador。 
“I; too; have a condition;” I said。 “I’m heading back into the house again。” I 
pointed  out  the  shutters  of  the  window  behind  which  the  father…in…law  sat。 
“In a little while attack from there and the front door。 When I scream; that’ll 
be the signal for you to stop。 If Hasan arrives; don’t hesitate to attack him。” 
My  words;  of  course;  did  not  befit  an  ambassador;  to  whom  no  harm 
should e; but I let myself get carried away; you see。 This time; as soon as I 
yelled “Clothierrr;” the door opened。 I went directly to the father…in…law。 
“The  entire  neighborhood;  and  the  judge  who  presides  over  these  parts; 
that  is  everyone;  knows  that  Shekure  has  long  been  divorced  and  properly 
remarried in keeping with the dictates of the Koran;” I said。 “Even if your son; 
who has long since passed away; came back to life and returned here to you 
from Heaven in the pany of the Prophet Moses; it’d be of no use for he’s 
divorced  from  Shekure。  You’ve  abducted  a  married  woman  and  are  holding 
her here against her will。 Black requested that I tell you he and his men will see 
to your punishment for this crime before the judge can。” 
“Then he will have made a grave mistake;” said the father…in…law delicately。 
“We didn’t abduct Shekure at all! I’m the grandfather of these children; praise 
be to God。 Hasan is their uncle。 When Shekure was left all alone; what choice 
did she have but to seek shelter here? If she wants; she can leave now and take 
her children with her。 But never forget that this is her first home; where she 
gave birth to her children and happily raised them。” 
375 
 
“Shekure;”  I  said  unthinkingly;  “do  you  want  to  return  to  your  father’s 
house?” 
She’d  begun  to  cry  on  account  of  the  “happy  hearth”  speech。  “I  have  no 
father;” she said; or was that how I heard it? Her children first embraced her 
legs; then sat her down and hugged her; the three of them hugged one another 
in a large ball and wept。 But Esther is no idiot: I knew full well that Shekure’s 
tears were meant to appease both sides without her having to make a decision。 
But I also knew they were genuine tears; because they moved me to cry; too。 A 
while later; I noticed that Hayriye; that snake; was also crying。 
As if to pay back the green…eyed father…in…law for being the sole person in 
the  room  who  wasn’t  crying;  Black  and  his  men  began  their  attack  on  the 
house that very moment by banging on the shutters and forcing the door。 Two 
men were at the front door with a battering ram whose blows sounded like 
cannonfire through the house。 
“You’re an experienced and dignified man;” I said; encouraged by my own 
tears; “open the door and tell those rabid mongrels out there that Shekure is 
on her way。” 
“Would  you  send  an  unprotected  woman;  your  daughter…in…law  no  less; 
who’d taken refuge in your house; out onto the streets with those dogs?” 
“She herself wants to go;” I said。 With my purple handkerchief I wiped my 
nose; which had stuffed up from crying。 
“In that case she’s free to open the door and leave;” he said。 
I  sat  down  beside  Shekure  and  her  children。  At  each  new  blow;  the 
terrifying noise made by the men forcing the door became yet another excuse 
for yet more tears; the children began to cry louder; which in turn increased 
Shekure’s  wailing  and  mine  as  well。  Still;  even  taking  into  account  the 
threatening cries from outside and the blows of the battering ram that seemed 
on the verge of destroying the house; both of us knew we were crying to gain 
time。 
“My   beautiful   Shekure;”   I   said;   “your   father…in…law   has   given   you 
permission  and  your  husband  Black  has  accepted  all  of  your  terms;  he’s 
waiting for you lovingly; you no longer have any business in this house。 Put on 
your cloak; don your veil; take your belongings and your children; and open 
the door so we can go quietly back to your house。” 
This  statement  of  mine  made  the  children  wail  even  more;  and  caused 
Shekure to open her eyes in shock。 
376 
 
“I’m  afraid  of  Hasan;”  she  said;  “his  revenge  will  be  horrible。  He’s  wild。 
Remember; I came here on my own。” 
“This doesn’t cancel out your new marriage;” I said。 “You were left helpless; 
of course you were going to take refuge somewhere。 Your husband’s forgiven 
you; he’s prepared to take you back。 As for Hasan; we’ll deal with him the way 
we have for years。” I smiled。 
“But  I’m  not  going  to  open  the  door;”  she  said;  “because  then  I’ll  have 
returned to him of my own free will。” 
“My dearest Shekure; I cannot open the door either;” I said。 “You know as 
well  as  I  that  this  would  mean  I’ve  meddled  in  your  affairs。  They’d  bitterly 
avenge such meddling。” 
I could see from her eyes that she understood。 “Then no one will open the 
door;” she said。 “Let’s wait for them to break it down and take us by force。” 
I  knew  at  once  this  would  be  the  best  alternative  for  Shekure  and  her 
children; and I was afraid。 “But that means blood will be spilled;” I said。 “If the 
judge isn’t involved in this affair; blood will flow; and a blood feud will last for 
years。 No honorable man could stand by and watch as his house was broken 
into and raided to abduct a woman residing there。” 
I  once  again  understood  regretfully  how  deceptive  and  calculating  this 
Shekure  was  as  she  embraced  her  two  boys  and  wailed  with  all  her  being 
rather than answer。 A voice was telling me to forget everything and leave; but I 
could no longer walk back through the door; which was being battered to the 
breaking point。 Actually; I was afraid of both what

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