第37部分(第1/7 页)

heard　a　momentary　clattering；　we　both　waited　in　silence；　but　nobody　entered。

I　recalled　how　even　when　she　was　only　twelve；　Shekure　had　aroused　in　me　an

odd　feeling　because　she　knew　more　than　I　did。

“The　ghost　of　the　Hanged　Jew　haunts　this　place；”　she　said。

165

“Do　you　ever　e　here？”

“Jinns； phantoms； the living dead…they e with the wind； possess

objects and make sounds out of silence。 Everything speaks。 I don’t have to

e　all　the　way　here。　I　can　hear　them。”

“Shevket　brought　me　here　to　show　me　the　dead　cat；　but　it　was　gone。”

“I　understand　you　told　him　that　you　killed　his　father。”

“Not　exactly。　Is　that　the　way　my　words　were　twisted？　Not　that　I　killed　his

father；　rather　that　I’d　like　to　bee　his　father。”

“Why　did　you　say　that　you’d　killed　his　father？”

“He’d　asked　me　first　if　I’d　ever　killed　a　man。　I　told　him　the　truth；　that　I’d

killed　two　men。”

“In　order　to　boast？”

“To boast； and to impress a child whose mother I love； because I realized

that this mother forted those two little brigands by exaggerating the

wartime heroics of their father and by showing off the remnants of his

plunder　in　the　house。”

“Go　on　boasting　then！　They　don’t　like　you。”

“Shevket　doesn’t　like　me；　but　Orhan　does；”　I　said；　in　the　prideful　glow　of

having　caught　my　beloved’s　error。　“Yet；　I　shall　bee　father　to　them　both。”

We shuddered anxiously and trembled in the half…light as though the

shadow of some nonexistent thing had passed between us。 I pulled myself

together　and　saw　that　Shekure　was　crying　with　tiny　sobs。

“My ill…fated husband has