Chapters 5-7 Summary

Enishte introduces himself and tells how his nephew Black came into his everyday life as a child. Enishte apprentices Black to the book-making arts, but when Black fails to hide his growing passion for his cousin, Shekure, Enishte forbids the match and banishes Black. With Black's return, Enishte is delighted to see a responsible, mature young man, with whom he can still share his love of books. Enishte has two dilemmas. His daughter, Shekure, has been waiting for her husband to return from war for four years. He does not discuss this problem with Black. Enishte's other dilemma is that one of his artists has gone missing. Enishte asks Black to investigate Elegant's disappearance.

The point of view changes in Chapter 6, to Enishte's grandson, Orhan, but the scene is still the discussion between Enishte and Black. Black sees Shekure's forgotten face...