Chapter 54 Chapter Fifty-Three

It took about ten minutes to walk—or run—from Turgut's house to the apartment he had borrowed for Mr. Erozan.Because we were all running, even Helen, who was wearing high-heeled pumps, hurriedly followed behind. Turgut muttered (and cursed, I assume) under his breath.He was carrying a little black bag which I thought might contain medical supplies in case the doctor wasn't there or was late. Finally, we climbed the wooden ladder of an old house.We ran up the stairs after Turgut, who slammed open a door at the top of the stairs. The room was clearly divided into dirty cubicles.In this one, there is a bed, some chairs and a table in the main room.There was a lamp on the table.

Turgut's friend was lying on the floor, covered with a blanket.A stammering man of about thirty stood up from him and greeted us.Fear and regret made him almost hysterical.He kept wringing his hands and talking to Turgut repeatedly, but Turgut pushed him away and squatted down beside Mr. Elozan with Selim. The victim's face was ashen, his eyes were closed, he was panting heavily, and his teeth were chattering.There was an unsightly gash in his neck, larger than the last we had seen, but more horrifying, for it was jagged but clean, save for a streak of blood at the edge. I thought that such a deep wound should bleed a lot, and when I thought of this, I felt sick.I put my arms around Helen, and we stood there intently, unable to take our eyes off it.

Turgut inspected the wound, but did not touch it.He glanced up at us, "A few minutes ago, this damn guy went to a weird doctor without consulting me, and the doctor wasn't home. At least we're lucky, because we don't want to have a doctor here now. But he Just leave Elozan alone at sunset." He spoke to Axl. Axo stood up abruptly, and with such force—I hadn't expected him to use so much force—smacked the hapless caretaker, driving him out of the room. The man, terrified, backed out the door, and we heard his footsteps coming down the stairs. Selim closed the door and looked out the window into the street, as if to make sure that the guy would not come back, then knelt beside Turgut, and the two discussed in low voices.

After a while, Turgut reached into the bag he had brought and pulled out an object I was already familiar with: it was a vampire hunting tool, similar to the one he had given me in his study a week before. , but this one comes in a more elaborate box with Arabic writing and inlaid with mother-of-pearl-like ornaments. He opened the box, took an inventory of the gear inside, and looked up at us again. "Professors," he said quietly. "My friend has been bitten by a vampire at least three times, and he is about to die. If you let him die like this, he will soon become a vampire." He wiped his forehead with a large hand. "This is a terrible time, I have to get you out of this room. Ma'am, you can't see this."

"Please, let us do something to help you," I said hesitantly. Helen stepped forward. "Let me stay," she whispered to Turgut, "I want to know how this works." For a moment, wondering why she should know this, it occurred to me—a dreamy thought—that she was an anthropologist after all. He stared at her without saying a word, seemed to acquiesce, and bent over to look at his friend again, and I still had hope that I was wrong in my predictions.Still, Turgut whispered something into his friend's ear.He took Mr. Airozan's hand and rubbed it. Then—perhaps the most terrible of all the horrors that ensued—Turgut pressed his friend's hand to his heart, and broke out in a shrill cry.To us, those words come from the depths of a history.To me, this history is not only too old, but also too strange.

I couldn't hear what he was saying.The sound was like the wail of the Islamic prayer timekeeper when he called the believers to pray. We have heard such a sound in the city-but Turgut's scream was more like a call to hell-the series was full of terror. The note of the song seems to come from the memory of a thousand Turkish barracks, of a million Turkish soldiers.I saw the flying banners, the blood splashing from the feet of the horses, the spears and the crescent moon, the scimitar and the bright sunlight reflected on the chain mail, the beautiful and young heads and faces that were mutilated and bodies; I heard the screams of men caught by Allah, and the distant cries of their parents; I smelled the stench of burning houses and blood, the sulfur of cannon fire, tents The heavy smell of fire, bridges, and horses all at the same time.

Strangest of all, amid all the din and roar, I heard and understood the shout: 'Kaziklu Bey!Impaler! " In the chaos, I seemed to see a different figure.The man was wearing a black cloak, galloping on a horse in bright colors, his face stretched long, concentrated all his strength and brandished a long sword to beat up the Turks, and the heads with pointed helmets rolled heavily to the ground . Turgut's voice faded, and I found myself standing beside him, looking down at the dying man. Helen was right next to me, and it was true, it was good—I opened my mouth to ask her a question, and found that she felt the same horror from Turgut's singing.Reluctantly, I remembered the impaler's blood running in her veins.She turned to me with a shocked but determined expression.Just then it occurred to me that Rosie had also bequeathed to her the gentle, dignified, Italian and Anglo temper.In her eyes, I saw Rosie's unparalleled kindness.

At that moment, I thought—not later, not in that boring brown church at my parents’ house, not in front of any priest—I married her, I married her in my heart, and I was attached to her for the rest of my life. Turgut said nothing now, he put the rosary around his friend's throat, his body trembling slightly.From the stained satin backing in the box he picked out a tool of shiny silver that was longer than my hand. "I've never done anything like this before, my God," he said softly. He unbuttoned Mr. Erozan's shirt, and I saw wrinkled skin, curly dust-gray chest hair, and irregular chest heaves.

Selim searched the house quickly without saying a word, and brought Turgut a brick, apparently for the door.Turgut took this inconspicuous thing, pointed the sharp silver stake at the man's left chest, and began to sing in a low voice. I heard some of the words seemed to come from—books, movies, conversation? —— "Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar: Allah is great." I knew I couldn't force Helen out of the room anymore, and I couldn't do it myself, but when the brick fell, I pulled her back a step. Turgut's big hand fell steadily, and Selim helped him straighten the silver pile.With a dull pop, the stake entered the body.Blood gushed slowly around the stake, soaking pale skin.Mr. Erozan's face convulsed violently, his lips parted like a dog's, showing his yellow teeth.

Helen stared, and I dared not look away.Things I can't watch with her, and I don't want her to watch either. The librarian's body was trembling, and the silver stake suddenly sank to the handle. Turgut stopped his hands, as if waiting.His lips trembled and his face was covered with sweat. After a while, the body relaxed, the expression relaxed, the lips calmly covered the mouth, and Mr. Erozan let out a sigh in his chest, and the feet in the torn socks twitched for a moment, and then remained motionless. I held Helen steady and felt her trembling beside me.But she stood there quietly.

Turgut lifted his friend's limp hand, kissed it, and I saw tears streaming down his red face, dripping into his beard, and covering his face with one hand. Selim touched the dead librarian's forehead, stood up, and pressed Turgut's shoulder. After a while, Turgut recovered. He stood up and blew his nose with a handkerchief. "He is a good man," he said to us in a trembling voice. Hell's army, but rest in the peace of Muhammad Muhammad (570?-632), the founder of Islam." He turned and wiped away his tears, "Guys, we have to get the body out of here. There's a doctor in a hospital , he—he will help us. I will call, Selim stays here, lock the door, the doctor will call the ambulance, and he will sign the necessary certificates." Turgut took a few cloves of garlic from his pocket and gently placed them in the dead man's mouth. Selim took out the silver stake, took it to the corner sink to wash it, and carefully put it back in the beautiful box. Turgut wiped away every trace of blood, wrapped the dead man's chest with a dishcloth, rebuttoned him, and pulled the sheet from the bed. He asked me to help him cover the body, and the sheet had calmed down. s face. "Well, my dear friends, I ask you to do me a favor. You have seen what vampires can do, we know they are here. You must protect yourselves at all times. And, you must go to Bulgaria-- The sooner the better—leave in a few days if you can. Call me when you make the plan." He stared at me closely. "If we don't see each other before you leave, I wish you luck. Be safe and well. I will be thinking of you all the time. As soon as you get back to Istanbul, please call me as soon as you come back." I hope he means according to your itinerary, not if you leave Bulgaria alive.He shook our hands warmly, Selim shook hands with us, and very shyly kissed Helen's hand. "Let's go," Helen said simply.She took my arm, and we walked out of this sad house, down the stairs, and into the street.