Page 28 (1/2)

“This was indeed a terrible and hellish night—an inconceivable catastrophe Dracula’s ten thousand sentinels gathered their forces and attacked what they believed to be the location of Meh and crushing sleeping Turks beneath their ar The route he followed crossed the tents of Grand Viziers Mahmut Pisa and Ishak Pisa, not Mehmed II; and Turkish soldiers were not the type of people ould easily succued by Dracula’s audacity but also ashaeted by a raid, such Turkish beys as Morea Governor Ömer Bey, the son of Turhan Bey; Ahmet Bey, the son of Evranus; Ali Bey, the son of Köse Mihal; Iskender Bey, the son of Malkoç Bey; and Ali Bey of the Köse Mihal Bey fa no need to wear their arht, an unprecedented, epic battle erupted and lasted untilIt was not easy to finish Dracula’s ten thousand armored sentinels who had sworn to kill and be killed As the sun rose, the Iround However, there was al near each one Letthose bodies; he broke his oath to his comrades in arms as he always did, left his devoted company, and ran away

“Although he was cunning, Dracula was not courageous, selfless, nor a true hero willing to die for his honor I will give you one more example to illustrate his bloody and insidious nature:

“Mehroup of envoys to offer rapprocheroup was made up of three Turkish beys When the envoys approached Dracula’s hall door, the guards told them to uncover their heads and remove their turbans These Turks, our brave fathers who bequeathed this country to us with their blood, their swords, and their unwavering heads as a source of eternal pride and sacred value…”

As he spoke these words, Doctor Resuhî Bey lifted his beautiful, courageous head, covered hite hair, which expressed his sober fortitude, and his hands trembled His wide face and forehead, which always looked a little pale, now became red and flushed with the fire of national pride We all listened with a sense of awe and peace, like a prophet receiving a divine revelation

Except for Turan and Özdemir Beys; these beautiful and heroic specimens of Turkishness stood up, unable to help the Turks for the rest of ures, two faces, and two expressions that the most renowned sculptors would not be able to chance upon for years!

Doctor Resuhî Bey continued:

“Yes, our brave fathers could not believe the request uard when they heard it Their faces filled with anger, but one of them kept his composure and said:

“ ‘Look, this request of yours is unfair on three grounds First, we are Turkish, and the representatives of the Turkish Hakan; your master is the Hakan’s vassal That is e cannot uncover our heads Second, uncovering one’s head is not an act of respect for Turks There are gestures that are equivalent; we know them and ill do what is required of us Third, above all we are a Go and tell this to your master…’

“At that er envoy interrupted:

“ ‘Look; does your master not know that we do not uncover our heads even in the presence of our sultan; indeed that we even enter the presence of Allah with our heads covered? Envoys who are subjects of our Hakan will not uncover their heads!’

“Dracula was, of course, listening to this argued it He kneell that Turks would never uncover their heads in his presence After listening to the arguuard and instructed him to admit the Turkish envoys as they were The three envoys with covered heads entered With the smile of a venomous snake, a viper, upon his face, Dracula sat upon his divan When the Turks reached the middle of the hall, he roared:

“ ‘Uncover your heads!’

“Unsurprisingly, the three envoys did not heed this order, and they refused My friends, then a horrifying scene unfolded that has never before been witnessed in history This scene was notIt also illustrated the Turkish fortitude and Turkish national honor and dignity, and it had a quality brighter than the stars of the universe and higher than the seven layers of the skies

“Dracula, the Wallachian prince, and our present eneh the passages of time, screamed like a hyena:

“ ‘If,’ he said, ‘these Turks love their turbans so much, then nail them to their heads!’