CHAPTER NINETY
Haseki was at Hafsa’s side, writing furiously upon a parchment, dipping her quill into the pot of ink between strokes. Hesitating, she screwed the paper up and threw it to the floor, beginning her writings afresh on a new sheet. The women huddled for days, writing and rewriting until they were satisfied with what was written. By the end of the fourth day, the parchment was sent to the palace scribes to be set in flowing calligraphy and stamped with the signature of Suleyman the Magnificent, Shadow of God on Earth. Topkapi pages walked the boulevards of the city with the proclamation, reading it loud from every street corner and in every square. The city bustled in excitement with the news. Fishermen talked in animated whispers. Coffee houses were full of the chattering abou
