FROM DOCTOR AFIF BEY’S DIARY—continued.
As I was leaving tonight, Professor Resuhî Bey gave me two notebooks and said:
“Tonight I must go to Yakacik; this is very important. But a woman I know, Güzin Hanim, is coming here to meet with me. Unfortunately I will not be able to meet her. However, this young woman is very important. Both she and her husband Azmi Bey will be very helpful in our investigation. That is why I want you to meet with them. I will see her here later. One of these notebooks belongs to her and the other belongs to her husband. Before meeting with the wife, read both notebooks very carefully and with an open mind; then you will begin to understand the situation. Afif, my son, we face danger—a terrible, historical one—in these frightening, mysterious times. Güzin Hanim is a very clever and sensible person; you will see this when you speak with her. She was also the dearest friend and the sincere confidant of poor Sadan.
29 September.—I read the notebooks belonging the lawyer Azmi Bey and his wife given to me by the professor; I wonder if what happened to Azmi Bey is really true? Or if this young man who went to Transylvania went mad. My God, what terrible web of secrets are we falling into? In my opinion, the veil of mystery surrounding us is not unraveling. It is becoming even more complicated, unnerving, and baffling.
Güzin Hanim arrived as Doctor Resuhî Bey had informed me. After reading her and her husband Azmi Bey’s diaries, her value and importance had increased in my eyes even further. What a beautiful, charming, and thoughtful young woman. In truth, Azmi Bey is a lucky man. During our discussion of Sadan’s tragedy, I read some passages from my own diary to Güzin Hanim and she appeared deeply interested. I finally decided to let her read my entire journal. After reading these pages, Güzin Hanim said:
“Your diary is very interesting and very important. I can see clearly that it is one terrible part of a very horrible and unbelievably sad story. Both Azmi and I worked almost day and night after the day we met dear Doctor Resuhî Bey. Today, in the hopes of gathering more information, Azmi went to that place in Bakirköy where Sadan first showed signs of illness and where we know all of the events in the diary occurred. But he will be returning tomorrow. If we keep working together, we will triumph over the most dangerous obstacles!
After a brief pause, she continued:
“Ah, Afif Bey, we will learn even more terrible things; we will confront something that began centuries ago. If only I could tell you what I think is about to happen.”
From Güzin Hanim’s Diary.
29 September.—My God! Doctor Afif Bey’s journal, especially the section regarding Sadan’s death, made me very uncomfortable! If I did not know what happened to Azmi in Transylvania I could have never have believed such a thing possible. Something occurred to me; I asked Doctor Afif Bey if his journal had been read carefully by Doctor Resuhî Bey.
“No,” he said. “The professor did not need to see this.”
However, I am thinking of this difficult, horrible situation we face. To better understand this threat that has been unfolding behind a dark fog for three or four centuries, and which has now stretched its arm to Istanbul, I find it necessary for that fascinating Doctor Resuhî Bey to read Doctor Afif Bey’s diary. I think it is essential. Even the smallest detail could help uncover the greatest secrets. My God! I almost see disaster unfolding before my eyes as I write these lines.
When I gave my opinion to Doctor Afif Bey, he was persuaded to show the journal to Resuhî Bey. Turan Bey, Özdemir Bey, Resuhî Bey, and the rest of us will form a council of war, so to speak. By that time Azmi will be back from his investigation in Bakirköy. I have said that even the smallest detail may help to uncover great secrets. One example of this is the fact that Doctor Resuhî Bey and I have read Azmi’s notebooks, and we believe sincerely that this horrible creature called Count Dracula, and the coffin of this wild and dark shadow from the Turkish Empire’s past, has come to Istanbul from Bakirköy. Who would have thought that a few random lines about a ship with a Russian flag from Varna and crates of soil would yield such results? A vampire in Istanbul… and his identity… Am I dreaming, or am I reading a horror novel?
From Doctor Afif Bey’s Diary.
30 September.—Azmi Bey and his wife Güzin Hanim arrived today at one o’clock. I examined very carefully this man who lived a life of hell in the castle of the dreaded Count Dracula. A very polite, but also tough, clever, and athletic young man from Istanbul. He is also good-spirited, just like his wife. But at the same time, he is thoughtful. According to the plan set by Doctor Resuhî Bey, my large apartment has become a sort of rendezvous point. I set aside a room for Azmi Bey and his wife immediately. My private clinic of five or six beds will be very useful for these guests right now. It is really quite fortunate that I do not have many patients.
Late afternoon.—Azmi Bey and Güzin Hanim have put their heads together as husband and wife and are arranging all of the papers in chronological order and by related events, just like expert investigators. I am both envious and amazed by them. According to my private conversations with Azmi Bey, Count Dracula is in Istanbul. He came here from Bakirköy. Through investigation based on the addresses written down by Dracula, Azmi Bey has discovered where they are taking the crates of soil. Azmi Bey already knows the address of the Istanbul house bought in Dracula’s name, but he may have bought other places of which we are unaware. I am a complete believer now, too. I am amazed! The truth of recent events is absolutely undeniable. So Doctor Afif believes in ghouls and vampires, eh?
From Güzin Hanim’s Diary.
30 September.—I can hardly contain my excitement. Azmi has returned from Bakirköy with very important information. With all our strength we have now declared—yes, I believe we have—war on Dracula, the Impaler Voivode, this vampire from out of the darkness of centuries. When I read our nation’s glorious history with tearful eyes, and sa
w the cruelties and murders committed by this unprecedented monster who had many names, like Dracula, Black Devil, and Impaler Voivode, I cursed myself for not being a Turkish sipahi[13] living 400 years ago. Does this chain of events bring me into the battlefield with that devil in a different way? Strange, very strange! The only person to make all of this right is our brave commander, Doctor Resuhî Bey!
A moment ago, Turan Bey and his assistant Özdemir Bey arrived. Sadan’s poor lover, aide, and fiancé, Turan Bey, is a beautiful and kind man. Özdemir Bey is a paragon of the Turkish race and the Turkish type! We all sat and talked while Azmi was present. We discussed what has happened. Then, according to Doctor Resuhî Bey’s prior instructions, they read the notebooks of Azmi, Doctor Afif Bey, and myself.
CHAPTER XIII
FROM GÜZIN HANIM’S DIARY—continued.
The night of the same day.—Finally our honorable and fearless leader, Doctor Resuhî Bey, has arrived. When we met two hours after sunset in Afif Bey’s large, private lounge, Doctor Resuhî Bey was naturally the chairman of the meeting.
After scanning all of us with his eyes, the doctor said:
“My friends, you have now read and examined for yourselves all of the documents we have. You are also well aware of what has occurred. But now, I would like to give you some information about the characteristics of the enemy we will be fighting. After I have laid these down I will also discuss his history, which will greatly help to set the course of our battle. Yes, my friends, despite what some may say, there are such beings as vampires and ghouls. Almost everyone at this meeting has seen it to be true. In fact, even if we had not the proof of our own terrifying experiences, the writings, stories, and legends of the previous centuries are proof enough. I must confess: I did not imagine the day I would believe in such things. Had I not endeavored to understand the vastness of life, the universe, and the laws of nature—and the fact that our comprehension of them is yet very limited—there would be no way for me to grasp the horrible truth we face. A vampire is not like a bee that dies after stinging a man once. He gains strength as he bites and sucks blood; and his power, abilities, and capacity to work evil increase as he grows stronger. This vampire, who is now among the unknowing people of Istanbul, is the same thing that Romanians, Transylvanians, and Czechoslovakians call Nosferatu; but in this single being is the strength of twenty people like us. He has unprecedented powers of trickery and deception, for they have been honed over centuries. Because he possesses special abilities, he can appear anywhere in an instant and can in certain places create storms and fog. He has the ability to change his form. He has power over some animals. He can grow and become small; he can pass through even the smallest of holes. He can at times vanish completely. This is the abhorrent monster we now combat. Are you prepared to enter into this terrible war?”
At this all the men rose; I did the same. We said that we would not give up fighting, until death, to eradicate this threat to our people and all of humanity. The doctor received our decision, eyes shining, and was gratified. Then he continued speaking:
“My friends, just as these ghouls have unlimited powers, they also have moments of weakness; and there are things that they cannot do. We see indications and rumors of vampires in Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, France, India, China, and all throughout Germany. All of these common reports and beliefs, as well as what we have seen, tell us that a vampire will live as long as he sucks human blood; he cannot die by the mere passing of time. But he cannot survive without his food: human blood. This creature, which has no shadow like other bodies and can take the form of wolves or bats, has weaknesses, too; the vampire is a kind of chained lunatic. For example, he cannot enter a house without being first invited by someone of the household. But once he enters, he may visit freely whenever he wishes. As soon as the sun rises, all of the vampire’s power and strength disappears. If he cannot reach his grave before sunrise, it will end badly for him. But he can change himself during sunset, sunrise, and noon. Furthermore, he can only pass rivers at certain times, and there are some things he cannot go near, like garlic flowers. He is also afraid of the Holy Quran and the soil from the grave of our Prophet. In fact, the Christian nations use their crosses to protect themselves against vampires. In short, the sacredness of religion is considered a weapon against vampires everywhere. If we manage to find the grave of this vampire, we can destroy it. However, the ghoul we face is more cunning and dangerous than any other. Now I will tell you something frightening. My friends, we are about to fulfill a national and historic duty.
“Do you know who this hellish beast is who stands before us? It is none other than the accursed demon known centuries ago to the Turks as ‘the Black Devil,’ ‘the Devil Voivode,’ and ‘the Impaler Voivode.’ To illustrate the extent of this damned creature’s ugly, bloody nature, and to demonstrate his conviction, I must detail a few historical events of which you may already be aware. You can see this ‘Dracula’ in all his bloody, vile color in the pages of history concerning the reign of Mehmed II during the Turkish Empire. This man was born five centuries ago and was responsible for the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of people, and tens of thousands of Turks, near the Danube River.
“Our history, and even his own populace in his day, refers to him as the Impaler Voivode and Black Devil, as we do now. In the pages of our history you may find this demon’s family name, Dracula, as well as his given name, Vlad. The Draculas were a great, noble family. Strangely, however, according to Hungarian historical accounts, people believed that members of this family occasionally had dealings with magic and the Devil. In fact, there are still some semi-wild gypsy families today, with no religious beliefs, whose descendants almost worship the Dracula family. In Hungarian and Romanian history, Dracula is also referred to as ‘Stregoica,’ meaning ‘wizard,’ and ‘Ordog’ and ‘Pokul,’ meaning ‘the Devil’ and ‘Hell.’ He was given the name ‘Impaler Voivode’ because he killed all of his Turkish enemies and prisoners, without exception, by means of his horrible and gruesome sentence: impalement. He reserved a large, separate space in his palace in the city and erected hundreds of pikes, for torture, on either side. He used to impale hundreds of poor Turkish prisoners, and then feast and dance in the company of his people amid their screams and wailings. In fact, he was frequently seen to rend flesh from his prisoners’ wounds with his teeth, as an hors d’oeuvre, while he continued to drink wine and dance.
“His own people were sick of Dracula as well; his family shuddered with fear because of him. We recognized Dracula as the Wallachian Voivode during the reign of Murad II, and a levy was imposed. In addition, his brother, Rado, had a deep loyalty and commitment to Mehmed II. When Mehmed II took power in the year 865 of the Hegira calendar, the people of Wallachia, his own Christian population, sent a desperate petition explaining that Dracula’s terror had reached an unbearable level. Since their situation and his evil intentions were already known, the Ottoman Empire wished to strike this man with the hand of discipline. He did not accept the offer of reconciliation, but crossed the Danube River and the Turkish border with a hundred-thousand-man army he gathered from various other nations. He began to drown Bulgaria in fire and blood, sparing no village, town, or city. Our government not only sent an army against Dracula, but they also sent a light fleet of twenty-five galleys and one hundred and fifty longboats to the Danube, commanded by Yunus Bey. However, this monster Dracula had provided for everything. He was a stubborn and daring warrior. He set traps, defeated the army in a sudden raid, and tore down the light fleet. If you examine the historical records, you will see that Dracula captured both Captain Yunus Bey and the Vidin Keep Hamza Bey, and impaled both of them, leaving them on either side of the Danube River after severing their hands and feet! So Mehmed II went after this man himself. In a most daring move, Dracula sought to make a coup near the Danube. He chose ten thousand elite soldiers who had sworn to die and not turn back, and took an oath himself. He would assault the headquarters of Sultan Mehmed at night, and he would enter the sultan’s tent at the outset, either killing him or taking him prisoner during his first strike. The forces under the command of Mehmed II were all deployed to their positions and divided into various units; the forces within the headquarters did not have the numbers to withstand such an unexpected attack. Besides, a raid under such conditions with ten thousand sentinels could have sent an army of a hundred thousand into chaos. Dracula was absolutely certain that he would be successful. With the help of local guides, he approached the Turkish headquarters and launched his assault in the dark.