Upset by the illustrations of the secret book, Master Osman explains his objections. Not only does the book contain no story, but the illustrations are rendered in a European style and depict characters not usually included in illustrated manuscripts. In the Sultan’s palace, Osman claims that he can identify which miniaturist provided each illustration. Black, however, expresses doubt.

Osman explains his reasoning to Black with a parable about a shah who found that one of his miniaturists had painted the ruler’s daughters into one of his illustrations. Although the miniaturist claimed he was not responsible, the shah was able to identify him as the artist due to the way he depicted ears. While most painters draw from memory, ears are not a typical field of study, so artists tend to draw ears in individual styles.

The Sultan’s men provide Osman and Black with all of the illustrations from the secret book. As they look through the works, they are able to connect illustrations to individual miniaturists. Olive’s work, for instance, reveals the influence of Asian artists. While Olive is disorganized and secretive, Osman doesn’t believe Olive killed Enishte. Butterfly is the most talented of the miniaturists and wants to become head miniaturist someday, which makes Black wonder if this desire led him to murder Elegant and Enishte.