Chapters 12-14 Summary

Black visits the three miniaturists to try to discover what has happened to Elegant. He presents each with one of Master Osman's questions. Butterfly answers with three parables on style and signature, hoping to convince Black that he believes style and signature are merely imperfections. Butterfly shows Black his latest work from the Book of Festivities, a scene in which debtors are released from prison. Stork relates three stores on time and painting, saying that time makes a drawing perfect and that illustrating with skill is the only way to escape time. However, if an illustrator stops aiming for perfection in his work, his reward is death. Olive tells three parables about blindness and memory, in which he expands on the reasons that miniaturists aspire to become blind. Before Olive can show Black any specific illustrations, an apprentice arrives to inform...