【】ngallaround.thatwasfun.”

“youstssyourparentsverych,”isaid.ihetalibandraghisparentsoutintothestreet.ihopedhehadnt.

“doyoussyourparents”heaked,restinghise.

“doisspareher.fatherdiedafeisshisotisalot.”

“doyoureerhelookedlike”

ithoughtofbabasthiberelledliketoo.”

“itartingtettheirfaces,”sohrabsaid.“isthatbad”

“no,”isaid.“tidoesthat.”ithoughtofsothing.ilookedinthefrontpoyat.foundthepolaroidsnapshotofhassanandsohrab.“here,”isaid.

hebroughtthephototothesquefellonit.helookedatitforalongti.ithoughtheghtboveritssurfaeaybeidheardsoonesayit:therearealotofe.

“keepit,”isaid.“itsyours.”

“thankyou.”helookedatthephotoagainandstothehorsesnedjingledheachstep.

“ivebeenthinkingalotaboutsqueslately,”sohrabsaid.

“youhave”

heshrugged.“justthinkingaboutthe”heliftedhisfae.hing,aragha”

“ofurse.”

“einhellforan”

ireaandheflin,tellhihe,nottheotherwayaround.

hisfaesbeegood.”

“notalways,sohrab.”

helookedatquestioningly.

“thenfroanyyearsago,”isaid.“iguessyoufiguredthatoutthatfroheionheandihad.he...hetriedtohurtontrouble,standingupfor.soohebadnhurtyourfatherinstead.hehurthinaverybade.”

“her”sohrabsaidioanyone.”

“yht.yourfatheran.butthatstryingtotellyou,sohrabjan.thattherearebadpeopleinthisetisbadpeoplestaybad.sotisyouhavetostanduptotheanisallthoseyearsago.yougavehire.”

“doyouthinkfatherisdisappointedin”

“iknoylifeinkabul.iknohat.”

heedonhislips.heburiedhisfaissfather,aoo,”heisssasaandrahihansahib.butsotisiladtheyrenot...theyrenothereanyre.”

“.hedrek.

“bee...iodirty.”hesuckedinhisbreathaoutinalong,sodirtyandfullofsin.”

“yourenotdirty,sohrab,”isaid.

“thosen”

“yourenotdirtyatall.”

“theydidthings...thebadnaherte.”

“yourenotdirty,andyourenotfullofsin.”itouedratoaedhisheadonyarheachsob.

akinshipexistsbetthesabreast.noyshirt,isahassefhadirrevocablyboundus.

idbeenlookingfortherightti,therightnt,toaskthequestionthathadbeenbuzzingaroundinheadandkeepingupatnight.idecidedthenthere,rightnohthebrightlightsofthehouseofgodshiningonus.

“eliveinaridwife”

hedidntansyshirtahi

foraentioned,asifthequestionhadntbeeall.thenoneday,sohrabanditookataxianekohvieoftheuntain.”persohrabto,bayassortntoffadingbruises.

tree.itday,thesunperiliessnaosasandpakoras.soeeredfronoldvie,ybepakeeza.kids,nyoftheohrabsage,ansoffihesttightenedyuntrynroyingtheirownland.

“ileandtoldhitportant.

toyhalfbrothersson,playing

yhesongendedandanotheroarted,oneididntregnize.

“look,”sohrabsaid.helesssky.“didntknoabad,”isaid.

“her,”hesaid,hiseyestragthebirdsular

...