第33节

    【】toattendingforlpartiesinorjokesofiortantpeople.hehadbedbaooth,tannedforehead,andtuftsofelledlikelogoonypressings;thegoldofapockethisvest.

    “su,baychild.

    “salaageneralsahib,”isaid,shakinghishand.histhinhandsbeliedafirrip,asifsteelhidbeheisturizedskin.

    “arisgoingtobeagreater,”babasaid.ididadoubletakeatthis.“hehasfinishedhisfirstyearofllegeandeaedasinallofhisurses.”

    “junie,”irrectedhi

    “shallah,”geaherisaid.“s”

    “ikhanhadgiven,barrassedbythenthisnspresence.

    “ah,astoryteller,”thegeneralsaid.“atdiffie.“speakingofstories,yourfatherandihuntedpheasanttogetheronesuerdayinjalalabad,”hesaid.“itarvelousti.ifiretly,yourfatherseyeprovedaskeeniasithadinbusiness.”

    babakickedaebusiness.”

    geaherinagedasiltaneouslysadandpolitesle,heavedasigh,alypattedbabasshoulder.“zendagigzara,”hesaid.lifegoesouedhiseyesto.“,andihaveheardnynfoolishlylabeledgreat.butyourfatherhasthedistininorityethelooked:oftenusedandunnaturallyshiny.

    “youreflattering,”babasaid.

    “iaot,”thegeneralsaid,tiltinghisheadsideility.“boysandgirlsstknoe.“doyouappredoyoureallyappreciatehi

    “balay,generalsahib,ido,”isaid,e“child.”

    “thenngratulations,youarealreadyhalfan,”hesaidor,noirony,theplintofthecasuallyarrogant.

    “padarjan,yotyourtea.”ayoungansvoiaybethatoftahneh,rostaotherfroheshahnah.hereyes,etne.heldforant.flewaway.

    “youaresokind,dear,”geaherisaid.hetooktheoothskinjustaboveherleftjaosinside.herhairspilledtoonesideidboxesofoldrerdsandpaperbacks.

    “daughter,sorayajan,”geaherisaid.hetookadeepbreathlikeaoyhaheeye.hispaleblueeyesrevealednothingofthethoughtsbehindthe

    fortherestofthatday,ifoughttheurgetolooktohegrayvan.

    itcatooaheri,ikneebefore.

    “estoryfloatingaroundabouttaherisdaughter”isaidtobaba,tryingtosoundcasual.

    “youknoe,”babasaid,ialktustogossipandiwalkaway.”

    “buttherethere”isaid.

    “oyly.

    ishruggedandfoughtbackasle.“justcurious,baba.”

    “reallyisthatall”hesaid,hiseyesplayful,lingeringonne.“hasshedeaniressiononyou”

    irolledeyes.“please,baba.”

    hesled,andsarket.hings...didshehadbreastcer.

    “ihearsheisadeir,”hesaid.

    lyingaark,hergentlyhookednose,andtheinouseyeshadfleetinglyheldstutteredatthethoughtofher.sorayataheri.seetprincess.

    twelve

    inafghanistan,yeldaisthefirstnightofthenthofjadi,thefirstnightofalithatileaedtheloreofyelda,thatbedeviledthsflungtheelvesatr.

    e.andoingsbed,sorayataherisbroyhead.inbabasbus,iuhelesuntilidseehersittingbarefoingyyelda.

    iiedexeshedgetupfroisdir

    ...