the kite runner-第109章

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　to　take　him　on。　Looks　like　I　ll　have　to　settle　for　his　weakling　of　a　son。　　Then　he　took　off　his　sunglasses　and　locked　his　bloodshot　blue　eyes　on　mine。
I　tried　to　take　a　breath　and　couldn　t。　I　tried　to　blink　and　couldn　t。　The　moment　felt　surreal……no；　not　surreal；　absurd……it　had　knocked　the　breath　out　of　me；　brought　the　world　around　me　to　a　standstill。　My　face　was　burning。　What　was　the　old　saying　about　the　bad　penny？　My　past　was　like　that；　always　turning　up。　His　name　rose　from　the　deep　and　I　didn　t　want　to　say　it；　as　if　uttering　it　might　conjure　him。　But　he　was　already　here；　in　the　flesh；　sitting　less　than　ten　feet　from　me；　after　all　these　years。　His　name　escaped　my　lips：　　Assef。　
　Ainir　jan。　
　What　are　you　doing　here？　　I　said；　knowing　how　utterly　foolish　the　question　sounded；　yet　unable　to　think　of　anything　else　to　say。
　Me？　　Assef　arched　an　eyebrow　　I　m　in　my　element。　The　question　is　what　are　you　doing　here？　
　I　already　told　you；　　I　said。　My　voice　was　trembling。　I　wished　it　wouldn　t　do　that；　wished　my　flesh　wasn　t　shrinking　against　my　bones。
　The　boy？　
　Yes。　
　Why？　
　I　ll　pay　you　for　him；　　I　said。　　I　can　have　money　wired。　
　Money？　　Assef　said。　He　tittered。　　Have　you　ever　heard　of　Rockingham？　Western　Australia；　a　slice　of　heaven。　You　should　see　it；　miles　and　miles　of　beach。　Green　water；　blue　skies。　My　parents　live　there；　in　a　beachfront　villa。　There　s　a　golf　course　behind　the　villa　and　a　little　lake。　Father　plays　golf　every　day。　Mother；　she　prefers　tennis……Father　says　she　has　a　wicked　backhand。　They　own　an　Afghan　restaurant　and　two　jewelry　stores；　both　businesses　are　doing　spectacularly。　　He　plucked　a　red　grape。　Put　it；　lovingly；　in　Sohrab　s　mouth。　　So　if　I　need　money；　I　ll　have　them　wire　it　to　me。　　He　kissed　the　side　of　Sohrab　s　neck。　The　boy　flinched　a　little；　closed　his　eyes　again。　　Besides；　I　didn　t　fight　the　Shorawi　for　money。　Didn　t　join　the　Taliban　for　money　either。　Do　you　want　to　know　why　I　joined　them？　
My　lips　had　gone　dry。　I　licked　them　and　found　my　tongue　had　dried　too。
　Are　you　thirsty？　　Assef　said；　smirking。
　I　think　you　re　thirsty。　
　I　m　fine；　　I　said。　The　truth　was；　the　room　felt　too　hot　suddenly……sweat　was　bursting　from　my　pores；　prickling　my　skin。　And　was　this　really　happening？　Was　I　really　sitting　across　from　Assef？
　As　you　wish；　　he　said。　　Anyway；　where　was　I？　Oh　yes；　how　I　joined　the　Taliban。　Well；　as　you　may　remember；　I　wasn　t　much　of　a　religious　type。　But　one　day　I　had　an　epiphany。　I　had　it　in　jail。　Do　you　want　to　hear？　
I　said　nothing。
　Good。　I　ll　tell　you；　　he　said。　　I　spent　some　time　in　jail；　at　Poleh…Charkhi；　just　after　Babrak　Karmal　took　over　in　1980。　I　ended　up　there　one　night；　when　a　group　of　Parc　hami　soldiers　marched　into　our　house　and　ordered　my　father　and　me　at　gun　point　to　follow　them。　The　bastards　didn　t　give　a　reason；　and　they　wouldn　t　answer　my　mother　s　questions。　Not　that　it　was　a　mys　tery；　everyone　knew　the　munists　had　no　class。　They　came　from　poor　families　with　no　name。　The　same　dogs　who　weren　t　fit　to　lick　my　shoes　before　the　Shorawi　came　were　now　ordering　me　at　gunpoint；　Parchami　flag　on　their　lapels；　making　their　little　point　about　the　fall　of　the　bourgeoisie　and　acting　like　they　were　the　ones　with　class。　It　was　happening　all　over：　Round　up　the　rich；　throw　them　in　jail；　make　an　example　for　the　rades。
　Anyway；　we　were　crammed　in　groups　of　six　in　these　tiny　cells　each　the　size　of　a　refrigerator。　Every　night　the　mandant；　a　haif…Hazara；　half…Uzbek　thing　who　smelled　like　a　rotting　donkey；　would　have　one　of　the　prisoners　dragged　out　of　the　cell　and　he　d　beat　him　until　sweat　poured　from　his　fat　face。　Then　he　d　light　a　cigarette；　crack　his　joints；　and　leave。　The　next　night；　he　d　pick　someone　else。　One　night；　he　picked　me。　It　couldn　t　have　e　at　a　worse　time。　I　d　been　peeing　blood　for　three　days。　Kidney　stones。　And　if　you　ve　never　had　one；　believe　me　when　I　say　it　s　the　worst　imaginable　pain。　My　mother　used　to　get　them　too；　and　I　remember　she　told　me　once　she　d　rather　give　birth　than　pass　a　kidney　stone。　Anyway；　what　could　I　do？　They　dragged　me　out　and　he　started　kick　ing　me。　He　had　knee…high　boots　with　steel　toes　that