khan,”babasaid.“butenoughaboutthat.youaskedaboutsinanditotellyou.areyoulistening”</p>

“yes,”isaid,pressinglipstogether.butaynoseanddeasnsound.thatgotgigglingagain.</p>

babasstonyeyesboreintoneand,justlikethat,iore.“iantospeaktoyounton.doyouthinkyouhaforonce”</p>

“yes,babajan,”ittered,rveling,notforthefirstti,athoeoaloneonhislapandidbeenafooltoeit.</p>

“good,”babasaid,buthiseyesatterullahteaches,thereisonlyonesin,onlyone.andthatistheft.everyothersinisavariationoftheft.doyouuandthat”</p>

“no,babajan,”isaid,desperatelyagain.</p>

babaheavedasighofiatienan.ireeredallthetishedidntehountilafterdark,allthetisiatedinneralone.idaskaliingho,thoughikisiheydalldiedalonghtheirparents.</p>

“an,youstealalife,”babasaid.“youstealhisehttothetruth.,youstealtherighttofaiess.doyousee”</p>

idid.iddleofthenight.grandfather,arespe,butthethiefstabbedhihroat,killinghinstantlyandrobbingbabaofafather.thetothekunduzregion.theyhangedhirohebranchofanoaktreekhan,notbaba,ethatstory.iotherpeople.</p>

“thereisnoaanan.andifiever.doyouuand”</p>

ifoundtheideaoffrightening.“yes,baba.”</p>

“iftheresagodoutthere,theantthingstoattendtothandrinkihirstyagain.”</p>