Imayspendonenighthereandperhapsthenext。Ithashappenedbefore。
ThenIwillrunawayandreturntothee。’
`Buttellthemthatthouartmychela。TellthemhowthoudidstcometomewhenIwasfaintandbewildered。TellthemofourSearch，andtheywillsurelylettheegonow。’
`Ihavealreadytoldthem。Theylaugh，andtheytalkofthepolice。’
`Whatareyousaying？’askedMrBennett。
`Oah。Heonlysaysthatifyoudonotletmegoitwillstophiminhisbusiness-hisur-gentprivateaf-fairs。’ThislastwasareminiscenceofsometalkwithaEurasianclerkintheCanalDepartment，butitonlydrewasmile，whichnettledhim。`Andifyoudidknowwhathisbusinesswasyouwouldnotbeinsuchabeastlyhurrytointerfere。’
`Whatisitthen？’saidFatherVictor，notwithoutfeeling，ashewatchedthelama’sface。
`ThereisaRiverinthiscountrywhichhewishestofindsoverreemuch。ItwasputoutbyanArrowwhich-’KimtappedhisfootimpatientlyashetranslatedinhisownmindfromthevernaculartohisclumsyEnglish。
`Oah，itwasmadebyourLordGodBuddha，youknow，andifyouwashthereyouarewashedawayfromallyoursinsandmadeaswhiteascotton-wool。’
Kimhadheardmission-talkinhistime。`Iamhisdisciple，andwemustfindthatRiver。Itissoverreevaluabletous。’
`Saythatagain，’saidBennett。Kimobeyed，withamplifications。
`Butthisisgrossblasphemy！’criedtheChurchofEngland。
`Tck！Tck！’saidFatherVictorsympathetically。`I’dgiveagooddealtobeabletotalkthevernacular。Ariverthatwashesawaysin！Andhowlonghaveyoutwobeenlookingforit？’
`Oh，manydays。Nowwewishtogoawayandlookforitagain。Itisnothere，yousee。’
`Isee，’saidFatherVictorgravely。`Buthecan’tgooninthatoldman’scompany。Itwouldbedifferent，Kim，ifyouwerenotasoldier’sson。TellhimthattheRegimentwilltakecareofyouandmakeyouasgoodamanasyour-asgoodamanascanbe。Tellhimthatifhebelievesinmiracleshemustbelievethat-’
`Thereisnoneedtoplayonhiscredulity，’Bennettinterrupted。
`I’mdoingnosuchthing。Hemustbelievethattheboy’scominghere-tohisownRegiment-insearchofhisRedBullisinthenatureofamiracle。Considerthechancesagainstit，Bennett。ThisoneboyinallIndia，andourRegimentofallothersonthelineo’marchforhimtomeetwith！It’spredestinedonthefaceofit。Yes，tellhimit’sKismet。Kismet，mallum？[Doyouunderstand？]’
Heturnedtowardsthelama，towhomhemightaswellhavetalkedofMesopotamia。
`Theysay，’-theoldman’seyelightedatKim’sspeech-`theysaythatthemeaningofmyhoroscopeisnowaccomplished，andthatbeingledback-thoughasthouknowestIwentoutofcuriosity-tothesepeopleandtheirRedBullImustneedsgotoamadrissahandbeturnedintoaSahib。NowImakepretenceofagreement，forattheworstitwillbebutafewmealseatenawayfromthee。ThenIwillslipawayandfollowdowntheroadtoSaharunpore。Therefore，HolyOne，keepwiththatKuluwoman-onnoaccountstrayfarfromhercarttillIcomeagain。Pastquestion，mysignisofWarandofarmedmen。Seehowtheyhavegivenmewinetodrinkandsetmeuponabedofhonour！Myfathermusthavebeensomegreatperson。Soiftheyraisemetohonouramongthem，good。Ifnot，goodagain。
Howeveritgoes，IwillrunbacktotheewhenIamtired。ButstaywiththeRajputni，orIshallmissthyfeet……Oahyess，’saidtheboy，`Ihavetoldhimeverythingyoutellmetosay。’
`AndIcannotseeanyneedwhyheshouldwait，’saidBennett，feelinginhistrouser-pocket。`Wecaninvestigatethedetailslater-andIwillgivehimaru-’
`Givehimtime。Maybehe’sfondofthelad，’saidFatherVictor，halfarrestingtheclergyman’smotion。
Thelamadraggedforthhisrosaryandpulledhishugehat-brimoverhiseyes。
`Whatcanhewantnow？’
`Hesays’-Kimputuponehand。`Hesays：Bequiett。Hewantstospeaktomebyhimself。Yousee，youdonotknowonelittlewordofwhathesays，andIthinkifyoutalkhewillperhapsgiveyouverybadcurses。Whenhetakesthosebeadslikethat，yousee，healwayswantstobequiett。’
ThetwoEnglishmensatoverwhelmed，buttherewasalookinBennett’seyethatpromisedillforKimwhenheshouldberelaxedtothereligiousarm。
`ASahibandthesonofaSahib-’Thelama’svoicewasharshwithpain。`Butnowhitemanknowsthelandandthecustomsofthelandasthouknowest。Howcomesitthisistrue？’
`Whatmatter，HolyOne？-butrememberitisonlyforanightortwo。
Remember，Icanchangeswiftly。ItwillallbeasitwaswhenIfirstspoketotheeunderZam-Zammahthegreatgun-’
`Asaboyinthedressofwhitemen-whenIfirstwenttotheWonderHouse。AndasecondtimethouwastaHindu。Whatshallthethirdincarnationbe？’Hechuckleddrearily。`Ah，chela，thouhasdoneawrongtoanoldmanbecausemyheartwentouttothee。’
`Andminetothee。ButhowcouldIknowthattheRedBullwouldbringmetothisbusiness？’
Thelamacoveredhisfaceafresh，andnervouslyrattledtherosary。
Kimsquattedbesidehimandlaidholduponafoldofhisclothing。
`NowitisunderstoodthattheboyisaSahib？’hewentoninamuffledtone。`SuchaSahibaswashewhokepttheimagesintheWonderHouse。’
Thelama’sexperienceofwhitemenwaslimited。Heseemedtoberepeatingalesson。`SothenitisnotseemlythatheshoulddootherthanastheSahibsdo。Hemustgobacktohisownpeople。’
`Foradayandanightandaday，’Kimpleaded。
`No，yedon’t！’FatherVictorsawKimedgingtowardsthedoor，andinterposedastrongleg。
`Idonotunderstandthecustomsofwhitemen。ThePriestoftheImagesintheWonderHouseinLahorewasmorecourteousthanthethinonehere。
Thisboywillbetakenfromme。TheywillmakeaSahibofmydisciple？
Woetome！HowshallIfindmyRiver？Havetheynodisciples？Ask。’
`HesaysheisverysorreethathecannotfindtheRivernowanymore。
Hesays，Whyhaveyounodisciples，andstopbotheringhim？Hewantstobewashedofhissins。’
NeitherBennettnorFatherVictorfoundanyanswerready。
SaidKiminEnglish，distressedforthelama’sagony：`Ithinkifyouwillletmegonowwewillwalkawayquietlyandnotsteal。WewilllookforthatRiverlikebeforeIwascaught。IwishIdidnotcomeheretofindtheRedBullandallthatsortofthing。Idonotwantit。’
`It’stheverybestday’sworkyoueverdidforyourself，youngman，’
saidBennett。
`Goodheavens，Idon’tknowhowtoconsolehim，’saidFatherVictor，watchingthelamaintently。`Hecan’ttaketheboyawaywithhim，andyethe’sagoodman-I’msurehe’sagoodman。Bennett，ifyougivehimthatrupeehe’llcurseyourootandbranch！’
Theylistenedtoeachother’sbreathing-three-fivefullminutes。
Thenthelamaraisedhishead，andlookedforthacrossthemintospaceandemptiness。
`AndIamaFolloweroftheWay，’hesaidbitterly。`Thesinismineandthepunishmentismine。Imadebelievetomyself-fornowIseeitwasbutmake-belief-thatthouwastsenttometoaidintheSearch。Somyheartwentouttotheeforthycharityandthycourtesyandthewisdomofthylittleyears。ButthosewhofollowtheWaymustpermitnotthefireofanydesireorattachment，forthatisallIllusion。Assays……`Hequotedanold，oldChinesetext，backeditwithanother，andreinforcedthesewithathird。`IsteppedasidefromtheWay，mychela。Itwasnofaultofthine。Idelightedinthesightoflife，thenewpeopleupontheroads，andinthyjoyatseeingthesethings。IwaspleasedwiththeewhoshouldhaveconsideredmySearchandmySearchalone。NowIamsorrowfulbecausethouarttakenawayandmyRiverisfarfromme。ItistheLawwhichIhavebroken！’
`PowersofDarknessbelow！’saidFatherVictor，who，wiseintheconfessional，heardthepainineverysentence。
`IseenowthatthesignoftheRedBullwasasignformeaswellasforthee。AllDesireisred-andevil。IwilldopenanceandfindmyRiveralone。’
`AtleastgobacktotheKuluwoman，’saidKim，`otherwisethouwiltbelostupontheroads。ShewillfeedtheetillIrunbacktothee。’
Thelamawavedahandtoshowthatthematterwasfinallysettledinhismind。
`Now，’-histonealteredasheturnedtoKim，-`whatwilltheydowiththee？AtleastImay，acquiringmerit，wipeoutpastill。’
`MakemeaSahib-sotheythink。ThedayaftertomorrowIreturn。Donotgrieve。’
`Ofwhatsort？Suchanoneasthisorthatman？’HepointedtoFatherVictor。`SuchanoneasthoseIsawthisevening-menwearingswordsandstampingheavily？’