Lurganslightlyinclinedhishead。`Hewillnottellanything，ifthatiswhatyouareafraidof；ColonelCreighton。’
`It’sonlyaboy，afterall。’
`Ye-es；butfirst，hehasnothingtotell；andsecondly，heknowswhatwouldhappen。Also，heisveryfondofMahbub，andofmealittle。’
`Willhedrawpay？’demandedthepracticalhorse-dealer。
`Foodandwaterallowanceonly。Twentyrupeesamonth。’
OneadvantageoftheSecretServiceisthatithasnoworryingaudit。
ThatServiceisludicrouslystarved，ofcourse，butthefundsareadministeredbyafewmenwhodonotcallforvouchersorpresentitemizedaccounts。
Mahbub’seyeslightedwithalmostaSikh’sloveofmoney。EvenLurgan’simpassivefacechanged。HeconsideredtheyearstocomewhenKimwouldhavebeenenteredandmadetotheGreatGamethatneverceasesdayandnight，throughoutIndia。Heforesawhonourandcreditinthemouthsofachosenfew，comingtohimfromhispupil。LurganSahibhadmadeE23whatE23was，outofabewildered，impertinent，lying，littleNorth-WestProvinceman。
ButthejoyofthesemasterswaspaleandsmokybesidethejoyofKimwhenStXavier’sHeadcalledhimaside，withwordthatColonelCreightonhadsentforhim。
`Iunderstand，O’Hara，thathehasfoundyouaplaceasanassistantchain-manintheCanalDepartment：thatcomesoftakingupmathematics。
Itisgreatluckforyou，foryouareonlysixteen；butofcourseyouunderstandthatyoudonotbecomepukka[permanent]tillyouhavepassedtheautumnexamination。Soyoumustnotthinkyouaregoingoutintotheworldtoenjoyyourself；orthatyourfortuneismade。Thereisagreatdealofhardworkbeforeyou。Only，ifyousucceedinbecomingpukka，youcanrise，youknow，tofourhundredandfiftyamonth。’WhereatthePrincipalgavehimmuchgoodadviceastohisconduct，andhismanners，andhismorals；andothers，hiselders，whohadnotbeenwaftedintobillets，talkedasonlyAnglo-Indianladscan，offavouritismandcorruption。Indeed，youngCazalet，whosefatherwasapensioneratChunar，hintedverybroadlythatColonelCreighton’sinterestinKimwasdirectlypaternal；andKim，insteadofretaliating，didnotevenuselanguage。Hewasthinkingoftheimmensefuntocome，ofMahbub’sletterofthedaybefore，allneatlywritteninEnglish，makingappointmentforthatafternooninahousetheverynameofwhichwouldhavecrispedthePrincipal’shairwithhorror……
SaidKimtoMahbubinLucknowrailwaystationthatevening，abovetheluggage-scales：`Ifearedlest，atthelast，theroofwouldfalluponmeandcheatme。Itisindeedallfinished，Omyfather？’
Mahbubsnappedhisfingerstoshowtheutternessofthatend，andhiseyesblazedlikeredcoals。
`ThenwhereisthepistolthatImaywearit？’
`Softly！Ahalf-year，torunwithoutheel-ropes。IbeggedthatmuchfromColonelCreightonSahib。Attwentyrupeesamonth。OldRedHatknowsthatthouartcoming。’
`Iwillpaytheedustoorie[commission]onmypayforthreemonths，’
saidKimgravely。`Yea，tworupeesamonth。Butfirstwemustgetridofthese。’Hepluckedhisthinlinentrousersanddraggedathiscollar。`I
havebroughtwithmeallthatIneedontheRoad。MytrunkhasgoneuptoLurganSahib’s。’
`Whosendshissalaamstothee-Sahib。’
`LurganSahibisaverycleverman。Butwhatdostthoudo？’
`IgoNorthagain，upontheGreatGame。Whatelse？IsthymindstillsetonfollowingoldRedHat？’
`DonotforgethemademethatIam-thoughhedidnotknowit。Yearbyyear，hesentthemoneythattaughtme。’
`Iwouldhavedoneasmuch-haditstruckmythickhead，’Mahbubgrowled。
`Comeaway。Thelampsarelitnow，andnonewillmarktheeinthebazar。
WegotoHuneefa’shouse。’
Onthewaythither，MahbubgavehimmuchthesamesortofadviceashismothergavetoLemuel，andcuriouslyenough，MahbubwasexacttopointouthowHuneefaandherlikesdestroyedkings。
`AndIremember，’hequotedmaliciously，`onewhosaid，`Trustasnakebeforeanharlot，andanharlotbeforeaPathan，MahbubAli。’Now，exceptingastoPathans，ofwhomIamone，allthatistrue。MosttrueisitintheGreatGame，foritisbymeansofwomenthatallplanscometoruinandwelieoutinthedawningwithourthroatscut。Soithappenedtosuchaone。’Hegavethereddestparticulars。
`Thenwhy-？’Kimpausedbeforeafilthystaircasethatclimbedtothewarmdarknessofanupperchamber，inthewardthatisbehindAzimUllah’stobacco-shop。ThosewhoknowitcallitTheBirdcage-itissofullofwhisperingsandwhistlingsandchirrupings。
Theroom，withitsdirtycushionsandhalf-smokedhookahs，smeltabominablyofstaletobacco。Inonecornerlayahugeandshapeless-womancladingreenishgauzes，anddecked，brow，nose，ear，neck，wrist，arm，waist，andanklewithheavynativejewellery。WhensheturneditwasliketheclashingofcopperPots。Aleancatinthebalconyoutsidethewindowmewedhungrily。Kimchecked，bewildered，atthedoor-curtain。
`Isthatthenewstuff，Mahbub？’saidHuneefalazily，scarcetroublingtoremovethemouthpiecefromherlips。`OBuktanoos！’-likemostofherkind，shesworebytheDjinns-`OBuktanoos！Heisverygoodtolookupon。’
`Thatispartofthesellingofthehorse，’MahbubexplainedtoKim，wholaughed。
`IhaveheardthattalksincemySixthDay，’hereplied，squattingbythelight。`Whitherdoesitlead？’
`Toprotection。Tonightwechangethycolour。Thissleepingunderroofshasblanchedtheelikeanalmond。ButHuneefahasthesecretofacolourthatcatches。Nopaintingofadayortwo。Also，wefortifytheeagainstthechancesoftheRoad。Thatismygifttothee，myson。Takeoutallmetalsontheeandlaythemhere。Makeready，Huneefa。’
Kimdraggedforthhiscompass，Surveypaint-box，andthenew-filledmedicine-box。Theyhadallaccompaniedhistravels，andboylikehevaluedthemimmensely。
Thewomanroseslowlyandmovedwithherhandsalittlespreadbeforeher。ThenKimsawthatshewasblind。`No，no，’shemuttered，`thePathanspeakstruth-mycolourdoesnotgoinaweekoramonth，andthosewhomIprotectareunderstrongguard。’
`Whenoneisfaroffandalone，itwouldnotbewelltogrowblotchedandleprousofasudden，’saidMahbub。`WhenthouwastwithmeIcouldoverseethematter。Besides，aPathanisafair-skin。Striptothewaistnowandlookhowthouartwhitened。’Huneefafeltherwaybackfromaninnerroom。`Itisnomatter，shecannotsee。’Hetookapewterbowlfromherringedhand。
Thedye-stuffshowedblueandgummy。Kimexperimentedonthebackofhiswrist，withadabofcotton-wool；butHuneefaheardhim。
`No，no，’shecried，`thethingisnotdonethus，butwiththeproperceremonies。Thecolouringistheleastpart。IgivetheethefullprotectionoftheRoad。’
`Jadoo？[magic]，’saidKim，withahalfstart。Hedidnotlikethewhite，sightlesseyes。Mahbub’shandonhisneckbowedhimtothefloor，nosewithinaninchoftheboards。
`Bestill。Noharmcomestothee，myson。Iamthysacrifice！’
Hecouldnotseewhatthewomanwasabout，butheardtheclish-clashofherjewelleryformanyminutes。Amatchlitupthedarkness；hecaughtthewell-knownpurrandfizzleofgrainsofincense。Thentheroomfilledwithsmoke-heavyaromatic，andstupefying。Throughgrowingdrowseheheardthenamesofdevils-ofZulbazan，SonofEblis，wholivesinbazarsandparaos，makingallthesuddenlewdwickednessofwaysidehalts；
ofDulhan，invisibleaboutmosques，thedwelleramongtheslippersofthefaithful，whohindersfolkfromtheirprayers；andMusboot，Lordofliesandpanic。Huneefa，nowwhisperinginhisear，nowtalkingasfromanimmensedistance，touchedhimwithhorriblesoftfingers，butMahbub’sgripnevershiftedfromhisnecktill，relaxingwithasigh，theboylosthissenses。
`Allah！Howhefought！Weshouldneverhavedoneitbutforthedrugs。
Thatwashiswhiteblood，Itakeit，’saidMahbubtestily。`Goonwiththedawut[invocation]。GivehimfullProtection。’
`OHearer！Thouthathearestwithears，bepresent。Listen，OHearer！’
Huneefamoaned，herdeadeyesturnedtothewest。Thedarkroomfilledwithmoaningsandsnortings。
Fromtheouterbalcony，aponderousfigureraisedaroundbulletheadandcoughednervously。
`Donotinterruptthisventriloquialnecromanciss，myfriend，’itsaidinEnglish。`Iopinethatitisverydisturbingtoyou，butnoenlightenedobserverisjolly-wellupset。’
`……Iwilllayaplotfortheirruin！OProphet，bearwiththeunbelievers。
Letthemaloneawhile！’Huneefa’sface，turnedtothenorthward，workedhorribly，anditwasasthoughvoicesfromtheceilingansweredher。
HurreeBabureturnedtohisnote-book，balancedonthewindow-sill，buthishandshook。Huneefa，insomesortofdrugged-ecstasy，wrenchedherselftoandfroasshesatcross-leggedbyKim’sstillhead，andcalledupondevilafterdevil，intheancientorderoftheritual，bindingthemtoavoidtheboy’severyaction。
`WithHimarethekeysoftheSecretThings！NoneknoweththembesidesHimselfHeknoweththatwhichisinthedrylandandinthesea’’Againbrokeouttheunearthlywhistlingresponses。
`I-Iapprehenditisnotatallmalignantinitsoperation？’saidtheBabu，watchingthethroat-musclesquiverandjerkasHuneefaspokewithtongues。`It-itisnotlikelythatshehaskilledtheboy？Ifso，Ideclinetobewitnessatthetrial……Whatwasthelasthypotheticaldevilmentioned？’
`Babuji，’saidMahbubinthevernacular。`IhavenoregardforthedevilsofHind，buttheSonsofEblisarefarotherwise，andwhethertheybejumalee[well-affected]orjullalee[terrible]theylovenotKafirs。’
`ThenyouthinkIhadbettergo？’saidHurreeBabu，halfrising。`Theyare，ofcourse，dematerializedphenomena。Spencersays-’
Huneefa’scrisispassed，asthesethingsmust，inaparoxysmofhowling，withatouchoffrothatthelips。ShelayspentandmotionlessbesideKim，andthecrazyvoicesceased。
`Wah！Thatworkisdone。Maytheboybebetterforit；andHuneefaissurelyamistressofdawut。Helphaulheraside，Babu。Donotbeafraid。’
`HowamItofeartheabsolutelynon-existent？’saidHurreeBabu，talkingEnglishtoreassurehimself。Itisanawfulthingstilltodreadthemagicthatyoucontemptuouslyinvestigate-tocollectfolk-lorefortheRoyalSocietywithalivelybeliefinallPowersofDarkness。
Mahbubchuckled。HehadbeenoutwithHurreeontheRoaderenow。`Letusfinishthecolouring，’saidhe。`Theboyiswellprotectedif-iftheLordsoftheAirhaveearstohear。IamaSufi[free-thinker]，butwhenonecangetblind-sidesofawoman，astallion，oradevil，whygoroundtoinviteakick？Sethimupontheway，Babu，andseethatoldRedHatdoesnotleadhimbeyondourreach。Imustgetbacktomyhorses。’