`True。Truetalk，’saidKimsolemnly。`Foolsspeakofacatwhenawomanisbroughttobed，forinstance。Ihaveheardthem。’
`Therefore，inonesituateasthouart，itparticularlybehovestheetorememberthiswithbothkindsoffaces。AmongSahibs，neverforgettingthouartaSahib；amongthefolkofHind，alwaysrememberingthouart-
’Hepaused，withapuzzledsmile。
`WhatamI？Mussalman，Hindu，Jain，orBuddhist？Thatisahardknot。’
`Thouartbeyondquestionanunbeliever，andthereforethouwiltbedamned。SosaysmyLaw-orIthinkitdoes。ButthouartalsomyLittleFriendofalltheWorld，andIlovethee。Sosaysmyheart。Thismatterofcreedsislikehorseflesh。Thewisemanknowshorsesaregood-thatthereisaprofittobemadefromall；andformyself-butthatIamagoodSunniandhatethemenofTirah-IcouldbelievethesameofalltheFaiths。NowmanifestlyaKathiawarmaretakenfromthesandsofherbirthplaceandremovedtothewestofBengalfounders-norisevenaBalkhstallionandtherearenobetterhorsesthanthoseofBalkh，weretheynotsoheavyintheshoulderofanyaccountinthegreatNortherndesertsbesidethesnow-camelsIhaveseen。ThereforeIsayinmyhearttheFaithsarelikethehorses。Eachhasmeritinitsowncountry。’
`Butmylamasaidaltogetheradifferentthing。’
`Oh，heisanolddreamerofdreamsfromBhotiyal。Myheartisalittleangry，FriendofalltheWorld，thatthoushouldstseesuchworthinamansolittleknown。’
`Itistrue，Hajji；butthatworthdoIsee，andtohimmyheartisdrawn。’
`Andhistothine，Ihear。Heartsarelikehorses。Theycomeandtheygoagainstbitorspur。ShoutGulSherKhanyondertodriveinthatbaystallion’spicketsmorefirmly。Wedonotwantahorse-fightateveryresting-stage，andthedunandtheblackwillbelockedinalittle……Nowhearme。Isitnecessarytothecomfortofthyhearttoseethatlama？’
`Itisonepartofmybond，’saidKim。`IfIdonotseehim，andifheistakenfromme，IwillgooutofthatmadrissahinNucklaoand，and-oncegone，whoistofindmeagain？’
`Itistrue。Neverwascoltheldonalighterheel-ropethanthou。’
Mahbubnoddedhishead。
`Donotbeafraid。’Kimspokeasthoughhecouldhaveevanishedonthemoment。`Mylamahassaidthathewillcometoseemeatthemadrissah-’
`AbeggarandhisbowlinthepresenceofthoseyoungSa-’
`Notall！’Kimcutinwithasnort。`Theireyesarebluedandtheirnailsareblackenedwithlow-casteblood，manyofthem。Sonsofmehteranees-brothers-in-lawtothebhungi[sweeper]。’
Weneednotfollowtherestofthepedigree；butKimmadehislittlepointclearlyandwithoutheat，chewingapieceofsugar-canethewhile。
`FriendofalltheWorld，’saidMahbub，pushingoverthepipefortheboytoclean，`Ihavemetmanymen，women，andboys，andnotafewSahibs。
Ihaveneverinallmydaysmetsuchanimpasthouart。’
`Andwhy？WhenIalwaystelltheethetruth。’
`Perhapstheveryreason，forthisisaworldofdangertohonestmen。’
MahbubAlihauledhimselfofftheground，girtinhisbelt，andwentovertothehorses。
`Orsellit？’
TherewasthatinthetonethatmadeMahbubhaltandturn。`Whatnewdevilry？’
`Eightannas，andIwilltell，’saidKim，grinning。`Ittouchesthypeace。’
`OShaitan！’Mahbubgavethemoney。
`Rememberestthouthelittlebusinessofthethievesinthedark，downyonderatUmballa？’
`Seeingtheysoughtmylife，Ihavenotaltogetherforgotten。Why？’
`RememberestthoutheKashmirSerai？’
`Iwilltwistthyearsinamoment-Sahib。’
`Noneed-Pathan。Only，thesecondfakir，whomtheSahibsbeatsenseless，wasthemanwhocametosearchthybulkheadatLahore。Isawhisfaceastheyhelpedhimontheengine。Theverysameman。’
`Whydidstthounottellbefore？’
`Oh，hewillgotojail，andbesafeforsomeyears。Thereisnoneedtotellmorethanisnecessaryatanyonetime。Besides，Ididnotthenneedmoneyforsweetmeats。’
`Allahkerim！’saidMahbubAli。`Wiltthousomedaysellmyheadforafewsweetmeatsifthefittakesthee？’Kimwillremembertillhediesthatlong，lazyjourneyfromUmballa，throughKalkaandthePinjoreGardensnearby，uptoSimla。AsuddenspateintheGuggerRiversweptdownonehorsethemostvaluable，besure，andnearlydrownedKimamongthedancingboulders。FartheruptheroadthehorseswerestampededbyaGovernmentelephant，andbeinginhighconditionofgrassfood，itcostadayandahalftogetthemtogetheragain。ThentheymetSikandarKhancomingdownwithafewunsaleablescrews-remnantsofhisstring-andMahbub，whohasmoreofhorse-copinginhislittlefingernailthanSikandarKhaninallhistents，mustneedsbuytwooftheworst，andthatmeanteighthours’laboriousdiplomacyanduntoldtobacco。
Butitwasallpuredelight-thewanderingroad，climbing，dipping，andsweepingaboutthegrowingspurs；theflushofthemorninglaidalongthedistantsnows；thebranchedcacti，tierupontieronthestonyhillsides；
thevoicesofathousandwater-channels；thechatterofthemonkeys；thesolemndeodars，climbingoneafteranotherwithdown-droopedbranches；
thevistaofthePlainsrolledoutfarbeneaththem；theincessanttwangingofthetonga-hornsandthewildrushoftheledhorseswhenatongaswungroundacurve；thehaltsforprayersMahbubwasveryreligiousindry-washingsandbellowingswhentimedidnotpress；theeveningconferencesbythehalting-places，whencamelsandbullockschewedsolemnlytogetherandthestoliddriverstoldthenewsoftheRoad-allthesethingsliftedKim’shearttosongwithinhim。
`But，whenthesinginganddancingisdone，’saidMahbubAli，`comestheColonelSahib’s，andthatisnotsosweet。’
`Afairland-amostbeautifullandisthisofHind-andthelandoftheFiveRiversisfairerthanall，’Kimhalfchanted。`IntoitIwillgoagainifMahbubAliortheColonellifthandorfootagainstme。Oncegone，whoshallfindme？Look，Hajji，isyonderthecityofSimla？Allah，whatacity！’
`Myfather’sbrother，andhewasanoldmanwhenMackersonSahib’swellwasnewatPeshawur，couldrecallwhentherewerebuttwohousesinit。’
HeledthehorsesbelowthemainroadintothelowerSimlabazar-thecrowdedrabbit-warrenthatclimbsupfromthevalleytotheTownHallatanangleofforty-five。AmanwhoknowshiswaytherecandefyallthepoliceofIndia’ssummercapital，socunninglydoesverandacommunicatewithveranda，alley-waywithalley-way，andbolt-holewithbolt-hole。Herelivethosewhoministertothewantsofthegladcity-jhampaniswhopulltheprettyladies’`rickshawsbynightandgambletillthedawn；
grocers，oil-sellers，curio-vendors，firewood-dealers，priests，pickpockets，andnativeemployeesoftheGovernment。HerearediscussedbycourtesansthethingswhicharesupposedtobeprofoundestsecretsoftheIndiaCouncil；
andheregatherallthesub-sub-agentsofhalftheNativeStates。Here，too，MahbubAlirentedaroom，muchmoresecurelylockedthanhisbulkheadatLahore，inthehouseofaMohammedancattle-dealer。Itwasaplaceofmiracles，too，fortherewentinattwilightaMohammedanhorseboy，andtherecameoutanhourlateraEurasianlad-theLucknowgirl’sdyewasofthebest-inbadly-fittingshop-clothes。
`IhavespokenwithCreightonSahib，’quothMahbubAli，`andasecondtimehastheHandofFriendshipavertedtheWhipofCalamity。HesaysthatthouhastaltogetherwastedsixtydaysupontheRoad，anditistoolate，therefore，tosendtheetoanyHill-school。’
`Ihavesaidthatmyholidaysaremyown。Idonotgotoschooltwiceover。Thatisonepartofmybond。’
`TheColonelSahibisnotyetawareofthatcontract。ThouarttolodgeinLurganSahib’shousetillitistimetogoagaintoNucklao。’
`Ihadsoonerlodgewiththee，Mahbub。’
`Thoudostnotknowthehonour。LurganSahibhimselfaskedforthee。
Thouwiltgoupthehillandalongtheroadatop，andtherethoumustforgetforawhilethatthouhasteverseenorspokentome，MahbubAli，whosellshorsestoCreightonSahib，whomthoudostnotknow。Rememberthisorder。’
Kimnodded。`Good，’saidhe，`andwhoisLurganSahib？Nay’-hecaughtMahbub’ssword-keenglance-`indeedIhaveneverheardhisname。Ishebychance’-heloweredhisvoice-`oneofus？’
`Whattalkisthisofus，Sahib？’MahbubAlireturned，inthetoneheusedtowardsEuropeans。`IamaPathan；thouartaSahibandthesonofaSahib。LurganSahibhasashopamongtheEuropeanshops。AllSimlaknowsit。Askthere……and，FriendofalltheWorld，heisonetobeobeyedtothelastwinkofhiseyelashes。Mensayhedoesmagic，butthatshouldnottouchthee。Goupthehillandask。HerebeginstheGreatGame。’
Kipling：Kim，Chapter9Chapter9
S’doakswassonofYelththewise——
ChiefoftheRavenclan。
ItswoottheBearhadhimincareTomakehimamedicine-man。
Hewasquickandquickertolearn——
Boldandboldertodare：
HedancedthedreadKlo-KwallieDanceTotickleItswoottheBear！
OregonLegendKimflunghimselfwhole-heartedlyuponthenextturnofthewheel。HewouldbeaSahibagainforawhile。Inthatidea，sosoonashehadreachedthebroadroadunderSimlaTownHall，hecastaboutforonetoimpress。AHinduchild，sometenyearsold，squattedunderalamp-post。
`WhereisMrLurgan’shouse？’demandedKim。
`IdonotunderstandEnglish，’wastheanswer，andKimshiftedhisspeechaccordingly。
`Iwillshow。’
Togethertheysetoffthroughthemysteriousdusk，fullofthenoisesofacitybelowthehillside，andthebreathofacoolwindindeodar-crownedJakko，shoulderingthestars。Thehouse-lights，scatteredoneverylevel，made，asitwere，adoublefirmament。Somewerefixed，othersbelongedtothe’rickshawsofthecareless，open-spokenEnglishfolk，goingouttodinner。
`Itishere，’saidKim’sguide，andhaltedinaverandaflushwiththemainroad。Nodoorstayedthem，butacurtainofbeadedreedsthatsplitupthelamplightbeyond。