`Allraight，’saidHurreeBabu。`Heisatpresentcuriousspectacle。’Aboutthirdcockcrow，Kimwokeafterasleepofthousandsofyears。
Huneefa，inhercorner，snoredheavily，butMahbubwasgone。
`Ihopeyouwerenotfrightened，’saidanoilyvoiceathiselbow。`I
superintendedentireoperation，whichwasmostinterestingfromethnologicalpointofview。Itwashigh-classdawut。’
`Huh！’saidKim，recognizingHurreeBabu，whosmiledingratiatingly。
`AndalsoIhadhonourtobringdownfromLurganyourpresentcostume。
lamnotinthehabitoffeeciallyofcarryingsuchgaudstosubordinates，but’-hegiggled-`yourcaseisnotedasexceptionalonthebooks。I
hopeMrLurganwillnotemyaction。’
Kimyawnedandstretchedhimself。Itwasgoodtoturnandtwistwithinlooseclothesonceagain。
`Whatisthis？’Helookedcuriouslyattheheavyduffle-stuffloadedwiththescentsofthefarNorth。
`Oho！Thatisinconspicuousdressofchelaattachedtoserviceoflamaisticlama。Completeineveryparticular，’saidHurreeBabu，rollingintothebalconytocleanhisteethatagoglet。`Iamofopeenionitisnotyouroldgentleman’sprecisereleegion，butrathersub-variantofsame。
IhavecontributedrejectednotestoAsiaticQuarterlyReviewonthesesubjects。Nowitiscuriousthattheoldgentlemanhimselfistotallydevoidofreleegiosity。Heisnotadam’particular。’
`Doyouknowhim？’
HurreeBabuhelduphishandtoshowhewasengagedintheprescribedritesthataccompanytooth-cleaningandsuchthingsamongdecentlybredBengalis。ThenherecitedinEnglishanArya-Somajprayerofatheisticalnature，andstuffedhismouthwithpanandbetel。
`Oahyes。IhavemethimseveraltimesatBenares，andalsoatBuddhGaya，tointerrogatehimonreleegiouspointsanddevil-worship。Heispureagnostic-sameasme。’
Huneefastirredinhersleep，andHurreeBabujumpednervouslytothecopperincense-burner，allblackanddiscolouredinmorning-light，rubbedafingerintheaccumulatedlampblack，anddrewitdiagonallyacrosshisface。
`Whohasdiedinthyhouse？’askedKiminthevernacular。
`None。ButshemayhavetheEvilEye-thatsorceress，’theBabureplied。
`Whatdostthoudonow，then？’
`IwillsettheeonthywaytoBenares，ifthougoestthither，andtelltheewhatmustbeknownbyUs。’
`Igo。Atwhathourrunsthete-rain？’Herosetohisfeet，lookedroundthedesolatechamberandattheyellow-waxfaceofHuneefaasthelowsunstoleacrossthefloor。`Istheremoneytobepaidthatwitch？’
`No。Shehascharmedtheeagainstalldevilsandalldangers-inthenameofherdevils。ItwasMahbub’sdesire。’InEnglish：`Heishighlyobsolete，Ithink，toindulgeinsuchsupersteetion。Why，itisallventriloquy。
Belly-speak-eh？’
Kimsnappedhisfingersmechanicallytoavertwhateverevil-Mahbub，heknew，meditatednone-mighthavecreptinthroughHuneefa’sministrations；
andHurreegiggledoncemore。ButashecrossedtheroomhewascarefulnottostepinHuneefa’sblotched，squatshadowontheboards。Witches-whentheirtimeisonthem-canlayholdoftheheelsofaman’ssoulifhedoesthat。
`Nowyoumustwelllisten，’saidtheBabuwhentheywereinthefreshair。`PartoftheseceremonieswhichwewitnessedtheyincludesupplyofeffeecientamulettothoseofourDepartment。Ifyoufeelinyourneckyouwillfindonesmallsilveramulet，verreecheap。Thatisours。
Doyouunderstand？’
`Oahyes，hawa-dilli[aheart-lifter]，’saidKim，feelingathisneck。
`Huneefashemakesthemfortworupeestwelveannaswith-oh，allsortsofexorcisms。Theyarequitecommon，excepttheyarepartiallyblackenamel，andthereisapaperinsideeachonefullofnamesoflocalsaintsandsuchthings。ThattisHuneefa’slook-out，yousee？Huneefamakesthemonleeforus，butincaseshedoesnot，whenwegetthemweputin，beforeissue，onesmallpieceofturquoise。MrLurganhegivesthem。Thereisnoothersourceofsupply；butitwasmeinventedallthis。Itisstrictlyunoffeecialofcourse，butconvenientforsubordinates。ColonelCreightonhedoesnotknow。HeisEuropean。Theturquoiseiswrappedinthepaper……
Yes，thatisroadtorailwaystation……Nowsupposeyougowiththelama，orwithme，Ihope，someday，orwithMahbub。Supposewegetintoadam’-tightplace。Iamafearfulman-mostfearful-butItellyouIhavebeenindam’-tightplacesmorethanhairsonmyhead。Yousay：`IamSonoftheCharm。’Verreegood。’
`Idonotunderstandquite。WemustnotbeheardtalkingEnglishhere。’
`Thatisallraight。IamonlyBabushowingoffmyEnglishtoyou。AllweBabustalkEnglishtoshowoff；’saidHurree，flinginghisshoulder-clothjauntily。`AsIwasabouttosay，`SonoftheCharm’meansthatyoumaybememberoftheSatBhai-theSevenBrothers，whichisHindiandTantric。ItispopularlysupposedtobeextinctSociety，butIhavewrittennotestoshowitisstillextant。Yousee，itisallmyinvention。Verreegood。SatBhaihasmanymembers，andperhapsbeforetheyjolly-well-cut-your-throattheymaygiveyoujustachanceoflife。Thatisuseful，anyhow。Andmoreover，thesefoolishnatives-iftheyarenottooexcited-theyalwaysstoptothinkbeforetheykillamanwhosayshebelongstoanyspeecificorganization。
Yousee？Yousaythenwhenyouareintightplace，`IamSonoftheCharm’，andyouget-perhaps-ah-yoursecondwind。Thatisonlyinextremeinstances，ortoopennegotiationswithastranger。Canyouquitesee？
Verreegood。Butsupposenow，I，oranyoneoftheDepartment，cometoyoudressedquitedifferent。YouwouldnotknowmeatallunlessIchoose，Ibetyou。SomedayIwillproveit。IcomeasLadakhitrader-oh，anything-andIsaytoyou：`Youwanttobuypreciousstones？’Yousay：`DoIlooklikeamanwhobuyspreciousstones？’ThenIsay：`Evenverreepoormancanbuyaturquoiseortarkeean。’’
`Thatiskichree-vegetablecurry，’saidKim。
`Ofcourseitis。Yousay：`Letmeseethetarkeean。’ThenI
say：`Itwascookedbyawoman，andperhapsitisbadforyourcaste。’
Thenyousay：`Thereisnocastewhenmengoto-lookfortarkeean。’
Youstopalittlebetweenthosewords，`to-look’。Thatistheewholesecret。Thelittlestopbeforethewords。’
Kimrepeatedthetest-sentence。
`Thatisallright。ThenIwillshowyoumyturquoiseifthereistime，andthenyouknowwhoIam，andthenweexchangeviewsanddocumentsandthose-allthings。Andsoitiswithanyothermanofus。Wetalksometimesaboutturquoisesandsometimesabouttarkeean，butalwayswiththatlittlestopinthewords。Itisverreeeasy。First，`SonoftheCharm’，ifyouareinatightplace。Perhapsthatmayhelpyou-perhapsnot。ThenwhatIhavetoldyouaboutthetarkeean，ifyouwanttotransactoffeecialbusinesswithastrangeman。Ofcourse，atpresent，youhavenooffeecialbusiness。Youare-ahha！-supernumeraryonprobation。Quiteuniquespecimen。IfyouwereAsiaticofbirthyoumightbeemployedrightoff；butthishalf-yearofleaveistomakeyoude-Englishized，yousee？
Thelamaheexpectsyou，becauseIhavedemi-offeeciallyinformedhimyouhavepassedallyourexaminations，andwillsoonobtainGovernmentappointment。
Ohho！Youareonacting-allowance，yousee：soifyouarecalledupontohelpSonsoftheCharmmindyoujolly-welltry。NowIshallsaygood-bye，mydearfellow，andIhopeyou-ah-willcomeouttop-sideallraight。’
HurreeBabusteppedbackapaceortwointothecrowdattheentranceofLucknowstationand-wasgone。Kimdrewadeepbreathandhuggedhimselfallover。Thenickel-platedrevolverhecouldfeelinthebosomofhissad-colouredrobe，theamuletwasonhisneck；begging-gourd，rosary，andghost-daggerMrLurganhadforgottennothingwerealltohand，withmedicine，paint-box，andcompass，andinawornoldpurse-beltembroideredwithporcupine-quillpatternslayamonth’spay。Kingscouldbenoricher。Heboughtsweetmeatsinaleaf-cupfromaHindutrader，andatethemwithgladrapturetillapolicemanorderedhimoffthesteps。
Kipling：Kim，Chapter11Chapter11
GivethemanwhoisnotmadeTohistradeSwordstoflingandcatchagain，Coinstoringandsnatchagain，Mentoharmandcureagain，Snakestocharmandlureagain——
He’llbehurtbyhisownblade，Byhisserpentsdisobeyed，Byhisclumsinessbewrayed，Bythepeoplemockedtoscorn——
So’tisnotwithjugglerborn！
Pinchofdustorwitheredflower，Chance-flungfruitorborrowedstaft，Servehisneedandshorehispower，Bindthespell，orloosethelaugh！
Butamanwho，etc。
TheJuggler’sSong，op。15Followedasuddennaturalreaction。
`NowamIalone-allalone，’hethought。`InallIndiaisnoonesoaloneasI！IfIdietoday，whoshallbringthenews-andtowhom？IfIliveandGodisgood，therewillbeapriceuponmyhead，forIamaSonoftheCharm-I，Kim。’
Averyfewwhitepeople，butmanyAsiatics，canthrowthemselvesintoamazementasitwerebyrepeatingtheirownnamesoverandoveragaintothemselves，lettingthemindgofreeuponspeculationastowhatiscalledpersonalidentity。Whenonegrowsolder，thepower，usually，departs，butwhileitlastsitmaydescenduponamanatanymoment。
`WhoisKim-Kim-Kim？’
Hesquattedinacorneroftheclangingwaiting-room，raptfromallotherthoughts；handsfoldedinlap，andpupilscontractedtopin-points。
Inaminute-inanotherhalf-second-hefelthewouldarriveatthesolutionofthetremendouspuzzle；buthere，asalwayshappens，hisminddroppedawayfromthoseheightswitharushofawoundedbird，andpassinghishandbeforehiseyes，heshookhishead。
Along-hairedHindubairagi[holyman]，whohadjustboughtaticket，haltedbeforehimatthatmomentandstaredintently。
`Ialsohavelostit，’hesaidsadly。`ItisoneoftheGatestotheWay，butformeithasbeenshutmanyyears。’
`Whatisthetalk？’saidKim，abashed。
`Thouwastwonderingthereinthyspiritwhatmannerofthingthysoulmightbe。Theseizurecameofasudden。Iknow。WhoshouldknowbutI？Whithergoestthou？’
`TowardKashi[Benares]。’
`TherearenoGodsthere。Ihaveprovedthem。IgotoPrayag[Allahabad]
forthefifthtime-seekingtheRoadtoEnlightenment。Ofwhatfaithartthou？’
`ItooamaSeeker，’saidKim，usingoneofthelama’spetwords。`Though’