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？’