`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。