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。’