Assef crossed his thick arms on his chest； a savage sort of grin on his lips。 Not for the first time； it occurred to me that Assef might not be entirely sane。 It also occurred to me how lucky I was to have Baba as my father； the sole reason； I believe； Assef had mostly refrained from harassing me too much。
He tipped his chin to Hassan。 Hey； Flat…Nose； he said。 How is Babalu？
Hassan said nothing and crept another step behind me。
Have you heard the news； boys？ Assef said； his grin never faltering。 The king is gone。 Good riddance。 Long live the president！ My father knows Daoud Khan； did you know that； Amir？
So does my father； I said。 In reality； I had no idea if that was true or not。
So does my father； Assef mimicked me in a whining voice。 Kamal and Wali cackled in unison。 I wished Baba were there。
Well； Daoud Khan dined at our house last year； Assef went on。 How do you like that； Amir？
I wondered if anyone would hear us scream in this remote patch of land。 Baba s house was a good kilometer away。 I wished we d stayed at the house。
Do you know what I will tell Daoud Khan the next time he es to our house for dinner？ Assef said。 I m going to have a little chat with him； man to man； _mard_ to _mard_。 Tell him what I told my mother。 About Hitler。 Now； there was a leader。 A great leader。
A man with vision。 I ll tell Daoud Khan to remember that if they had let Hitler finish what he had started； the world be a better place now
Baba says Hitler was crazy； that he ordered a lot of innocent people killed； I heard myself say before I could clamp a hand on my mouth。
Assef snickered。 He sounds like my mother； and she s German； she should know better。 But then they want you to believe that； don t they？ They don t want you to know the truth。
I didn t know who they were； or what truth they were hiding； and I didn t want to find out。 I wished I hadn t said anything。 I wished again I d look up and see Baba ing up the hill。
But you have to read books they don t give out in school； Assef said。 I have。 And my eyes have been opened。 Now I have a vision； and I m going to share it with our new president。 Do you know what it is？
I shook my head。 He d tell me anyway； Assef always answered his own questions。
His blue eyes flicked to Hassan。 Afghanistan is the land of Pashtuns。 It always has been； always will be。 We are the true Afghans； the pure Afghans； not this Flat…Nose here。 His people pollute our homeland； our watan。 They dirty our blood。 He made a sweeping； grandiose gesture with his hands。 Afghanistan for Pashtuns； I say。 That s my vision。
Assef shifted his gaze to me again。 He looked like someone ing out of a good dream。 Too late for Hitler； he said。 But not for us。
He reached for something from the back pocket of his jeans。 I ll ask the president to do what the king didn t have the quwat to do。 To rid Afghanistan of all the dirty； kasseef Hazaras。
Just let us go； Assef； I said； hating the way my voice trembled。 We re not bothering you。
Oh； you re bothering me； Assef said。 And I saw with a sinking heart what he had fished out of his pocket。 Of course。 His stainless…steel brass knuckles sparkled in the sun。 You re bothering me very much。 In fact； you bother me more than this Hazara here。 How can you talk to him； play with him； let him touch you？ he said； his voice dripping with disgust。 Wali and Kamal nodded and grunted in agreement。 Assef narrowed his eyes。 Shook his head。 When he spoke again； he sounded as baffled as he looked。 How can you call him your friend ？
_But he s not my friend！_ I almost blurted。 _He s my servant！_ Had I really thought that？ Of course I hadn t。 I hadn t。 I treated Hassan well； just like a friend； better even； more like a brother。 But if so； then why； when Baba s friends came to visit with their kids； didn t I ever include Hassan in our games？ Why did I play with Hassan only when no one else was around？
Assef slipped on the brass knuckles。 Gave me an icy look。 You re part of the problem； Amir。 If idiots like you and your father didn t take these people in； we d be rid of them by now。 They d all just go rot in Hazarajat where they belong。 You re a disgrace to Afghanistan。
I looked in his crazy eyes and saw that he meant it。 He _really_ meant to hurt me。 Assef raised his fist and came for me。
There was a flurry of rapid movement behind me。 Out of the corner of my eye； I saw Hassan bend down and stand up quickly。 Assef s eyes flicked to something
behind me and widened with surprise。 I saw that same look ol astonishment on Kamal and Wali s faces as they too saw what had happened behind me。
I turned and came face to face with Hassan s slingshot。 Hassan had pulled the wide elastic band all the way back。 In the cup was a rock the size of a walnut。 Hassan held the slingshot pointed directly at Assef s face。 His hand trembled with the strain of the pulled elastic band and beads of sweat had erupted on his brow。
Please leave us alone； Agha； Hassan said in a flat tone。 He d referred to Assef as Agha； and I wondered briefly what it must be like to live with such an ingrained sense of one s place in a hierarchy。
Assef gritted his teeth。 Put it down； you motherless Hazara。
Please leave us be； Agha； Hassan said。
Assef smiled。 Maybe you didn t notice； but there are three of us and two of you。
Hassan shrugged。 To an outsider； he didn t look scared。 But Hassan s face was my earliest memory and I knew all of its subtle nuances； knew each and every twitch and flicker that ever rippled across it。 And I saw that he was scared。 He was scared plenty。
You are right； Agha。 But perhaps you didn t notice th