“Very well then,” Assef said, sneering. He shoved Sohrab in the back, pushed him right into the table. Sohrab’s hips struck the table, knocking it upside down and spilling the grapes. He fell on them, face first, and stained his shirt purple with grape juice. Thetable’s legs, crossing through the ring of brass balls, were now pointing to the ceiling.
“Go, take him,” Assef said, pointing to the door.I took Sohrab’s hand. It was small, the skin dry and calloused. His fingers moved, laced themselves with mine. I saw Sohrab in that Polaroid again, the way his arm was wrapped around Hassan’s leg, his head resting against his father’s hip. They’d both been smiling. The bells jingled as we crossed the room.
“Of course,” Assef said behind us, “I didn’t say you could take him for free.”I turned. “What do you want?”
“當然,”阿塞夫在身后說, “我沒有說這是免費的?!蔽肄D過身:“你想要什么?”
“You have to earn him.”
“你必須自己贏得他。”
“What do you want?”
“你想要什么?”
“We have some unfinished business, you and I,” Assef said. “You remember, don’t you?”
“我們還有些沒了結的賬,你和我。”阿塞夫說,“你記得的,對吧?”
He needn’t have worried. I would never forget the day after Daoud Khan overthrew the king. My entire adult life, whenever I heard Daoud Khan’s name, what I saw was Hassan with his sling shot pointed at Assef’s face, Hassan saying that they’d have to start calling him One-Eyed Assef. instead of Assef Goshkhor. I remember how envious I’d been of Hassan’s bravery. Assef had backed down, promised that in the end he’d get us both. He’d kept that promise with Hassan. Now it was my turn.
“All right,” I said, not knowing what else there was to say. I wasn’t about to beg; that would have only sweetened the moment for him.
“好吧。”我找不到其他話可說。我不想求饒,那只會讓他更加痛快。阿塞夫把衛兵喚進屋里。
Assef called the guards back into the room. “I want you to listen to me,” he said to them. “In a moment, I’m going to close the door. Then he and I are going to finish an old bit of business. No matter what you hear, don’t come in! Do you hear me? Don’t come in.
The guards nodded. Looked from Assef to me. “Yes, Agha sahib.”
衛兵點著頭,看看阿塞夫,看看我。 “是,老爺?!?/td>
“Very well then,” Assef said, sneering. He shoved Sohrab in the back, pushed him right into the table. Sohrab’s hips struck the table, knocking it upside down and spilling the grapes. He fell on them, face first, and stained his shirt purple with grape juice. Thetable’s legs, crossing through the ring of brass balls, were now pointing to the ceiling. “Take him, then,” Assef said. I helped Sohrab to his feet, swat ted the bits of crushed grape that had stuck to his pants like bar nacles to a pier. “Go, take him,” Assef said, pointing to the door.I took Sohrab’s hand. It was small, the skin dry and calloused. His fingers moved, laced themselves with mine. I saw Sohrab in that Polaroid again, the way his arm was wrapped around Hassan’s leg, his head resting against his father’s hip. They’d both been smiling. The bells jingled as we crossed the room. We made it as far as the door. “Of course,” Assef said behind us, “I didn’t say you could take him for free.”I turned. “What do you want?” “You have to earn him.” “What do you want?” “We have some unfinished business, you and I,” Assef said. “You remember, don’t you?” He needn’t have worried. I would never forget the day after Daoud Khan overthrew the king. My entire adult life, whenever I heard Daoud Khan’s name, what I saw was Hassan with his sling shot pointed at Assef’s face, Hassan saying that they’d have to start calling him One-Eyed Assef. instead of Assef Goshkhor. I remember how envious I’d been of Hassan’s bravery. Assef had backed down, promised that in the end he’d get us both. He’d kept that promise with Hassan. Now it was my turn. “All right,” I said, not knowing what else there was to say. I wasn’t about to beg; that would have only sweetened the moment for him. Assef called the guards back into the room. “I want you to listen to me,” he said to them. “In a moment, I’m going to close the door. Then he and I are going to finish an old bit of business. No matter what you hear, don’t come in! Do you hear me? Don’t come in. The guards nodded. Looked from Assef to me. “Yes, Agha sahib.”