Page 302 - The Kite Runner

The Kite Runner 291

“Bas.”
“PUT IT DOWN!” Assef let go of my throat. Lunged at
Sohrab.
The slingshot made a thwiiiiit sound when Sohrab released
the cup. Then Assef was screaming. He put his hand where his
left eye had been just a moment ago. Blood oozed between his fin-
gers. Blood and something else, something white and gel-like.
That’s called vitreous fluid, I thought with clarity. I’ve read that
somewhere. Vitreous fluid.
Assef rolled on the carpet. Rolled side to side, shrieking, his
hand still cupped over the bloody socket.
“Let’s go!” Sohrab said. He took my hand. Helped me to my
feet. Every inch of my battered body wailed with pain. Behind us,
Assef kept shrieking.
“OUT! GET IT OUT!” he screamed.
Teetering, I opened the door. The guards’ eyes widened when
they saw me and I wondered what I looked like. My stomach hurt
with each breath. One of the guards said something in Pashtu and
then they blew past us, running into the room where Assef was
still screaming. “OUT!”
“Bia,” Sohrab said, pulling my hand. “Let’s go!”
I stumbled down the hallway, Sohrab’s little hand in mine. I
took a final look over my shoulder. The guards were huddled over
Assef, doing something to his face. Then I understood: The brass
ball was still stuck in his empty eye socket.
The whole world rocking up and down, swooping side to side,
I hobbled down the steps, leaning on Sohrab. From above, Assef’s
screams went on and on, the cries of a wounded animal. We made
it outside, into daylight, my arm around Sohrab’s shoulder, and I
saw Farid running toward us.
“Bismillah! Bismillah!” he said, eyes bulging at the sight of me.