I bit down. “Yes, the boy! The boy who came with me. Have you seen him or not, for God’s sake?” The fanning stopped. His eyes narrowed. “No getting smart with me, my friend. I am not the one who lost him.”That he had a point did not stop the blood from rushing to my face. “You’re right. I’m wrong. My fault. Now, have you seen him?” “Sorry,” he said curtly. He put his glasses back on. Snapped his newspaper open. “I have seen no such boy.”I stood at the counter for a minute, trying not to scream. As I was exiting the lobby, he said, “Any idea where he might have wandered to?” “No,” I said. I felt tired. Tired and scared. “Does he have any interests?” he said. I saw he had folded the paper. “My boys, for example, they will do anything for American action films, especially with that Arnold ??WThatsanegger--” “The mosque!” I said. “The big mosque.” I remembered the way the mosque had jolted Sohrab from his stupor when we’d driven by it, how he’d leaned out of the window looking at it. “Shah Faisal?” “Yes. Can you take me there?” “Did you know it’s the biggest mosque in the world?” he asked. “No, but--” “The courtyard alone can fit forty thousand people.” “Can you take me there?” “It’s only a kilometer from here,” he said. But he was already pushing away from the counter. “I’ll pay you for the ride,” I sighed and shook his head. “Wait here.” He disappeared into the back room, returned wearing another pair of eyeglasses, a set of keys in hand, and with a short, chubby woman in an orange sari trailing him. She took his seat behind the counter. “I don’t take your money,” he said, blowing by me. “I will drive you because I am a father like you.”padding-bottom: 75%;"> 我強忍怒火：“對，那個男孩！那個跟我一起來的男孩。以真主的名義，你見過他嗎？” 扇風停止。他眼睛一縮：“別跟我來這套，老弟，把他弄丟的不是我。”雖然他說得沒錯，但不能平息我的怒火。“你對，我錯了，是我的錯。那麼，你見過他嗎？” “對不起。”他強硬地說，戴上眼鏡，打開報紙，“我沒見過這樣的男孩。”我在櫃檯站了一會，抑制自己別發火。我走出大廳的時候，他說：“有沒有想過他會去什麼地方？” “沒有。”我說。我感到疲憊，又累又怕。 “他有什麼愛好嗎？ ”他說，我看見他把報紙收起來。“比如說我的孩子，他們無論如何總是要看美國動作片，特別是那個阿諾什麼辛格演的……” “清真寺！”我說，“大清真寺。”我記得我們路過的時候，清真寺讓索拉博從委靡中振奮起來，記得他趴在車窗望着它的樣子。 “費薩爾？” “是的，你能送我去嗎？” “你知不知道它是世界上最大的清真寺？”他問。 “不知道，可是……” “光是它的院子就可以容下四萬人。” “你能送我到那邊去嗎？” “那兒距這裏還不到一公里。”他說，不過他已經從櫃檯站起來。 “我會付你車錢。”他嘆氣，搖搖頭，“在這裏等着。”他走進裏間，出來的時候換了一副眼鏡，手裏拿着串鑰匙，有個披着橙色紗麗的矮胖女人跟在身後。她坐上他在櫃檯後面的位子。“我不會收你的錢。”他朝我吹着氣，“我會載你去，因爲我跟你一樣，也是個父親。”
