Though Ali attempts to reassure the boys that the shooting is only duck hunters, they react with fear. Amir knows, looking back, that such unfamiliar violence was the beginning of the end. That night, however, Amir is glad for the attack, because he receives a rare hug from his father.
The newscasts over the radio fail to make sense to the young boys. They leave to read under their tree. On the way there, they meet neighborhood bully, Assef. Amir's paternity protects him from the bully's taunts. Assef and his friends, however, taunt Hassan about his ethnicity. Though Amir silently considers denying his friendship with Hassan, Hassan defends the boys with his slingshot. Assef offers a threat of future violence and leaves.
Life quickly returns to normal in Kabul. Baba never misses a.....
