Part One, The Garden of Forking Paths, The Approach of Al-Mu'tasim Summary

A Bombay lawyer has written a detective novel that was well received by most critics, but many readers miss the mythical parts of the novel. The narrator summarizes the first few chapters of the novel, explaining how the hero, an unnamed student, becomes involved in a protest between Moslems and Hindus. The student is so drawn into the fight that he finds himself in a position where he believes he has killed a Hindu. The student runs from the protest and finds himself on top of a tower where he spends the night speaking with a robber. In the morning the student decides he must travel the country and find a man to whom he can make amends for his sin.

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