When Amir and Farid arrive at the big house and compound in Wazir Akbar Khan, Farid decides that he himself needs to wait in the car. Amir knocks on the door, is greeted and frisked by two guards, and is then escorted in. While waiting for the Talib, Amir attempts to gather his thoughts and draw on a sense of courage that he has never before exhibited in his life.
The meeting with the Talib in the John Lennon glasses commences in silence, and then the man tells Amir he can do away with the fake beard. Two guards pull off the beard, and their leader asks Amir if he enjoyed today's show. He then brags about a door-to-door display of violence from 1998, calling it God's work.
The Talib refers to America as a whore and threatens Amir. He asks Amir if he is scared, and Amir admits he is. Yet Amir finds strength, comfort, and calm in thoughts of Soraya. Amir tells the man he is only here for the boy, and eventually the boy is called for. When Amir first sees Sohrab, there is no mistaking him as Hassan's son, even though his head is shaved, he has make up on, and he has bells attached to his ankles. After making the boy dance, the Talib sends his guards away and calls for the boy. As he holds the boy between his legs and rubs his belly, the Talib asks Amir about Babalu. The shock hits Amir — the Talib is Assef.
Assef tells Amir how he came to be a member of the Taliban. While Assef was serving time in jail, he was suffering from an attack of a kidney stone. When one of the guards selected Assef to be made an example of, he kicked Assef many times. One time was in the kidney, Assef passed the stone, and he began to laugh. Assef viewed this as a sign that God wanted him to live.
