Atdtda27: Rewind, 769-771

[Paul Nightingale]

The previous section has focused on the journey's resolution: "It was not
until he finally saw Lake Baikal ..." etc (768). The new section rewinds the
narrative to the journey's beginning, "a short distance from Kashgar" (769),
as though obeying Kit's desire to "turn and go back" as the previous section
closes. Here, the rewind provides indicators of an upcoming failure, the
inadequacy of maps, Hassan ("aloof and morosely silent" here predates the
inscrutability of the previous section, 768) concluding his participation
must be some kind of punishment. Our introduction to Hassan is
retrospective: "When Hassan had heard ..." etc (769). The Doosra refers to
him ("my loyal lieutenant") on 765; in 54.1, inscrutable to Kit, he is about
to disappear; and now the narrative voice, independent of Kit, offers a
provisional ("as if the Doosra had sent him ..." etc, 769) reading of him.
Further down the page the narrative speaks with more confidence when
differentiating Hassan from others. From: "Some spoke ..." to "... for
others ..." to the certainty of "Hassan had always known ..." etc, all
within a single sentence. 

Given the non-availability of maps, Hassan-as-guide assumes greater
importance. Recalling Kit's earlier response to seeing Lake Baikal, the
reader can infer his pov making sense of--or rather, imposing sense on--the
locale: "... the Kara Tagh looked like a stone city ..." etc (770). This,
however, is the first indication of his perspective in a section that has
emphasised Hassan's role. 

And so to predatory nature, or Nature: the "loose rock fragment [that] might
fall too fast" becomes the hunting eagle, Kit positioned as its prey
perhaps, then "not so much deafened as blinded". However, he reads the eagle
("she") as "a messenger".

At the end of the section Kit "[t]urn[s] to Hassan" (771). Cf. the end of
the previous section: "He looked around to tell Hassan ..." etc (769). Here,
Hassan  is non-committal, still giving Kit "nothing" although Kit doesn't
find him inscrutable (ie "... sympathy and a plea for silence", 771) on this
occasion. Hassan easily evades Kit's attempt at interrogation, just as he is
absent when Kit attempts to speak to him on 769.