The Reluctant Fundamentalist Page #7

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It was never about that for me!

You might not believe this,

but that is an expression of love.

- You know what it is?

That... that is defamation.

I want it taken down.

Changez, please.

Please, just take a breath.

I can't believe

you're reacting this way.

How do you want me to react?

Please take a breath.

How could you do that?

Stop attacking me!

Stop attacking me

for one minute!

Please stop attacking me!

Please!

Please stop attacking me!

You could do it because

you're reckless.

You're reckless enough

to drive drunk

with the person

you supposedly love

sitting in the passenger seat.

Oh...

Oh, I didn't know...

I didn't know you could

be capable of such cruelty.

Well...

The holding company acquired

Basak Yayimci Publishing

nine years ago.

It used to be a classy press,

but it's hemorrhaging money,

and we need to stop the bleeding.

Nazmi Kemal will not

be happy to see us.

For 42 years,

I've made books.

And through this press,

the greatest Middle Eastern writers

have given their stories to the world.

And you've come here

to render me obsolete.

I have great respect for

the work of publishers.

I've valued half a dozen or so

over the last ten years.

Are you qualified to value me?

Well, no one can put a value

on what you've accomplished here.

My father is a poet.

He's well known in the Punjab.

His greatest friend is his publisher.

You are a keeper of our culture

in this part of the world.

Your father is a poet?

I think you should be ashamed

of yourself,

doing what you're doing here.

Right.

If you'll excuse us,

we need to use your office.

The accounts you asked for.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Last two years.

Right.

Take these figures,

discount it to the net

present value.

What's the ROA?

Zero.

I'll call London.

Changez.

Look what I found.

Part of an anthology

of contemporary poets

from the Punjab.

Your father is Ajmal Khan, correct?

I didn't realize he'd been

translated into Turkish.

That's for you.

Thank you very much.

Would you care to join

me for lunch?

Sure.

Have you heard

of the Janissaries?

No.

They were Christian boys

captured by the Ottomans

to be soldiers in the

mighty Muslim army.

When they came of age,

they were sent to kill

their former families

and destroy

their former homes.

How old were you when

you went to America?

I was 18.

Ah.

Much older.

The Janissaries were always

taken in childhood.

And when they became men,

they were devoted

to their new caretakers

to serve their adopted empire.

I'm not devoted to the empire.

Mm.

I apologize for my demeanor.

I'm working through some

personal matters at the moment.

A woman.

Young men don't make

good mercenaries.

They need a cause to fight.

May I?

Mm.

When you determine

where you stand,

the color will return

to your world.

I'm not so hopeful about

the color returning to mine.

Hey.

Good news.

London gave us the green light

to terminate Nazmi Kemal

and shutter the offices here.

They want us to take care of it

because we're here in person.

So do you want the honors

or should I?

I'll do it.

In the morning?

Good.

Get back to me

as soon as you're done.

Get some rest.

- Okay.

I imagined

those Janissary boys, uprooted,

landing in new homes

with new fathers...

some of them good fathers...

their loyalties terribly divided.

You're deluding yourself that

you have this role here.

You don't.

You don't.

Go home, Bobby.

Go home?

Go home?

Do you have any f***ing idea

what happens to your family

if I go home?

Huh?

Once they snatch you

and drop your ass in a cell

in Peshawar...

Seven more students arrested.

We must protest.

Brothers, please listen!

Everyone, listen to me!

Hussain, do what you must,

but do it peacefully.

Remember, no violence.

- Sir, observing situation.

Stand by.

Copy that.

You know, my capacity

for evaluation

hasn't diminished, Bobby.

You know what I see before me?

I see a man with hash

under his fingernails

who likely smokes it alone.

I see the odd white man

who lives in the old quarter

and only ventures out

to buy local food

and local girls...

Who's been here so long

his own blood family

have forgotten him.

And there's nobody here

to replace them.

You're playing a dangerous game,

Changez.

- I'm sorry.

I'm just...

I'm telling you something

that it took me a long time

to realize.

Some truths take their time.

I was just coming to see you.

Interesting message you left me.

You're not letting him go?

What the hell does that mean?

It means that I'm not

gonna fire Nazmi Kemal.

And, in fact, I'm not gonna do

any more evaluations.

I'm quitting the firm, Jim.

You accepted the position

of associate

less than three months ago.

You leave now,

you'll be giving up all hope

of ever doing this kind of work

again anywhere.

You'd be committing

professional suicide.

I know I've let you down, Jim,

and I'm deeply sorry for that.

But I have to tell you

that I'm through.

You're telling me?

You don't tell me!

Can we be civil, Jim?

You think you're the only person

who's experienced

injustice firsthand?

Throw a rock out there

anywhere in this city,

and it'll land on the grave

of someone

who's seen worse than you.

Now, maybe you're having

some kind of a breakdown.

I will see to it that you

will get some rest

after this is done.

But you will treat

my commitment to you

with the respect

that it deserves!

And to myself as well.

I have a commitment to myself.

Do you want to be an insurance

salesman, Changez,

with a mortgage

and a migraine?

Is that the life you envision

for yourself?

As opposed to what?

I have to live in truth.

You taught me, Jim.

You put your f***ing shoes on,

and you go down to that office,

and you do the job

you were hired to do!

It's not my job anymore.

# Hear me out, O, Lord... #

# It was you, true Lord, who said... #

# Man, you are king of the world... #

What's he gonna do?

About time.

Fidel.

Is this about me beating you

in basketball?

You're gonna be a great analyst,

Wainwright.

What are you gonna be?

Yes, I read the perspectives,

and more importantly...

# A fine king You made,

O Lord... #

# Who endures life's blows

with grace... #

# I don't want this kingdom, Lord... #

# All I want is a grain of respect... #

# Hear me out, O Lord #

# Heed my plea,

and I'll heed Yours... #

# Curse me if I break this vow... #

# If this pact displeases You... #

# Then let me find

another God... #

- Hey.

- Hi.

Ah, you're...

you're moving.

Yeah.

I should have told you

what I'd been working on.

I wanted to let you in

more than I did.

It's just, everything

about falling in love with you,

Changez, it hurt so much.

- It's okay.

I understand.

I'm sorry about what I said.

Oh.

You're going back to Pakistan?

I have no job, no visa.

I have to leave the country

within two weeks.

You want to come?

Yes.

But my iddat isn't over yet.

You haven't eaten in two days.

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