Varjak Paw

A black-and-white street cat has already claimed the hut as her shelter, and she’s unimpressed with Varjak’s claim that he is a pure-bred Mesopotamian Blue, saying: “The only thing that counts is what you can do” (71). Varjak explains that he needs to find a dog to save his family, an idea she finds ridiculous. At first, she demands to know if he belongs to a gang, but she realizes that he’s a pet and has no knowledge of the outside world when she notices his collar. Remembering what Jalal taught him about Open Mind, Varjak asks for her help, and she agrees to let him stay until the storm passes. Varjak tries to stay alert in his unfamiliar surroundings, but he falls asleep.

In his dreams, Varjak returns to Mesopotamia. He asks Jalal to teach him how to talk to dogs, but instead, his ancestor teaches him the second skill, Awareness: “Whether you need to find food, fight an enemy, or even talk to a dog—before you do anything, you must know what you are dealing with” (77). He encourages Varjak to think of his senses as a net that he casts out into the world.