The Thief and the Dogs

The next day, the newspapers are filled with the story of Said's attempted murder of Ilwan. Rather than shooting Ilwan, Said shot "the unfortunate doorkeeper" (56). Said is annoyed that he accidently killed another innocent person. A huge reward is offered to anyone who reveals Said’s location. Said spends the night alone in Nur's apartment, watching the cemetery through the window. Said talks to the graves and defends his actions. He vows that he will "always seek the head of Rauf Ilwan" (57) and tells himself that he is acting on the behalf of millions of people. Said views himself as a great man and believes that his deeds are glorious.

Said falls asleep and only awakes when Nur returns. She seems sad and Said knows that she has heard about his latest murder. Nur begs Said to kill her, as she knows that he does not plan to escape with her. Said feigns confidence and calms her down, kissing her with "genuine tenderness.” 

When Nur is away from the apartment for an extended period, Said worries that she is tempted by the reward. His paranoia is taking over and he sees plots against him everywhere. After a short sleep, he wakes up alone. He eats scraps of leftover food, "gnawing on the bones like a dog" (59). By evening the next day, Nur has still not returned. After midnight, he sneaks out of the apartment and visits Tarzan's café. Tarzan warns Said to be careful; Said asks for food and eats it alone in the dark. As Said walks away from the café, two shadowy figures ask to see his identity card. When they see Said's military uniform, however, they apologize and allow him to leave. Worried that they recognized him, Said attacks the two men and runs back to Nur's apartment which is still empty. He worries about Nur and begins to realize how much of an effect she has had on him. He admits that he loves Nur and breaks down in tears. Said is woken up the next day by knocking at the door. Nur's landlord shouts through the door, demanding the rent. Said stays silent but knows that he will not be able to stay in Nur's apartment for long. 

The landlord returns twice more. Said, worried that the landlord will eventually force her way in, leaves the apartment after midnight. He feels hungry but he is scared that the police will be watching Tarzan's café. Said returns to the Sheikh's house, where the Sheikh give shim bread and figs. They have another cryptic conversation and Said asks for the Sheikh's protection. The Sheikh tells Said to trust God but says that he will not give up Said to the police. Said lays down to sleep and thinks about his situation. He is annoyed that he left his military uniform at Nur's apartment and he worries that the police will use it to link him to Nur. 

Said falls asleep in the Sheikh's room. He wakes up during the day and knows that he cannot leave until nightfall, so he plans his escape. That night, he sees a light in Nur's apartment. He enters the building, planning to proclaim his love for Nur. However, the door is opened by a stranger. Said punches the man and leaves without collecting the uniform. Said returns to the Sheikh's house and lays awake until dawn. He sleeps until sunset and then eats the food given to him by the Sheikh.

Outside the room, a group of men arrives to pray. Said listens to them chanting and decides that he needs to visit Tarzan, no matter the risk. As the chanting continues, Said retreats into his nostalgic memories. His thoughts are interrupted by an angry shout from outside; a man says that "the whole quarter is blocked off" (67). Said hears his name being spoken outside so he takes his gun and prepares his escape. He believes that he is surrounded by police officers but wonders whether he can fight to the death with them.

Said leaves the Sheikh's house and walks through the dark cemetery toward Nur's apartment. He thinks he sees Nur in the window and decides that he wants Nur to care for Sana if anything happens to him. Dogs bark in the distance and Said flees back through the cemetery without contacting Nur. The barking grows louder and Said worries that there is "no hope left" (67). A light shines on Said and an unseen soldier demands that he surrender. More people call out, promising to treat him fairly if he gives himself up. Said panics and fires his gun into the darkness behind the light. The soldiers fire back. Suddenly, the light goes out and the shooting stops. Said stops shooting as well. He wonders for a moment whether he has won, but the darkness becomes overwhelming. Said surrenders to the dark because he no longer cares. He dies in the cemetery.