Varjak Paw

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. Next, he shows his descendant how to recognize a variety of trees by looking at their trunks and smelling their fruits. Jalal tells Varjak that he possesses great untapped potential and explains that the skill of Awareness can help him sense danger.

The black-and-white cat, Holly, wakes Varjak up when the storm passes and tells him to leave, but her friend, a brown cat named Tam, argues on his behalf. Holly and Tam laugh when Varjak explains his Mesopotamian pedigree, but he enjoys their good-natured teasing, which feels very different from Julius’s bullying. Holly grows sad and defensive when Tam says that Varjak reminds her of Luka, a friend of theirs who joined a gang after food in the area became scarce. Luka Vanished, which Varjak learns is a common occurrence for cats in the city. Holly says that it’s better to be alone than to count on friends, and Varjak feels as though “something important [is] slipping through his paws” when she stalks off into the nearby park and leaves him behind (84). Tam hurries after her friend.

Varjak’s brief time in Holly and Tam’s company intensifies his loneliness as he enters the city. He sees a row of cars and tries to talk to them because he thinks they’re dogs, and their cold exteriors make him think that they’re dead. He remembers Jalal’s lesson about Awareness: “Assume nothing; be sure of the facts” (89). Varjak steps into the road to try to stop a car. Although he’s terrified, remembering the Elder Paw’s sacrifice gives him courage. Varjak stands his ground and calls out to the “dogs,” but they drive by without slowing. Some of the cars even pass over his head. He staggers to the side of the road, shaken by the knowledge that he was “within a whisker of death” and even more so by his fear that he failed his family (95).

Because he wasn’t able to stop a car, Varjak feels like “a disgrace to the name of Jalal” (97). He doesn’t believe that he can return home without a dog, and he thinks longingly of the house he once considered dull and stifling. Varjak walks down an alley filled with garbage bags and detects the smell of meat. Using his Awareness, he follows the scent to a courtyard surrounded by concrete buildings that is “the most desolate place he’d seen” (98). The smell of rotten meat is coming from a metal garbage can, but before he can retrieve the food, five tomcats tackle him to the ground. A cat named Ginger and his gang viciously attack Varjak with their teeth and claws, demanding information about the Vanishings. Varjak expects the gang to kill him, but Holly intervenes by telling the gang that he doesn’t know anything about the Vanishings. Overwhelmed with pain, Varjak faints.

In his dreams, Varjak returns to Mesopotamia. Jalal shows him a pair of cats who rely on humans for food and declares that a true cat “never scavenges or depends on the kindness of people” (105). Ashamed, Varjak tells his ancestor that he’s failed the Paw family, but Jalal gives him a kind smile and encourages him to treat his mistakes as learning opportunities. The third skill in the Way is hunting, and Jalal shows Varjak how to think like his prey and anticipate their movements. Varjak catches a cricket and is startled when Jalal shouts at him to release the insect. Jalal instructs, “Remember: you may cause harm only when there is no alternative, only when your life is at stake. You take enough, and no more” (110).

When Varjak awakens, he’s in an alley, and Holly is licking his wounds clean. Although his body is “a pulp of pain,” his spirit is restored, and he’s grateful to be alive (112). Holly claims that she only saved him because Tam made her feel guilty about leaving him behind, but Varjak can tell that she cares about him. Holly explains that they’re currently in the city’s neutral ground and that Ginger’s gang rules the east side of the city while Sally Bones rules the west. Tam is terrified of Sally Bones and believes that the all-white cat possesses supernatural powers, including invisibility. Ginger was unnecessarily violent with Varjak because Sally Bones is moving in on his territory and making food scarce. Holly suggests that the three of them hunt, but Tam admits that hunting is a struggle for her. Even though Varjak has only hunted in his dreams, he thinks that he can apply what Jalal taught him in real life.

As Holly and Tam guide Varjak through the city, they explain that no one knows who’s behind the recent string of mysterious disappearances, which they call Vanishings. Varjak’s lack of knowledge of the Outside makes him wonder where he belongs and whether he’ll be able to start a new life Outside if his mission to find a dog fails. He suggests that the three of them form a gang of their own, but Holly points out his lack of survival skills. Stung, Varjak declares that he is “the greatest hunter in the world” and dashes off in search of breakfast (121). Holly urges him to come back because it’s unsafe for him to be alone, but he ignores her.

Using Awareness, Varjak senses that he’s being watched, but the uncomfortable feeling passes. He uses Jalal’s Hunting lessons to catch a mouse and feels a combination of remorse, satisfaction, and gratitude as he eats his first kill. Holly and Tam are impressed by his skills, and Holly comments, “Maybe you’re not as useless as you look, Mr. Paw” (124). Tam wants to find the source of a fishy smell, but Holly warns her that they’re nearing Ginger’s territory. Their search for food in the park is unsuccessful, so only Varjak has any breakfast.

That night, Varjak returns to Mesopotamia in his dreams. Jalal teaches him the skill of Slow-Time, which allows him to move faster than others can see. Jalal explains that the slower Varjak breathes, the swifter he will become. Varjak feels “like light itself” as he practices this new skill (129).