- Vahan mostly hangs out in the stables, and meets the Armenian woman he noticed on the first day. Her name is Mrs. Mahari, and her husband and son were killed, but she still has her younger son with her.
- Mrs. Mahari tells Vahan that he's got to be careful around the general—do as he says and don't act too tough.
- A week or two later, General Khalil comes to see Vahan, which he's glad about; he doesn't want to keep guessing what the guy's like when he hears a lot about him.
- General Khalil says he doesn't know why his son (Selim) even wants Vahan here. No Armenian is a guest of his. Got it? Good.
- He's very domineering and scary, and Vahan quickly figures out why Mrs. Mahari only whispers and apologizes if she does anything to these people.
- One day a different woman brings Vahan his food, and when he asks where Mrs. Mahari is, she says she doesn't know her. She's never been here, the Turkish woman says.
- This frightens Vahan. He knows Mrs. Mahari has done nothing wrong, and now she is gone (a.k.a. dead), so he starts to worry about himself too.
- He decides to cut his losses and run—sure it's risky, but he can't just wait here to die.
- That night he grabs a piece of bread, and a pitchfork and a hammer in case he runs into trouble, and again he makes a run for it.