{"product_id":"2940012559517","title":"The Strong Man","description":"OUTSIDE, solitude, the purple rush of evening; the dying sun spiking a crimson diadem across the snows of the Himalayas, shooting a wedge of light down the Khyber Pass, straight into the stony, sardonic heart of Afghanistan.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eInside, noise, life; coarse, lawless life of coarse, lawless men who squatted on pillows around tabourets, eating, drinking, smoking, chattering, laughing.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThey were a picturesque riff-raff of this turbulent northern Indian border. Afghans, Baluchis, Tartars. More rogues than honest men; nor stewing with remorse for past sins — rather stewing with longing for sins yet to be sinned. Cameleers, caravan guides, stable crimps, horse traders, bazaar bullies. Too, a few soldiers of native battalions in the service of the British Raj, and Red Mustaffa himself, the owner of the coffee shop, nursing his paunch in a fragile, creaking English chair perilously tilted against the door jamb...","brand":"Wildside Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47152514269424,"sku":"2940012559517","price":1.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940012559517_p0.jpg?v=1763570286","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940012559517","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}