The rifle, the AK, made things worse. Without it, they could have passed as just two more kids who traveled as stowaways to reach the slum, with the reckless hope for a better life, and would have gotten away with just a few kicks and slaps. With the rifle, things were different. Moreover, under the Malani regime, amnesty had been granted when all weapons were supposed to have been surrendered. At this moment, it was a criminal act to hold a weapon. [Excerpt from the text on the back cover of the edition]