Les Echelles du Levant

At no time does Larry Tremblay specify in which country the action takes place. It is assumed that the author refers to a middle Eastern country. The family lives in a house near a mountain, beyond which would be an enemy military camp. Playing with their kite, a gift from their late grandfather, the twin brothers discover this military base. The twine of the kite breaks, so they have no choice but to pick it up on the other side of the mountain in order to escape the wrath of their father. One day Soulayed, a military chief of the region, arrives in this family, crosses the threshold of the house sure of the legitimacy of his business, and asks the father to honor his family by delivering one of his sons. Soulayed justifies his enterprise by appealing to divine destiny. Amed and Aziz, making their way to this side of the mountain, were able to avoid the bombs, which undermine the ground, and are the only ones to have achieved this feat. They are god's elect. This suicide mission is rightfully theirs and with Soulayed's tributes. Finally, the chosen words "proud," "honour," "martyr," "elected," "blessed" ... are always the same to strengthen the legitimacy of such an action, only the motive for wars vary.

Deux frères jumeaux, Amed et Aziz, grandissent à l'ombre de l'orangeraie familiale, sorte de paradis originel d'où ils seront brutalement éjectés quand une bombe tuera leurs grands-parents. Car après ce drame, leur père reçoit la visite du guerrier Soulayed qui propose à la famille «l'honneur» de sacrifier l'un des fils pour répondre au sang par le sang.

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