<span>D. Arsat’s brother was holding their pursuers off with a gun.
According to the excerpt the brother wanted Arsat to continue on so he could keep the people away. He says that they do not have a gun and they'd be intimidated. He says that once he has "fired all the shots" he will catch up since he's a strong runner. </span>
The answer is: The extreme <u>nature</u> of his stock portfolio translated into a <u>conflicting</u> display of emotions: on lucrative days he felt ecstatic; on losing days he acted despondent.
<span>"Should I go?" she asked herself when she finished reading the long text message from her friend. The text invited her to come spend the holiday up North. </span>
