Kaśyapa asked, ‘How did they know that someone had tried to enter the room?’
Veśa said, ‘I noticed that there were some marks on top of the door which were not there before.’
‘I see.’
Veśa continued, ‘It must have been someone from outside. Nobody inside would do this.’
Agastya and Kaśyapa went to the room where the women had been sleeping. Kaśyapa felt rather important. Even though he had not solved any of the cases yet, the king and the guru had decided that Kaśyapa now had enough investigative experience to know his way around the scene. They had called him before anyone else! He checked the door and also his pride in this moment of urgency. By the marks on the top of the door, he was able to make out that someone had tried to force open the door by slipping in some flat object like a knife or an axe between the door and the lintel. The latch was on the top. Hence, the attempt may have been to force open the top part so that the latch would slip. Someone could have been trying to break in to steal some jewellery or for a more sinister reason. But they seemed to know the chamber door well and, as it appeared, had also picked out the right time, maybe the fourth part of the night when most of the people would be in their deepest sleep.
No ordinary thief would dare enter the king’s palace to rob it. Was it an attempt on the queen’s life? Was killing her required to complete whatever end the killer was trying to achieve? Kaśyapa felt that there was a strong possibility that this was connected to the other murders. That it was the murderer’s next attempt to achieve his final aim—whatever it was. He was getting braver, clearly. They had to stop him. And soon.
The boys decided to talk to the women to make sure they weren’t hurt or hadn’t heard anything, when suddenly they saw Bhārgava running towards them, panicked. ‘What happened? Why all this commotion?’
The guru said, ‘We were told that someone tried to force open the queen’s room last night. But what are you doing here?’
‘Someone called me saying that the king wanted somebody to conduct some special morning sacrifices. Well, I wanted to offer to do these.’
‘You should not be “offering” to perform sacrifices. You should go only where you are called. Otherwise, you reduce your worth in the eyes of others.’
‘Yes, sir.’
Kaśyapa could see that Bhārgava was trying to secure a position in the royal palace for after his studies were over, which would be soon. Normally, all of Vasiṣṭha’s students would eventually go on to practise as priests and teachers, but it could be anywhere in the kingdom. It looked like Bhārgava was trying to ingratiate himself to the king for a position in the palace. Kaśyapa could sympathize with Bhārgava. If you got a position as a priest or a teacher in a far-off town, it would be very difficult to come back to the city with its vibrant life and alluring riches.
A physician was called in to smell the breath of the two women. He was able to confirm that their breaths were laced with a hallucinogenic herb, which was perhaps the reason that they had not heard anything, despite the noise the intruder would have made with the door. Kaśyapa and Agastya met a few of the other servants who had slept in the palace that night and all of them said that they had slept well. They also talked to the soldiers who were on guard the previous evening and night. All the night guards were absolutely certain that nobody had entered the palace during their watch. The guards on duty earlier in the evening had not noticed anything or anyone untoward either.
The head of the evening guards told them, ‘There were the usual sets of people going in and coming out. People in the palace coming out for their evening relaxation, servants, men and women going in with supplies for the palace, some of the king’s officers who had business with him, the guru, many members of the priestly class—men and boys—going in to perform the evening sacrifices of the palace, and such. We did not notice anyone strange or anyone who should not be there.’
‘Did all the people who went in, other than those who live in the palace, go out?’
‘I did ask my men this question. And even when they keep an eye out for every person, it is difficult to say for certain, but we do know that most of the outsiders who went in came out. For example, the guru came out in the evening as did the king’s officers. But memory is not always the most reliable when one is not paying particular attention. There is always the possibility of a slip.’
It was a possibility that someone who stayed in the palace, or someone who had easy access and had entered the palace in the evening, drugged one of the food items they knew the queen and her chambermaid would consume, or maybe a general food item, like ghee, that they knew everybody would take. The person would then have hidden somewhere in the palace and, when everybody was fast asleep, had attempted to break open the door to the queen’s room. The person had not expected the door and latch to be so strong. While attempting to break in, the person may have been alarmed by something to decide that the best option was to prevent being found out and try another day. Thus, the person could have gone back to his or her hiding place and slipped out in the morning, when there was general movement in the palace.
After he had completed his analysis, Kaśyapa met the guru and the king and apprised them of what he thought had happened. Kaśyapa requested the guru to tell the caretaker of the palace to henceforth make sure that only people who were supposed to be in the palace at any time were actually inside, by patrolling more often and more cautiously, and also ensuring that people who were not regulars be accompanied by one of the guards. He also requested that the general security of the palace be enhanced. Sudās himself could be the next target. Armed women guards were appointed to follow Jabālā at all times.
Kaśyapa thought that since they were at the palace, it would be worthwhile to talk to the new queen about the recent series of events. Kaśyapa tried to lighten the mood and told her that he had visited her parents and how beautiful the place was. She became very nostalgic.
‘I know. I miss my land very much. But this is the lot of girls and women all over. We are prised away from our parents and our land and taken far away to live with strangers. Of course, after some time they all become like family. I look forward to the day our son will inherit both the kingdoms. You know my father does not have any sons.’
‘I am sure your child will make a fine ruler. I understand that carrying this child has been rather hard. There have been two recent attacks on you. I am sure you must be worried. But, madam, I assure you our kingdom is usually quite peaceful.’
Agastya asked, ‘Madam, how do you feel to be in our country? It must be a lot different from your father’s.’
‘Not really. The people are the same. Of course, there are differences in the way we live. But I expected things to be much more different than they turned out to be.’
Kaśyapa asked, ‘Do you feel that some of the religious bigots of our country are against you?’
‘There may be a few such people. But by and large, I have been made to feel welcome here.’
‘We really do feel fortunate to have you as our queen. If you would allow me to digress, madam, I would like to ask you a few questions about that night in the northern castle when the priest, Vāyata, was murdered.’
‘Okay, go ahead.’
‘Did you come out of your room that night?’
‘No. I did not. Since I am pregnant, I have been asked not to move around too much.’
‘So, you did not hear or see anything that night?’
‘No.’
‘Who do you think would have wanted you to miscarry?’
‘Ah, I am not sure I doubt anybody in particular.’
‘So, would you say that you are perfectly fine with the people around you and don’t sense any animosity?’
Jabālā hesitated, then spoke, ‘Veśa, he’s the one who needs to be replaced . . . Please understand that I have no complaints against him with regard to the way he does things for me or the king. But I just feel that his attitude towards the other servants
, especially to those who came with me from my father’s kingdom, is not right. They do not feel comfortable working under him.’
‘Have you talked to him about this?’
‘No. I had asked my husband to talk to him. He is his trusted servant, after all.’
Kaśyapa really liked her for her simplicity and forthrightness. ‘Thank you, madam. May your son become a great king! He surely has a good and clear-headed mother.’
They took leave of the queen and went looking for the two staff officers of the king who were with him during the early part of the night on the day of Vāyata’s murder. Agastya asked, ‘The king told us that you conferred with him till the middle of the night and then he dismissed you and you went to your quarters.’
‘Yes, that is right.’
‘Did you come back at any time after that?’
‘No.’
Kaśyapa offered, ‘Did not the prince ask you to come and meet him during the fourth part of the night for some instructions?’
‘No, he did not. We went back to our quarters, had a few drinks and slept soundly. You can ask our fellow officers.’
‘How do you feel now that your master is king?’
‘We are very happy. Our kingdom will be the better for it. You’ll see . . .’
29
Preparing for Battle
A few days later, the wait was over. Sudās got news from his spies that Menakā and her supporters were preparing to march towards the Paruṣṇī with a large army set to invade Parśuvarta.
The commander was as good as his word. In a fortnight’s time, their army was ready to move. All preparations were done. It was the twenty-fifth day of the month of Sahasya and the three hundred and fiftieth day of the year. Around three thousand five hundred soldiers and required arms and supplies were on the march towards, or already in, the northern city. Provisions to feed the army, the cooks, the servants, the carpenters, the arrow-makers and bow-makers, leather-workers, etc., had started a few days back on ox-carts and on foot. A thousand soldiers, who had recently been levied, had undergone the required rigorous training and were also on the move towards the northern borders.
It was the second part of the day by the time Sudās and his party were ready to move. Since Kaśyapa and Agastya were now senior students, Vasiṣṭha included them in the cohort of priests accompanying the army. They were, after all, his foremost students and might have to shoulder community responsibility during the war days ahead. It was a good day to travel; the weather was pleasant. The commander’s plan was that they could join the rest of the soldiers outside the northern city, to go beyond the borders, beyond the Vipāsa, and face the rival army somewhere between the Vipāsa and Paruṣṇī. Their two vassals in that region would join them with soldiers of their own, with some soldiers from the smaller vassals ready to provide support if needed.
The Vipāsa flowed south-west from the mountains north of Parśuvarta. About a yojana to the north and north-west, and flowing parallel to the Vipāsa, was the Paruṣṇī. Further north, the Asiknī and the Vitastā met and flowed for about ten yojanas south to meet the Paruṣṇī. This combined river then met the Vipāsa about a couple of yojanas south, at Parśuvarta’s borders, and flowed south-west along the borders. This river that carried the waters of the four great rivers then entered the mighty Sindhu, which flowed south to the west of the Vitastā, about ten yojanas west of the capital, Parśupur. The Sindhu then flowed south, parallel to the Sarasvatī. Further south, they entered the great ocean through separate mouths. To complete the picture, the Śutudrī joined the Sarasvatī just outside Parśuvarta’s borders. The Dṛṣadvatī entered the Sarasvatī close to Parśupur. So, the large area north of the kingdom was blessed with many big rivers flowing from the northern mountains.
There were a few Aryan kingdoms covering the area west and north-west of Parśuvarta. It was the king of the largest of these kingdoms, as big as Parśuvarta, with the support of nine other Aryan kings, who was trying to launch an attack against Parśuvarta. The two small kingdoms between the Vipāsa and Paruṣṇī were, however, Parśuvarta’s vassals and would support Sudās. The party began to move with Sudās, Yadu and some of his chief officers, bodyguards, elite soldiers and some archers, all on horseback. Vasiṣṭha, Kaśyapa, Agastya and some of the priests were also in the party. Parśuvarta’s northern borders were about ten to twelve yojanas from the capital, Parśupur. It would take four days to get there. The monsoon had ended, but the war had just begun.
*
The main body of the army arrived two days after Sudās and his men reached the borders. It was the second day of the intercalary month of the year, the three hundred and fifty-sixth day of the year. This year had thirteen months.
The army stood at the southern banks of the Vipāsa. Despite heavy rains, the river was flowing peacefully. Had they wanted to go to war a month ago, the rivers would have been extremely difficult to cross. It was an awesome sight—this six thousand-strong army. It was spread out in a way that Kaśyapa could see that the rear flanks were far behind. It was already evening by the time they got there. The king decided that they would camp there for the night and decide on their plans the next morning. He and other people of rank slept in makeshift shelters made from wooden stakes and covered with large sheets of leather. The rest of them, including Kaśyapa and Agastya, slept in the open.
The next morning, Sudās received reliable information that the enemy army was still some distance away and would take two to three days to get to where they were. The enemy king had managed to put together, with support from the other kings in the coalition, a formidable army of ten thousand soldiers. This was more than what Sudās or Yadu had estimated. However, the commander’s spies in the fast-approaching army had sent reliable information, through stealthy messengers on horseback, that the army was not well-trained and constituted a large number of hastily recruited peasants, which made them more confident of their ability to defeat them.
Kaśyapa was sure that the enemy knew that they had already reached the banks of the Vipāsa. The king leading the rebellion would surely have marvelled at the speed at which they got there. But he might have felt secure knowing that his army outnumbered Sudās’s by a lot.
Sudās held council with Yadu, Vasiṣṭha and other officers. He made sure that his officers didn’t panic on hearing that they had been outnumbered and instead reminded them of the key points that they needed to bear in mind. One was that the enemy army was just soldiers put together in a hurry; the second was that since there were ten kings in the enemy coalition army, there was bound to be some internal conflict that would definitely result in confusion around the ranks, and which Sudās and Yadu could exploit to their advantage; the third was that Parśuvarta’s army was both well-trained and cohesive, while the other army may not have had time to train as a unit. The officers seemed to appreciate these facts.
Sudās called all his officers together and gave them a rousing speech. ‘Men, you know that sometimes a battle is the only way to decide between right and wrong. You all know that my claim to the throne of Parśuvarta is superior to that of Turvaśa and his heirs. Menakā has now put together a coalition of enemy kings to attack us and get Turvaśa back on the throne. This is wrong. They have lost all credibility by joining our enemy kings. Would you like to see our enemies loot our kingdom and rape our women? Is this not what Menakā is setting out to do? Setting the enemy against her own people? We, here, are in the right.
‘I know all of you are brave officers leading brave men. Let not your bravery desert you in battle. Fight courageously and inspire the men under you to do the same. You can be sure that I will not give any order that will put you or your men in unnecessary danger. May Indra and the gods be with us.’
He then added, ‘But you must take care to tell your men that we will not tolerate wanton acts of cruelty. They are to treat villagers with compassion. Those looting or raping will be strictly punished. Also, warn your men that desertion is punishable
by death. Let us now go out there and fight well; fight for what we know is right.’
After listening to and gathering the views of all the officers, the commander and the king started putting into place their plan for the next few days. First, they sent out a few of their key officers to identify good vantage points. King Sudās was clearly a good general, prompting his men to spring into action at his first command. He received intelligence that the enemy soldiers were coming forward in loose contingents of five hundred to thousand men. The advance party had around a thousand soldiers with a few officers. They were under the overall command of one of the nine minor kings in the coalition. These were clearly not their best leaders or soldiers but were perhaps sent forth to intimidate Sudās. The next lot of men was at least a quarter of a yojana behind.
*
The king and the commander acted quickly—they conferred and selected four of their best officers. The plan was that they would lead a surprise attack on the enemy’s advance party. They were to take a hundred horses and two hundred of the best soldiers, two on a horse, and outflank the advance party. Half of this attack party would flank the army from either side. If they started now, they could easily reach the enemy’s advance party by the end of the day and attack them in the fading light of the evening sun.
The attack party wasted no time. Since the previous night, the carpenters and helpers in Sudās’s army were busy building rafts to help soldiers cross the river. These rafts were basically tree trunks lashed together with leather cords. Each raft could hold around twenty people. They already had more than twenty rafts ready by the morning. Some of the workers crossed the Vipāsa during the night and started building rafts to cross the Paruṣṇī when needed. Roughly around the second part of the day, the attack party started moving. Sudās and the commander saw them off as they mounted the rafts with their horses. These men would ride to the Paruṣṇī and be ferried across by the workers who had gone there the previous night. They would meet the advancing army at an unexpected point, when they were far more vulnerable. There was nothing more to do than to wait for their safe return.
The First Aryan Page 22
