by Collen Houck
But, perhapsI can teachyou a few things as well. For example, may I?”
I nodded as he took the shawl draped around my shoulders and held it out.
“There are many different ways to wear a dupatta scarf. One way is to arrange it across your shoulders as you did just now, or you can drape one end over your shoulder and the other across your arm as is the current style. Like this.”
Wrapping it around his body, he turned around to show me the style, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
“And how do you know the current style?”
“I know lots of things. You’d be surprised.”
He pulled it off again, twisting the scarf another way. “You can also fold it across your hair, which is appropriate when meeting with your elders, as it shows respect.”
I bowed low to him, giggled, and said, “Thank you for showing me the proper respect, Madam. I grant you audience with my mighty presence.”
He showed me a few more ways to wear it, each one funnier than the last. He laughed quietly, and I found myself drawn to him. He was so…I couldn’t really describe it. He was attractive, charming, magnetic, compelling…I guessed the best word to describe him was captivating. He was pretty to look at, no question about that, but even if he weren’t, I could have easily seen myself sitting happily beside him talking for hours. I saw a tremor run through his arm. He quieted his demeanor and took a step closer to me.
“My favorite style, though, is the way you were wearing it earlier when you had it draped across both of your arms loosely. That way, I get the full effect of your exquisite hair tumbling down your back.”
Wrapping the filmy fabric around my shoulders, he pulled the shawl and gently tugged me closer. He reached out, captured a curl, and wrapped the hair around his finger.
“This life is so different from what I know. So many things have changed…”
He let go of the shawl, but he kept hold of the curl. “…but some things are much,much better.”
He let go of the curl, trailed a finger down my cheek, and gave me a little nudge back toward my room.
“Good night, Kelsey. We have a busy day tomorrow.”
CHAPTER 11
The next morning, I woke to find Ren’s seal on the dresser. It was made of some kind of beautiful, creamy stone with golden orange striations throughout. I picked it up to examine it closer and immediately noticed the carved words. The detailing in the design demonstrated highly sophisticated workmanship. It was lovely.
I traced a carved lotus flower on the bottom of the seal and a hollowed place at the top, which was big enough to thread a chain through. But, instead of a chain, there was a soft, sturdy, braided ribbon. Mr.
Kadam must have thought the ribbon would be more comfortable for me. The stone was heavy, and I could imagine it usually required a thick, heavy chain. I traced the carved words. Ren had said they meant wisdom, vigilance, bravery, and compassion. His father must have been a good king.
For a minute, I let myself imagine an older version of Ren as the king. I could easily imagine him leading
others. There was something about him that made you want to follow him, trust him.Women would follow him over a cliff.
Mr. Kadam had obviously served his prince for over three hundred years. That proved Ren was someone amazing right there. That Ren could inspire someone to dedicate their entire life, their eternal devotion to him, was incredible. I set aside my speculations and looked at the seal again. It had obviously
been cared for over the years. It still looked brand new.
I opened the bag Mr. Kadam had left and found it contained cameras, both digital and disposable, matches, a few handheld digging tools, like the type you might find at an archeological site, flashlights, a
pocketknife, glow sticks, paper with rubbing charcoal, food, water, maps, and a few other items. Several of the items were placed in waterproof Ziploc bags. I tested out the weight, and it wasn’t too bad, better than the two bags I’d hauled through the jungle anyway.
I opened the closet, fingered my pretty dress again, and sighed. I slipped on some jeans and a T-shirt and laced up my new hiking boots. I walked back and forth in the giant closet testing the size and fit.
They were comfortable, but I still grabbed my sneakers. Downstairs, I found Mr. Kadam slicing mango for breakfast.
“Good morning, Miss Kelsey.” He gestured to my neck. “I see you found the seal.”
“I did. It’s very pretty, but a little bit heavy.” I scooped some mango slices onto my plate and poured some homemade hot cocoa into a mug. “You’ve taken care of it all these years?”
“Yes. It’s very precious to me. You know, I did some research on that seal. It was actually made in China, not India. It was a gift given to Ren’s grandfather. Seals that old are quite rare. It’s made of Shoushan stone.”
“Is Shoushan stone normally that orange color? Is it like a type of orange jade?”
“No, it’s not jade. Shoushan stones actually come in many different colors. They are exceptionally easy to carve because they have a soft, fine texture and are quite beautiful when shaped and polished. They are extremely rare. The Chinese believed that Shoushans were brightly colored Phoenix eggs, found high in mountain nests. Men who risked their lives to locate and capture them received honor, glory, and wealth.
“Only the very richest of men had items carved from this type of stone. To receive one as a gift was a great honor for Ren’s grandfather. It’s now a priceless heirloom for Dhiren. The good news for you, though, is that it’s also considered good luck to own or wear something made from this type of stone.
Perhaps it will help you on your journey in more ways than one.”
“It sounds like Ren’s family was very special.”
“Indeed they were, Miss Kelsey.”
We’d just sat down to a breakfast of yogurt and mango when Ren stalked into the room and put his head down on my lap.
I scratched his ears. “Nice of you to join us. I guess you’re anxious to get moving today, huh? You must be excited to be this close to breaking the curse.”
He kept watching me intently as if impatient to leave, but I didn’t want to rush. I pacified him by feeding
him pieces of mango. Content for the moment, he sat down and enjoyed his treat, licking the juice from my fingers.
I laughed. “Stop it! That tickles!”
He ignored me, moved up my arm, and licked me almost all the way up to my sleeve.
“Ew, gross, Ren! Alright. Alright. Let’s go.”
I washed my arm off, took one last look at the view, and made my way out to the garage. Mr. Kadam was already outside loading Ren. He took my bag from me, put it on the passenger seat, and then held open my door. I hopped into the Jeep.
“Be careful, Miss Kelsey. Ren will watch out for you, but there are many dangers ahead. Some we’ve planned for, but I’m sure you’ll face many that I am unaware of. Be careful.”
“I will. Hopefully, we’ll be back very soon.”
I rolled up the window and backed out of the garage. My GPS began beeping at me again, telling me where to go. Once again, I felt a deep appreciation for Mr. Kadam. Ren and I would be truly lost without him.
The drive was uneventful. The traffic was very light for the first hour. It gradually began to pick up the closer we got to Mumbai, so I was able to get used to it as I drove along. We drove for about four hours before I pulled to a stop at the end of a dirt road that bordered the park.
“This is where we’re supposed to go in. According to the map, we’re about a two-and-a-half-hour-walk from the cave, and Mr. Kadam’s instructions say we should head in about two hours before they close, which gives us…” I checked my watch “…about two hours to kill.”
I considered what to do for a moment, “We’ll be more comfortable outside than sitting in a hot car.
Let’s so find a shady tree. What do you say?”
Ren leapt out of the car and followed me into the park. We found
a nice shady spot, sat down, and made ourselves comfortable for the next couple of hours. Ren lay down on the grass, and I sat down next to him. At first, I used his body as a backrest and then gradually relaxed against him until I ended up
using his back as a pillow.
Staring up into the trees, I started talking to him. I told him about growing up with my parents, visits with
my grandma, and the vacations we used to go on as a family. I told him about how my parents would select a hotel or preferably a bed and breakfast, where I’d get a room all to myself. We toured the whole state and saw apple farms and old mines, Bavarian-themed towns that served German pancakes for breakfast, the ocean, the mountains…I told him he’d easily fall in love with Oregon. Then I talked about going to elementary, middle, and high school. Described what it was like, and talked about some of the subjects I liked to study there. I said I really wanted to go to a university, but I couldn’t afford more than a community college.
I told him about how my parents died in a car accident, how alone I felt when it happened, and what it was like living with a foster family. His tail kept flicking back and forth, so I knew he was awake and listening, which surprised me because I figured he’d just go to sleep, bored with my chatter. Eventually, I
trailed off, getting sleepy myself, and drowsed in the heat until I felt Ren stir and sit up.
I stretched. “Time to go already, huh? Okay, lead the way.”
We trekked through the park for a couple of hours. It had a much more open feel than the Yawal Wildlife Preserve. The trees were spaced farther apart and were a different type. Beautiful purple flowers
covered the hills. But, when we got closer, I noticed that they were diminishing in the heat. I guessed that
they sprung up briefly during the monsoon rains and would soon be gone. We passed teak trees and bamboo, but there were other types I couldn’t identify. Several animals darted across our path. I saw rabbits, deer, and porcupine. Looking up in the trees, I spied hundreds of birds in a variety of colors.
As we walked under a dense group of trees, I heard strange, alarmed grunts and spotted rhesus monkeys swinging as high up in the trees as they could climb. I enjoyed seeing those animals; they were harmless and familiar, but moving deeper, I saw other, more fearsome creatures. I skirted a giant python that hung from a tree and watched us with black, unblinking eyes. Huge monitor lizards with forked tongues and long bodies scurried quickly across our path, hissing. Big, fat, thick bugs buzzed around lazily in the air, bounced drunkenly off objects in their path, then continued on their journey.
It was pretty but also creepy, and I was glad that I had a tiger nearby. Every once in a while, Ren would veer off the path and circle around in a way that made me think he was avoiding certain places or perhaps, I shuddered,things .
After about two hours of walking, we arrived at the edge of the jungle where the caves were located.
The forest had thinned out, and I could see a hill, bare of trees, where I presumed the caves would be.
Cut stone steps led up the hill to the entrance, but we were still too far away for me to see more than just a small glimpse of it. I started out of the trees and toward the steps, but Ren jumped in front of me and nudged me back toward the tree line.
“You want to wait a bit longer? Okay, we’ll wait.”
We sat down under the cover of some bushes and waited there for an hour. I quickly figured out why he wanted to wait. Tourists emerged from the cave at the top of the hill, made their way down the steps, and
walked over to a parking lot that I couldn’t see, but I could hear them as they left in their cars.
I remarked enviously, “Too bad we couldn’t have driven in here. It sure would’ve saved us a lot of hassle. But, I guess people wouldn’t understand why a tiger was following me around. Plus, I guess the park ranger would be keeping tabs on us too, if we’d driven in.”
Finally, the sun was setting and the people were gone. Ren stepped forward carefully out of the trees and sniffed at the air. Satisfied, he began moving toward the stone steps that were cut into the rocky hill.
It was a long climb up, and I was out of breath by the time we reached the top.
At the hilltop, I could easily see the cave opening up ahead of us. We first came upon an open stone bunker with hollowed-out rooms that reminded me of beehive cells. Each one was identical to the other.
A stone block the size of a small bed was positioned on the left side of every room, and hollowed out places in the walls, resembling shelves, were located on the back walls. A sign noted that this place used to be where the Buddhist monks lived and that the caves were actually part of a Buddhist settlement that had been built in the third century A.D.
I mumbled to myself, “Isn’t it strange that we’re looking for a prophecy of Durga in a Buddhist settlement?”
Walking farther up the hill, I noted long stone trenches connected by arches that ran from a central stone
well over the hill and up even higher into the mountains. A sign read that the trenches were once used as an aqueduct to move water to the area. Reaching the main room, I marveled at, and ran my hands over, the deep grooves of the elaborately carved wall. Ancient Indian writing and hieroglyphics had been etched into the walls with carving tools.
The remnants of a ceiling, still held up in some places by rock pillars, cast deep shadows over the area.
Raised statues were carved out of the stone columns; as we walked through, I kept my eye on them just to make sure they continued to do their jobs and hold up the remainder of the roof.
Ren continued walking all the way to the back of the main room toward the black gaping maw of the cave that led deeper into the hill. I followed him and stepped through the opening and onto a sandy floor in a large, circular room. I let my eyes adjust for a minute. The round room had many doorways. The light coming in was just enough to silhouette the doorway, but it could not penetrate into any of the other
corridors beyond and was quickly fading as the sun went down.
I pulled out a flashlight and asked Ren, “What do we do now?”
He stepped over to the first shadowy doorway and disappeared into the darkness. Following him flashlight first, I ducked into the small room. It was filled with stone shelves. I wondered if it might have been used as a library once. I wandered through and made my way to the back, looking for…I wasn’t sure what, when I felt a hand touch my shoulder. I jumped.
“Don’t do that! Can’t you give me some kind of warning first?”
“Sorry, Kells. We need to check each room for a symbol that looks like the seal. You look high and I’ll look low.”
He squeezed my shoulder briefly and morphed back into his tiger form. I shuddered.I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that. We didn’t see any carvings in this room, so we moved on to the next one and the next one. At the fourth doorway, we searched more carefully because the room was full of glyphs. We spent at least an hour in there. No luck in the fifth either.
The fifth chamber was empty, not even a stone shelf graced the walls, but the sixth door was where we found a match. The opening led to a much smaller room than the others. It was long and narrow and had a couple of stone shelves similar to the other rooms. Ren actually found the engravingunder one of the shelves. I probably would have overlooked it if I’d been searching alone.
He growled softly at me and stuck his nose up under the shelf.
“What is it?” I bent down to see what he was looking at. Sure enough, under the shelf on the wall in the back of the room was an engraving that matched his seal exactly.
“Well, I guess this is it. Keep your fingers…er…claws crossed.”
I removed the seal from around my neck and pressed in into the carving, wiggling it until I felt it sink into
the proper place. I waited, but nothing happened. I twisted it. This time, I felt something click and heard a mechanical whirring behind the wall. After a full turn, I felt resistance and heard a qui
et pneumatic hiss.
Dust blew out from the edges of the wall revealing that it wasn’t a wall at all, but a door.
A deep, muffled rumble shook the wall, and it slowly rolled back. I popped the seal out, put it back around my neck, and aimed my feeble light through the door. I only saw more walls. Ren nudged me aside and entered first. I stayed as close to him as I possibly could and came close to stomping on his paws a couple of times. Shining my light on the wall, I found a torch hanging in a metal sconce.
Mr. Kadam had put waterproof matches in the bag. I pulled them out, figuring I’d try to light it. I was surprised that it lit almost immediately and brightened the corridor much more than my meager flashlight
had. I swung my backpack over my shoulders again and picked up the torch.
We were at the top of a winding stairway that was cut into the stone wall. I peered cautiously over the edge and saw only a dark abyss. Since the only way to go was down, I started down the stairs. A clicking noise sounded behind us, and with a slight whoosh, the door closed, sealing us in.
I muttered, “Great. I guess we’ll worry about how to get out later, then.”
Ren just looked up at me and rubbed his head on my leg. I massaged the scruff of his neck, and we continued down the steps. He placed his body on the outside of the steps, which allowed me to hug the wall as we descended. I wasn’t normally afraid of heights, but narrow stairs plus dark abyss and no handrail equals freaking me out, so I was grateful that he took the more dangerous side.
We crept along slowly, and my arm began to ache from holding the torch. I shifted it to my other hand, careful not to dribble any hot oil onto Ren, and kept going. We’d descended the spiral staircase for what felt like five floors and finally reached the dusty bottom. A dark passageway gaped open before us.
We entered and shortly came upon a fork leading in two different directions.
I groaned. “Fantastic. A maze. Which way do we go now?”
He stepped into one corridor and smelled the air, and then he moved to the other one and raised his head to sniff again. Moving back to the first one, he continued. I sniffed the air too, just to see if I could smell what he did, but the only thing I detected was an acrid, noxious odor that smelled of sulfur. The bitter miasma seemed to be permeating the cavern, and with each turn we made, the smell intensified.
