Tiger's Curse

by Collen Houck

  He nodded. “Large vehicles also have a subliminal effect. They make you feel secure, imposing, and denote the driver’s personality. In America, the car you drive makes a statement about who you are. I would even say that one of the main themes in American culture is that size matters.”

  I laughed. “Yes, that’s probably true. America doesn’t do anything the small way.”

  He chuckled. “I must confess that I love the large American cars. In fact, I love all types of cars, perhaps even more than I love airplanes. I have traversed the globe in all manner of accommodations, and I have come to appreciate fast travel and enjoy the comfort of not having my head hit the roof as well

  as the luxury of having plenty of leg room.”

  I looked across the parking lot. “The little ones here are kind of cute, but you’re right, traveling a long distance with your head bent because you’re too tall is not a fun thing.”

  We pulled over and parked in front of the gate. Mr. Kadam didn’t stop to purchase a map of the area.

  He said he remembered it pretty well. He led me to the first and largest structure, the Virupaksha Temple. It was about ten stories tall and resembled a giant upside-down waffle cone.

  Mr. Kadam pointed ahead and itemized its features, “This temple has courtyards, shrines, and gateways in all of those side buildings. Inside, there is an inner sanctum with pillared halls and cloisters, both closed and open.”

  “What are cloisters?”

  “You may have seen examples of cloisters in the architecture of Europe. Cloisters are long, arched corridors open to a central courtyard. Come, I will show you.”

  We wandered the temple for about an hour and didn’t notice anything special or interesting that would indicate a secret entrance to a lost kingdom. As the day progressed, I became so dazzled by the ruins that I completely forgot our purpose in being there. Everything I saw was amazing. We stopped at another structure called the Stone Chariot. It was a stonework carving of a miniaturized temple set on wheels. The chariot’s wheels were shaped to look like lotus flowers and could even rotate like normal tires.

  Another building, called the Vithala Temple, had beautiful statues of women dancing. We listened in on a

  tour guide who explained the significance of this temple’s fifty-six pillars.

  He said, “When struck, the pillars vibrate, and produce sounds exactly like musical notes. A truly skilled

  musician could even play a song on them.”

  We stood still for a moment to listen to the columns hum and vibrate as he softly tapped the stone. The magical musical tones thrummed through us, lifted into the air, and slowly faded into nothing. The sound

  disappeared long before the vibrations stopped.

  We stopped at another building called the Queen’s Bath. Mr. Kadam pointed out its features.

  “The Queen’s Bath was a place the king and his wives could relax. There used to be apartments there and there.” He gestured to the gray buildings surrounding the center. “Balconies jutted out from the rectangular buildings, and the women would sit, look over the bathing pool, and relax. An aqueduct pumped water into the brick pool, and there used to be a small flower garden off to the side, over here, where the women could lounge and have picnics. The pool was about fifty feet long and six feet deep.

  Perfume was poured into the water to make it more fragrant, and flower petals were strewn across the surface. Lotus-shaped fountains surrounded the pool as well. You can still see a few of them. A canal surrounded the entire structure so that only the king could enter and frolic with the women. All other would-be suitors were kept out.”

  I frowned at him. “Umm, if the king was the only man to enter…how is it that you know so many details

  about the ladies’ pool?”

  He stroked his beard and grinned.

  Shocked, I whispered, “Mr. Kadam! You didn’t break into the king’s harem, did you?”

  He shrugged his shoulders lightly. “It was a rite of passage for a young man to try to break into the Queen’s Bath, and several died trying. I happen to be one of the brave few who lived through the experience.”

  I laughed. “Well, I have to say, my whole opinion of you has changed. Breaking into a harem! Who would’ve thought?”

  I walked a few more steps and then spun around. “Wait a minute…a rite of passage, did you say? Did Ren and Kishan…?”

  He paused and raised his hands. “It might be better if you asked them yourself. I wouldn’t want to say the wrong thing.”

  I grunted, “Hmm. That question has definitely moved to the top of my list for Ren.”

  We moved on to tour the House of Victory, the Lotus Mahal, and the Mahanavami Dibba, but we didn’t see anything particularly interesting or outstanding there. The Noblemen’s Palace was a place for diplomatic meetings and high-ranking officials to be wined and dined. The King’s Balance was a building

  used by the kings to weigh gold, money, and grains in trade, and was also used to distribute goods to the poor.

  My favorite place was the Elephant Stables. A long, cavernous structure, it had housed eleven elephants in its heyday. Mr. Kadam explained that those elephants were not used for battle, but for ritual. They were the king’s private stock—highly trained and used for various ceremonies. Often, they were dressed in golden cloth and jewels, and their skin was painted. The building had ten domes of different sizes and shapes that rested on the top of each elephant’s apartment. He explained that other elephants were kept also to do menial labor and construction, but that these would have been special.

  A large statue of Ugra Narasimha was the last thing that we saw. When I asked Mr. Kadam what he represented, I didn’t get an answer. He walked around the structure, looking at it from many different angles while thinking and mumbling quietly to himself. I shaded my eyes and studied the top of it.

  He came back around to my side and asked, “What was it you said, Miss Kelsey?”

  “I asked who he is. He’s a pretty ugly fellow.”

  “He was created to be frightening. It made him seem more powerful. Ugra Narasimha is a god who is half man and half lion, though he can assume other forms as well. He is most famous for slaying a powerful demon king. What’s interesting is the demon king could not be killed either on earth or in space,

  during day or night, not inside or outside, by neither human nor animal, nor by any object that was dead or alive.”

  “You sure seem to have a lot of unslayable demons running around in India. So how did he kill the demon king?”

  “Ah, Ugra Narasimha was very clever. He picked up the demon king, placed him on his lap, and then killed him at twilight, on a doorstep, with his claws.”

  I laughed. “Sounds like Miss Scarlett, in the conservatory, with a candlestick.”

  Mr. Kadam chuckled. “Indeed, it does.”

  “Hmm, day or night…that’s twilight, inside or outside was doorstep, and he was half human and half lion, so that covers animal/human requirement. Not on earth or space is on his lap… what was the other one?”

  He answered, “He could not be killed by an object that was dead or alive, specifically, animate or inanimate, so he used his claws.”

  “Huh. Thatis pretty clever.”

  “I’m impressed, Kelsey. You figured out most of those on your own. If you look closely, you can see that he is sitting on the coils of a seven-headed snake, and their heads are arching above him, hoods open, to provide shade for his head.”

  I grimaced. “Uh-huh, those are snakes alright.”

  I twitched my arm uncomfortably and peeked over at my golden snake. She still looked like a hard piece of jewelry.

  Mr. Kadam started muttering to himself again and spent a long time examining the statue.

  “What are you looking for, Mr. Kadam?”

  “Part of the prophecy sayslet serpents guide you . Before, I thought it might only mean your golden snake, but perhaps the plural is important.”

  I joined him in
looking for a secret doorway or a handprint like the one I found before, but I couldn’t see

  anything. We tried to be casual as we studied the statue to avoid calling attention to ourselves.

  Finally giving up, Mr. Kadam said, “I think it might be a good idea if you and Dhiren return here this evening. I have a suspicion that this might be the correct place for you to begin looking for the entrance to

  Kishkindha. For now, let’s get something to eat, shall we?”

  We returned to the Jeep and drove to a local stand to purchase an early dinner, then we went back to get Ren. We met him at the stand of trees where we’d dropped him off and decided it was a good place for our picnic dinner. I tore off pieces of Tandoori chicken for him, which he carefully nibbled from my hand, and talked about the different buildings we’d investigated.

  Mr. Kadam explained to us that the ruins were closed to visitors at sundown unless there was a special event taking place. “Most evenings, guards are standing watch, looking out for treasure hunters.

  “In fact,” he elaborated, “treasure hunters are responsible for much of the destruction you see in the ruins

  now. They seek gold and jewels, but those things were taken from Hampi long ago. The treasures of Hampi now are the very things they are destroying.”

  Mr. Kadam felt that it would be best if he dropped Ren and me off at a location on the other side of the hills because the back way didn’t have any roads leading into Hampi, and it wasn’t guarded as well.

  “But if there aren’t any roads, then how will you be able to drop us off?”

  He grinned. “Off-roading is one of the reasons Ibought the Jeep, Miss Kelsey.” He rubbed his hands together animatedly. “It will be exciting!”

  I groaned and muttered, “Fantastic. I feel nauseous already.”

  “You will need to carry the gada in your backpack, Kelsey. Do you think you can manage?”

  “Sure. It’s not that heavy, really.”

  He stopped what he was doing and looked at me, puzzled.

  “What do you mean it’s not heavy? It is actually quite heavy.” He pulled it free from its wrapping and hefted it with two hands, straining his muscles to hold it.

  Puzzled, I mumbled, “That’s weird. I remember it being light for its size.” I walked over and took the gada from him, and we were both shocked that I could easily lift it with one hand. He took it back again and tried to lift it with one hand, and he again faltered under its weight.

  “To me it feels like fifty pounds.”

  I took it back again. “For me it feels like maybe five to ten pounds.”

  “Amazing,” he marveled.

  Shocked, I added, “I had no idea it actually weighed that much.”

  Mr. Kadam took it from me again, wrapped it in a soft blanket, and then placed it in my backpack. We hopped back into the Jeep, and he drove us along a back road, which changed to a dirt road, which changed to gravel, which changed to two lines in the dust, and then disappeared altogether.

  He let us out and set up a mini-camp, assuring me that Ren would be able to find his way back. He also gave me a small flash-light, a copy of the prophecy, and then he included a warning: “Don’t use the flashlight unless you have to. Be sparing because there are security guards walking through the ruins at night. Be alert. Ren can smell them coming, so you should be alright. Also, I would suggest that Ren stay

  in tiger form as much as possible in case you should need him for something later.” He squeezed my shoulders and smiled at me. “Good luck, Kelsey. Remember that you might not find anything at all. We might have to start all over again tomorrow night. Don’t fret and pressure yourself.”

  “Okay. Well…here goes nothing!”

  I began trailing after Ren. The moonless night allowed the stars to glisten with extra brilliance in the black, velvety sky. Beautiful though it was, I wished the moon were out so I could see. Fortunately, Ren’s white hide was easy to follow. Pits and holes dotted the terrain, and I had to be extra careful. I didn’t even want to think about what kinds of creatures had made those holes. It would be bad timing to trip and break my ankle.

  After a few minutes of stumbling, a greenish light began to softly glow in front of me. I looked around and finally figured out that the light was coming from Fanindra’s jeweled eyes. She lit the dark countryside for me, providing a special kind of night vision. Everything was clearly outlined, but it still felt

  creepy, like I was walking across alien terrain on some weird green planet.

  After almost an hour of walking, we arrived at the outskirts of the ruins. Ren slowed and smelled the air.

  A cool breeze wafted over the hills and freshened the warm evening. He must have decided the coast was clear because he continued forward quickly.

  We made our way through the ruins, striking a path toward the statue where Mr. Kadam wanted us to start our search. The ruins that had been stunning during the day now hovered over me, casting dark shadows. Beautiful archways and pillars that I had admired were now gaping black maws waiting to devour me. The gentle breeze I had appreciated earlier wound its way through passageways and doors that whistled and moaned, as if ancient ghosts were announcing our presence.

  Hair on the back of my neck prickled as I imagined eyes watching us and demons lurking in hazy hallways. When we finally neared the statue, Ren started moving around it, sniffing, and searching out hidden crevices. After an hour of searching and finding nothing, I was ready to give up, head back to Mr.

  Kadam, and get some sleep.

  “I’m exhausted, Ren. Too bad we don’t have an offering and a bell. Maybe the statue would come alive.

  Hmm?”

  He sat next to me, and I patted his head for a moment. I looked up at the statue, and an idea popped into my head. I mumbled, “A bell…I wonder…” I got up and ran to the Vithala Temple with its musical columns. I lightly tapped on one three times, hoping that no guards would hear it, and ran back to the statue. The eyes on the seven-headed snake were now glowing red, and a small carving of Durga had appeared on the side of the statue.

  “This is it! The sign of Durga! Okay, we’re doing something right. What do we do next? An offering?”

  I

  moaned in frustration. “But we don’t have anything to offer!”

  The mouth of the statue opened, and wispy, gray mist started pouring out of it. Puffs of the cold, smoky vapor rolled down the statue’s body, spilled over the ground, and began to expand in all directions. Red snake eyes were soon the only thing I could still make out. I kept my hand on Ren’s head for reassurance.

  I decided to climb the stone carving and search the head of the statue for some sign. Ren growled an objection, but I ignored him and began climbing up. It didn’t matter because I still found nothing to lead us further. As I hopped down from the statue, I misjudged the distance to the ground and tripped. Ren was at my side instantly. I wasn’t hurt, but being encompassed by the swirling fog was chilling.

  Just then, I remembered Mr. Kadam’s story about Ugra Narasimha. I thought for a minute. “Ren, maybe if we repeat the actions that Ugra Narasimha performed, the statue will lead us to the next step.

  Let’s try to reenact Ugra Narasimha’s famous task.”

  He brushed against my hand in the darkness.

  “Okay, there are five parts. The first thing we need is an animal/human, so that’s you. Here, stand next to me. You can be Ugra Narasimha, and I’ll be the demon king. Next, we need to be standing somewhere that isn’t inside or outside, so…let’s look for some steps or a doorway.”

  I felt around the statue. “I think there was a little doorway here, near the statue.” I stretched out my hand

  and felt the stone door frame. We both stepped under it.

  “The third part was neither day nor night. It’s too late for dusk or twilight. I guess I can try using my flashlight.” I clicked my little flashlight on and off, hoping that would be enough.

  “Then there was the part abou
t claws. You do have those. Umm, I think you have to scratch me. The story says kill, but I think scratching me might work.” I flinched. “You might need to draw blood though.”

  I heard his chest rumble in protest. “It’s okay. Just do a small scratch. It’s no big deal.”

  He growled again softly, but then he lifted his paw and set it gently on my arm. I’d seen him hunt from a

  distance and had also seen his claws during his fight with Kishan. As the flashlight shined on his extended

  claws, I couldn’t help but feel a little scared. I closed my eyes and heard a soft growl as he swiped, but I didn’t feel anything.

  I shone the flashlight all over my legs and didn’t see anything. I knew he’d done something, though, because I’d heard his claws tear through flesh. Immediately, I had a suspicion and aimed the flashlight on

  his white body, searching for where he’d hurt himself.

  “Ren!Let me see. How bad is it?”

  He lifted his leg, and I saw vicious rips where his claws had raked the flesh. Blood was freely dripping on the ground.

  I was angry. “I know you can heal fast, butreally , Ren. Did you have to wound yourself so deeply? You know it might not work anyway ifI don’t bleed. I appreciate your sacrifice, but I still want you to slashme

  . I’m the one representing the demon king, so cutme .” I added, “Preferably not as deep as that.”

  He still wouldn’t lift his paw. I had to bend over and actually lift his heavy paw myself. When I finally positioned it over my arm, he retracted his claws. I begged, “Ren.Please…pleasecooperate. This is hard enough as it is.”

  He allowed his claws to peek out halfway, and he lightly scratched my arm, barely leaving a mark at all.

  “Ren…doit, please. Now would be good.”

  He growled softly in protest and scratched me harder. The scratch marks left angry red welts down the length of my forearm. Two of the scratches bled lightly.

  “Thanks.” I flinched.

  I adjusted my flashlight to see his scratches again, which were almost healed already. Satisfied, I moved on to the last item. “Now, the last one was that the demon kind can’t stand either in heaven or on the earth. Ugra set the demon on his lap, which means I guess I have to…sit on your back.”