13
Waterfall
The next morning I got up and found a half-full backpack by my door with a note from Mr. Kadam. It said that I should pack three or four days’ worth of clothes and to include my swimsuit.
The swimsuit, hung overnight, was dry now. I tossed it in my bag, included a towel for good measure, piled the rest of my things on top of that, and made my way downstairs.
Mr. Kadam and Ren were already in the Jeep when I hopped in. As soon as my seatbelt clicked Mr. Kadam handed me a breakfast bar and a bottle of juice and sped off.
‘What’s the hurry?’ I asked.
He answered, ‘Ren has added a detour to our trip and would like to stop somewhere on the way. The plan is to drop the two of you off for a few days and then return to pick you up later. After that, we will proceed to Hampi.’
‘What kind of a detour?’
‘Ren would prefer to explain it to you himself.’
‘Hmm.’
From the look on his face, I knew that no matter how I wheedled him, Mr. Kadam would not divulge any details. I decided to set aside my curiosity about the future and focus on the past instead.
‘Since we’re in for a long drive, why don’t you tell me more about yourself, Mr. Kadam? What was your life like growing up?’
‘Alright. Let me see. I was born twenty-two years before Ren in June 1635. I was an only child born to a military family of the Kshatriya caste. So, it was natural for me to be trained to enter the military.’
‘What’s a Kshatriya caste?’
‘India has four castes, or varnas, similar to different social classes: the Brahmins are teachers, priests, and scholars; the Kshatriyas are rulers and protectors; the Vaishyas are farmers and traders; and the Shudras are craft workers and servants. There are also different levels in each caste.
‘People of different castes never mingled with one another during any part of their life. Their entire life was lived within their own group. Though officially outlawed for the last fifty years or so, the caste system is still practiced in several parts of the country.’
‘Was your wife from the same caste as you?’
‘It was easier for me to continue my role as a retired soldier who was highly favored by the king, so the answer is yes.’
‘But was it an arranged marriage? I mean, you loved her, right?’
‘Her parents arranged it, but we were happy together for the time allotted to us.’
I stared at the road ahead of us for a moment and then glanced at Ren, who was napping in the back.
‘Mr. Kadam, does it bother you that I ask so many questions? Don’t feel like you have to answer all of them, especially if they’re too personal or painful for you.’
‘I don’t mind, Miss Kelsey. I enjoy talking with you.’ He smiled at me and changed lanes.
‘Okay, then. Tell me a little bit about your military career. You must have fought some really interesting battles.’
He nodded. ‘I started training when I was very young. I think I must have started at age four. We never went to school. As future military men, our entire young lives were devoted to being good soldiers, and all of our studies were in the art of warfare. There were dozens, perhaps even a hundred different kingdoms in India at the time. I was fortunate to live in one of the most powerful ones under a good king.’
‘What kinds of weapons did you use?’
‘I was trained in all variety of weapons, but the first skill we were taught was hand-to-hand combat. Have you ever seen martial arts movies?’
‘If you mean like Jet Li and Jackie Chan, then yes.’
He nodded. ‘Fighters who were skilled in hand-to-hand combat were highly sought after. As a young man, I rose in rank quickly because of my skill in this area. No one was able to best me in sparring matches. Well, almost no one. Ren has beaten me on occasion.’
I looked at him with surprise. ‘Mr. Kadam! Are you telling me you are a master of karate?’
‘Something like that.’ He smiled. ‘I was never as good as the celebrated masters who came to train us, but I picked up enough. I enjoy sparring, but my great skill is with the sword.’
‘I’ve always wanted to learn karate.’
‘During that time, we didn’t call it karate. The martial art that we used during warfare was less visually exciting. It emphasized overcoming your opponent as quickly as possible which often meant killing or striking a blow that would knock someone out long enough for you to escape. It wasn’t as structured as you see it today.’
‘Gotcha, no Karate Kid I, skip ahead to Karate Kid II. Fights to the death it is. So, you and Ren are both trained in martial arts.’
He smiled. ‘Yes, and he was very adept. As the future king, he studied the sciences, crafts, the arts, and philosophy, as well as many other branches of knowledge known as the sixty-four arts. He was also trained in all manner of warfare, including the martial arts.
‘Ren’s mother was also well versed in the martial arts. She had been taught in Asia and insisted that her children be able to protect themselves. Experts were brought in, and our kingdom quickly became renowned for fighting in that medium.’
For a minute, I allowed myself to get lost in the visual image of Ren doing martial arts. Fighting without his shirt on. Bronze skin. Taut muscles. I shook my head and berated myself. Snap out of it, girl!
I cleared my throat, ‘Umm, so what were you saying?’
‘Chariots . . .’ Mr. Kadam continued, not even noticing my brief lack of attention. ‘Most of the soldiers were in the infantry, and that’s the area in which I started. I was trained in the use of the sword, the spear, the mace, as well as many other weapons before I moved on to chariots. By the age of twenty-five, I was in charge of the king’s army. By the age of thirty-five, my job was to teach others, including Ren, and was called to be the king’s special military advisor and war strategist, particularly in the use of battle elephants.’
‘It’s hard to imagine elephants in war. They seem so gentle,’ I reflected.
‘Elephants were quite formidable in battle,’ Mr. Kadam explained. ‘They were heavily armored and carried an enclosed structure on their backs to protect archers. Sometimes we secured long daggers dipped in poison to their tusks which proved very effective in a direct assault. Just imagine facing an army with twenty thousand armored elephants. I don’t believe we have that many elephants left in all of India now.’
I could almost feel the ground shaking underfoot as I visualized thousands of battle-ready elephants descending on an army.
‘How awful for you to have to be a part of all that bloodshed and destruction, and to think that was your whole life. War is a terrible thing.’
Mr. Kadam shrugged. ‘War was different then than it is today. We followed a warrior’s code, similar to Europe’s code of chivalry. We had four rules. Rule One: You must fight with someone who has similar armor. We wouldn’t fight a man who did not have the same amount of protective gear. This is similar to the concept of not using a weapon against an unarmed man.’
He raised a second finger. ‘Rule Two: If your enemy can’t fight any longer, the battle is over. If you’ve disabled your opponent and rendered him helpless, you must stop fighting. You don’t finish him off.
‘Rule Three: Soldiers do not kill women, children, the aged, or the infirm, and we do not injure those who surrender.
‘And Rule Four: We do not destroy gardens, temples, or other places of worship.’
‘Those sound like pretty good rules,’ I commented.
‘Our king followed Kshatriadharma, or the Law of Kings, which means that we could only fight in battles that were considered just, or righteous, and that had the approval of the people.’
We both fell silent for a while. Mr. Kadam seemed wrapped in thoughts about his past, and I tried to understand the time he lived in. As he smoothly switched lanes again, I was impressed with his ease at driving in heavy traffic while he was so quietly reflective. The streets were crowded, and the drivers were zipping past at frightening speeds, but that didn’t seem to leave any impression on Mr. Kadam.
Later, he turned to me and said, ‘I’ve made you sad, Miss Kelsey. I apologize. I didn’t mean to upset you.’
‘I’m just sad that you had so much warfare in your life and that you missed out on so many other things.’
Mr. Kadam looked at me and smiled. ‘Don’t be sad. Remember that it was just one small part of my life. I have been able to see and experience more things than would normally have been possible for any man. I have seen the world change century after century. I have witnessed many terrible things, as well as many wonderful things. Also, remember that, even though I was a military man, we weren’t constantly at war. Our kingdom was large and reputable. Though we trained for battle, we engaged in serious warfare only perhaps a handful of times.’
‘Sometimes I forget how long you and Ren have been alive. Not that I’m saying you’re old or anything.’
Mr. Kadam chuckled. ‘Indeed not.’
I nodded and picked up a book to study more about Hanuman. It was fascinating to read the stories surrounding the monkey god. I was so immersed in my study that I was surprised when Mr. Kadam pulled over.
We grabbed a quick lunch, during which Mr. Kadam encouraged me to try some different types of curry. I discovered that I was not much of a curry fan, and he chuckled as I made faces at the spicy ones. I loved the naan bread though.
As we settled back into the car, I pulled out a copy of Durga’s prophecy and began reading. Snakes. That can’t be a good thing. I wonder what type of protection or blessing Durga would give us.
‘Mr. Kadam, is there a temple of Durga near the ruins of Hampi?’
‘Excellent question, Miss Kelsey. I had the same thought myself. Yes, there are temples to honor Durga in almost every city in India. She is a very popular goddess. I have found a temple near Hampi that we will visit. Hopefully, we’ll find our next clue to the puzzle there.’
‘Hmm.’
I went back to my study of the prophecy. Mr. Kadam had said a gada was like a mace, or a club, so that means it’s a weapon. Hanuman’s realm. That means the ruins of Hampi, or Kishkindha. And then hunt the branch that’s bound. Maybe it’s the branch that holds the fruit. Thorny dangers and dazzling dangers? The thorns could be rose bushes or thorny vines maybe.
‘Mr. Kadam, any idea what dazzling dangers might be?’
‘No. Sorry, Miss Kelsey, I can’t think of anything. I’ve also been pondering, “Lurid phantoms thwart your route.” I’ve found no information on this, which makes me think we might have to interpret it literally. There might be spirits of some kind that try to stop you.’
I gulped. ‘And what about the uh, serpents?’
‘There are many dangerous serpents in India – the cobra, the boa, the python, water snakes, vipers, king cobras, and even some that fly.’
That didn’t sound good at all. ‘What do you mean fly?’
‘Well, technically, they don’t really fly. They just glide to other trees, like the flying squirrel.’
I sank lower in my seat and frowned. ‘What an exceptional variety of poisonous reptiles you have here.’
Mr. Kadam laughed. ‘Yes, we do indeed. It’s something we’ve learned to live with, but, in this case, it sounds like the snake or snakes will be helpful.’
I read the line again: If serpents find forbidden fruit, and India’s hunger satisfy . . . lest all her people surely die.
‘Do you think that what we do could somehow affect all of India?’
‘I’m not sure. I hope not. Despite my centuries of study, I know very little about this curse or the Damon Amulet. It has great power, but as to how it could affect India, I haven’t figured that out yet.’
I had a slight headache, so I leaned my head back and closed my eyes. The next thing I knew, Mr. Kadam was nudging me awake.
‘We’re here, Miss Kelsey.’
I rubbed my sleepy eyes. ‘Where?’
‘We’re at the place where Ren wanted to stop.’
‘Mr. Kadam, we’re in the middle of nowhere surrounded by jungle.’
‘I know. Don’t be afraid. You’ll be safe. Ren will protect you.’
‘Why do those words always precede me wandering in the jungle with a tiger?’
He laughed lightly, grabbed my bag, and walked around to my door to open it for me.
I stepped out and looked up at him. ‘I’ll have to sleep in the jungle again, won’t I? Are you sure I can’t go with you while he gets whatever it is he needs?’
‘I’m sorry, Miss Kelsey, but in this case he will need you. It’s something he can’t do without you and may not even be able to do with you.’
I groaned, ‘Right. And, you, of course, can’t tell me what it is.’
‘It’s not for me to tell. This is his story to share.’
I muttered, ‘Fine. And you’ll be back to pick us up when?’
‘I will go into town and purchase a few items. Then I’ll meet you back here in about three or four days. I may end up having to wait for you. He might not be able to find what he is searching for on the first couple of nights.’
I sighed and glared at Ren. ‘Great. More jungle. Okay, let’s get on with it. Please lead the way.’
Mr. Kadam handed me a bottle of bug spray with sunscreen, placed some items in my backpack, and helped fit it onto my shoulders. I sighed deeply as I watched him pull away in the Jeep. Then I turned to follow Ren off into the jungle.
‘Hey, Ren. How come I always have to follow you into a jungle? How about next time you follow me to a nice spa or maybe to the beach? How about that?’
He snuffed and kept on moving.
‘Fine, but you owe me after this.’
We walked the rest of the afternoon.
Later, I heard a rumbling noise ahead of us but couldn’t figure out what it was. The farther we walked, the louder the noise grew. We walked through a grove of trees and into a small clearing. Finally, I saw the source of the sound. It was a beautiful waterfall.
A series of gray stones were spread out like steps onto a tall hill. The water foamed and flowed over each stone, plummeted down, and spread out like a fan falling to a wide turquoise pool below. Trees and small bushes with petite red flowers surrounded the pool. It was lovely.
As I approached one of the bushes, I noticed it looked like it was moving. At my next step, hundreds of butterflies took to the air. There were two varieties: one was brown with cream-colored stripes and the other was brownish-black with blue stripes and dots. I laughed and twirled around in a cloud of butterflies. When they settled again, several landed on my arms and my shirt.
I climbed a rock that looked out over the falls and studied a butterfly perched on my finger. When it flew off, I stood quietly watching the water tumble down. Then I heard a voice behind me.
‘It’s beautiful, isn’t it? It’s my favorite place in the entire world.’
‘It is. I’ve never seen anything like it.’
Ren came up to me and nudged a butterfly from my arm to his finger. ‘These are called crow butterflies, and the others are blue tigers. The blue tigers are brighter and easier to spot, so they live with the crows for camouflage.’
‘Camouflage? Why do they need it?’
‘The crows are inedible. In fact, they’re poisonous, so other butterflies try to mimic them to fool predators.’
He took my hand and guided me a little way along a path by the falls. ‘We’ll make camp here. Go ahead and sit down. I have something I need to tell you.’
I found a flat place and set down the backpack. I pulled out a bottle of water and settled myself against a rock. ‘Okay, go ahead.’
Ren began pacing back and forth and started speaking. ‘The reason we’re here is because I need to find my brother.’
I choked on my mouthful of water. ‘Your brother? I assumed he was dead. You haven’t mentioned him at all, except that he was cursed with you. You mean he’s still alive and lives here?’
‘To be honest with you, I don’t know if he’s still alive or not. I assume he is because I am. Mr. Kadam believes that he still lives here in this jungle.’
He turned and looked at the waterfall, and then sat down next to me, stretched out his long legs, and picked up my hand. He toyed with my fingers as he spoke, ‘I believe he’s still alive. It’s just a feeling I have. My plan is to search the area in ever-widening circles. Eventually, one of us will cross the other’s scent. If he doesn’t show up or if I can’t catch his scent in a few days, we’ll go back, find Mr. Kadam, and continue our journey.’
‘What do you need me to do?’
‘Wait here. I’m hoping that if he won’t listen to me, meeting you might convince him. Also, I hope that—’
‘Hope what?’
He shook his head. ‘It’s not important now.’ He squeezed my hand distractedly and jumped up. ‘Let me help you set up camp quickly before I begin my search.’
Ren went off to look for firewood while I unrolled a small easy-to-set-up two-person tent strapped to the outside of the backpack. Thank you, Mr. Kadam! I zipped open the tent bag and spread it out on a patch of even ground. After a few minutes, Ren came over to help me. He already had a fire going and had a nice stack of wood to keep it ablaze.
‘That was fast,’ I muttered jealously as I stretched the tent fabric over a hook.
He popped his head over the other side and grinned. ‘I was trained extensively on how to live outdoors.’
‘I guess.’
He laughed. ‘Kells, there are many things that you know how to do that I don’t. Like setting up this tent apparently.’
I smiled. ‘Pull the fabric down over the hook on the stake.’
We finished up quickly, and he dusted off his hands.
‘We didn’t have tents like these three hundred years ago. They look similar, but these are much more complicated. We just used wooden poles.’
He walked up to me, tugged on my braid, and impulsively kissed my forehead. ‘Keep the fire going. It scares wild animals away. I’m going to circle the area a few times, but I’ll be back before it gets dark.’
Ren bounded off into the jungle as a tiger again. I tugged on my braid, thought about him for a minute, and smiled.
While I waited for him to come back, I looked through my backpack to see what Mr. Kadam had provided for dinner. Ah, he outdid himself again – freeze-dried chicken and rice with chocolate pudding for dessert. I poured some water from my bottle into a little pot and set it on a flat rock that I had pushed into the coals. When the water bubbled, I used a T-shirt as a pot holder and transferred the hot water to my dinner pouch. I waited several minutes for it to reconstitute, and then enjoyed my meal, which wasn’t half bad actually. It sure was tastier than Sarah’s tofu turkey at Thanksgiving.
The sky started to darken, and I decided I’d feel safer in my tent, so I climbed in and folded my quilt up to use as a pillow.
Ren returned shortly after that, and I heard him place more wood on the fire. He said, ‘No sign of him yet.’ Then he changed back to a tiger and settled himself at the tent opening.
I unzipped the tent and asked him if he would mind me using his back as a pillow again. He moved and stretched out as an answer. I scooted closer, laid my head on his soft fur, and wrapped my quilt around me. His chest rumbled rhythmically in a deep purr, which helped me to fall asleep.
Ren was gone when I awoke and returned around lunchtime as I was brushing out my hair.
‘Here, Kells. I brought you something,’ he said unassumingly, holding out three mangoes.
‘Thanks. Uh, dare I ask where you got them?’
‘Monkeys.’
I stopped in mid-brush. ‘Monkeys? What do you mean monkeys?’
‘Well, monkeys don’t like tigers because tigers eat monkeys. So, when a tiger comes around, they jump up in the trees and pummel the tiger with fruit or feces. Lucky for me today they threw fruit.’
I gulped. ‘Have you ever . . . eaten a monkey?’
Ren grinned at me. ‘Well, a tiger does have to eat.’
I dug a rubber band out of the backpack so I could braid my hair. ‘Ugh, that’s disgusting.’
He laughed. ‘I didn’t really eat a monkey, Kells. I’m just teasing you. Monkeys are repellant. They taste like meaty tennis balls and they smell like feet.’ He paused, ‘Now a nice juicy deer, that is delectable.’ He smacked his lips together in an exaggerated way.
‘I don’t think I really need to hear about your hunting.’
‘Really? I quite enjoy hunting.’
Ren froze into place. Then, almost imperceptibly, he lowered his body slowly to a crouch and balanced on the balls of his feet. He placed a hand in the grass in front of him and began to creep closer to me. He was tracking me, hunting me. His eyes locked on mine and pinned me to the spot where I was standing. He was preparing to spring. His lips were pulled back in a wide grin, which showed his brilliant white teeth. He looked . . . feral.
He spoke in a silky, mesmerizing voice, ‘When you’re stalking your prey, you must freeze in place and hide, remaining that way for a long time. If you fail, your prey eludes you.’ He closed the distance between us in a heartbeat.
Even though I’d been watching him closely, I was startled at how fast he could move. My pulse started thumping wildly at my throat, which was where his lips now hovered as if he were going for my jugular.
He brushed my hair back and moved up to my ear, whispering, ‘And you will go . . . hungry.’ His words were hushed. His warm breath tickled my ear and made goose bumps fan out over my body.
I turned my head slightly to look at him. His eyes had changed. They were a brighter blue than normally and were studying my face. His hand was still in my hair, and his eyes drifted down to my mouth. I suddenly had the distinct impression that this was what it felt like to be a deer.
Ren was making me nervous. I blinked and swallowed dryly. His eyes darted back up to mine again. He must have sensed my apprehension because his expression changed. He removed his hand from my hair and relaxed his posture.
‘I’m sorry if I frightened you, Kelsey. It won’t happen again.’
When he took a step back, I started breathing again. I said shakily, ‘Well, I don’t want to hear any more about hunting. It freaks me out. The least you could do is not tell me about it. Especially when I have to spend time with you outdoors, okay?’
He laughed. ‘Kelsey, we all have some animalistic tendencies. I loved hunting, even when I was young.’
I shuddered. ‘Fine. Just keep your animalistic tendencies to yourself.’
He leaned toward me again and pulled on a strand of my hair.
‘Now, Kells, there are some of my animalistic tendencies that you seem to like.’ He started making a rumbling sound in his chest, and I realized that he was purring.
‘Stop that!’ I sputtered.
He laughed, walked over to the backpack, and picked up the fruit. ‘So, do you want any of this mango or not? I’ll wash it for you.’
‘Well, considering you carried it in your mouth all that way just for me. And taking into account the source of said fruit. Not really.’
His shoulders fell, and I hurried to add, ‘But I guess I could eat some of the inside.’
He looked up at me and smiled. ‘It’s not freeze-dried.’
‘Okay. I’ll try some.’
He washed the fruit, peeled off the outside with a knife from the backpack, and sliced off segments for me. We sat next to each other and enjoyed the fruit. It was juicy and delicious, but I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing how much I liked it.
‘Ren?’ I licked the juice from my fingers and took another piece.
‘Yes?’
‘Is it safe to swim by the waterfall?
‘Sure. It should be safe enough. This place used to be very special to me. I came here all the time to escape the pressures of palace life and to have time to be alone and think.’
He looked at me. ‘In fact, you’re the first person I’ve ever shown it to, other than my family and Mr. Kadam, of course.’
I looked at the beautiful waterfall and began to speak quietly, ‘There are dozens of waterfalls in Oregon. My family used to take picnics by them. I think we saw most of the falls in the state. I remember standing close to one watching it with my dad while the cloud of spray slowly soaked us.’
‘Did any of them look like this one?’
I smiled. ‘Nope. This one’s unique. My favorite time to visit was in the winter, actually.’
‘I’ve never seen a waterfall in the winter.’
‘It’s beautiful. The water freezes as it falls down the craggy mountains. The smooth rocks around the falls become slick with ice, and, as more water pours over them, icicles start to grow. The spiky ice slowly swells and lengthens as it creeps down the hill, stretching and crackling and breaking until the icy tips touch the water below in long, thick, twisted ropes. The water that’s still moving seeps, dribbling over the icicles slowly and glazing it in shiny layers. In Oregon, the surrounding hills are lush with evergreens, and are sometimes tipped with snow.’
He didn’t respond.
‘Ren?’ I turned to see if he was still paying attention, and I found him studying me intently.
A slow, lazy smile lit his face. ‘That sounds very beautiful.’
I blushed and quickly looked away.
He deliberately cleared his throat. ‘It sounds amazing, but cold. The water here doesn’t freeze.’ He took my hand and laced our fingers together. ‘Kelsey, I’m sorry your parents are gone.’
‘Me too. Thanks for sharing your waterfall with me. My parents would have loved it here.’ I smiled at him and then jerked my head toward the jungle. ‘If you don’t mind, I’d like a bit of privacy so I can change into my swimsuit.’
He stood and bowed to me dramatically. ‘Never let it be said that Prince Alagan Dhiren Rajaram denied the request of a beautiful lady.’ He washed his sticky hands in the pool, changed to a tiger, and trotted off into the jungle.
I gave Ren some time to move off, slipped on my swimsuit, and dove into the water.
It was crystal clear, and it quickly cooled my hot, sweaty skin. It felt delicious. After swimming and exploring in the pond, I swam to the falls and found a rock to sit on just under the spray. I let the water pound over my body in icy cold blasts. Later, I scooted over to the sunny side of the rock and folded my legs up out of the water. Pulling my wet hair over my shoulder, I let the sun warm me.
I felt like a mermaid looking over her tranquil domain. It was so peaceful and pleasant here. With the blue water, the green trees, and the butterflies fluttering here and there, it was like a scene right out of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I could even picture the fairies flitting from flower to flower.
Just then, Ren galloped out of the jungle and took a flying leap. All five hundred pounds of his white tiger body landed with a splat right in the middle of the pool, sending rippling waves over to lap against my rock.
‘Hey,’ I said when he surfaced, ‘I thought tigers hated the water.’
He paddled over to me and swam around in circles, showing me that tigers did know how to swim. Darting his big head under the falls, he swam behind them and over to my rock. Pulling himself up behind me, he violently shook out his fur like a dog. Water sprayed in every direction, including all over me.
‘Hey, I was drying off!’
I slid back into the water and swam out to the center of the pool. He jumped in again too, and paddled around me in circles while I splashed him, laughing. He dove under me and stayed underwater for a long time. Finally, he surfaced, leapt on top of a rock, and jumped into the air to belly flop into the water right next to me. We played in the water until I started to get tired. Then I swam back over to the falls again and stood in the stream with my arms raised, letting the water fall all around me.
I heard a pop and a thump from above. A few rocks fell down in the water right next to me with a plop and a splash. As I quickly moved out of the falls, a rock thumped me on the back of my head. My eyelids fluttered and closed as my body slumped into the cool water.