The Aryavarta Chronicles Kurukshetra: Book 3 (16 page)

‘I mean, the city itself. Do you remember the fountains in the Coronation Hall?

Syoddhan clenched his teeth at the one memory of the Coronation Hall that he could not forget, the reason why, even now, he refused to enter the hall though he would gladly explore every nook and cranny of the city given half a chance. It was where his dearest friend Shisupala had been beheaded, by none other than Govinda Shauri. With effort, Syoddhan brought himself to focus on Asvattama’s words.

‘The fountains in the hall – there are hundreds of them – are each made in a different way; using a different mechanism… Or should I say, using every different mechanism that the Firewrights have detailed or discovered over the years for irrigation, or working grain mills using water, or…well…anything they’ve invented, really. In short, the city is a veritable demonstration of most known Firewright machinery, and some unknown. The beauty of it is how it is hidden while being in plain sight. Like an illusion. And that makes this whole place…’

‘A maya-sabha; a palace of illusions.’

‘Yes. And the greatest illusion of them all is that the Firewrights and their work is lost. Imagine, imagine the legacy of the Wrights left in plain sight, as part of all that is everyday and mundane. Imagine it filling, enriching our lives, though we may not know it. And then imagine a Secret Keeper who continues to work in anonymity, to make sure that this comes to pass…’

‘Did you find it?’ Syoddhan interrupted, something he would not ordinarily have done while Asvattama spoke. This once though, he could not hold back, irritated as he was by how a stoic, restrained man had turned into a gushing youth in front of his eyes. His tone brought Asvattama back to his immediate surroundings.

‘No,’ Asvattama said. ‘No trace of the Naga-astra. But that’s the thing, Syoddhan. There is not a single piece of information, in any form, about any Wright-weapon, leave alone the Naga-astra. I have personally been over every thumb-length of this city and have found nothing, nothing at all that relates to weapon-making or battle strategy, not even a distant reference.’

‘That makes no sense!’ Syoddhan said. ‘Why give form to nearly all of the Firewrights’ knowledge, but leave out the one thing that made them so mighty?’

‘Because it made them mighty.’

‘Don’t be dense.’

Asvattama chuckled. ‘It is not for me to criticize our elders. My father – your teacher – and Grandsire Bhisma among them. But the truth of the matter is that those who were part of the Great Scourge destroyed only what they could not take for themselves or that which they did not need. The Kurus, for example, cared little for irrigation mechanisms – after all, your land is one of the most fertile tracts in all Aryavarta. At the same time, to let others benefit from those inventions could reduce their reliance on Kuru – in turn reducing Kuru power. No doubt, our elders have acted to ensure the undiminished glory of your kingdom. Their intentions may have been noble, and this is how they considered their actions justified. Be that as it may, those we reckon as the great rulers of Aryavarta were all leaders of the Great Scourge, or else are their descendants and pupils.’

Syoddhan resented the implications in Asvattama’s words, and he let it show. ‘Their actions were justified. It is our duty as rulers to guard evil from itself. If we do not take control of the source of great power, we risk it falling into the wrong hands.’

‘Like Jarasandha’s? He held no affection for the Firewrights, nor did he have any allegiance to the Firstborn. That sufficed for Vyasa Dwaipayana to condone the way he was killed… If it weren’t for Jarasandha, a Kuru would have become emperor a long time ago, isn’t it?’

‘Your point being…?’

‘What if the Wrights knew… What if they had the courage to destroy that part of themselves they believed bred hatred and violence, and wanted to leave only that part of their knowledge that added to peace and prosperity. What if Govinda Shauri was no traitor, but one such rebel? Does that not change things completely?’

Syoddhan considered the point. He did not want to admit it aloud, but the proposition did explain most of what Govinda had done over the years. It didn’t, however, explain why he would now risk all his plans simply to prove a point in Dharma’s favour. Out loud, Syoddhan said, ‘What if he wasn’t? Would you still want me to make peace with such a man? Or maybe you will! You can’t hide it anymore, can you? There is a Firewright within you, there always has been, and now to see Indr-prastha, to see their plan to rise again and come to life… You can’t resist the temptation any longer, can you?’

Asvattama’s voice was stern when he said, ‘We’re too old to fight like children, Syoddhan, so why don’t you just shut up, and I won’t have to hit you.’

Syoddhan stared at the other man for what felt to him like a long time and then let out a tired sigh. His rage of moments ago was gone, and with it the memory of his accusations. As though their conversation had been as before, he continued, ‘Old is right. I feel it. I feel it in every bone.’ He looked pointedly at Asvattama. ‘It has taken me a long time to understand one fundamental truth, my friend. You see, many of those we might reckon as our enemies are not, for they share the same beliefs as we do, they want the same thing as us. Trust me, I know Dharma Yudhisthir from youth, and I could wager my life that no man believes more strongly in Divine Order and our destined role as its caretakers than he does. Yet, he and I have different views on the best means to achieve this end, and it is that difference that men like Govinda seek to exploit. That Dharma allows himself to be manipulated, that his principles are so malleable, is what makes me think of him as my enemy, and a more dangerous one than Govinda Shauri. Does that make sense?’

‘It does. Govinda believes in sharing the power of the Firewrights with the masses, while you believe such power is best fettered and kept in control, tempered jointly by the Firstborn and the kings of Aryavarta. It is a difference of principle, but as individuals you are both fundamental in intent. Dharma, on the other hand, claims to share your principle, but is willing to forsake it in order to achieve what he considers greater ends.’

‘Correct. So whose war is this? Dharma’s or Govinda’s? Not that I care about the nature of my enemy, but unless I know who it truly is, planning against them is difficult. Which brings us back to your suggestion that Dharma’s forces will march against Indr-prastha. Govinda was willing to settle for a village when he came to barter peace. That doesn’t sound like a man who aspires to take this city.’

‘That doesn’t sound like a man I’d trust, either.’

Syoddhan said, ‘Clearly, you are not the only one. Sudhakshin of Kashi has already declared that he fights for us. In fact, he wants to know if he should direct his men to Hastina or Indr-prastha.’

‘But you haven’t called for an open muster yet…’

‘Call or not, he has come forward. His men are already marching eastward, and Dasarna’s king has allowed them to pass through his lands – which shows where he stands.’

‘With the Kurus,’ Asvattama said.

‘Or against Southern Panchala, at the very least. But if we want to gather the men here, at Indr-prastha and not Hastina, then it might be better to get them to move through your realm, Northern Panchala.’

‘Hmm. I’d suggest you think further on that. Indr-prastha has one weakness, Syoddhan. It is impregnable, it can withstand siege, it can outlast any enemy. But what it cannot do is support a huge army – which I suppose is another defence in itself.’

‘Surely that is an advantage.’

‘From a military perspective, yes. From a political perspective, however… As it stands, your men and mine form the city’s army, and they are as much as we can manage to have here. If Govinda attacks in Dharma Yudhisthir’s name, he will do so with the might of Matsya and, we should assume, Panchala behind him.’

Syoddhan said, ‘How does that matter? We can withstand them, can we not?’

‘The city can,’ Asvattama said. ‘But your rule will not. With two of Aryavarta’s most powerful nations against you, some for you… What happens when Sudakshin’s men start getting hungry? Or when some other ally’s soldiers begin dying of disease and lack of sanitation? These kings who march to your side do so in the expectation of immediate war, not endless strife. They do it for duty, but also for the spoils from war. How long will they continue to side with you if you can’t maintain their men? And once their coffers are empty, as are yours, then what? We – your friends – won’t abandon you, Syoddhan, but we cannot be sure how the rest of the kingdoms will react to such a situation. Now do you see? Politically speaking, only a ruler who enjoys great trust and loyalty from his vassals – one who truly rules over united Aryavarta – can hold Indrprastha. It’s brilliant!’

‘But…’ Syoddhan began, but stopped short as the import of Asvattama’s words sank in.

Asvattama continued, ‘It is like a piece of hot iron. Not everyone who picks it up would be able to hold it. And by refusing to make peace, you have set off this rather impressive trap, and Govinda knows it.’

‘Are you saying this is my fault?’ Syoddhan bristled.

Asvattama shrugged and met Syoddhan’s angry eyes with patience. Finally, Syoddhan turned away. His voice was quiet when he said, ‘Much is my fault, yet none of it is, though I could not admit that to anyone but you. By Rudra, Asvattama, you have no idea how liberating it is to just be here for a day to two, away from Hastina. Every day I’m there I feel as though I’m being torn apart, pulled in different directions. Often, I don’t know what to do, and so…’

‘You do nothing. You say nothing.’

Syoddhan’s eyes were earnest. ‘Is that wrong? All my life, I have been told that destiny is nothing but Divine Order in action, a higher will manifested on earth for us to follow. So it follows that to surrender to destiny is to surrender to a higher power, to follow Divine Order. All that I have done has been such, I have made no effort to twist events to my whim, but let destiny take its course – with me, with my family…with the Empire. And yet…and yet I cannot help but feel that in ages to come people will not remember me as the man who let destiny prevail, but as one who failed.’

‘This bothers you?’

‘It bothers me that it can be so; that doing what is good, what is right, can still lead to perdition and ruin. Would future generations not speak of Syoddhan Kauravya as the hero who stood to preserve the noble way of life as everything came crumbling down around him? Yet I know it is not whether I do right or wrong that will decide how I am spoken of, but the simple fact of whether I have won or lost… Does it not bother you, Asvattama?’

The tall warrior shook his head. ‘No.’

‘No?’ Syoddhan was astonished.

‘No,’ Asvattama confirmed. ‘Just as it does not bother me that in ages to come it is not I who will be remembered as your loyal friend, the man who stood by you through perdition and ruin. But that does not, will not, stop me doing so, Syoddhan. As for what will be said of me – you’re right, that ultimately depends on whether we win or lose.’

A melancholy silence followed. Finally, Syoddhan said, ‘Look at us, speaking of winning and losing as though war were upon us. Posturing, that’s all it will come to. Posturing and waving arms about, and then good sense will prevail. My cousin may be a self-righteous idiot, but he is not a bloodthirsty man. He will not allow war to come upon this realm… You know, I never really understood how anyone could win a war, when it leads to such great loss on both sides anyway.’

‘For such existential questions,’ Asvattama said, ‘it is a philosopher, possibly one of the Firstborn acharyas, that you need to speak to. All I can tell you is this: If it comes to war, you don’t want to make your stand here, at Indr-prastha. You need to meet the enemy at a more strategic location, one where your allies can stand by you, not just in principle, but in fact. You need to stand in command over the single, mighty force that will be the army of united Aryavarta.’

Syoddhan asked, ‘What do you have in mind?’

‘Govinda will call for them to assemble at one place – probably Matsya. He is interested in a display of strength, just as we are. But to show his might, he will pull together his allies’ forces, removing them from their current strategic positions around us.’

‘Then why wait?’ Syoddhan said. ‘We can stop them before they begin to consolidate their forces. We can direct Sudakshin to attack Dhrupad before he marches to Matsya.’

‘Are you sure Dhrupad marches to Matsya?’ Asvattama’s smile was both sad and cruel.

‘No,’ Syoddhan said. ‘You’re right. Southern Panchala is still in play, no matter what ties of blood and matrimony they may have to Dharma. The Grandsire’s influence over Dhrupad is strong.’

‘To throw Sudakshin at Dhrupad may make him side with Dharma, irrespective. We must be patient if your victory is to be absolute. Do nothing but send emissaries and gather troops. And if Govinda, in turn, musters troops to Dharma’s aid, then let him. He will think you have fallen into the trap of trying to create a garrison here at Indr-Prastha. But you will not…Your Highness…’

Syoddhan did not miss the added honorific, Asvattama’s customary way of tempering his commands to make them appear like advice. But that the other man so instructed him did not bother Syoddhan at all. He responded in the same vein, preserving his illusion of supremacy, more as a matter of studied habit than as intent to assert his authority. ‘And where do you suggest we make our stand?’

Asvattama said, ‘Kuru’s Fields. Kurukshetra.’

‘But…the terrain? If we come in from the south, from Indrprastha, does that not expose our line of approach? And what about Jayadrath’s forces: They must march in from the west. Shalya will most certainly march to Dharma’s aid, along the same path… What is the point of secrecy then? The whole purpose of preempting the attack by meeting the enemy at Kurukshetra would be defeated.’

‘It would, unless we had help. Syoddhan, I may not be your best friend, but will you nevertheless trust that I act in your best interests?’

‘Yes.’ It was all Syoddhan could bring himself to say.