Tiger's Quest (21 page)

He nodded. “Perhaps it is for the best. Not only will you learn new skills, but sometimes it helps to keep your hands busy when they are tied. I still need to focus much of my attention on research, but I will make time to train with you every day. I can also give you routines to practice on your own as well as some things you can learn with Kishan.”

“Thank you. I’d like to help you with your research too. I can take notes, and a new set of eyes can’t hurt.”

“We can start today.”

I nodded. He gestured to the leather furniture and we sat down.

“Now, tell me about this new power you seem to have. Kishan explained it to me, but I want to hear what happened from your perspective.”

“Well, I needed to protect Ren and was so angry I think I actually saw a red haze around me. He’d been hit with darts, and he was staggering, weakening. I knew that he wouldn’t last much longer. I stepped in front of him to face our attackers. I was desperate because there were so many men coming at us. A kind of fire burned in me.”

“What did it feel like?”

“It felt like . . . a whoosh of power in my center, like a pilot light in a water heater that suddenly bursts into flame. My stomach tightened as if to push the heat up to my chest. My heart burned, and the blood felt like it was boiling in my veins. I felt a bubbling sensation traveling down my arm. When it reached my hand, the symbols that Phet had painted in henna reappeared and glowed red. I could hear a
snap, crackle, pop
kind of noise and then this power rose and spilled out of me. A lightning bolt shot out of my hand. It picked one guy up in the air and slammed him into a tree.”

“And this power worked several times?”

“Yes. I was able to take down several men until I was shot with the tranquilizers. Then, the power sort of fizzled out.”

“Did the lightning bolts kill them or just stun them?”

“I hope it just stunned them. To be honest, we didn’t stick around long enough to find out. My first target, the man who hit the tree, was pretty hurt I imagine. I was really desperate.”

“I’d be curious to see if you can reproduce the effect when you aren’t in danger. Perhaps we can practice. It would also be interesting to see if you can widen the band to encompass more than one person at a time and to see how long you can maintain the burst.”

“I’d also like to practice the intensity. I’d prefer not to kill people,” I added.

“Of course.”

“Where do you think it came from?”

“I have . . . a theory.”

“Really? Tell me.”

“One of the ancient stories of India says that when the gods, Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, faced the demon king, Mahishasur, they could not defeat him. They combined their energies, which took the form of light, and the goddess Durga emerged from that light. She was born to fight him.”

“So, Durga’s made of light, and you think that’s why I have this power in me?”

“Yes. There are also several references that say she wears a necklace that flashes like lightning. Perhaps that stream of power resides in you.”

“That’s . . . I don’t even know how to feel about that.”

“I imagine it must feel disconcerting.”

“You can say that again.”

I paused for a moment and twisted my hands together.

“Mr. Kadam, I . . . I’m worried about Ren. I don’t think I can do this without him.”

He ventured, “The two of you have become closer then?”

“Yes. He’s . . . I’ve . . . We . . . Well, I guess I could just sum it up by saying I love him.”

He smiled. “You do know that he loves you, as well, don’t you? He didn’t think of anything but you for the months you were apart.”

I couldn’t help but grin. “So he was miserable, huh?”

Mr. Kadam smiled. “Desperately so. Kishan and I never found a moment’s peace until he left.”

“Mr. Kadam, can I ask you a question?”

“Of course.”

“There was a girl, an Indian girl, who was interested in Ren and wanted her parents to match them up. Ren told me that dating outside of his culture is considered inappropriate.”

“Ah. What he told you is accurate. Even in modern times, it’s a custom that’s still followed. Does this bother you?”

“Kind of. I don’t want Ren’s people to ostracize him.”

“Did he express concern about this?”

“No. He didn’t seem to care. He said he’d made his choice.”

Mr. Kadam stroked his short beard. “Miss Kelsey, Ren hardly needs anyone’s approval. If he chooses to be with you, no one will object.”

“Maybe not to his face, but there might be . . . cultural ramifications that haven’t occurred to him yet.”

“Ren is well aware of
all
the possible cultural ramifications. Remember, he was a prince who was highly trained in political protocol.”

“But, what if being with me makes his life more difficult?”

He chided softly, “
Miss Kelsey
, I can guarantee that being with you has been the
only
thing in his long life that gives him a modicum of peace. His life before you was fraught with difficulty, and I would venture to say that getting the approval of others has dropped very low on his priority list.”

“He told me that his parents were from different cultures. Why were
they
allowed to marry and be together?”

“Hmm, that’s an interesting story. To tell it properly, I’d have to tell you about Ren and Kishan’s grandfather.”

“I’d love to learn more about his family.”

He sat back in the leather recliner, and steepled his fingers under his chin. “Ren’s grandfather was named Tarak. He was a great warlord who wanted to live in peace in his later years. He’d grown tired of the infighting between kingdoms. Though his empire was the largest and his armies were the most renowned, he sent word to several other warlords governing over smaller territories, inviting them to a summit.

“He offered each one a portion of his land if they would sign a nonaggression pact and cut back their armies. They agreed, as the contract would bring each of them great wealth and properties. The country rejoiced as the king brought his armies home and prepared a grand feast in celebration. That day was considered a holiday throughout the land.”

“What happened?”

“About a month later, one of the rulers who signed the pact roused the others, telling them that now was the time to strike and that between them, they could rule all of India. Their plan was to first take Tarak’s ancestral lands. Then, from there, they could conquer all of the other smaller kingdoms easily.

“They broke their oath to Tarak and engaged in fierce battle, laying siege to his city. Many of the king’s soldiers had retired from active duty and had been given parcels of land in exchange for their years of service. With the armies at half strength, they couldn’t defeat the combined armies of the other warlords. Fortunately, Tarak was able to send runners out to enlist aid.”

“Where did they go for help?”

“China.”

“China?”

“Yes. Specifically they went to Tibet. The Indian/Chinese borders of that time were not as defined as they are today, and trade between the two countries was commonplace. Tarak especially had a good relationship with the Dalai Lama of the time.”

“Wait a minute. He enlisted the aid of the Dalai Lama? I thought the Dalai Lama was a religious leader.”

“Yes, the Dalai Lama was and is a religious leader, but religion and the military had close ties in Tibet, especially after gaining the attention of the Khan family. Centuries ago, Genghis Khan invaded but was satisfied by the tribute Tibet paid him, so for the most part, he left it alone. After Khan died, though, his grandson, Ögedei Khan, wanted those riches and returned to take over the country.”

Nilima came into the library to bring us lemon waters. He thanked her and continued, “Three hundred years after the takeover, Altan Khan built a monastery and invited Buddhist monks to teach the people. Buddhist ideology became widespread, and by the early 1600s, virtually all of the Mongols had become Buddhist. A man named Batu Khan, another descendant of Genghis Khan, who was in charge of the Mongol armies, was sent by the Dalai Lama to help Ren’s grandfather when he asked for aid.”

I sipped my lemon water. “Then what happened? They won, right?”

“Indeed. The combined Mongol armies in addition to King Tarak’s military were able to defeat the upstarts. Tarak and Batu Khan were of the same age. They became friends. Tarak, in gratitude, offered precious jewels and gold to take back to Tibet, and Batu Khan offered his young daughter to be married to Tarak’s son when the time was right. Ren’s father, Rajaram, would have been around ten years old at the time, and his mother had just been born.”

“So, Ren’s mother is related to Genghis Khan?”

“I haven’t researched the genealogy, but one must assume there is some relation.”

I sat back in my chair shocked. “What was his mother’s name?”

“Deschen.”

“What did she look like?”

“She looked a lot like Ren. She had the same blue eyes, and her hair was long and dark. She was very beautiful. When it was time for the marriage to take place, Batu Khan himself brought his daughter to meet with Tarak and stayed to oversee the wedding. Rajaram was never even allowed to see his bride until they were married.”

“Did they have a Hindu or a Buddhist wedding?”

“I believe it was a combination of the two. In a Hindu wedding, there is typically an engagement ceremony, a feast with gifts of jewelry or clothing, and then a wedding in which the groom gives the bride a
mangalsultra
, or marriage necklace, that she wears for the rest of her life. The whole process takes about a week. By comparison, a Buddhist wedding is a personal celebration, not a religious one. Only a few people are invited. Candles and incense are burned, and flowers are offered at a shrine. There are no monks, priests, or assigned marriage vows. I imagine Rajaram and Deschen probably followed the customs of a Hindu wedding, and perhaps also added offerings to the Buddha.”

“How long did it take for them to realize they loved each other?”

“That is a question I cannot answer, though I can tell you that their love and respect for each other was truly unique. When I knew them, they were very much in love, and King Rajaram often consulted with his wife on important matters of state, which was highly irregular at the time. They raised their sons to be open-minded and accepting of other cultures and ideas. They were good people and very wise leaders. I miss them. Did Ren speak of them?”

“He told me you watched over them for him until they died.”

“That is true.” Mr. Kadam’s eyes became moist, and he seemed to fix his gaze on something I couldn’t see. “I held Deschen when King Rajaram passed out of this world and then later, held her hand when she closed her eyes forever.” He cleared his throat, “That’s when she entrusted me with the care of her most precious possessions—her sons.”

“And you have done more for them than any mother could ever ask. You are a truly wonderful man. A father to them. Ren told me he could never repay you for all you’ve done for him.”

Mr. Kadam shifted uncomfortably. “That is neither here nor there. He does not need to repay me for what I gave him freely.”

“And that is
exactly
what makes you so special.”

Mr. Kadam smiled and stood to refill my water glass, probably to deflect attention from himself. I changed the subject.

“Did Ren and Kishan’s parents ever know they were changed into tigers?”

“As you know, I was the king’s military advisor. As such, I was put in charge of the armies. When Ren and Kishan were placed under the spell, they tried to sneak back into the palace at night as tigers. There was no way they could have gotten in to see their parents because Rajaram and Deschen were too well guarded, and Ren and Kishan would have been killed on sight. Even tigers as rare as they were would not have been allowed to enter the palace grounds. Instead, they came to me. I had a small house near the palace so I could be summoned at any time.”

“What did you do when you saw them?”

“They scratched at my door. You can imagine my surprise when I opened the door to find a black and a white tiger sitting there staring at me. At first, I grabbed my sword. Military instinct is strong, but they didn’t react to me. I lifted my sword above my head ready to strike, but they both sat there calmly, watching, waiting. For a time, I thought I was dreaming. Several minutes passed. I opened my door wider and moved back, keeping my sword at the ready. They entered my house and sat on my rug.

“We watched each other for hours. When I was summoned to attend training, I begged off, telling the servant that I felt ill. I sat in my chair all day and watched the tigers. They seemed to be waiting for something. When evening came, I prepared a meal and offered meat to the animals. They both ate and then lay down to sleep. I stayed awake all night, watching them. I had trained my body to go several days without sleep, so I remained vigilant, though they slept as harmless as kittens.”

I sipped my lemon water. “Then what happened?”

“Early in the morning, just before the sun came up, something changed. The white tiger shifted and changed into Prince Dhiren; the black one followed suit and became Kishan. Ren quickly explained what had happened to them, and I immediately requested audience with their parents. I explained that it was imperative that Rajaram and Deschen accompany me to my home without guards. Their private guard took a lot of convincing, and only the king’s absolute trust in me led him to comply with my wish.

“I led them back to my home. When I opened the door, Deschen let out a small scream when she saw the tigers. Rajaram moved in front of his wife to protect her. He was very upset with me. I begged them to enter and told them the tigers meant them no harm.

“After I’d finally convinced them to close the door, the two brothers rose to stand before their parents as men. They had very little time left and quickly changed back and allowed me to relate the story. The five of us stayed in counsel all day in my little home. Runners came to say that a vast army led by Lokesh was approaching and that he had already destroyed several villages and was on his way to the palace.”