For Nuha and Sanaa
Chaya looked at the bronze spear pointing at her neck.
“Stop right there,” said the guard.
Chaya took a step back and held up her hands. The linen pouch under her blouse clinked. The chatter of the crowds floated up from the promenade below, where the King’s annual feast was taking place.
“What are you doing here, girl?” The guard waved the spear at her. From below them, the melody of the veenas drifted up. The musical show was starting.
Chaya shrugged, the pouch pressing against her chest. She rubbed her palms down her skirt and tried to keep her voice level. “I’m just looking around.”
Her voice brought two more guards to the top of the stone steps cut into the hill. This was how the royal palace was built – a network of buildings at the top of the mountain, every rock and ledge forming courtyards and pools for the royal household while they ruled from above.
“You’re not allowed here,” the guard said to Chaya. “You should be down below, enjoying the food and the festivities.”
Not Chaya. She much preferred breaking into the Queen’s rooms and stealing her jewels. There was a particularly nice blue sapphire in her pouch at that moment.
“Well?” The man jabbed his spear towards her. “What have you got to say for yourself?”
“I wanted to get a little closer to the palace. See what it’s like. It looks so pretty from down there.” She pointed in the direction of her village and made her face go all wistful.
The guard sighed. “Fine. Just make sure you don’t do it again.” He put his spear down. “Anything past the lion’s entrance is strictly out of bounds to the public.”
Chaya looked back and nodded meekly, as if noticing the giant lion statue for the first time, even though it could be seen from villages miles away. The stone stairway carved between the crouching lion’s paws led into the complex of buildings that made up the inner palace.
“Come on now.” The guard gripped her arm, making her wince. He pulled her to the cobbled walkway sloping downwards towards the celebrations below. “I don’t want to see you here again.”
The Queen’s jewels jangled in her pouch. There were sapphires, tourmalines and star rubies, set in heavy, shiny gold. How many jewels did one person need anyway? And these were just the ones from the drawer in the rosewood table by the bed. Pity she’d had to leave so quickly when she heard voices outside the door. And then to be seen when she was halfway down to the promenade was just bad luck.
She shrugged herself free of the guard and set off, her arm stinging from where his fingers had pinched her.
In spite of everything Chaya found herself gasping at the view from up there. The kingdom of Serendib spread out around her as far as the eye could see, thick green forests and strips of silver rivers, with the King’s City below and clusters of little villages beyond.
But she wasn’t ready to leave yet. Chaya paused near a tamarind tree and pretended to look up at the monkeys on it. Dappled sunshine prickled her face as she looked at the guard out of the corner of her eye.
He had stopped walking but was still watching her. She heard him swear loudly. “What are you doing now? Get out, girl, before I come and give you a thrashing.”
The sensible thing to do was to get out of there as fast as she could. But the Queen’s rooms were calling out to her. It was as if she could hear their whisper, right there in the warm sun. The softness of the velvet rugs, the gauzy bed curtains dancing in the breeze, and the promise of more riches within the ebony and teak cabinets.
Suddenly a commotion came from above her, near the Queen’s quarters. She heard shouting and the sound of people running.
Chaya thought back quickly. Had she forgotten to close the drawer in her rush?
She sneaked a quick look over her shoulder to see a figure running down the cobbled path behind her.
It really was time to get out.
Chaya carried on walking as casually as she could. Her heart hammered at the sounds behind her.
She was just passing under the stone lion when she heard a yell.
“Hey, you!”
Chaya sped up, her bare feet scorched by the cobbles.
“Hey! I need to talk to you, girl.”
She had to get away fast or everything would be over. Her feet slapped harder on the path and her breath came out in puffs.
There was a scuffle of hurrying feet behind her.
Chaya hitched up her skirt and raced down the path. The sound of thundering feet chased her; heavy sandals pounding on cobbles.
She pulled up with a jolt when she saw a row of guards racing towards her from below. She turned and ran blindly sideways, springing up some steps into the Queen’s prayer hall and threading through its granite columns. Spears clattered against columns as the guards tramped after her. She got to the far side of the hall and plunged down into the foliage, thrashing through it and down the steps into the formal gardens.
She found herself close to the promenade where the feast was taking place. The smell of frying sweetmeats meant the food tables were just round the corner.
Chaya skidded to a halt in front of two boys stuffing rice cakes down their shirts. They looked up in alarm at her sudden arrival, and took off in different directions.
Leaping away from them she pitched into a crowd of dancers and musicians. The revellers were oblivious to the unfolding drama, and cymbals clashed and bare-torsoed dancers jumped and twirled to the beat of drums. She ran through the band, clapping her hands over her ears to escape the shrill sounds of the swaying flutes.
“Stop her!” came a shout. “Stop her!” The dancers paused, one by one, and some of the music petered out. People gawped, looking behind Chaya towards the guards chasing her. “The girl! Stop the girl!”
A man in the crowd lunged at Chaya but she slipped out of his grasp and ran towards the gates of the royal complex. Coconut-flower decorations tied along strings came crashing down as she ran through them, wrapping themselves around her like a trap. She tore them off and kept running.
Elephants from the temple stood on the lawn ahead of her, draped in their mirror-studded regalia, ready for the pageant later. In the middle of them stood the King’s Grand Tusker himself, Ananda. He was wearing his special maroon and gold garments, and his tusks were massive and powerful up close.
Chaya ground to a stop on the grass and looked back. She was boxed in.
She sprinted up and ducked under the mighty bulk of Ananda, the world instantly going dark and dank. His mahout gave a shout and grabbed at her plait, yanking her head back, but she broke free and rolled out on the other side. She sprang up to see the mahout turn and yell at the guards thundering towards them, as some of the elephants had started to toss their heads alarmingly.
“Stop!” The mahout waved his arms at the guards. “The elephants are getting disturbed.”
The guards slowed down and Chaya took her chance. She ran to the boundary and dashed out through the gates. She was free.
Skirting the city, she headed towards the patches of wilderness on the east side of the palace, the wind flying through her hair as she sprinted away.
When she got there she stopped and leaned against a tree, catching her breath. She peered through the wilderness and smiled.
She’d lost them.
Chaya shimmied up the tree, hands scratching against the rough bark. She settled herself in one of the high branches and picked out the coconut blossoms stuck in her hair. Lifting her linen pouch over her neck, she dropped the jewels into her lap. They sparkled in shards of bright blue, green and pink against the grey of her skirt.
It had been a huge risk. Her boldest robbery to date. And ye
t she’d pulled it off.
She picked a jambu fruit from a branch nearby and crunched into its juicy pink flesh, peering through the leaves at the royal compound in the distance.
It was pandemonium down there. The crowds were scattered and panicked, clusters of people moving in different directions. The King, standing out in his gold-encrusted waistcoat, had come down from the dais and was roaring at his staff. The Queen and her procession of ladies were being guided out of the promenade up to the palace. The mahouts on the green were trying desperately to calm their confused charges and stop them running amok. In the middle of it all, Ananda lifted up his majestic head and trumpeted loudly into the blue, blue sky.
After going home for a quick change of clothes, Chaya hastened towards the edge of the village to see her friend, Neel. She picked her way through the paddy fields, turning back from time to time to check if she was being followed. Ahead of her was the carpenter’s workshop where Neel worked, and beyond its waist-high walls she could see him bent over his work.
“Hey, Neel,” she said, stepping into the smell of woodchips and polish.
Neel looked up and smiled, then bent down again to the square of teak he was working on. Stacks of wood leaned against walls, and half-finished furniture was strewn all over the place. “You’re back early, Chaya. I thought you would be at the feast for longer.”
Chaya slipped on to a stool next to him. “I … had to leave a bit suddenly. You should have come though. The feast was amazing.”
She peered over the half-walls. The surrounding area was deserted as usual, and only a soft breeze swept through the paddy, rustling the underside of the thatched roof.
“We have so many orders to finish. Master didn’t want me to go.” Neel worked his chisel into the wood, and brown shavings fell at his feet.
Chaya wondered what was happening at the royal palace at that moment. She’d lost them, but would they just give up? Surely they’d continue to look for her?
“Are you all right?” asked Neel.
“Me? Yeah. Of course.” She pointed to the square of wood he was working on. “That looks different. All geometric patterns instead of the swirly designs you usually do.”
“Oh, this is something we’re making for one of the foreign merchants. There’s a new spice merchant in town and it looks like he’s here for good. Their patterns are all like this. I had to use a ruler…”
Chaya zoned out as Neel talked. How long would the King’s men look for her? They wouldn’t give up easily. Her head snapped back at a thwacking noise. But it was only a crow hopping along the top of the wall.
“OK, Chaya, what’s going on?” Neel put down the chisel and stared at her.
“What do you mean?”
“You’re all jumpy. What’s happened?”
“You’re not going to like it.”
“Tell me anyway.”
“It’s … the usual.”
Neel sighed. “And what’s it for this time?”
“It’s Vijay, one of the boys at the river. He was attacked by a crocodile when he was swimming. I was there when it happened.”
“Yes, you told me. What can you do for him now, though?” Neel blew on the piece of wood, puffing out a cloud of brown dust into the air.
Chaya rubbed her nose. “His family has been told of a medicine man that can fix him, and he might be able to walk again. But they need a lot of money very quickly. They have to hire a cart for the three-day journey, and then there’s payment for the months of treatment, of course.”
Neel shook his head. “I don’t know if I should admire you or think you’re completely mad.”
“This time, you might be right to say mad.”
“Why, what’s different?”
“Like I said, they need a lot of money. I might have taken something … more valuable than usual.”
Neel stared at her. “Which is?”
Chaya undid the pouch and the jewels spilled out. They clattered on to the intricate carving Neel was working on, lodging in various grooves. The sapphire shone the bluest of blues, but a sparkling pink ruby was a close second, with a silvery star shimmering inside it.
Neel shrank back as if he’d been stung. “Chaya, what on earth? Where did you get those from?”
She picked up the sapphire and held it to the light. “The Queen’s bedside table.”
Neel looked at the jewels, and back at Chaya. “Please tell me you’re joking.”
“It’s not so bad.” Chaya put the sapphire back with the other jewels. Neel was always such a worrier, he made things seem worse than they were. “I don’t think they recognised me.”
“Wait a minute, someone saw you?”
“Calm down, Neel. I ran away. I’m safe.”
“Calm down? This isn’t like stealing a few coins here and there. This is the King we’re talking about.”
“Queen, actually.” Neel glared at her so she quickly carried on. “Don’t you want Vijay to get better? If he’s not treated he’ll lose his leg. He’ll never walk again. And anyway, there’s someone else who could use some of it too.”
“Who?”
“You.”
“Me?”
“Your parents could have the money so you don’t need to work. You’re thirteen, Neel. You should come back to school.”
“I’ve told you enough times. I’m fine. I don’t need any charity.”
“Just hear me out. Not just school, you could even learn Sanskrit and the sciences at the temple. You could have a better life.”
“A better life? Or your life, you mean.”
Chaya threw up her hands. “Fine. So I might have gone a bit too far, stealing from the Queen.” She noticed Neel’s expression. “OK, a lot too far. But I had to find a lot of money, right away, while they can still treat Vijay.” She gathered the jewels up into the pouch. “I need to get these to his family. They’ll leave tonight.”
“Wait, Chaya. Think. How’s a poor farmer going to sell the Queen’s jewels? And what happened? You said someone saw you.”
She hoisted the pouch back over her neck. “Oh, it was just one of the guards. He chased me down to the promenade, and other people tried to get me too. It got a bit … manic. But I got away.”
“So now they’re looking for you?”
“Yes, maybe. Oh, no need to look so horrified! I’ll give Vijay’s mother one piece that she can sell on the journey, far away from here. I’m going to hide the rest at home.”
“The King’s men are probably searching the villages right now. Don’t go anywhere with those things on you. We need to hide them at once.”
“Hide them? Here?” Chaya’s eyes swept round the room. High shelves lined the far wall of the workshop, filled with tools, pots of polish and wooden trinkets. “Everything’s so open. What about that box you showed me the other day? The one you made with the hidden compartment. You still got it?”
“Yes. Yes, it’s here somewhere.” Neel went to the shelves and hunted through them. He brought down a small box carved with a two-headed bird carrying a snake in its claws. He opened the lid and lifted out a drawer, and after some fiddling about unlocked a secret compartment at the bottom of the box.
Chaya emptied the jewels inside, first taking out a tiny cat’s-eye pendant and leaving it aside. Scooping up some wood dust swept into a pile in the corner, she packed it in tightly with the jewels. Neel snapped everything shut and put the box back on a shelf among a few others.
“It’s all right,” he said, as if guessing what she was thinking. “The master takes these every three months to Galle, and he’s only just been, so they’re safe.”
“Good. This’ll blow over soon. I can get them back then.” Chaya hoped that was true. She unpicked a few stitches in the hem of her skirt and pushed the cat’s-eye pendant in. “I’ll give this to Vijay’s mother now.”
“Fine, but go home straight after. I’ll head into the city and see what the talk is. You’ll be safe once you’re home. Your father—” Neel stopped,
looking troubled.
“What? What about Father?”
“Oh, Chaya. If they ever find out you took the jewels your father will be in big trouble.”
“But Father’s only a minor official to the King. Why would they blame him?” But even as she said it, realisation slowly dawned.
“He’s the village headman! He knows the palace. Layout, access, that kind of thing. They’ll think he set it up. They’ll never believe a girl did this on her own. And you know what the King is like in a rage. He will have your father—” Neel’s eyes darted away from Chaya. “Come on. You need to go home now.”
Chaya followed Neel out, with a backwards glance at the box on the shelf. The Queen’s pendant brushed her ankle through her hem.
Father.
Had she accidentally put him in danger?
Neel’s unfinished sentence couldn’t have been any clearer to her.
When Chaya awoke the next morning, Father was already gone. Something big had to be going on.
Aunty was sitting by the breakfast table, mending one of Chaya’s skirts. “You must be careful, Chaya,” she said, glancing up over her sewing. “All this running around like a boy. This is the third skirt I’ve had to mend this week. Are you playing with those good-for-nothing boys at the river again?”
“Once in a while, yes. Nothing wrong with them.” Chaya sat down and opened a dish on the table. Steam rose from chunks of freshly boiled sweet potato. She helped herself to one with some grated coconut. “Father’s left early?”
“There’s some trouble brewing right here in Nirissa. Did you hear about the robbery at the palace?”
Chaya nodded, taking a bite of her sweet potato.
“I heard things were pretty bad last night in the next village. The King is furious, and he’s taking it out on the people. As usual.” Aunty pulled her needle out and snapped the thread between her teeth. “Whoever stole those jewels… It’s a death sentence if you ask me.”
The food went floury and heavy in Chaya’s mouth, and she had difficulty swallowing. She stared out of the window. Sunshine dappled the lawn under the neem tree, where a mongoose slunk across the grass. “Who are they looking for? Do they have a, er, description or something?”
The Girl Who Stole an Elephant Page 1