by Collen Houck
“The poachers usually either wanted the animal alive or the fur intact, so they created boxes that could trap the animal alive. A similar model is still in use today. There was one really clever one that I came across only once. It was clever but simple.
“Leaves were spread over the ground, and then sticky glue was drizzled all over leaves. When an animal
walked by, the leaves stuck to it’s paws. The animal becomes so annoyed that it tries to pull off the leaves with its teeth. More leaves get stuck, then, eventually, the poor beast rolls around in frustration, totally covering itself in leaves, all while trying to get them off. The animal becomes enraged and blinded,
which distracts it from protecting itself. That’s when the hunters move in for the kill.”
“How were you caught?”
“The hunters were seeking me in particular. Kishan not only hunts easier than I do, but he also manages to hide easier. When I was really hungry and frustrated in hunting wild game, I’d occasionally venture into
a village and make off with a goat or a sheep. I was careful, but rumors soon spread of a white tiger, and the hunters came out in force. Not only were there farmers who wanted to keep me away, but there were big-game hunters seeking an exotic animal.
“There were traps set for me all over the jungle, and many innocent creatures were being killed.
Whenever I found one, I’d disable it. One day, I happened upon a trap and made a stupid mistake.
There were two traps right next to each other, but I focused on the obvious one, which was the standard meat-dangling-over-a-pit trap.
“I was looking down at the pit and figuring out a way to get the meat, and then I tripped a hidden wire.
It
triggered a shower of spikes and arrows that rained down on me from the tree above. I leapt to the side as a spear came down at me, but the dirt gave way and I fell into the pit.”
“Did any of the arrows hit you?”
“Yes. Several of them grazed me, but I healed quickly. Fortunately, the pit didn’t have any bamboo stakes, but it was well made and deep enough that I couldn’t get out.”
“What did they do to you?”
“After a few days, men came and found me. They placed me in a cage and drove me to the city. I wasn’t worried yet because I thought I would still be able to free myself and escape as soon as an opportunity presented itself. As you know, I couldn’t. The men sold me to a private collector who had a menagerie of interesting creatures. When I proved difficult, he sold me to another who sold me to another
and so on. Eventually, I ended up in a Russian circus and have been passed from circus to circus since.
Whenever people became suspicious of my age or hurt me, I would cause enough trouble to inspire a quick sale.”
I pondered that information and then asked, “What was it like being in a circus?”
“Maurizio’s circus treated me well and did the best they could, so I was patient with them, but many others were inhumane to the animals. The trainers used whips, choke collars, fire, muzzles, and, more recently, electric prods, and shock treatments. There’s also another tool that has been used for centuries.
My own kingdom even used it. It’s called an ankush.”
“What’s that?”
I tripped over a stone, and he reached out to steady me. When I was standing firmly again, he slid his hands reluctantly from my waist and offered a hand to me again.
“It’s a long, wooden stick with a sharp hook on the end that’s used on elephants. Elephants are very intelligent creatures and can be trained to do a variety of things. My father had thousands of elephants that were trained for battle. In addition to the battle elephants, others were trained to move big things around. We didn’t have cranes and tractors, so we used them to do our heavy lifting. The ankush was a popular tool used by our trainers.”
“How is it used?”
“An elephant has certain sensitive areas—the feet, the mouth, behind the ears, and under the chin. The ankush is used to poke and prod the animals in those vulnerable areas until they do your bidding. An elephant has thick skin on most of its body, but in those areas, the skin is as thin as rice paper, and the prodding really hurts.”
“Did they use any of those things on you?”
He reflected darkly, “Yes. I was whipped, poked, and prodded with the rest of them. I was lucky, though, because I healed quickly and was smart enough to know what they wanted me to do. The other animals were relying on instinct.
“A tiger doesn’t naturally want to jump through a flaming hoop. Tigers hate fire, so the tiger has to be taught to fear the trainer more than he fears the flame.”
“It sounds awful!”
He shrugged. “Circuses back then were. The animals were placed in cages much too small. Natural familial relationships were broken, and the babies were sold, which is hard, especially on the elephants.
They’re social creatures. In the early days, the food was bad, the cages were filthy, and the animals were beaten. They were trekked from city to city and left outdoors in places and climates they were not accustomed to. They didn’t survive very long.”
Thoughtfully, he went on, “Now, though, there’s more study and effort to prolong the lives of the animals. Expensive habitats, professional veterinary care, and high-quality food are the rule of the day.
But, captivity is still captivity no matter how pretty the jail is. Being caged made me think long and hard about my relationships with other creatures.”
He held back a branch so I could pass under and continued, “I had a favorite stallion once that I loved to ride, and as I would sit there in my cage day after day, I wondered if he felt like I did. I imagined him sitting in his stall, bored, just waiting for me hour after hour to come and let him out.”
Ren squeezed my hand and changed back into a tiger again. I got lost in my thoughts. How hard it must have been on Ren to be caged up for centuries. At least the other animals didn’t live as long, so their internment ended, but he had to endure decades…no… centuries of that. I shuddered and kept hiking.
After another hour had passed, I spoke up again, “Ren…one thing I don’t understand. Where was Kishan? Why didn’t he help you get away?”
Ren leapt over a huge fallen log. At the height of his jump, he changed in midair, dropping to the ground
on the other side, silently, on two feet. I reached out for his hand to help steady me as I began to climb over the log, but he ignored it, He reached over the log and put his hands around my waist.
Before I could even form the words to protest, he lifted me up and over the log as if I were as light as a down pillow. He cuddled me close to his chest for a moment. I stopped breathing. He looked in my eyes, and a slow smile spread across his face. He set me down and held out a hand again. I placed my slightly shaky hand in his warm one, and we set off again.
“Kishan and I tried to avoid each other as much as possible back then. He didn’t know what had happened until Mr. Kadam was able to find him. By the time they’d figured it out, it was too late to do anything. Mr. Kadam had tried unsuccessfully to free me, and he didn’t think Kishan could do anything about it. Mr. Kadam persuaded Kishan to stay in hiding while he tried to figure out a way to free me.
Like I said, Mr. Kadam tried breaking me out, purchasing me, and hiring thieves for centuries…nothing worked until you. For some reason, after youwished me free, I was able to call him.”
“How exactly did I do that?”
“I’m not sure. Phet had told Mr. Kadam that a girl would come along with the power to free me. He didn’t say when, just that it would happen. When you read me that poem and wished that I was in the wild and free, it worked.”
“Did Mr. Kadam know where you were?”
“More like he knew who I was with. He was not expecting a call, however. He visited me from time to time and knew of my whereabouts. He came to see me often enough so that I knew how to contact him, but there was really n
othing he could do.
“In reality, the curse was in charge and not us. The more he tried to intervene, the worse my situation became, so he stopped and just kept tabs on Kishan and me. He never stopped trying to figure out a way to break the curse though. He’s dedicated all his time to researching that. His visits meant everything
to me. I think I would have lost my humanity without him.”
He laughed. “When I changed to a man again for the first time in centuries, I got out of my cage and actually had Matthew place a collect call for me. I told him that I’d been mugged and needed to get in touch with my boss. He helped me figure out how to use the phone, and Mr. Kadam flew in right away.”
He changed back to a tiger again, and we continued. He walked close beside me, so I kept a hand on the scruff of his neck. After walking for several hours, Ren stopped suddenly and smelled the air. He sat on his haunches and stared at the jungle. I listened intently, but I didn’t hear anything. Ren didn’t look like
he was alert to another animal; in fact, he looked resigned. Right then, I spied the black tiger coming out of the undergrowth.
I smiled happily. “Kishan! You changed your mind. You’re coming with us now? I’m so glad!”
He approached me and held out a paw that changed to a hand. “Hello, Kelsey. No, I haven’t changed my mind. Iam glad to find you safe though.”
Kishan shot a nasty look down at Ren, who wasted no time morphing to human form himself.
Ren shoved Kishan’s shoulder and shouted, “Why didn’t you tell me she was out there! Shesaw the hunt,and she walked all the way back byherself !”
Kishan countered, poking Ren in the chest, “Youleft before I could say anything. If it makes you feel any
better, I’ve been searching for her all night. You also packed up andleft without telling me.”
I stood between them and interjected, “Please calm down, both of you. Ren, I agreed with Kishan that it would be best for me to go with him, and he watched over me with great care.I was the one who decided to watch the hunt, andI was the one who chose to head back to camp alone. So if you’re going to be mad at someone, be mad at me.” I turned to Kishan, “I’m so sorry that I made you search for me all night in a rainstorm. I didn’t realize it was going to rain or that it would hide my trail. I apologize.”
Kishan grinned at me, picked up my hand, and kissed my fingers, while Ren growled menacingly behind
me, “Apology accepted. So…how did you like it?”
“You mean the rain or the hunt?”
“The hunt, of course.”
“Umm…it was…”
“She hadnightmares ,” Ren spat at his brother.
I grimaced and nodded, dipping my head in agreement.
“Well, at least my brother is well fed. It might have beenweeks until he made a kill on his own.”
“I was doing justfine without you!”
Kishan smirked. “No…you couldn’t catch a limpingturtle without me.”
I heard the punch before I saw it. It was one of those hard, teeth-rattling punches that I thought only happened in the movies. Ren had moved me deftly to the side and then pulled back his fist and socked his brother. Kishan stepped away while rubbing his jaw, but he stood up to face Ren with a smile on his face.
He gestured to Ren, “Try that again…big…brother.”
Ren scowled, saying nothing. He just took my hand and set off at a fast pace, pulling me along behind him through the jungle. I had to almost jog to keep up with him.
Kishan, as the black tiger again, whooshed past us and leapt in our path.
He changed to a man again and said, “Wait…I have something to say to Kelsey.”
Ren scowled at him, but I stepped in front of him and put my hand on his chest.
“Ren…please.”
He dropped his gaze from his brother to me, and I saw his expression soften. He let go of my hand and touched my cheek briefly, then moved off a few paces as Kishan approached me.
“Kelsey, I want you to take this.”
He reached up around his neck and pulled a chain out of his black shirt. I hadn’t even noticed he was wearing a chain. After he took it off, he reached around my neck and fixed the clasp.
“I think you know what this is. It will protect you in the same way as Kadam.”
I fingered the chain and pulled the broken charm up to look at it more closely.
“Kishan…are yousure you want me to wear it?”
He grinned rakishly. “My lovely, your enthusiasm is infectious. A man can’t be near you and remain aloof to your cause. And even though I will remain here, this will be my small contribution to your endeavors.” His expression turned serious. “I want you to have it to keep you safe, Kelsey. All we know for sure is that it’s powerful and may give the wearer a long life like Mr. Kadam. But, that doesn’t mean you can’t be hurt or even killed, so keep your guard up.”
He cupped his hand under my chin, so I looked into his golden eyes. “I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you,bilauta .”
“I’ll be careful. Thank you, Kishan.”
Kishan looked over at Ren, who inclined his head in a soft nod, then turned back to me.
He smiled at me. “I’llmiss you, Kelsey. Come visit me again soon.”
I hugged him briefly, and he bent to kiss me on the cheek, so I turned my face toward him. At the last second, he altered his stance and ended up kissing me quickly on the lips.
I sputtered with shock, “You wily scoundrel!” Then I laughed and socked him on the arm, which probably hurt me more than it did him. He just laughed and winked at me. I looked over at Ren, who had his fists clenched and a dark expression on his face. Kishan ran off toward the jungle. His laughter echoed back at us through the trees and became a gruff bark as he changed back into the black tiger.
Ren approached me, picked up the pendant, and rubbed it thoughtfully between his fingers. I put my hand on his arm, worried that he might be angry about Kishan. He tugged on my braid, smiled at me, and
pressed a warm kiss on my forehead. Changing to a white tiger again, he led me through the jungle for about another half hour until, with relief, I saw we’d finally reached the highway.
Waiting until there was no traffic, we hurried to the other side and disappeared in the verdant undergrowth. After following Ren’s nose for a short distance, we finally came upon a military-style tent.
I
ran up to hug the man who emerged from it.
“Mr. Kadam! I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you!”
CHAPTER 17
“Miss Kelsey! I’m glad to see you too! I hope the boys took good care of you.”
Ren snorted and found a shady spot to rest.
“Yes. They took good care of me.”
He led me to a log near his campfire. “Here, sit down and rest a bit from your hike while I break camp.”
He brought me a fresh bottle of water and a pack of chocolate chip cookies. I nibbled on a cookie as I watched him shuffle around. He started taking down his tent and packing up his books. I looked around his camp as I sipped my water. He had pulled the Jeep into the jungle on a narrow dirt road that led to the campsite. It didn’t look maintained enough to be an official campground, but it didn’t look like he had
cut the trail himself either.
His camp was as well organized as I expected it to be. He’d used the back of the Jeep to store his books and other study materials. A campfire was crackling merrily, and he had plenty of wood stacked alongside ready to use. His tent looked like something the United States military might house a general in
if he were roughing it. It appeared to be expensive, heavy, and much more complicated to set up than mine was. He even had a fancy fold-up writing desk and chair. There were papers lying across it held down with smooth, clean river rocks in case it got too windy.
I stood up and looked at the papers. “Mr. Kadam, are these the translations you’ve been working on?”
I
heard a grunt and a slight ping as a heavy stake was pulled out of the ground and dropped near a rock.
The tent suddenly folded in on itself and collapsed in a pile of heavy green canvas. He stood up to answer my question.
“Yes. I’ve begun working on the second translation. I am sure now from my research that the first place we need to go is indeed Hampi. I also think I have more of an idea of what we’re looking for.”
“Hmm.” I picked up his notes and glanced through them. Most of it wasn’t in English, and I couldn’t pick out enough to maintain my interest. As I sipped my water, my hand came up to finger the amulet Kishan had given me.
“Mr. Kadam…can I ask you some questions about the amulet?”
He was busy rolling the tent up, wrapping it tightly so that it would fit in its nylon bag.
“Of course. What would you like to know?”
“Well, Kishan gave me his piece to wear, probably hoping it will protect me. Does yours protect you?
Can you still be hurt?”
He walked over and stowed the wrapped tent in the Jeep, then leaned on the bumper. “The amulet…helps. I can still cut myself or fall and sprain my ankle.”
He rubbed his short beard thoughtfully. “I have become ill, but I have not experienced disease or serious
injury. My cuts and bruises have healed quickly, albeit not as quickly as Dhiren’s or Kishan’s would.”
He
picked up the amulet hanging around my neck and examined it carefully. “The different piecesmay have different properties. We don’t really know what the extent of its power is at this point. It’s a mystery that I hope to solve one day.” He looked at me seriously. “The bottom line, however, is to not take risks. If something looks dangerous, avoid it. If something chases you, run. Got it?”