by Neo B.
“That’s right. If it is someone from the outside, they have to have some help from the inside.” Shakuntala agreed.
“And, there is no one on the inside that I can see as a threat. I don’t remember I have wronged anyone, and there does not seem to be anyone who would want to be king in my place,” continued Karkish.
“What do you think of Agniputra?” asked Shakuntala.
“He is ambitious and he is brave, but he is not foolish, and neither do his ambitions involve becoming the king. He wants to be the best commander of armies there is, and I think he is loyal to me.”
Shakuntala was pleased that at least the king now trusted his ministers. A king who could not trust his ministers was no king at all.
Karkish was in a thoughtful mood, and Shakuntala, realising that it would be a while before the king came out of his reverie, went to bed. Sleep would not come easy, but she did not want to let Karkish see how disturbed she was at the recent turn of events. She quickly slipped between the sheets, and pretended to be asleep, and eventually fell asleep before long.
7. The Morning After
The morning broke and the king had fallen asleep sitting in the position Shakuntala had left him the night before. She did not disturb him, as she felt glad that he was at least getting some sleep. But the rustle of her silk nightdress had woken him up.
“Is it morning already?” the king smiled.
“If you believe the sun, it is,” Shakuntala said, looking at the sun that had risen in the distant horizon, “Have you made any decision?”
“I have to search for answers, and there does not seem to be anyone in this kingdom who has the answers to my questions, so I have decided to visit the seers,” Karkish said.
“The seers?” Shakuntala asked, surprised, for she had never thought that her husband would go to the seers for answers to any questions, “I thought you did not believe in the power of the seers.”
“I still don’t, but many others do, and I think there is a good chance that anyone with the ambition to kill me, would have gone to the seers. If not for what they do, then to gather knowledge. The village of the seers is also located where they can keep an eye on who is entering or leaving the kingdom. I have a feeling they will be able to tell me something. Also, it has been a long time since I have met my friend Udaybhan.”
Shakuntala smiled. Uday was a childhood friend of the king. As a child he was born with a keen sense of understanding other people’s nature and, even though Karkish’s father disapproved of their friendship, they had continued to be friends for a long time. Udaybhan’s family was not a rich one, and they did not own a lot of land. Udaybhan was not very good at other things, so he had decided to use his skill of understanding humans and their nature to become a seer.
8. The Village of the Seers
“To what do we owe the visit, great King,” a guard bowed low in front of the king and asked.
The village of the seers was a small village that was situated at the border of the six kingdoms. They owed allegiance to no king, and it was an unwritten agreement among kings that no king would attack the seers. The seers were always neutral and did not mean any harm to anyone.
The seers claimed to have powers far beyond the capacity of ordinary humans. It was because of their claimed powers that the seers were not accepted by the people of the village or the town they were born in. In the early days, many of the people with these extraordinary supernatural abilities were hunted and killed, as the villagers were not able to understand their abilities, and what people don’t understand they either kill, or worship.
The origin of the village lay in the first seer who had escaped his village and set up his house at a remote place, where there was no one else living. Soon, the story of a man living in the jungle began to spread across the lands. As usually happens with stories, it began to be known that he could cure many illnesses and soon people began to trickle in.
Hearing his story, and seeing that a large number of people with problems were coming to see him, other people with special powers began to arrive and set their houses around the old man’s house. Before anyone realised, there was a complete village where earlier there was only one house. However as usually happens with such things, a lot of unsavoury people began to settle in the area as well. Some were criminals and others were people that had been ostracized from the society due to their deviant behaviour.
The first seer then decided to take the matter in his hands. He collected a group of some seers that he felt were authentic, and framed a set of rules for the village. A body was also elected to decide whether someone was qualified to be allowed to live in the village or not. This was met with resistance by the other groups in the village, and then the seers decided to take the help from the kings.
It was then that the kings of the six kingdoms decided to extend their support to the seers. A special force of soldiers from all the six kingdoms was set up to look after the seers. This force would be directly reporting to the group of seers that had been set up to decide who would live in the village and who would not. This system had worked perfectly and the village of the seers was now a full-fledged village with great houses and great lanes. The villagers themselves took responsibility for different functions in the village. The village was a self-dependent one, as most people who came to visit the seers came bearing gifts.
The seers were a varied lot. Some seers said that they could speak with the dead, others claimed to be able to see the future. Some others could heal the sick. There were people with all kinds of abilities. People from all across the region, and all walks of life visited these seers to find a solution to their problems.
Karkish had never been to the village before today, and he was surprised with the sight that greeted him. He had believed that the village would be a disorganized collection of houses of lazy people who did not want to earn an honest livelihood, and therefore used devious ways and means to cheat people. He did not believe in the power of the seers. As Karkish had approached the village, he was welcomed with the sight of high walls and a gate manned by a group of able-bodied soldiers. He had not seen such soldiers even in his army.
It was one of these soldiers that had addressed the King.
“I am here to visit my friend, Udaybhan” Karkish replied sitting on his horse.
The king had come with a small contingent, and he was himself leading the group. He had not let many people know about his trip, but he had instructed his ministers to announce his trip three days after he left, by which time he would have reached the village of the seers. He had done this to prevent any attack on his convoy on the journey to the village of the seers.
The guards were used to visits by great men, kings among them. They bowed respectfully and allowed the gates to open. The sight that greeted the king was even spectacular. The village was not a group of shabby houses, as the king had thought, but his eyes fell on clean and well-kept lanes with large huts on both sides. The road went straight for about a few hundred metres and then it ended with two branches that turned left and the right.
“I am the head of the guards here, great King,” the man who was accompanying the king and his soldiers said, “our guards had seen you coming from a great distance and we were ready for your welcome,”
“Is that how the seers know everything?” the king joked.
“We are mere soldiers, and we do not know much about the way of the seers, but judging by the quality of people who come here, we have to believe in the power of the seers,” the head of the soldiers replied cheekily.
The king was amused. The procession had reached the end of the street.
“On the left, the third hut belongs to Udaybhan, the future seer. His hut number is 35,” the head of the guards said.
“The future seer? Is that what he is called these days?” said Karkish, further amused.
On the roof of every house there was sign that had numbers written in large letters, it was not hard to find hut no 35. Karkish asked h
is companions to wait outside the walls of the compound as he wanted to meet Udaybhan alone. The king got off his horse, and walked across the compound and reached the main door of the hut. As the king got ready to knock at the door, the door opened and Udaybhan himself opened the door.
“Welcome, my friend,” Udaybhan said and bowed respectfully.
The King smiled. Udaybhan had hardly changed, but his dress and manner of speaking had changed considerably. He was dressed in a white robe that suited him quite well, and he spoke softly and clearly, quite unlike the way he talked when they were friends, years ago.
“I did not know, that is how you addressed kings in this village,” Karkish said, pretending to be angry.
“Isn’t a king a friend to everyone, especially those he protects,” Udaybhan replied.
Karkish smiled, and he could not find anything wrong with Udaybhan’s reply.
“Can I come in,” the king said, the smile staying on his face.
Udaybhan stepped aside and let the king come in. The room that welcomed them was a simple one with nothing on the walls, or the roof. It was painted white, and was well lit. There was a table in the centre of the room, with one chair on one side, and three chairs on the opposite side.
“I see you are troubled,” Uday said, once the king had taken a seat. Karkish had drawn a chair to the side, not wanting to sit at the table.
“No, I have come here because I was missing you,” the king joked, “It has been years since we last met, hasn’t it?”
The joke did not go well with Uday.
“It does not suit a king to joke about matters that concern his life and death. The future of a kingdom is inextricably linked with the future of a king.”
“So, you know about the attack,” asked Karkish.
“I am in the business of knowledge, and the news of the attack has spread far and wide, as has the news that you took on the form of a demon to kill the attackers,” Udaybhan said. This time he was smiling.
“I did what?” Karkish asked, amused.
“And I see that you still are not a great believer in the powers of the seers. Why are you here great King?”
“You can call me Karkish. Before anything else, you are my friend,” Karkish replied.
“Why are you here Karkish?”
It was ages since anyone had called him by his name. Karkish closed his eyes and leaned back on the chair. Hearing Uday call out his name took him instantly to the carefree days of their childhood, when their greatest trouble was how to beat the palace guards and get out to play in the open for a few hours. Karkish decided to be honest with Udaybhan, and tell him everything.
“It is true that I am not a believer in the powers of seers, and I think that is amply clear to you. In fact, it took me by complete surprise when you decided to become one, and I was even more surprised when they accepted you here. But, what I am here for is not the knowledge of the future, but of the past, that you have because of the people coming in and going out of your village,” said Karkish. “What do you know about the attack on me?’’
“Why do you think I would know anything about it?” replied Udaybhan.
“As you said, you are in the business of knowledge, aren’t you?” Karkish replied.
It was Udaybhan’s turn to smile.
“I do know that your kingdom is in danger… There was a meeting of the seers a few days back in which there was a talk about a tall, dark man, in a mask who had come to visit some of the seers. He had tried to influence the seers against your kingdom.”
“Why would anyone try to do that and what good would that be?”
“You have been a great patron of science and medicine in the past few years. I hear your scientists have found a cure for many diseases and are working on many more. This science, in a way, works against us. In the earlier days, when there was no science the only recourse available to the sick and the troubled was the seers, but off late, with the scientists in your country developing medicines and remedies the number of visitors to our village has begun to drop. Not that we noticed or cared, since the number of visitors coming in was more than enough to sustain our little kingdom. But when the man talked about it, it did raise an alarm. The meeting was held to discuss the threat to our village from the scientists and doctors of your country.”
“So, what did you seers decide?”
“Though many were against it, the majority opinion was that we should discourage people from going to your country, and that we should use our influence among kings and noblemen from various kingdoms to fuel unrest against you and your policies. When one’s lifestyle is threatened, one will go to any length to save the life they have got used to.”
“Did the chief of my bodyguards visit you too?” the king asked thoughtfully.
“I do not keep a record of the people who visit the village, my king, but I did make some enquiries after I heard about the attack, and I heard he was here a few days back.”
The king listened to this information thoughtfully. He knew about Ajatshatru being a disciplined man, but he also knew about his one weakness. He believed in the power of the seers a bit too much. The king had often made fun of his fondness for seers, but he now realised how mistaken he was. For some reason, Ajatshatru must have come to the seers to get his doubts cleared. The seer that he had visited must have told him that it was the will of the gods that he took a stand against the king. Karkish was not unaware of the influence the seers could have on men who believed in them.
“Can you tell me which seer did he visit?” Karkish asked.
“I can, but I won’t. I have already told you enough. Plus, I know all the seers in this village, and I know that the seers are not the problem. The problem is the tall, dark man in the mask that is still in your kingdom.”
“In my kingdom?” the king looked up in surprise. “How do you know he is in my kingdom?” Karkish asked.
“Because that is where he came from, and where he returned to. And not all of us are against you. Many of us do what we do, because we believe that our powers, supernatural or not, can help others. If there are powers beyond ours that can help others, we are ready to let others help the people. The seers were outcasts once and today, they are powerful. But there is a thing about power, it does not let you leave it easily. Because of this power, there are many among us who would do anything before they see their power being snatched from them.”
“But you won’t tell me their names,” the king asked in despair, “a friend you are turning out to be.”
“I am a friend to many others, and at present it is best that you do not know the name of the seers who are against you. They are not beyond reform, and I shall see to it that they are reformed. I am after all in the council of the seers. I do have a say in what happens in this village,” Udaybhan said, “and it is because I am your friend that I am telling you that your enemy lives in your kingdom. Go ahead and find him, but anger is not your friend. Every decision that you take should be rational and well thought. These are not times for hasty actions, but times for thought and victory. But, I know you are doing that. Coming here was a good start.”
Karkish smiled, “I hope so.”
“Now forget your worries and join me for lunch. Simple it may be, but I can vouch for its taste.” said Udaybhan.
As he said that, he clapped his hands thrice. Two women and a man immediately came out from behind a door in the shadows, and began to lay food on the table. Karkish could sense from the smell that the food would be delicious. He did forget his worries for the moment and got ready for a sumptuous lunch break.
9. The King’s Return
There was an announcement at the door and Agniputra walked in. Karkish had always known that his progressive policies did not go down with many, within and outside his kingdom, but that someone would go so far as to try and assassinate him was something that was hard to believe. He was only trying to make life better for the people of his kingdom and someone wanted to stop him. They would never suc
ceed.
What Karkish failed to realise was that the world does not exist in isolation. A ripple here can cause a storm there, and he was causing a major storm in the world around him. The winds had started blowing and what devastation the storm would leave in its wake would be seen only in time.
After his return from the village of the seers, Karkish had sent his spies to the five kingdoms and all were coming back with bad news. There were stories about a tall, dark, masked man visiting all the kingdoms and conspiring against Pataliputra.
The news was that the neighbouring kingdoms had decided to attack him. The tall dark man was everywhere. He had visited every kingdom to instigate the kings against him. He, it seemed was the central axis around whom all the kings had rallied. Karkish knew for a fact that most of the kings of the neighbouring kingdoms were afraid of him. Militarily his forces were better in numbers and technology. Then what had happened that had made all of them decide to raise arms against him. Karkish had called Agniputra to discuss the war strategy with him.
“Lord, you called me?” Agniputra was standing behind him.
“Are our forces ready for battle?” asked Karkish.
“They are always at your command?” Agniputra was surprised. It was a long time since the king had asked about the battle readiness of the army. Though he too had heard the news about the five kingdoms getting ready for a battle, he had dismissed them as rumours because he could not believe that the five kings would dare such a thing.
“I trust that they are. We may need them sooner than we think.”
“They are awaiting your command.”
“Have you been able to work out what happened with the bodyguards?”
“Yes, my lord. Some of the soldiers tell me that Ajatshatru had seemed troubled for the past couple of weeks. They mentioned a tall dark man who was occasionally seen with him. He was the one who caused the trouble, it seemed,” Agniputra replied.