Page 33 of Tiger's Dream
“Yes and no.” Kadam smiled, but it was only an echo of a real one—a breakable pretender that looked wrong on his face.
“I’m afraid I don’t understand,” I said.
“The list I gave the two of you is yours to follow. If I interfere in any way, it could disrupt the way things are supposed to happen.”
“Haven’t you already interfered by giving us the list in the first place?”
Kadam shook his head. “Giving you the list was something I was supposed to do. Helping you work your way through it is not.” His tone was almost abrasive, a sharp contrast to his normal demeanor. Standing abruptly, he turned his back to me and carefully replaced the tea on the crooked shelf and then busied himself washing our cups and drying them. I stood up to help and we worked quietly together for a time. He didn’t speak as we did so.
When he began riffling through a stack of soft parchment, pointedly ignoring me, I said, “I…I apologize if I am asking too much of you.”
His shoulders sagged and he slowly twisted to look at me contritely. “No, son. I apologize to you. It is difficult for me to navigate the pathways of time as I have been doing. I am yoked to foresight and hindsight. The hours fly too fast and the sting of knowing more than I should numbs my mind and my heart. Forgive me.”
“Of course.” I put a hand on his shoulder. His once strong body felt frail beneath my hand. “I will do as you see fit,” I said. “We’ll try to work this out on our own as best we can. If you would prefer that I not visit you again, though it would sadden me to do so, I will avoid it.”
He sighed deeply and the edges of his eyes crinkled. “Though I will not encourage you to do so, if you should choose to cross paths with me again, I would not count it ill.”
I smiled at him, attempting to show him I was confident, though I was about as far removed from confidence as I had ever been. “Then I shall see you again.”
Nodding, he swiped a thumb across one of his eyes. Kadam had never been one to overtly show emotion. Not even when my parents died.
He considered me for a moment and said, “I would emphasize three things. One, do not cross paths with yourself.”
“Yes, you told me the universe would implode.”
He winced. “That’s not exactly true.”
“Oh? What happens then?”
“You would be sucked into your past self. Separating you from your past is nearly impossible when that happens. Don’t risk it.”
“How do you know this?” I asked softly.
“Let’s just say I made the mistake of attending my own funeral. Even then, after my soul had fled my mortal form, I was drawn back into myself. It’s not something I’d wish upon anyone.”
“I see,” I said. “What are the other two things you wanted to tell me?”
“Yes. Second, do not let Anamika go off on her own. She needs you. There are times when she allows her strong head and her soft heart to guide her choices, and there are those who would take advantage of that. Watch over her. And lastly…” He turned and rolled up a scroll, tied it with a string, and handed it to me. “When you are panicked and you cannot find the one you seek, open this. You will know when the time is right.”
I took the scroll and nodded. Ren and Kelsey were the ones who enjoyed toiling over prophecies for hours, not me. I’d rather be hunting than reading. The vague instructions and the idea that I still had another quest to complete, this time without Kadam, Ren, and Kelsey, were disheartening. Still, I didn’t want him to know just how despondent I felt. Squeezing his shoulder, I said good-bye and made to leave, but then he stopped me.
“Just this one time, I’ll help. Seek out a man named Vanit Savir. He is an honest trader whom I worked with for many years. Do not mention my name as at that time period I had not yet met him, but he will help you place Ren in a good home. Also, do not forget to take away Ren’s ability to shift.”
I stammered, “I…I can do that?”
“Yes. You did. You will. Do not doubt it.”
Rubbing a hand across the back of my neck, I nodded. I’m sure the confusion I felt was evident on my face. Pushing aside the door, I stood at the threshold wondering what other surprises awaited me and Ana.
“Oh, and before you go…”
“Yes?” I turned back as I stood in the open doorway.
“Will you take him with you? I think he misses his mistress.”
“The bird?” I asked. “Who is his mistress?” He didn’t answer right away but shuffled over to the birdcage, shooed the bird inside, and secured the door. My comprehension dawned slowly. “Ah, Kelsey mentioned it once. He’s Durga’s.”
“Yes. She hatched him from an egg and hand-fed him.”
