Page 38 of Tiger's Curse
I ventured shyly, “I hope you don’t mind, but I explored your house today, including your room.”
“I don’t mind. I’m sure you found my room the least interesting.”
“Actually, I was curious about the note I found. Did you write it?”
“A note? Ah, yes. I just scribbled a few notes to help me remember what Phet had said. It just says seek Durga’s prophecy, the Cave of Kanheri, Kelsey is Durga’s favored one, that sort of thing.”
“Oh. I . . . also noticed a ribbon. Is it mine?”
“Yes. If you’d like it back, you can take it.”
“Why would you want it?”
He shrugged, looking embarrassed. “I wanted a memento, a token from the girl who saved my life.”
“A token? Like a fair maiden giving her handkerchief to a knight in shining armor?”
He grinned. “Exactly.”
I jested wryly, “Too bad you didn’t wait for Cathleen to get a little older. She’s going to be very pretty.”
He frowned. “Cathleen from the circus?” He shook his head, “You were the chosen one, Kelsey. And if I had the option of choosing the girl to save me, I still would have picked you.”
“Why?”
“A number of reasons. I liked you. You are interesting. I enjoyed listening to your voice. I felt like you saw through the tiger skin to the person underneath. When you spoke, it felt like you were saying exactly the things Ineededto hear. You’re smart. You like poetry,andyou’re very pretty.”
I laughed at his statement.Me, pretty? He can’t be serious.I was average in so many ways. I didn’t really concern myself with current makeup, hairstyles, or fashionable, but uncomfortable, clothes like other teenagers. My complexion was pale, and my eyes were so brown that they were almost black. By far, my best feature was my smile, which my parents paid dearly for and so did I—with three years of metal braces.
Still, I was flattered. “Okay, Prince Charming, you can keep your memento.” I hesitated, and then said softly, “I wear those ribbons in memory of my mom. She used to brush out my hair and braid ribbons through it while we talked.”
Ren smiled understandingly. “Then it means even more to me.”
When the moment passed, he continued, “Now, Kelsey, tomorrow we’re going to the cave. During the day, there are many tourists, which means we’ll have to wait until evening to look for Durga’s prophecy. We’ll be sneaking into the park through the jungle and traveling on foot for a while, so wear the new hiking boots that we bought for you, the ones in the box in your closet.”
“Great. Nothing like breaking in new hiking boots on a trek through the hot Indian jungle,” I teased.
“It shouldn’t be that bad, and even new hiking boots should be better on your feet than your sneakers.”
“I happen to like my sneakers, and I’m bringing them along just in case your boots blister my feet.”
Ren stretched out his long legs and crossed his bare feet in front of him. “Mr. Kadam will pack a bag with things we might need. I’ll make sure he leaves room for your sneakers. You’ll have to drive us to Mumbai and to the park because I’ll be back in tiger form. I know you don’t like the traffic here. I’m sorry that you’re burdened with this.”
I muttered, “Not liking the traffic is an understatement. People don’t know how to drive here. They’recrazy.”
“We can take back roads with the least traffic on the way, and we’ll be driving only to the outskirts of Mumbai, not through the city as before. It shouldn’t be too bad. You’re a good driver.”
“Ha, easy for you to say. You’ll just sleep in the back the whole way.”
Ren touched my cheek with his fingers and gently turned my face to his. “Rajkumari, I want to say thank you. Thank you for staying and helping me. You don’t know what this means to me.”
I mumbled, “You’re welcome. Andrajkumarimeans?”
He flashed me a brilliant white smile and deftly changed the subject. “Would you like to hear about the Seal?”
I knew he was avoiding answering, but acquiesced, “Okay, what is it?”
“It’s a carved rectangular stone, about three fingers thick. The king always wore it in public. It was a symbol of the duties of the royal family. The Seal of the Empire has four words carved upon it, one on each side:Viveka,Jagarana,Vira, andAnukampawhich translated loosely means ‘Wisdom,’ ‘Vigilance,’ ‘Bravery,’ and ‘Compassion.’ You’ll need to bring the Seal with you when we go to the cave. Phet said it was the key that would open the passageway. Mr. Kadam will put it on your dresser before we leave.”
