Page 74 of Tiger's Curse
Mr. Kadam rubbed his short beard thoughtfully. “I have become ill, but I have not experienced disease. My cuts and bruises have healed quickly, albeit not as quickly as Ren’s or Kishan’s would.”
He picked up the amulet hanging around my neck and examined it carefully. “The different pieces may have different properties. We don’t really know the extent of its power at this point. It’s a mystery that I hope to solve one day. The bottom line, however, is to not take risks. If something looks dangerous, avoid it. If something chases you, run. Do you understand?”
“Got it.”
He dropped the amulet and went back to stowing things in the Jeep. “I’m glad that Kishan agreed to give it to you.”
“Agreed? I thought it was his idea.”
“No, actually, getting the amulet was the reason Ren wanted to stop here in the first place. He wouldn’t leave until he’d convinced Kishan to let you have it.”
Puzzled, I said, “Really? I thought we were trying to convince Kishan to join us.”
Mr. Kadam shook his head sadly. “We knew there was little hope of that. Kishan has been indifferent to any previous efforts I’ve made to conscript him for our cause. I’ve tried over the years to lure him out of the jungle and into a more comfortable life at the house, but he prefers to remain here.”
I nodded. “He’s punishing himself for Yesubai’s death.”
Mr. Kadam looked at me, surprised. “Did he speak of this to you?”
“Yes. He told me what happened when Yesubai died. He still blames himself. And not just for her death, but also for what happened to him and Ren. I feel very sad for Kishan.”
Mr. Kadam sagely considered, “For such a young person, you’re very compassionate and perceptive, Miss Kelsey. I’m glad Kishan was able to confide in you. There is hope for him yet.”
I helped him gather up his papers and the fold up chair and table. When we were done, I patted Ren lightly on his shoulder to let him know we were ready to leave. He stood slowly, arched his back, twitched his tail, and then curled his tongue in a giant yawn. After rubbing his head against my hand, he followed me to the Jeep. I hopped into the passenger seat, leaving the back open for Ren to sprawl out in.
Driving back to the highway, Mr. Kadam seemed to actually enjoy weaving through the obstacle course of tree stumps, bushes, rocks, and potholes. The Jeep’s shock absorbers were top of the line, but I still had to hold tightly onto the door handle and brace myself against the dashboard to keep from knocking my head on the roof. Finally, we were out onto the smooth highway again and heading southwest.
Mr. Kadam encouraged, “Tell me all about your week with two tigers.”
I peeked at Ren in the backseat. He seemed to be napping, so I decided to start by telling him about the hunt first, and then I backtracked and talked about everything else. Well, almost everything else. I didn’t talk about the kissing thing. It wasn’t that I thought Mr. Kadam wouldn’t have understood; in fact, I think he would have. I couldn’t trust that Ren was actually asleep in the back, and I wasn’t ready to share my feelings yet, so I skipped that part.
Mr. Kadam was most interested in hearing about Kishan. He’d been shocked when Kishan walked out of the jungle asking for more food for me. He said that Kishan hadn’t seemed to care about anything or anyone since his parents had died.
I told him about how Kishan stayed with me for five days while Ren was hunting and that we talked about how he met Yesubai. I tried to keep my voice quiet and whisper about her so I didn’t upset Ren. Mr. Kadam seemed puzzled at my need to encode everything I was saying, but he indulged me anyway. He nodded, carefully listening to my comments about you-know-what and the thing-that-happened-at-that-place.
I could tell he knew more and could have filled in a few blanks for me but he wouldn’t divulge information loosely. Mr. Kadam was the type of man who kept confidences. That characteristic worked both for me and against me. Ultimately, I decided that it was a good thing and changed the subject to Ren and Kishan’s childhood.
“Ah. The boys were their parents’ pride and joy—royal princes with a knack for getting into trouble and charming their way out of it. They were given anything they desired, but they had to work to earn it.
“Deschen, their mother, was unconventional for India. She would take them out in disguise to play with the poor children. She wanted her children to be open to all cultures and religious practices. Her marriage to their father, King Rajaram, was a blend of two cultures. He loved and indulged her, not caring what anyone else thought. The boys were raised with the best of both worlds. They studied everything from politics and warfare to herding and crops. They were trained in the weapons of India, and also had access to the best teachers from all over Asia.”
“Did they do other things? Like normal teenager stuff?”
“What types of things are you curious about?”
I twitched nervously. “Did they . . . date?”
Mr. Kadam quirked an eyebrow curiously. “No. Definitely not. The story you told me about,” he winked, “you-know-what is the only time I have ever heard of either of them having a romantic escapade. Frankly, they had no time for that, and both boys were to have arranged marriages anyway.”
I rested my head against the seat back after tilting it back a little. I tried to imagine what their lives were like. It must have been difficult having no choices, but then again they were privileged when others had much less. Still, having freedom of choice was something I treasured.
Soon, my thoughts became foggy, and my tired body nudged me into a deep sleep. When I woke up, Mr. Kadam handed me a wrapped sandwich and a large fruit juice.
“Go ahead and eat something. We’ll stop at a hotel for the night so you can get a good night’s rest in a comfortable bed for a change.”
“What about Ren?”
“I picked a hotel that’s near a small section of jungle. We can drop him there and pick him up on the way back.”
