Page 31 of Tiger's Destiny
So frequent on its hinge before.
Close the door; the shutters close;
Or through the windows we shall see
The nakedness and vacancy
Of the dark deserted house.
Come away: no more of mirth
Is here or merry-making sound.
The house was builded of the earth,
And shall fall again to ground.
Come away: for Life and Thought
Here no longer dwell;
But in a city glorious—
A great and distant city—have bought
A mansion incorruptible.
Would he could have stayed with us!
“We are diminished in your death, my friend, and can only pray that we can live on in such a way that would make you proud. I hope that you have found your mansion incorruptible, for if anyone deserves such a place, it is you.”
Trembling, I watched as Ren and Kishan approached the casket to lower the lid. On a sudden impulse, I asked the Scarf to make me a white silk rose. The threads wound together in my hand and when it was finished, I placed it carefully inside. Then the lid was closed, shutting away the beloved face of Mr. Kadam forever.
voices of the departed
Walking away from the grave site, I felt melancholy and heavy. I shaded my eyes so I could look up at the roof of the old hut. Palms, ferns, and thick gnarled trees were clumped in such a way that I could imagine they had once been meticulously landscaped. Old wooden steps with rustic branch railings led up to the jungle house, and a deck made of bamboo poles encircled the structure.
While Nilima and Murphy headed back to the plane, I dusted the bottom step and sat down to wait for Ren and Kishan, soothing my heart by vowing to return to this place after we broke the curse. I got lost in my thoughts until I heard the crunch of footsteps as Ren and Kishan turned the corner.
Trying to get all our minds momentarily off our loss, I asked the Necklace for tall, cool glasses of water, which we sipped quietly. Then I told them about the strange dream I had on the plane.
“What do you think it means?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” Ren said. “Maybe your connection to Lokesh has become more powerful since he took the fourth piece of the amulet.”
“Or maybe Mr. Kadam is sending these dreams to her,” Kishan offered. “Like the time she dreamt of him after we rescued her.”
“I’d prefer to think it’s the latter,” I said.
Ren crouched before me and touched my cheek. “So do I.”
“We’ll figure out what it means, Kells,” Kishan said. Flicking his head toward the house overhead where he and his family had taken refuge after the curse, he asked, “Would you like a tour?” He took my hand and guided me up the old steps. “We built these to last. Still, they could use some fixing up.”
I ran my hand along the knobby wood railing. “It’s in really good condition for how old it is.”
The house was made of smooth wooden boards. The structure was simple in design. A braided bamboo rug covered the floor and next to it were a carved table and chairs. A set of shelves with a large basin was set into the other corner. Hollowed out gourd bowls were stacked neatly on a shelf, and I could see the remnants of a towel left on the wooden counter.
Blowing spiderwebs and dust off of a misshapen tool, I discovered a hairbrush with a carved ivory handle. “I’d like to keep it, if you don’t mind.”
