Page 10 of The Burning Mountain
“He asked you a question, you better answer him.” The burly guard snarled.
“Or what?” challenged Veer.
The guard raised a fist but stopped at a signal from his master.
“No, Kapila. This man is not our enemy. We merely brought him in for questioning,” he said and drew up a chair, seating himself at the table, and fixing Veer with a stern gaze.
“My name is Samyukta. What’s yours?” His hands were uncalloused, but the measured and incisive gaze he directedtoward Veer told him this person, when he wasn’t working as a leader of a secret organization, judged and delivered verdicts on people all the time.
“You may call me Veer.”
Samyukta peered at him over his steepled fingers. “Who are you, Veer? Who do you work for? Why do you seek Prince Aditya’s pendant?”
“So it does belong to Aditya,” said Veer with satisfaction.
Samyukta’s mouth firmed, as if he bit into sour lemons. Probably was regretting divulging information and getting nothing in return.
“Prince Aditya was kidnapped from us almost a fortnight ago,” he said. “We haven’t been able to find his whereabouts since then. If you have any information regarding him, you ought to share it with us.”
“Who is this ‘us’ you keep talking about? Are you this ineffective Resistance that is taking a beating at the hands of the current rulers?”
“What would you know, stranger?” Kapila butted in again. “Without us, the current rulers would trample the people to the ground, crushing their spirits completely. We are trying to help organize the protest that is in the hearts of the people into something constructive.”
“Are the gallows full of dying people, evidence of constructiveness, I wonder?” Veer’s taunt made a muscle pop in Kapila’s jaw, but he had no answer.
Samyukta spoke again. “You are entitled to your opinion. It is not our job to convince you. We didn’t bring you here to argue the finer points of how our revolt is shaping to be. All we want is information regarding Prince Aditya. Where was he taken? What do they plan to do with him? Is he alive?”
“What makes you think I know the answers?” Veer stalled, knowing his friends must be on their way, guided by Vihari.
“Prince Aditya never takes that pendant off. How would you even know about it if you didn’t see him? And why would you search for it?”
“Why don’t you ask Gauri Devi this question? Where is she? If she is rumored to be with the Resistance, as you say, why isn’t she taking part in this discussion?”
“Gauri Devi is far too precious to speak with a ruffian like you,” Kapila said. “I see nothing of use bargaining with him, Samyukta. He could be a spy for all we know, sent to ferret out Gauri Devi’s location. Or probably just a person who knew about where the prince was taken to. Maybe he saw the pendant and wanted to know how much he can get for information regarding it? He had to know we would be desperate for news about Aditya.” Disgust spread across Kapila’s face, and his fists bunched. “People like him only understand by physical persuasion. Give me some time with him and I shall have him sing all his secrets like a canary.”
Veer’s brows rose, but before he or Samyukta could reply, a commotion broke out at one of the hideout’s entrances.
Veer twisted in his chair and watched as the newcomers started fighting the guards. His satisfied smile that his plan worked slipped into a frown when he recognized the familiar figure of his wife, who seemed to have an appalling tendency to not follow his orders to stay put. But other matters distracted his attention right now.
He wrenched the rope that bound his hands, an easy feat with the increased strength of his left hand, then lunged at Samyukta. Kapila waylaid him and engaged him with a sword instead.
It took him several minutes to get rid of the tenacious Kapila. Samyukta, meanwhile, had disappeared by then. Veer went in pursuit, but the mine had several tunnel openings leading away from it.
Undecided, Veer halted, trying to figure out which way Samyukta might have gone, but before he could use his animal senses, he heard an argument coming from one of the openings.
“Your Majesty, please, we must escape. This place is compromised. We cannot let them capture you,” came Samyukta’s urgent voice.
“No,” said a woman’s voice. “If someone has knowledge of my son’s whereabouts, I am determined to find out more.”
“We can find out more later,” Samyukta pleaded, “but we simply cannot tarry here any longer.”
“I’m not listening to you anymore…” the woman’s voice became more hysterical toward the end.
As she ran from the opening, she almost collided with Veer. Samyukta brought up her rear.
“Where is my son? What have you done with him?” She clutched Veer’s shirt.
Veer caught her hands, noting the thinness of her wrists. She was a diminutive woman, who only came up to his breastbone. A plain off-white saree draped over her head and her face was blotchy from tears. “Your Majesty, please control yourself. I don’t have Prince Aditya.”
