Page 33 of The Burning Mountain
The five animals of thepanch-pashuthrone occupied the squares in the cloth in repeating patterns. But where to start?
“Hurry up, Princess,” said Billadev in a hissed whisper, peeking out the door that led outside. “It won’t be long before other guards make their rounds again.”
“I know. It’s just that something about the skylight bothers me,” muttered Chandra. “The pattern in the shawl shows the phase of the moon. Everything else fits but that. I’m hesitant to act before I know what that means.”
Namata Devi’s warning about the treasury rang in her ears as she bit her lip. They needed to get this right, or they were going to die.
Billadev muttered something under his breath and Chandra pretended not to hear, convinced it was nothing complimentary. He still was salty about the way she had forced his hand.
“What happens, anyway, if you put a foot wrong?” he asked irritably and before she could stop him, he chucked an apple toward the throne. It sailed through the air and arrows flew, fired from some unseen place, striking the apple so it fell far short of its target and onto the floor. Flames erupted on the square where the apple had landed, shriveling the fruit in a matter of minutes.
They stared at the blackened lump in awed silence. “Right. Now we know,” mumbled Billadev.
“An apple?” Chandra turned an incredulous gaze toward him. “Really?”
“I get hungry when I’m nervous,” he said defensively, but looked shaken.
Suddenly, the skylight turned opaque with moonlight and threw a strobe-like beam of light on the floor. Illuminating one white square at the edge of sunken floor.
Chandra glanced at the shawl once again, with pounding excitement, the pattern now becoming clear—the checkered cloth, with the embroidered animals, the pillars, and the moon phases. The shawl was indeed a cipher, detailing a safe path across the floor leading up to the throne. Anticipation spread through her. She should’ve trusted her instincts about Namata Devi and come here earlier to verify for herself.
“Did you get that?” she asked Billadev in a hushed voice.
Billadev nodded, his expression morphing into one of reluctant excitement, as he stared between the shawl and the pattern on the floor.
Chandra stood up, and walked to the edge of the sunken part, intending to step forward, but Billadev barred her with an arm.
“Wait. I think I should be the one to get to the throne. Please, remain here and guide me, Princess. If anything happens to me, you won’t be affected.” He raised his voice slightly, going for thejugular. “It’s the least you can do for getting me involved in this mess.”
Chandra relented, choosing to pick her battles. Besides, he did have a point. “All right.”
Billadev put his foot gingerly on the first square, the one the moonlight illuminated first.
Nothing happened for a moment, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Then the pillars rotated soundlessly. The animal sculptures now faced the other way.
Chandra consulted the shawl again. “See if you can reach the red square two paces to your left,” she said slowly, making the estimate.
Billadev carefully made his way on the patterned floor, following her directions. Chandra double- and triple-checked her calculations before giving out orders. Even if the progress was slow, she didn’t dare make hasty decisions. The pillars moved after every step Billadev took, erasing his previous progress so he couldn’t retrace his way back.
The throne was smaller than she had imagined and the five animals, along the armrests, were so skillfully carved, they seemed almost alive. It was set at least a few feet off the ground, with five short steps leading up to the seat. Billadev now stood directly in front of it.
“Now what?” he whispered.
Chandra consulted the shawl once again. “I guess you can climb the throne steps. And then… I think you’re supposed to move the right paw of the panther first, and after, the fish needs to have its dorsal fin adjusted and then…”
Billadev did as she instructed, as Chandra shifted, trying to keep his moves in her line of sight.
A slight scratching noise came from the throne as a secret compartment in one of its legs shifted. He reached in andsearched inside, his expression changing to one of triumph as he straightened and held up the key piece.
Chandra felt like whooping, but she settled for punching the air with her fist. Their plan worked.
They grinned silently at each other, but then Billadev’s slowly faded. He stood rooted to the spot, his gaze fixed on her. Chandra saw his irises were frosting over with a cloudy film.
The animals of thepanch-pashuthronemoved. The fish flapped its tail, the panther’s mouth opened, the elephant lifted its trunk, the peacock fanned out its tail, and the silk moth fluttered its wings. A thin mist flowed from beneath the throne, winding itself around his legs and climbing up steadily. She couldn’t be certain, but she thought she heard the echo of a water splash, a panther’s soft growl, and the trumpet of an elephant, all coming as if from a distance.
“Billadev, what’s wrong?”
He didn’t answer for an entire minute, frozen rigid.
