This was different.
Ellie clung to analysis in the face of the growing feeling that she was somewhere not at all scholarly in nature.“Based on the similarity between the carved decorations on the exterior of the structure and the colonnades fronting some of the rock-cut chambers, I would estimate that all this dates from roughly two thousand years ago.”
“Quite,” Neil agreed inadequately, adjusting his spectacles as he stared around him.
The space was humble.The single room was broken up by a circle of columns that supported the flat slab of the roof.Windows were set into three alternating walls.The other four held carved niches with holy figures.
Hanuman filled the hollow to Ellie’s left.He knelt with his powerful mace at his side, his hands pressed together in prayer.
Lakshmana stood to her right.Rama’s loyal brother was a straight-backed, youthful figure with a garland of carved stone flowers around his neck.
Across the room, a man with the bearing of a king faced a woman whose body curved with grace and beauty.The details of her face were worn away.
Constance joined Ellie to look at them, her voice softened with awe.“Rama and Sita.”
The rest of the players of the Ramayana were carved into the walls.Giant vultures soared over monkey kings.An army crossed the thrashing waves of the sea.Demons ranged in fearsome troops before a ten-headed monster.
The soft gray light from the windows painted an octagonal slab of stone in the center of the temple.Three objects lay there, held up on small braces of stone.
A recurve bow, still strung.A silk-lined quiver.And a single humble arrow.
The bow was formed of layers of gleaming wood tipped with bone, the grip wrapped with cords of pale sinew.
The head of the arrow was pounded iron, shaped like a leaf.A shaft of unpolished bamboo was fletched with black feathers.
Another storm-scented wind shifted through the temple, tugging lightly at the loose strands of hair at the back of Ellie’s neck.
“If these date to the same era as those caverns, they shouldn’t be this well preserved,” Neil noted uncomfortably.
“Maybe someone brought them here more recently,” Ellie suggested.
The words rang false.This place had the feel of somewhere that had not seen mortal steps in a very long time.
The objects were simple in the way of well-loved things.Ellie could see where the patina of the wood of the bow was darkened by the grip of someone’s hand.“This was used… but I don’t remember Sita having a bow.”
Constance shot a knowing look at Neil.He coughed uncomfortably.
“Maybe she got it from him.”Adam jerked a thumb at the kingly statue that stood behind him.
Ellie studied the arc of polished wood with a surprised reverence.“You think this isLord Rama’sbow?”
“The bigger question might be whether that arrow is the apocalyptic weapon of the gods,” Adam countered.
With obvious discomfort, Neil crouched by the altar to give the artifact a better look.“It resembles several dozen other ancient arrows I’ve seen, save for some slight regional variations in the style of the point.”
“Well—it would, wouldn’t it?”Ellie retorted.“The astra wasn’t some specially constructed treasure.It was a power you summoned into any object you wanted.Rama would have called it into whatever arrow happened to be in his quiver.”
“Right.”Neil sounded shaky.“Because he knew the mantra.You use the mantra to invoke the astra.But then… if none of us knows the mantra, could we even use this?Assuming we wanted to,” he quickly corrected.“Which we absolutely don’t.”
“If we’re right about this being what we think it is, someone with the mantra already did summon the astra into it.This invocation of it is just…” Ellie trailed off, at a loss for the right word.
“Leftovers,” Adam offered.
Ellie raised her brows at his casual description.
Adam shrugged.
Constance huffed with frustration.“But how do weknowwhether it’s leftovers or just another arrow?”
