Mr.Chowdhury exchanged a knowing look with his prince.“That is our thinking as well.”
“So how do we find it?”Adam demanded.“Did you get anything useful out of that transcription?”
“Dr.Fairfax copied the glyphs with reasonable accuracy,” Mr.Chowdhury replied.
Neil slumped with relief.“Oh, thank God!”
Vijay pulled a notebook from his pocket.He scanned the room, ensuring that he had everyone’s rapt attention, and then read.“To seek the lost astra, keep your father’s oath and follow Lord Rama’s footsteps across the River of Wisdom.”
“That could refer to keeping the path of proper dharma,” Ellie mused.
“Or that we’re going into the woods,” Adam countered.“Isn’t that where your prince was exiled in order tokeep his father’s oath?A haunted forest?”
“The Dandakaranya,” Mr.Chowdhury confirmed.
“That happen to be a real place, by any chance?”Adam pressed.
“The wilderness at the western border of Odisha has long been associated with Lord Rama’s exile,” Vijay replied.
“There a river around there?”
Padma answered.“A tributary of the Godavari known locally as the Jnananadi.”
“Which is Sanskrit forRiver of Wisdom,” Vijay elaborated with a hint of mischief.
“Tulsidas wasn’t beating around the bush,” Adam noted dryly.
“Apparently not,” Ellie agreed.“But is there more?”
Constance popped up from the couch, leaning over her uncle’s chair as she read excitedly from his notebook.“Join the Lord of the Dance on the ridge that points to the dawn of the longest day.Let his shadow lead you to the ruins of the most loyal kingdom.”
She looked wonderingly to Ellie, Neil, and Adam as she finished.“Seek the path to the Astra of the Creator by the Waters of the Son of the Wind, where nobility of spirit is never untouchable.”
“But what does all that mean?”Neil demanded helplessly.
Vijay’s reply carried a dangerous note of challenge.“I suppose the answer to that question lies on the other side of the Jnananadi.”
At his words, emotion chased through Ellie’s eyes like the quickly turning pages of another book.
Excitement at the prospect of chasing down another mystery from the past.
Fear of what failing to find it might mean.
Adam looked to the maharaja and his companion.“I’m guessing you don’t have a map with a handy ‘X’ right over these Waters of the Son of the Wind.”
“No,” Vijay admitted.“In fact, the region we’re speaking of has been only loosely mapped at all.It isn’t generally considered verysalubriousterritory for casual explorers.”
“Why’s that?”Adam demanded.
“Pythons,” Vijay replied.“Tigers.”
“Tribal revolutionaries,” Padma added.
Vijay picked innocently at the cuff of his tunic.“I can’t say I know anything about that.”
Mr.Chowdhury glanced up at the ceiling as though searching for patience, muttering under his breath.
Adam checked to see if Mr.Mahjoud showed any sign of recognition at the solicitor’s words, because he was fairly certain the man had just recited a d’ua for patience against adversity.
