The snow covered the entrance to the cave and we would have to move. I could walk but was not very surefooted. He carried me on his back to another cave. This seemed to be his home. It was far better fitted out than the other cave. The floor was covered in furs and animal pelts. There was a sort of makeshift bed from bear skins that he gave to me. I was grateful for his hospitality. He left me there and went away for a few hours. I explored the cave. This one was much larger. At the extreme end of the cave there was a small waterfall that flowed in through the roof and flowing out through an opening in the floor. A natural waterfall, truly a marvelous discovery.
However the way the waterfall had formed, it did not splash nor wet the rest of the floor of the cave. Close to the waterfall there was a trunk engraved with strange writing. It was quite large and seemed very heavy. I tried to open the box and was able to do so after grave difficulty. Inside were more weapons. A few bows, arrows, swords, spears and assorted pieces of armor. But none of these were like the ones we used in Wu nor the ones used by the other seven kingdoms or the tribes. These were quite different. Inside the trunk was a smaller box at one end. I opened it to find a beautiful suit of armor. Brilliant yellow/gold. But much brighter than gold. It shone like the rays of the sun. And two earrings of the same metal. The entire cave seemed to be lit up in their brilliance.I would like to believe they were of gold but their sheer brilliance has made me think otherwise. Even diamonds do not shine so brilliantly. I replaced them as I had started to grow tired and closed the trunk. I went and lay down. When I came to, my host was there waiting for me to awaken. From his manner, I understood that my welcome there was coming to an end. I should leave soon. Winter was coming to an end. The avalanche was caused by the melting of the snow.
I started to prepare myself for the trek down into civilisation. I tried to communicate this to my host who nodded. He held up 3 fingers and pointed to the sun. In 3 days time he would take me down. Two days passed quickly. As I lay there that last night, I realised that none would believe me at court if I ever made it back. I needed to take some sort of proof. I kept racking my mind for something that would be unique and could be easily concealed. I remembered finally- the gold earrings. He did not have much use for them anyway. It would be stealing and dangerous at that but I would bring them back to him once they had served their purpose.The next day when he went out, I secreted one of the ear-rings into my pocket. One would be enough. I wanted to take both but I did not want to abuse the kindness my host had shown me. However I knew that if I returned without proof and only my fanciful story, I would be put to death on charges of being a deserter or worse a spy. So this had to be done. He carried me down the mountain quickly and left me at the base of the mountains. Before he left he spoke. The first and last time I ever heard him speak.
"Travel 5 days north by east. Do not wander from this path. You will not be harmed. The tribes have gone further into the mountains. Remember to return what you took. In the meantime may it serve you well." He clapped me on the shoulder and disappeared into the forests again. I wanted to apologise or atleast say something but it was too late. The Old Man of the Mountains had disappeared back into his mountains. I promised myself that I would be back to return the ear-ring...Someday.
Chapter 5: General of Wu
It was as he had said. Five days later, I reached the borders of the kingdom of Wu. When I introduced myself to the sentires at the first outpost, they were shocked. My unit had disappeared less than three months ago. No trace of them could be found. Not even bodies. I was arrested immediately and dragged to the nearest magistrate. I told him my story and he did not believe a word until I showed him the ear-ring. His eyes flew wide. Clearly even he had never seen anything like it in his life. Not knowing what to do with me, he referred my case to the district magistrate, where the same things were repeated. Eventually I found myself before the King of Wu. King Helü of Wu
The king was both shocked and delighted to hear my story. He asked me to recount portions of the story regularly. He allowed me to keep the ear-ring after he learned my reasons for stealing the ear-ring and my plans to return the same to the Old Man of the Mountains. I was now a part of the court. His court. The court of Wu was a treacherous place. I was still a novelty. I knew jealousy would soon ensure my death. I had to grab my chances. The king treated me like a pet monkey, parading me in front of his court everyday. A proof of his divine right to rule the tribes. I decided to take my chances and on one such day I told the king that I could conquer all his enemies. Clearly the gods showed me favor.
One of his concubines laughed. Hua Hao. His favorite. I knew she was paid by one of his generals as well to keep him in the king's favor. Sun Bo. Bo wanted me out of his way as soon as possible.
I had to be rid of both of them.
"A lowly soldier. Haha. With such dreams. My Lord, you should have him beheaded.'" Hua told the king in her sugary sweet voice. The king pondered the matter. This was the moment.
"Yes my Lord. I surely need to be beheaded. But I can prove to you that I can turn even the most worthless of your subjects into the finest of soldiers. Even your concubines." I countered risking everything.
My statements amused the king.
"Wu Changqing, I like your courage. And I will give you that chance. Turn my concubines into a fighting force to be feared and you can keep your head. Fail to do so and I shall give you the most painful death. Further I shall have every man, woman and child and their relatives to the 9th degree killed for your impertinence." he announced in court.
"My Lord!!" Hua exclaimed shocked by the king's decision.
"My Lord! This is most irregular. What can this man know of leading and commanding. He is but a low foot soldier." Sun Bo tried to change the king's mind.
"Quiet. Let us see if the gods still favor this fool. If they do then he will be my general. My Chief General. If not then he shall die and no one will say that I did not give him a fair chance. So Wu Changqing, what do you say? Will you prove your words? You will train my concubines to be fighting soldiers. And they shall face Sun Bo and 100 of his chosen men in a fight. If not then I shall have you lashed everyday for a 100 days for your impertinence. Speak now." The king commanded me.
I bowed my head. I did not have a choice. If I backed down, then Sun Bo would see to it that I did not survive the week, let alone the 100 days. Besides this was my chance to be rid of both of them. Without Hua, Bo would not survive for long. The other generals were constantly plotting aginst him as he had insulted them on multiple occasions. But Hua's favor kept them from moving against him. Bo for his part, ensured that any newcomer to the harem that the king glanced at more than once, quickly disappeared or died under mysterious circumstances, thereby ensuring Hua's continued power over the king. A very good partnership that needed to be dissolved.
"My Lord is too kind. I shall succeed with your blessings. However I would request that my orders to the concubines are not to be questioned. That is the only way I can succeed." I pressed my luck a bit further. The smile on his face faltered. They had expected me to back down. Whoever thought a monkey would dream of leading the entire imperial army. But face had to be saved now that I had accepted the challenge and so the king relented.
"Of course. Sun Bo will see to it. Anyone who opposes is to be put to death immediately. The eunuchs will carry out your orders as well. That is my decree." The king announced and ended the court for that day. I smiled. I would succeed and Sun Bo would be the instrument of his own demise.
The very next morning I divided them into two companies, appointing the two concubines most favored by the king as the company commanders- Hua Hao and Wang Mei. When I ordered the concubines led by Hua Hao to turn right and face the concubines led by Wang Mei, they giggled. The king, Sun Bo and the rest of the court gathered there laughed at me. I announced to the court that the general, in this case I, was responsible for ensuring that soldiers understood the commands given to them. Then, I reiterated the command, and again the concubines giggled. I then ordered Sun Bo to execute Hua Hao as she had failed to convey my commands to her troops. The king was livid. He jumped to his feet. I prostrated myself at his feet and reminded him of his promise. I explained that if the general's soldiers understood their commands but did not obey, it was the fault of the officers. In this case clearly Hua Hao had not carried out the orders. As the appointed general, it was my duty to my king to carry out his mission, even if the king protested. The king turned away. I commanded Sun Bo to carry out the order. Sun Bo did not have a choice. He drew his sword and beheaded Hua Hao and thus sealed his own fate as well. I chose another concubine to replace Hua Hao, Hui Mei. Then I turned to Wang Mei's company and asked them to turn left and face Hui Mei's company. They carried out my orders flawlessly. By the end of the day, each company was marching and following orders flawlessly. At the end of the month, these two companies faced a company of 100 soldiers led by Sun Bo. The concubines had been merciless that day. I had warned them, I would have each of them killed in the most painful way possible if we lost. A way much much more painful than the way I had Hua Hao killed. They believed me. And so they fought with a vengeance. Although I lost most of my soldiers and the king his harem, Sun Bo and his men surrendered after heavy losses. Sun Bo and 9 men survived. I ordered them to lay down their arms. They had to. Although there had been 200 concubines initially, there were still 60 or 70 of them left. I turned to the king and said that these men were unworthy of serving him as they preferred to surrender rather than fight to the death. Before the king could respond, I ordered my army of concubines to behead the ones who surrendered outright. They carried out my orders without question and without delay. Right before the court in less than a month, I had proved my claims and eliminated the two who could prevent me from becoming a general in the army. The next day I was appointed as the commander in chief and started my campaign to conquer the seven nations- Zhao, Qi, Qin, Chu, Han, Wei and Yan. Through diplomacy and when needed war.
But all that is history now and I am old. I fear I shall not be able to return the ear-ring before I die. I must confess, I had many opportunities to return the ear-ring and each time I turned away from my promise. The ear-ring had some sort of power over me. Ever since I stole the ear-ring, I seemed to have an understanding of strategy that I did not before. I won battles that I should have lost. I was able to outwit my enemies and those of Wu time and again. It was the strangest thing. The few battles that I lost were the ones where I did not carry the ear-ring on my person. A good luck charm? Perhaps. I am not a superstitious person. However, I believe that ear-ring has powers beyond my understanding. I still remember his words before he left me. "Remember to return what you took. In the meantime may it serve you well." It has served me well. I am tempted to keep it forever but I must fulfill my promise. And so I travel. My doctors tell me I do not have much time left. So I write these words in case I do not live to fulfill my promise. If you are reading these words then something has prevented me from completing my promise. Please return this gift to the man who gave me the gift of life. I cannot let down his trust in me..."
We sat in silence for a long while. The translation had been hard and arduous. We went back over the translation a number of time correcting bits and pieces here and there. The message was clear. As we sat relaxing after our labour, a thought occured to me.
"Where is this ear-ring?" I asked them.
Rito and kaka-babu both nodded. "Exactly what I have been thinking..."Rito said in between puffs of the cigar he was smoking. He had run out of cigarettes and switched to cigars. The atmosphere in the room was heavy with cigar smoke. We brooded over the dilemma. What had happened to that ear-ring? Was it ever returned to the Old Man of the Mountains?
As we sat there, Kaka-babu spoke breaking the silence.
"Does the story he recounted remind you of another story?" he asked us. I shook my head dumbly. This was the first time I had heard the story. Rito however nodded with a knowing smile.
"Come, come Gaja, I am certain you have read that story many times. Think back to the greatest war in Indian history..." Kakababu tried to help me along.
It took me a few minutes before I realised the story he was alluding to in his question.
"It cant be...cant i? Mahabharata?" I finally said.
Chapter 6: Karna's great sacrifice
Kaka-babu nodded."But that is a mythological story. No basis in factual history." I protested.
He laughed. "True but all mythology has roots in true historical fact."
"Some distortions are made due to re-telling of the story and the additions by each person who recounts the same story." Rito added."I think we could do with some food now, Kak-babu. I am sure Gaja would approve of this. And we need to rest our minds before we continue. There is still the matter of the missing ear-ring that needs to be solved. Yu will be here in a couple of days as well."
That seemed to settle the matter. I remembered the story vaguely. Kaka-babu chuckled when I pointed this out.
"Ah Gaja. One should never forget history. Those who do are doomed to repeat it. Rito will you do the honors and remind us all fo the story of Karna's great sacrifice?"
Rito nodded. He lit his pipe and took a few puffs before starting.
"When all seemed lost, Krishna made one last attempt at peace. He was sent as an independant peace messenger to the court of Dhritarashtra, the King of Hastinapur. He presented his proposal of five villages as a gift to the Pandavas. In exchange, the Pandavas would forget about the insults and the events of the past.Five villages he stated was a small gift to ensure peace and prevent the slaughter that would follow otherwise. People and loved ones would die on either side. Dhritarashtra was the king but but Duryodhana spoke for him. He refused to give them an inch of land. Five villages was too much. Not even the land equal to the point of a needle. Krishna tried to reason with him. As did the others in the court but he would not be swayed. He threatened to have him arrested and thrown behind bars. The elders in the court warned him that Krishna was a messengers and so was protected.
Duryodhana laughed and ordered his soldiers to arrest him. Krishna for the first time lost his temper. Where one does not respect their elders, downfall was certain. He displayed his divine form shocking everyone and cursed Duryodhana. He went back to Vidur's house to take his leave beofre leaving for Uplavya where the Pandavas had assembled with their army. When Krishna displayed his divine form, Shakuni, Duryodhana's matrnal uncle, realised that defeat would be certain if the soldiers saw the divine form on the battlefield. He manipulated Karna into talking to Krishna. Karna escorted Krishna to the outskirts of Hastinapur. Krishna knew that if anyone could defeat the Pandavas it was Karna, protected as he was by the divine armor and the ear-rings given to him at birth by his father Surya, the sun god. These were a part of him and could not be removed by any mortal or divine being save Karna himself. They shone like liquid gold and could not be penetrated by any weapon either. So long as he had these he would win and so would Duryodhana. He was invincible. Krishna had to win him over to the cause of the Pandavas. He tried to plead with him. Karna bound as he was refused to leave his Duryodhana. Even the fear of certain death would not dissuage him. Krishna revelaed to him the identity of his mother. Karna was the sixth Pandava. The eldest of them and so in effect the ruler of Hastinapur and the Pandavas and Kauravas. Karna entreated Krishna and mad ehim promise that Krishan would not reveal the truth of his birth an dhis true identity to anyone. Krishna warned him of an unending battle protected as Karna was by his invincible armor. Karna realised what Krishna was asking of him. If righteousness was to be victorious at the Battle of Kurukshetra, then we would have to sacrifice himself. But how could he do so without betraying his friend. As he thought about it, Krishna stopped their chariot at the banks of the Ganges. He stepped into the river and slowly poured the water offering his prayers and then stepped out. As he stepped out he smiled at Karna. Karna nodded. He knew of a way. He told Krishna that he was duty bound to give anything to a supplicant who asked for his favor after Karna had offered his mid day prayers. And they left. Indra, the king of the gods who had been watching them from afar did just that. A few days later in the guise of a brahmin medicant approached Karna after his midday prayers. Karna mad ehis offer of any boon that the brahmin wuold seek. And the brahmin asked for the armor and his ear-rings. Karna asked smiled. He realised who stood before him. After all what use did a poor brahmin have of armor and ear-rings. Karna asked him to seek something else- a hundred cows, a thousand gold coins or even ten villages. The brahmin shook his head and refused. He would have the armor and the ear-rings or nothing. Karna smiled. He unsheathed his knife and cut off the armor and ear-rings from his body. As he stood there bleeding, the brahmin reached out for the gifts he had asked for. Karna addressed him and said that he was glad he had been approached by the King of the Gods. After all how many humans could say that they had been able to gran a gift to the gods?. Indra assumed his true form and asked Karna to seek a boon in exchange. Karna refused. He would not seek a boon in exchange. But he did not want the king of the gods to be in debted to a mortal. So he aske dfor the weapn. But all this is known quite well" Rito said turning to Kaka-babu.
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