CHAPTER 4

Abode of the Gods

‘What! Who attacked you?’ cried a concerned Nandi as he rushed towards Shiva to check
his wounds.
‘Relax Nandi,’ replied Shiva. ‘You are in worse shape than I am after your adventure in the
water. It’s just a few superficial cuts. Nothing serious. The doctors have already dressed the
wounds. I am alright.’
‘I am sorry, my Lord. It’s entirely my fault. I should never have left you alone. It will never
happen again. Please forgive me, my Lord.’
Pushing Nandi gently back on to the bed, Shiva said, ‘There’s nothing to forgive, my friend.
How can this be your fault? Please calm down. Getting overworked will not do your health any
good.’
Once Nandi had calmed down a bit, Shiva continued, ‘In any case, I don’t think they were
trying to kill us. It was very strange.’
‘Us?’
‘Yes, there were two women involved.’
‘But who could these attackers be?’ asked Nandi. Then a disturbing thought dawned on
Nandi. ‘Did the attackers wear a pendant with a crescent moon on it?’
Shiva frowned. ‘No. But there was this one strange man. The best swordsmen of them all.
He was covered from head to toe in a hooded robe, his face veiled by a mask, the kind I’ve
seen you people wear at that colour festival. What is it called?’
‘Holi, my Lord?’
‘Yes, the holi kind of mask. In any case, you could only see his eyes and his hands. His only
distinguishing feature was a leather bracelet with a strange symbol on it’
‘What symbol, my Lord?’
Picking up a palm-leaf booklet and the thin charcoal writing-stick from the side table, Shiva
drew the symbol.

Nandi frowned. ‘That is an ancient symbol that some people used for the word Aum. But