Vandiyathevan marveled at how cleverly the secret passages of Kadambur palace had been built. He checked that the crocodile was not moving, then stepped toward the opening.
Footsteps. From inside the passage. Too many for one man — five or six at least. Idumbankaari and his companions.
He leapt back behind the tailless monkey.
A head appeared through the opening. Idumbankaari, one foot on the upper step, one still below to keep the trapdoor from closing. He looked around.
Then the elephant-face wall began to move. The entrance to the women's quarters opened, and through it came Manimekalai, lamp in hand.
Idumbankaari sprang up — the passage shut behind him — and began hurriedly dusting the nearby tiger with his head-cloth.
"My lady! Why have you come here at this hour?"
"Idumba, what are you doing here?"
"Cleaning the hall. Guests arrive tomorrow. The young master gave orders before he left for Kanchi."
"In this whole palace, the young master trusts only you and me. I heard a sound here and came to check." She paused. "I sent Chandramathi to call my father. Since you are here, I shall go and stop her."
She lifted the lamp and watched his face carefully. Then she glanced toward the tailless monkey. It seemed, just as before, to move.
"Please do, my lady. The master has enough to deal with today. Go and rest."
Manimekalai went back through the secret door. It shut behind her.
Idumbankaari pressed his ear to the elephant-face wall and listened until satisfied. Then he opened the trapdoor and stood on the steps, his lower half below the floor. From inside the passage came an owl cry. He replied. Footsteps approached.
A bat swept past. Idumbankaari looked up.
The tailless monkey crashed down on his head.
He flailed wildly, shouting, then realized it must be the dislodged monkey. He tried to lift it clear — but two hands came from above and pushed him lower still.
He froze. Looking up, he saw the monkey wedged half into the opening, the trapdoor closing over it. He told himself the two hands must have been his terrified imagination.
Ravidasan's voice came from below. "What is this noise? Should we turn back?"
"No danger. The monkey fell on my head. It is stuck in the opening — wait while I clear it."
Vandiyathevan had moved fast. When Idumbankaari looked up at the bat, he shoved the monkey down on his head, pressed him further into the passage with both hands, stuffed the monkey upside down into the opening, shifted the crocodile, and ran to the elephant face — all in moments.
He grabbed the ivory tusks and twisted. A narrow circular opening appeared — a smaller door within the larger one. No time to find the proper mechanism. He squeezed through, head-first. Head, arms, half his body — but with nothing to grip, he could go no further.
The lamp inside went dark.
"Chandramathi! Save me!"
Laughter.
"Is this right — to stand there watching?"
"And is it right to sneak like a thief into the women's quarters?"
Manimekalai's voice. He pressed on anyway.
"I came only because you asked me to! People are coming behind me — pull me in, quickly!"
"Is Chandramathi so clever? I shall teach both of you a lesson."
"Princess Manimekalai! Forgive me and save me this once!"
In the darkness, two soft hands took hold of his shoulders and lowered him gently to the floor. The opening closed.
"Princess! A million salutations!"
"Wait until you know what I intend to do before you offer salutations."
"Whatever you do is fine. You saved me from murderers. Better to die by your jewel-like hands than at the hands of those demons."
"What a hero! Let me light the lamp and see this face of yours."
"Must you look again? That monkey face that appeared behind you in the mirror — that was mine. Did not Chandramathi describe it as such?"
Laughter in the dark. The jingling of bangles.
Manimekalai had covered the lamp when he thrust himself through — that was why it had gone dark. Now she removed the cover and the room brightened.
She looked at his face and stood utterly spellbound.
From the hunting hall next door came the heavy sound of many men entering at once.