Vandhiyathevan turned around. What he saw, brought his heart to his throat. His breathing just stopped abruptly. He saw many small pits of embers. There was no fire. There was no smoke. And these pits of embers were appearing and disappearing. They were an eerie sight in the night. They looked like an army of mutilated rakshasas spewing out fire from their mouths.

Poonkuzhali laughed an eerie laugh. “These are my lovers. Can you or your friend Amudhan beat these lovers? I come to meet these lovers every night.”

Vandhiyathevan was almost certain that Poonkuzhali was stark raving mad and lost hope that he could convince her to take him to Lanka.

Then it struck him. He remembered. He recalled someone telling him about this. When sulphur trapped under the ground escapes through puddles of ground water, it appears like molten lava. These fiery outbursts only last for small periods of time and disappear. When this happens over a large piece of land, the effect is quite dramatic. Ignorant people think of these as kolli vai pisaasu (monsters with burning embers in their mouths).

He calmed down and decided that it would only be prudent to take her back home.

“Girl, your lovers will remain here. We can come and see them tomorrow also, if you wish. Come, let us go back home.”

She wept uncontrollably.

After a little while, she stopped weeping and slowly the two started walking towards the lighthouse.

“People say that the Emperor is unwell. Is that true?”

“Yes. I saw him with my own eyes. He is bed-ridden. I need a favour from you.”

“I hear that the Emperor would not live long. Is that true?”

“If you do not help me now, that might very well be true. I need to get some herbs from the Sanjeevi Mountain in Lanka. Can you help me get to Lanka?”

“If he dies, who will succeed him?”

Vandhiyathevan was shocked. He decided that the girl was not mad at all, but rather very intelligent.

“You and I should not worry about that.”

“Why is that? Both of us are citizens of this kingdom. We have the right to know.”

Vandhiyathevan was silent. He decided not to indulge in too much conversation, lest he blabber anything important to this girl.

“Why are you silent? Who will succeed the Emperor?”

“Aditya Karikalan is the Crown Prince. So, he should succeed the Emperor.”

“How about Madhuranthakan? Does he not have the right to rule?”

“Well, he has said he has no interest in the throne.”

“That was before. I hear that he is interested now?”

“It is not just his interest that matters. The people of this kingdom should approve.”

“I hear he has some important people backing him?”

“I am also hearing similar things. But I am very surprised that these rumours have reached all the way to your ears.”

“I need your help. Can you please take me to Lanka? I do not know how to man a boat, and your father says there is no one else but you. I hear your brother also left just yesterday to Lanka.”

They reached the lighthouse. She went into the house and he lay down again. Sleep evaded him. After a long while, he fell asleep. He dreamt of being in a boat with Poonkuzhali. The dark ocean surrounded them. He dreamt of asking her to sing again.