The elephant continued its majestic gait. There were soldiers in front and at the back of the elephant. The rain stopped. She saw the clouds disperse and the stars come out. She wondered if the astrologer’s words of her son, who would rule the three worlds, would be true. She drifted off to sleep.
“I have a thousand eyes and ears, spread across the kingdom, and even outside. I have my men even inside the Pazhuvoor palace. One of them told me about Vandhiyathevan’s actions. I also have people like Alwarkadiyan, who roam around the kingdom to get me information. So, I would think, I have enough capacity to know a lot about what is happening in the kingdom.”
She thought about Vandhiyathevan and momentarily became incensed at him. While she had no doubts about his bravery, she now doubted his ability to do secretive missions.
“Thirumalai, please tell me what you have seen and heard during your travels. Tell me as is, without hiding anything.”
“Are you asking me to narrate here? Things that I say might shock anyone who hears them – even Vayu Bhagavan, the Wind God, Bhooma Devi, the Earth, and Samudrarajan, the Lord of the Ocean.”
Aniruddha Brahmaraayar held office on one of the smaller islands near Rameswaram. He was surrounded by accountants and other administrative personnel.