(Book 6) Hayden Mackay and The Third-Eye of the Pancharatna

11.1. A Friendly Gesture

The swift movement gave me a jolt of surprise.

They maneuvered the carpets in circles a short distance above the height of the carriage. The horses gently neighed and flicked their tails. A creature far beyond freewheeled, screeching loudly. Although flying thousands of far above, it did not make any difference in speed between the two flying entities. Perfect, just perfect.

"They are all yours if you wish," said the minister, seeking my attention back. "And yes, the offer is real."

This was a piece of luck or what! A flurry of twitches gushed down my veins and I resisted an urge to give a full-throttle fist pimp. Sure, none of the Rawat's inexperienced knights could be easy at the prospect of suddenly becoming aviators and I loathed the necessity of asking them to practice in the space they are provided. But this opportunity was too good to lose. "Sounds like a great idea," words flew out my mouth. "Thank you, Sir. I'll take it."

"Not so fast," he said, voice getting harder. The knights descended to the ground and resumed their stance. "My employees are going to dedicate so much of their precious time to you. Purvachand does deserve something in return, doesn't it?"

There you go. Now he sounded like a typical member of a High Clan. Second impression-unoriginal and lame.

I cleared my throat before saying, "Business? Even in the current situation? We belong to the same country, Sir, how about showing some sensitivity?"

"That's a sign of weakness," he retorted. "Not to mention, you're the one who failed to show the sensitivity in the first place. Young and fit you are, a Samagraha for a King who cannot die. Yet you need the rest of the four Formation Samagraha to work for you? Sounds fundamentally unfair, doesn't it?"

"With me." I quickly corrected.

"I'm sorry?"

"They're my friends. We work together. With me."

"Good for you, but I don't see the difference."

And you never will. "What is it that you want from me in return for the carpets?"

"Pruthvi Krishna," he gushed.

I paused for a moment, every muscle tensing up. "Why him?" I asked, in a low voice.

He sunk further back into his chair and folded his arms, expression quite considerate yet unfriendly. "You see if someone else had to be the king of Rawat, undeniably I would have come looking for you and made offers to have you shift to my province. The Samagraha who killed the legendary Almourah. Do you ever feel the urge to know what other kings are talking about you behind your back?"

I softly sighed. "That doesn't really answer my question."

"Since you're out of the league, I now desire for the next best. And that's Pruthvi Krishna. The boy had shown all the qualities of good workmanship during the last year's crises. Besides, he is aware of all the ins and outs of the province. My employees have had an eye on him ever since and they figured he's the sole reason for Sharad to be well sheltered today. Building bunkers for an entire dynasty in just two days time period, that's absolutely brilliant. Shows that he's perfectly capable of holding onto his duties even during tough times. So, I want Pruthvi Krishna in return for the flying carpets."

The news and rumors traveled fast in Paramarashtra and that wasn't a surprise. But the hastiness of any sort tonight may cost me greatly in many ways and I couldn't afford to lose any before my mission- Shashi Thribhuvan. Before I gave a reply, I saw Pruthvi in my mind's eyes, his face contorted and making an insensitive comment. "I'm after all a sitting duck even to these kings. Anyone can just toss me around like a rag doll!"