“It’s beautiful!”
He smiled. “Only you would find something beautiful in our situation.”
“That’s not true. A poet can always find something good to write about.”
“A poet doesn’t write only of beauty. Sometimes he writes of sorrow—of the ugly things in the world.”
“Yes, but you make even the bad things sound lovely.”
Ren sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Maybe not this time.” He sat up with a determined expression. “We need to check your leg, Kells.”
I shook my head slightly. “Can’t we wait until we get back?”
“We don’t know how we’re getting back, and we need to watch for infection.”
I started hyperventilating. “I can’t.”
His expression softened. “You don’t have to look. Why don’t you tell me a story while I unwrap your bandages?”
“I … I can’t think of any. Ren, I’m scared. What if my leg falls off? What if it’s just a stub?”
“Can you wiggle your toes?”
“Yes. At least, it feels like I can, but that could be a phantom foot tricking me. I don’t want to lose it.”
“If that happens, we’ll deal with it. The important thing is you’re alive.”
“But I’d never walk normally again. How could I ever have a normal life? I’d be crippled forever.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“What do you mean it doesn’t matter? How could I help you finish the tasks? How could I—” My words cut off abruptly.
He paused. “How could you what?”
I blushed. “How could I marry and have children? I wouldn’t be able to chase the kids around the house. My husband would be ashamed. And that’s only if I could convince someone to marry me.”
Ren watched me with an indiscernible expression. “Are you finished? Are there any more fears you haven’t shared?”
“I guess that’s it.”
“So you’re frightened that you won’t be normal, you won’t be attractive, and you won’t be able to properly fulfill your responsibilities.”
I nodded.
“I can identify with not being normal, but if the decades at the circus taught me one thing, it’s that normalcy is an illusion. Each person is utterly unique. A standard of normalcy is something that most people of the world simply will never access. A husband ashamed of his wife doesn’t deserve her, and I will personally make sure such a man never makes your acquaintance.
“As far as you being attractive or attaining a man’s interest, I can guarantee that even if both of your legs were removed, I would still find you beautiful, and I would still desire you.” Ren smiled while I twitched. “And children are a responsibility of both parents. You and your husband would balance the work between you in a way that was comfortable for both of you.”
“But I’d be a burden to him.”
“You would not. You’d lighten his burden because you love him.”
“He’d have to wheel me around like a grandma.”
“He’d carry you off to bed every night.”
“You’re not going to let me wallow are you?”
“No. Now can I check your leg?”
“Fine.”
He smiled. “Fine. Now hold still.”
He whispered a command to the Divine Scarf to gently remove the blood-crusted bandages from my leg and make new, soft cloths. He asked the Pearl Necklace to create a basin of warm water. My toes emerged first, and I was relieved to see them healthy and pink. But as the threads disappeared around my calf, I shut my eyes and turned away. Ren said nothing, but dipped a cloth into the water and began cleaning my leg. It felt like my leg was all there, but I didn’t want to risk looking.
“Can you talk to me? Distract me so I won’t think about it,” I asked tightly.
He pushed my once beautiful but now salt-crusted skirt over my knee and gently wiped under and around my kneecap.
“Alright. I wrote a new poem recently. Will that be sufficient?”
I mutely nodded and whimpered as Ren swiped a tender spot.
“It’s called ‘The Caged Heart’.” He began and his warm voice washed over me, soothing me the way it always did.
The Caged Heart
Does the caged heart diminish?
No! It beats more fiercely.
It paces
Bound not by locks and iron bars
But by his own hand.
He crushes his heavy heart.
He holds it back
Molds it to an orderly shape
Uses his great will to contain it
And yet it strains against his grip.
Feral and untamed
It can only find rest
In the jungle.
A place where it is free
A place where it is welcomed.
There it finds peace
As he is embraced
By her leafy arms.
But the path to the jungle is lost.
So he moves
Circling his cage anxiously.
He watches
Waiting for the moment
When his hungry heart will be set free.
Ren finished and squeezed out the towel. “You can look if you want to. Your leg is going to be fine.”
I cracked open my eyes and looked down the long white length of my leg. A thin pink scar ran from the top of my calf to my ankle. Ren touched it lightly, tracing it from the beginning down to my foot. I shivered.
He misunderstood my reaction. “It’s not that bad. Does it hurt?”
“No, not really. It’s just a little sore.”
He nodded and cupped the back of my calf, squeezing lightly.
“That actually feels good. Maybe a massage will help, after I’ve healed a little bit more.”
“Anytime.”
I put my hand on his arm. “Thank you. I … your poem … it was lovely.”
“You’re welcome,” he smiled warmly, “and thank you, dil ke dadkan.”
Saddened, I shifted closer and rested my palm against his heart. “Your ‘Caged Heart’ poem wasn’t about Lokesh, the circus, or forgetting, was it?”
“No.” He placed his hand over mine and held it against him. “And before you ask, it means, ‘my heartbeat.’”
A tear plopped onto my cheek. “Ren … I—”
Kishan grunted as the sun rose over the horizon and hit him in the face. Sitting up, he rubbed his sleepy eyes and scooted closer to us. Then he wrapped his arms around my waist and slid me back into his chest.
“Be careful with her!” Ren hissed.
“Right, sorry. Did I hurt you?”
“No. Ren cleaned my leg. Look. It’s much better.”
He inspected my leg closely. “Looks like you’re out of the woods.” He nuzzled my neck despite the soft growl coming from the other side of our shell boat. “Good morning, bilauta. What did I miss?”
“Just a poem.”
“Glad I slept through it,” he snickered.
I elbowed him lightly. “Be civil.”
“Yes, my sweet.”
“That’s better. How about breakfast?”
We ate heartily after Ren and Kishan agreed that we all were almost back to normal health. When we had finished, I repositioned myself stiffly in the naturally curved clamshell seat.
“Okay. Now what do we do?” I asked.
“Maybe we call a dragon for help,” Kishan suggested.
Ren replied, “I have a feeling they won’t help us anymore. Besides we don’t want L sèlóng to come along and offer us another challenge, do we?”
“No!” I shuddered, remembering how both of them were almost blackened dragon kibble. “One thing’s for sure. I need to stay out of the sun today.” I fingered the side of the shell where a small hole had been hollowed out, and an idea started to form.
“Ren? Can you use the trident to make three more holes like this one? I want them spaced evenly like a box.”
He knelt next to me and thrus
t his finger through the hole. “Do you want them the same size?”
“Yes. We need them big enough for a thick rope to pass through.”
He grunted and got started.
Kishan shifted over next to me. “What’s your plan?”
“I think we should try to use the wind to carry us back to the ship.”
“Good idea. It’s better than just floating here in shark town.”
“Shark town? I hope you’re exaggerating.”
“Exaggerating?” Kishan’s brows knit together when he saw the fear on my face. “Right, exaggerating.”
“No, you weren’t. They’re all around us, aren’t they?”
He winced. “Yes. There’s still a lot of shark meat in the water. I heard them splashing all night.”
I made an involuntary sound and closed my eyes, praying my little experiment wouldn’t flip us over into shark-filled waters. I asked the Scarf to create a kite-like parachute and attach it with ropes to all the holes Ren made. Then I asked the Scarf to gather the winds softly into the parachute and blow us back to the Deschen.
A breeze picked up, and Ren and Kishan fed the parachute like a kite into the wind. The strong cloth ballooned out and tugged us forward. We bounced on the water, and the wind whipped us around, but Ren shifted quickly to keep our shell boat balanced. All things considered, it was a pretty comfortable ride. Ren even made a sunshade using a canvas courtesy of the Scarf and oversized peppermint sticks embedded in hollowed-out wheels of cheese, which the Golden Fruit provided.
We snacked on wedges of salty Romano cheese on crackers and talked as we kept our eyes peeled for the yacht. I relaxed knowing we were now miles from the shark buffet and even trailed my fingers in the spray of water. I dozed off and on.
The morning passed into afternoon, and still there was no sign of the Deschen. Clouds rolled in, and soon we were surrounded by a fog thick enough to block out the sun.
“Maybe we’re near the blue dragon’s island,” I said.
We decided I should send up a flare every fifteen minutes or so, and it was after the fourth one Kishan said he’d heard something. They pulled on one of the ropes to angle us to the right and told me to send up another flare. This time, I saw a faint sparkle in answer. The wind suddenly died, and our parachute floated onto the water.
Ren dragged it back into the boat as another flare went off directly above our heads. As the red sparks faded, our clamshell struck the smooth side of the yacht. Kishan tied us off, and I was so happy I practically cried.
“Hello?” a familiar voice called out into the fog.
“Mr. Kadam? Mr. Kadam! We’re here!”
Then out of the fog Mr. Kadam’s beloved face appeared.
He smiled hugely and helped Kishan pull the boat closer. “What in the world type of craft are you in?” he laughed.
“It’s a clamshell,” I explained. “It was created by the Necklace.”
“Well, haul it aboard. May I help you, Miss Kelsey?”
“I’ve got her.” Ren scooped me up in his arms and somehow managed to get us both up the ladder to the wet garage while Mr. Kadam and Kishan maneuvered the shell boat onto the ramp and dragged it in.
“Miss Kelsey, you’ve been injured again.”
I nodded. “I think I died. Kishan brought me back. We have so much to tell you.”
“I can imagine. But first, allow me to send Nilima to help you get comfortable. Can she walk, Ren?”
“She hasn’t tried since the injury.”
“Put me down. I should be able to stand, at least.”
He carefully stood me on my feet and lent me his arm for support as I practiced walking. I limped a little. The muscles felt cramped.
“I think I’ll be alright, especially if I can get a nice calf massage later.”
“I can do it,” both brothers spoke at the same time.
I laughed. “Lucky I have two legs then.” I bent over, traced the pink scar, and compared my legs. Sighing, I saw that I now had a scar on each leg, one from the monster shark and one from the kraken. “I think I can manage with Nilima. You two can take off. I want to catch up with Mr. Kadam.”
“I’ll stay with you,” Ren offered.
“No. I’ll stay with her,” Kishan challenged.
“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me. I’ll see both of you later.”
Reluctantly, both men left, and I leaned against Mr. Kadam’s shoulder. He put an arm around me and sighed.
“You haven’t told them yet.”
I knew exactly what he was talking about. I shook my head. “There was already so much danger; I didn’t want to burden them. Knowing would only spur them on to confront Lokesh.”
He nodded. “They need to know though … soon.”
“I know. They just need a good night’s rest first. ‘One battle at a time’ is my new motto.”
“You’re tired too. You need rest.”
Mr. Kadam insisted we save the explanations for later that evening and left me alone in my room. I turned on the shower and took off my jewelry. Nilima appeared and helped me with the clasp on the Pearl Necklace. She made a sound of admiration as she held it in her palms.
“It’s lovely, Miss Kelsey.”
“It is. It makes water and summons creatures of the ocean, sort of. We’ll need to figure out what else it does.”
“May I try it?”
“Knock yourself out.”
“Please fill the tub with hot water for Miss Kelsey.”
The tub immediately filled, and Nilima clapped, delighted.
I smiled. “It looks nice, but I’d like a shower to get all the salt off first.”
“Of course. You can soak afterward.”
I shuddered. The thought of soaking made me nervous. I wondered if I’d ever be able to scuba dive again. Images of the giant shark flashed through my mind, and I could easily picture its extended jaws opening for a bite.
“I’d like to soak another time if that’s okay. I think I’ll stick with the shower for now.”
Nilima shrugged and helped me out of my dress. She clucked at the ruined material and ran her hands over the beadwork. “It must’ve been so beautiful.”
“It was pretty,” I admitted, “but it made me a little uncomfortable.”
“Why?”
“The top was too short.”
“Ah, the choli. There are many different styles, some modern, some ancient. They are not short to expose a woman’s body but to keep her comfortable in the heat.”
I raised an eyebrow, and Nilima laughed.
“Okay. I admit that sometimes it’s worn to catch a man’s eye.”
“Then it definitely works. Too well,” I mumbled.
She removed the jewels from my hair and marveled at each piece with appreciation. Steam rose from the shower. After she loosened my choli, she left me alone, and I took my time soaping through my hair and scrubbing my skin. When I sat at the vanity in my thick robe, she returned with an armful of clothing. She brushed out my long wet hair while I rubbed lotion into my sunburned arms and legs.
“Nilima?”
“Yes?”
“Will you cut my hair shorter? Please?” I hurried on as I saw her shaking her head with apprehension. “It’s too long. It’s unmanageable. You don’t have to cut it all—just to mid-back or so.”
“He’ll be mad.”
“I don’t think it matters anymore.”
“Why not?”
I sighed. “Because we’ve broken up. I’ve told him that I’m with Kishan now.”
She paused, mid-brushstroke, and then continued slowly. “I … see.”
“Kishan doesn’t care what I do with my hair and even braided, it’s too much for me to manage when it’s this long.”
“Alright, Miss Kelsey. But if he asks, you did this yourself.”
“You’ve got a deal.”
She cut my hair to just past my shoulder blades and braided it for me. I pulled on a soft T-shirt and a pair of worn jeans and s
et off barefoot to find everyone.
Nilima stayed on watch in the wheelhouse while Mr. Kadam joined the three of us in the sundeck lounge. We ate and took turns catching him up on what had happened. He took copious notes and frequently asked us to repeat the dragon’s instructions as precisely as we could. I showed him the Pearl Necklace, which he turned over in his hands and sketched a very accurate resemblance in his notebook. He documented the different ways in which we’d used it and wanted to begin a battery of tests as soon as possible.
“I find it interesting that you didn’t heal from the shark bite while in this realm, though you healed quickly in Shangri-la from the bear attack,” Mr. Kadam commented.
“Remember, I didn’t heal in Kishkindha either when the Kappa bit me.”
“But you did heal from the kraken bite, though somewhat more slowly. A few possible explanations come to mind. One: It could be that there is something special about Shangri-la. The law of doing no harm might apply. Two: Perhaps only the actual guardians of the objects can cause mortal harm. Three: Healing only occurs when the wound is not mortal. Whatever the reason, I believe you need to be very careful, Miss Kelsey.
“Even in the realms of the other worlds, you can be killed. We are fortunate that Kishan was blessed with the kamandal. I feel we can no longer afford to believe that your amulet protects you from injury or that being in a magical realm will help you to heal.” He reached forward and patted my knee. “It would be unthinkable to lose you, my dear.”
Mr. Kadam widened his gaze to include everyone. “We will all have to be more vigilant regarding Miss Kelsey’s health.”
The brothers nodded in agreement.
When we finished giving our accounts, Mr. Kadam sat back and pressed his hands together. He tapped his lip in his usual style and said, “I believe that is just about everything. Except I feel I should share with you that the five dragons have disappeared on Lady Silkworm’s design. Nilima and I could see the dragons change as you entered their realms, so we knew when you left the waters of their dominion. Two days ago all five of them vanished.”
I blinked. “That was about the time we entered the Seventh Pagoda.”
He nodded. “We still have the sextant and the disk, but I believe those will disappear when we reenter our world. Nilima and I have speculated that there is a passageway of some kind similar to the Ugra statue and the Spirit Gate that will take our boat back into normal time.