Crime and Punishment (part 2)

"Grandfather, I'm right, aren't I?" Marginally dry now, the prince naturally thought it his right to fall on his grandfather who was right in front of the table. "I mean one can lie about anything, but they can't lie about their ancestors! Isn't that what you said? If a person is willing to lie about his roots, it means he holds society in contempt and authority as a tool instead of a god given sanction. It will only take the right price for them to turn against Indra! So why should we fatten the potential traitors with subsidies and benefits?" The little fellow's mouth was like a fast chariot pulled by eight horses which put the old man in a difficult situation as he tried to ward off his wet paws.

"Alright, that's enough!" the old regent struggled out of the loop of spindly hands around his neck. Quickly, he retreated to the scenic walkway leading to the east wing where his personal chambers were. "Don't talk to me about national policies with your thing hanging down like that. It's disturbing."

Though over seventy, the old man was still tall and vigorous, striding away in large steps. Seeing his audience getting away so quickly, the prince shirked off the maid and leapt off the table running out into the broad daylight. The only thing he was wearing were his gold hanging earrings and a loose silk string with gold weave around his waist, where a coin with the royal insignia hung. On both sides of the coin, two little metallic bells were strung together like beads, causing sonorous tinkling sounds as he ran. The bells were usually meant to locate children who tend to get run away where people can't find them, just like bells on a cat.

"But grandfather! I haven't even told you about the cowherd who goes around the world with his cows and a few good pals. It is said that he can put all the cows to sleep with the music of his flute!" His little feet pitter pattered on the stone tiles like rain drops in impatient summer showers.

"Really?" his grandfather droned without turning around, "I thought you said he was a warrior. He's just a cow trader, huh?"

"No, he's an adventurer! Grandfather, it's true! He's supposed to be a fearless warrior with an extremely charming persona. He can make sixteen thousand women lose their souls with a single look."

"Sixteen thousand, no less," his grandfather repeated with dreary sarcasm.

"Grandfather, wait for me! I haven't even told you about his heroics. I am thinking I should learn the flute as well. It's very elegant and fitting for a smart prince like me."

….

"Grandfather, last night I heard a joke…"

"Grandfather, you should see this hyena I saw on the way here…"

"Grandfather, late last night I dreamt a dream with the rat that carries Ganesha…I'm sure that's what it is. A stately prince like me wouldn't dream about a normal rat."

"Grandfather…"

"Grandfather…"

The tall stately looking man who was walking in front with his hand's crossed behind his back suddenly found himself at a loss. He was being harassed by an eight year old! His eyebrows creased in a fit of headache.

I must be having my mind messed up looking forward to Saturdays every week, he thought numbly.

"Grandfather! Grandfather! Grandfather!"

"You little twerp!" the old man exploded, picking up the naked boy by the shoulder, "See how I will punish you. Grandfather, grandfather, grandfather! Are you trying to puncture my eardrums with your noisy chant?"

"But grandfather!"

"Shut up! I will only talk to you about anything after drawing lessons. If it turns out you failed my test, I won't tell you about the nine far off cultures I promised to tell about last week."

The boy was scared into silence immediately. After his father, the tenth Indra's reign was stabilized and the regent retired, his grandfather left the country and travelled all over the world. As such he knew more about the wide world than anyone else in western drylands. As harsh as it was, it was already great for the people of the drylands to keep a connection with the nomads of the eastern prairies. They simply had no idea about the rest of the world to the extent that most commoners believe the world ends with the eastern prairies on the east and the endless desert on the west.

"But grandfather…the lesson from last week was very hard…" the boy pouted with a subdued voice.

"I will make the test fair," the old man carried him away at arm's length some pestilence. "But don't even dream of looking at my nine cultures paintings and hearing their stories without having something to show for yourself."

And so ended the tyranny of Prince Little Cactus who naturally turned silent in order to calculate where to fit in the time to tell grandfather all the stories he had planned out for the week while also ensuring his preparation was perfect so as to pass the test. After all, the nine cultures stories were more important than his own! He was smart enough to have his priorities straight about that.

The silence so relieving that the old regent was feeling invigorated in his brain. He could finally hear his thoughts again! He picked a short dhoti from his hunting collection that could even fit a child and dressed the boy while pleating with fast, practiced strokes. Gathering the pleats with one hand, he then inserted them into the silk string with gold weave so as to hold them tight against the waist.

A surprised sigh was heard after a moment, "Ah, I forgot to punish that personal guard commander! I got distracted by his rowdy master."

*vighati – unit of time. Approax 24 sec. Ten vighati ≈ 4 minutes.