owner.â
âAnd what will you do with her? Your mother has wanted you to take a cunnidasa for some time. Perhaps this is an opportunity to appease her.â She tilted her head to study his averted face. âDoes she attract you, this woman?â
He nodded. âWhen I look at her, Jivinta, itâs like ... â He chuckled, making a gesture of dismissal. âI canât describe it.â
âWhat? My grandson has never felt lust before? Liar.â
âNot lust ... sakti ... the force of life.â He grimaced. âMaybe itâs past time for a cunnidasa.â
âCunnidasa are for the management of lustâfor exorcising such demons as cloud perception. Lust clouds, sakti illuminates. Know what you feel before you act on it.â
He smiled at her and she smiled back, adoring him with her eyes. âIâve heard father and Uncle Namun both say that.â
âAh. And where do you suppose they got it?â
âAre you always right, grandmother?â he asked her.
âI try to be,â she said.
â CHAPTER 2 â
Jaya was on the shaded patio overlooking Aridasâs artfully curried garden when Helidasa appeared in the doorway behind him.
âSheâs wakeful, Nathu Rai.â
He glanced at her, only half seeing her at first, then focused on her face. It was set in almost prim lines.
âHave I earned your disapproval, Heli?â he asked.
âIâd have no business disapproving a Lord, Nathu Rai.â Only the words were meek.
Jaya sighed. âYes, Heli, I have taken a dasa. And yes, I do remember that I swore not to. But it was against my will.â
Helidasaâs eyebrows rose questioningly. âHow does one enslave another against their will?â
âOne finds a stranger wandering, injured and without id, through the Bazaar, and one gets to her just before the Sarngin do. Your next question would be, âWhy does one take the stranger to a dalali?ââ
âThat dascree in her palm be hard to remove,â Heli replied, admitting that her curiosity had led her to a close inspection.
âI know. Iâm sorry about that. But the Sarngin were watching our every move. They followed us all the way into the dalali.â
She nodded, unbending a little. âSheâs very beautiful. What will you do with her?â
âFirst, Iâll find out what she was doing in Kasiâif she has any family that can produce more id leaf for her. Then-â He shrugged.
Helidasa glanced back over her shoulder. âWell, youâll be hearing about that soon, then. Shall I bring her meal out here?â
His gaze going past Heli into the interior of the solarium, Jaya realized his foundling had come downstairs. She was standing near the door to the entry hall, looking out at them.
âYes,â he said, âbring it out here.â He nodded toward the stone table set like a jewel in the center of a pastel mosaic saroj, a scene from the creation of the universe worked into each of its pale blue petals.
âAnd you? You are hungry also, Jaya Rai.â
Jaya smiled. It was more command than question. âA little. Thank you, Heli.â
The dasa grunted, satisfied, and went into the morning room. Jaya watched as she directed the other woman toward the mellowly lit patio. Anala emerged into the late afternoon sunshine, her gaze taking in the gardens in a wide-eyed sweep. The setting sun caught the deep copper hair and saffron gown and turned her to a pillar of flame.
Lust clouds, he reminded himself. Sakti illuminates.
âYou have a beautiful palace, Lord,â she told him. Her eyes met his and retreated behind a wary screen. âSarojin ... Â Thatâs the Taj House of Kasi. Your father holds a seat on the Vrinda Varma?â
âI hold a seat on the Vrinda Varma. My father is in the arms of Tara-rama.â
âHe is blessed,â Anala responded automatically, pressing her palms