‘Demarcation, they call it,’ Satwadhan informed them dryly. ‘Just as warriors and rulers do not go around fiddling with currency and foreign exchange, we as traders cannot go around redrawing maps.’

‘Yes, then there are the Saptarishis,’ Vanisth scratched at his beard. ‘They would erupt under us like a volcano if they catch us doing anything like that.’

‘I really don’t see why the over-indulged Namins should be our problem,’ Krishna said. This was the last lap. The Saptarishis, the puppeteers behind the screen, hadn’t been heard of for decades, but Krishna could see their hand in the rise and downfall of dynasties across the realm. The world still feared the Seven. And wisely, so did the Senators. He just had to prod their tiny minds a little further and he would hold Mathura in his grasp. Their astoundingly unintelligent self-obsession had not disappointed him so far. He had to trust it to move over the waves of opposition.

The Senators shuffled uneasily. Then Hiriam spoke. ‘Lord Krishna is right. Ksharjas!’ He spat sideways into the water, immediately creating a silvery effervescence. ‘What do they know about an honest day’s work? They treat the comforts of palaces as their birthright.’

Krishna breathed easy. Their mean-minded resentfulness against their former tormentors had prevailed.

‘Oh yes, when we created the Republic, all they cared about was the caste of our Senators. Dumb idiots! Don’t they know what Republic means?’ Paras demanded. He was in charge of the Senate appointments, a man Krishna regularly bribed. The investment had finally paid off.

‘Aye!’ agreed Asmai. ‘They won’t even let us women in on their decisions. And where were they when Magadh was at our gates, killing our children? Perhaps Kingdoms are meant to be ruled by Ksharjans, but the scriptures said naught about a Republic!’ Heads nodded sagely.

‘The same goes for the Namins,’ Hiriam added. ‘If it weren’t for their stupidity, we would never have lost the magic of the Chakras and Mandalas.’

‘You know I have always wondered what they really are?’ Asmai said.

‘Chakras are lamps of light within a body,’ Vanisth explained. ‘And Mandalas, oh...’ he said dreamily, ‘Mandalas were mystical runes, a writing system if you will, that were used in the time of the First Empire to awaken the Elementals. You will find many Mandalas painted on the walls in the ruins of Ayodhya. A dead language, I am afraid,’ Vanisth added, sadly. ‘But the Chakras and Mandalas are still here, Hiriam. What the realm lost were the Elementals. And the Namins had no hand in it!’

‘It may be the wine but I understood none of that, Lord Vanisth,’ Asmai admitted, sheepishly.

‘With due respect, Lady Asmai, it is too complex a subject for civilians,’ Vanisth said.