‘That is what you claim,’ Satwadhan added tartly. ‘Forget Mandalas. They are a myth. Men and women with legendary powers of healing, weapons that could destroy cities, channelling wind and fire!’ he scoffed. ‘Tales to scare children. Forget the lullabies of the past. Come to the present. Even now, the Namins tell you not to go around doing sacred rituals on your own, on account of only them knowing the Vedas, the universal cosmic balance, and the like. Load of cow dung in my opinion.’

‘We-ell…’ Vanisth hesitated, annoyed, ‘I don’t know. I mean, if you get the ritual wrong, it could lead to wasting a lot of good money on pleasing the wrong God. If you are praying for rain and worshipping Varunā, God of Water, it would be a damn shame if Agni, God of Fire, turned up, wouldn’t it?’

‘Aye, but as Lord Hiriam said, it’s you Namins who say that,’ said Satyaki thoughtfully. ‘Is it any wonder they do not allow us to learn to read and write High Sanskrit? And why is the Sanskrit we speak Low Sanskrit? It could’ve been called Sanskrit II. Why do the Namins deign the rest of us lower than them?’

‘Aye,’ Kritavarman finally joined the fray. If greed didn’t work as a motivator, jealousy was a good second. ‘I tell you I think they’re onto a good thing and don’t want the rest of us to discover their secrets. They are so rich. It’s just moving the rosary and chanting gibberish when all’s said and done.’

‘Never could stand them myself, truth to tell,’ Ugrasen opined dourly. ‘It was a Namin who told my son to imprison me.’

‘Aye, fuck’ em!’ Gobba shouted crudely, and the others cheered. ‘Fuck anyone who isn’t a Mathuran! I say let’s vote!’

‘Vote,’ Asmai seconded.

‘Yes, we vote,’ Kritavarman relented.

IV

‘I see you are rather pleased with yourself,’ Balram said the next day, seated opposite Krishna, as his brother was about to break his fast. The vote to move from Mathura to Alantris had been carried by a thunderous majority. Of course, Krishna was pleased with himself.

Nineteen thousand gold sovereigns had already been spent in the last year. The island was half-reconstructed, the city map drawn up, the houses tended to. The island looked beautiful. His Hastina Game was well ahead of his original plan, and his Panchal Game was beginning to take root. Krishna was certain he could get the Princess Draupadi to follow his advice when it came to her impending nuptials, but he wasn’t as sure about the Hastinas. Five brothers, two cousins, and one mess of a family tree. Hastina was a bubbling cauldron that was going to spill over once the Yamuna Wars were done. Krishna did not want to be on the shit end of that dump. He wanted to be away from it all; away from the nonsense of his own wars, so that he could manoeuvre his pawns into warring with each other while he ruled. Ruled over all, from a distance.