I have travelled across our great land, through all the kingdoms we are divided into, met with all the tribes that populate our fair realm. I have done this in search of the ultimate Evil, for that is my task. Father Manu had told us Evil is not a distant demon. It works its destruction close to us, with us, within us. He was right. He told us Evil does not come from down below and devour us. Instead, we help Evil destroy our lives. He was right. He told us Good and Evil are two sides of the same coin. That one day, the greatest Good will transform into the greatest Evil. He was right. Our greed in extracting more and more from Good turns it into Evil. This is the universe’s way of restoring balance. It is the Parmatma’s way to control our excesses.

I have come to the conclusion that the Somras is now the greatest Evil of our age. All the Good that could be wrung out of the Somras has been wrung. It is time now to stop its use, before the power of its Evil destroys us all. It has already caused tremendous damage, from the killing of the Saraswati River to birth deformities to the diseases that plague some of our kingdoms. For the sake of our descendants, for the sake of our world, we cannot use the Somras anymore.

Therefore, by my order, the use of the Somras is banned forthwith.

To all those who believe in the legend of the Neelkanth: Follow me. Stop the Somras.

To all those who refuse to stop using the Somras: Know this. You will become my enemy. And I will not stop till the use of the Somras is stopped. This is the word of your Neelkanth.

Daksha looked completely stunned. ‘What the hell?!’

‘I do not understand what this means, Your Highness,’ said Kanakhala. ‘Do we stop using the Somras?’

‘Where did you find this?’

‘I didn’t, Your Highness,’ said Kanakhala. ‘It was hung on the outer wall of the temple of Lord Indra near the public bath. Half the citizens have seen this already and they would be talking to the other half by now.’

‘Where is Maharishi Bhrigu?’

‘My Lord, what about the Somras? Should I...’

‘Where is Maharishi Bhrigu?’

‘But if the Neelkanth has issued this order, we have no choice...’

‘Dammit, Kanakhala!’ screamed Daksha. ‘Where is Maharishi Bhrigu?’

Kanakhala was silent for an instant. She did not like the way her Emperor had spoken to her. ‘Maharishi Bhrigu had left Prayag a little more than a month back. That was the last I heard of him, Your Highness. It will take him at least two more months to reach Devagiri.’

‘Then we will wait for him before deciding on a course of action,’ said Daksha.

‘But how can we oppose a proclamation from the Neelkanth, Your Highness?’

‘Who is the Emperor, Kanakhala?’

‘You are, Your Highness.’