‘Is the empire bigger than Meluha and Swadweep?’

‘No,’ smiled Gopal. ‘It’s not even bigger than Meluha alone. But they believe human civilisation began in their region.’

‘Really? I thought we Indians believed that human civilisation began here.’

‘True.’

‘So, who’s right?’

Gopal shrugged. ‘I don’t know. This goes back many thousands of years. But frankly, does it matter who got civilised first so long as all of us eventually became civilised?’

Shiva smiled. ‘True. And where is Elam?’

‘Elam is a much smaller kingdom to the south-east of Mesopotamia.’

‘South-east?’ asked Shiva. ‘So, Elam is closer to Pariha?’

‘Yes. And Elam acts as a buffer state between Pariha and Mesopotamia, which is why the Parihans have occasionally helped the Elamites unofficially.’

‘But I thought Pariha never got involved in local politics.’

‘They try to avoid it. And most people in the region have not even heard of the Vayuputras. But they were concerned that an expanding Mesopotamia would encroach into their land.’

‘Expanding Mesopotamia?’

‘A gifted gardener had once conquered the whole of Mesopotamia.’

‘A gardener? How did a gardener become a warrior? Did he train in secret?’

Gopal smiled. ‘From what I’ve heard of the story, he wasn’t trained.’

Shiva’s eyes widened with amazement. ‘He must have been very gifted.’

‘Oh, he was talented. But not in gardening!’

Shiva laughed. ‘What was his name?’

‘Nobody knows his original name. But he called himself Sargon.’

‘And he conquered the whole of Mesopotamia?’

‘Yes, and surprisingly quickly at that. But it did not satiate his ambition. He went on to conquer neighbouring kingdoms as well, including Elam.’

‘That would have brought him to the borders of Pariha.’

‘Not exactly, my friend. But uncomfortably close.’

‘Why didn’t he move farther east?’

‘I don’t know. Neither he nor his successors did, though. But the Vayuputras were troubled enough to offer anonymous assistance to Elam. The Elamites were able to rebel because of this support, and the conquest of the Mesopotamians did not last for too long.’

‘King Sargon seems like a very interesting man.’

‘He was. He challenged the entire world, and even fate itself. He was so feisty that he dared to name his empire after the water-carrier who was his adopted father.’

‘His father was a water-carrier?’

‘Yes, named Akki. So they called themselves the Empire of the Akkadians.’

‘And does this empire still exist?’

‘No.’

‘That’s sad. I would have loved to meet these remarkable Akkadians.’

‘The people of Elam would have thought very differently, Lord Neelkanth.’

‘The soldiers are bored and restless,’ said Ganesh. ‘They have been mobilised, but there has been no action, no battle.’

Kartik and Ganesh had just entered Sati’s chamber and were happy to find Kali with their mother.