At that timely moment, Alwarkadiyan inwardly praised the owl for its help. For, the conspirators gathered in the heart of the forest, upon seeing the owl flapping its wings and hooting, assumed that the noise had come from it.

“Hey! This wretched owl has frightened us! Cut it down!” said one of them.

“No! Save your knives for more important tasks. Keep them sharp for wiping out our enemies, roots and all! The owl and the horned owl are not our foes; they are our friends! When ordinary men sleep, we keep our eyes open. Along with us, the owls and nightjars too remain awake!” declared Ravidasan.

Listening to his words, Thirumalaiyappan quietly stepped, one foot after another, and approached a great marudhu tree. The roots of that hundred-year-old tree spread in all directions. Between two of its main roots, there was a hollow in the ground; at the base of the tree, a fine cavity had formed. In such a hollow, blending with the tree itself, Alwarkadiyan stood.

“As long as the treasury of the Thanjavur kingdom remains, we will lack nothing for our needs. What we require is the courage of heart to complete what we have begun. Until the deed is done, we must have the strength to keep our secret hidden from the world! We must divide ourselves into two groups. One group must go to Lanka at once; the other must go to the Thondai region and wait for the right moment to accomplish our purpose. Both tasks must be completed at almost the same time. If, after finishing off one enemy, we give time, the other will become cautious! We must not give any such chance. Do you understand? Who among you are ready to go to Lanka?” asked Ravidasan.

“I will go!” “I shall go!” Several voices answered at once.

“Who will go can be decided next time we meet in Pandya country! Until then, there are still some arrangements to be made here,” said Ravidasan.

“Which route to Lanka would be best?” one of them asked. “We can go by way of Kodikkarai; it is a good route for crossing the sea. But the journey from here to Kodikkarai is difficult—enemies everywhere, spies at every turn. Therefore, it is best to go to Sethu, cross the sea there, and land near Mahodaya. Those who travel to Lanka must know how to row a boat, push a raft, and swim in the sea. Who here knows how to swim?”

“I know,” “I know too,” came several voices.

“First, we must meet King Mahindan of Lanka and speak with him before we proceed with our mission. So, at least one among those going to Eelam must know the Sinhala language. Ah! Our Soman Sambavan has not yet arrived? Has anyone seen him today?”

“Here I come!” came a voice from very close to Azhwarkadiyan.

Azhwarkadiyan pressed himself even closer to the tree, blending into it as if he were part of the wood. Alas! How troublesome it is that this wretched body has grown so large! Two more men now joined the gathering. Azhwarkadiyan peered out from behind the tree, revealing only a small part of his face. He recognized that these newcomers were the same men he had seen conversing under the peepul tree on the banks of the Kollidam.

As soon as the new arrivals appeared, Ravidasan said, “Welcome! Welcome! I feared something might have happened to you, or that you might not come at all. From where, and by what route, did you arrive?”

“We came along the Kollidam bank. On the way, a pack of jackals surrounded us. It took time to escape from them and reach here!” replied Soman Sambavan.

“There is some sense in fearing tigers and lions. But what can those who fear jackals ever accomplish?” said one of the men who had arrived earlier.

“Don’t say that, sir! The jackal is more cunning than the lion or tiger! Lions and tigers attack alone; one can fight and defend against them. But jackals come in packs, and thus, their strength is greater. Was it not because the jackals of Chola Nadu came in great numbers that our peerless king of kings was defeated and forced to give up his life? Would such a fate have befallen him otherwise?”

“We shall utterly destroy that jackal clan! We will annihilate them, root and branch!” cried Soman Sambavan, his voice brimming with arrogance.

“Here are the tools needed for that very purpose!” said Ravidasan, pointing to the heap of gold coins.

Soman Sambavan picked up a few of the coins and examined them. “Ah! A tiger on one side, and a palmyra tree on the other!” he remarked.

“Chola gold; the seal of Pazhuvetaraiyar. I have fulfilled my promise exactly as I said I would. Now, what news do you bring? Surely our Idumbankari must have brought some tidings?” asked Ravidasan.

“Yes, he has brought news; listen! He will tell you himself.”

Idumbankari began to speak: “As per your command, I have been working as a servant in the Samburayar palace. The fruits of that labor ripened only last night. Yesterday, a grand feast was held at the Samburayar palace. Periya Pazhuvetaraiyar, Vanangamudimudiyaraiyar, Mazhapadi Mazhuvaraiyar, and many others were present. There were performances of the Kuravai dance and the Velanattam. During the Velanattam, the oracle came and delivered his prophecy to the dancer Devaralan. What he said was in perfect alignment with our aims. Everyone believed that the veiled palanquin accompanying Pazhuvetaraiyar contained his young queen. Pazhuvetaraiyar declared that Sundara Chola Maharaja’s health was failing and that he would not live much longer. They all agreed that the next to ascend the throne should not be Aditya Karikalan, but rather Madurantaka Devar. However, some wondered whether Madurantaka Devar would consent to this. ‘I shall have him answer with his own mouth,’ said Pazhuvetaraiyar, and opened the curtain of the veiled palanquin. From within, Madurantaka Devar emerged! He declared that he