The wind did not stir; the sea did not move; the ship did not advance. Vandiyathevan sat silently for a while, gazing at the ocean, which now resembled a tranquil lake, calm and unruffled by a single wave. Only within his heart did mighty waves rise and crash.

Suddenly, he stretched both arms toward the sea and cried out, “Om Hreem Hraam Vashat!” In the next instant, he drew a dagger from his waist and spun it twice in the air in a circular motion.

“Yes! Yes! The Lord of the Ocean demands a sacrifice! He asks for a double offering! He commands that the lives of two fiends who slay sleeping men be given to him as sacrifice! Only then will he allow this wooden vessel to proceed further. Where are you? Let the two of you come forward and stretch out your necks at once! Quickly!” he thundered.

Ravidasan stared at Vandiyathevan in astonishment. Then, with a laugh that echoed like a ghostly cackle, he said, “Ha! Ha! Ha!”

“Brother! What sort of game is this?” he asked.

“Elders! This is no game; it is fate!” replied Vandiyathevan. “Just now, when I was bound and lying below, I dozed off for a moment. In that sleep, I had a dream. A blue-hued figure, like a spirit that united the sea and the sky, stood before me. It spoke something I did not understand then; but now I do! The Lord of the Ocean demands the life-sacrifice of two Kali devotees skilled in magic and sorcery. If it is not given, he will not let this ship move forward. The sacrifice of six wild Arabs did not satisfy him. Come! Quickly!” So saying, Vandiyathevan raised the dagger in his hand toward the sky.

Ravidasan and Devaralan looked at each other’s faces.

Ravidasan said, “Brother! I have never seen a trickster like you when it comes to spinning tales!”

Vandiyathevan replied, “Oh! You do not believe what I say? Do you think I am making up stories? O Lord of the Ocean, answer these fools yourself!” he cried. It seemed as though the voice he had called out with had reached the ears of the King of the Ocean himself. And it appeared as if the Ocean King wished to reply!

At that moment, a wondrous sight appeared upon the sea. As far as the eye could see, in all four directions, the ocean shivered with a strange thrill. Thousands upon thousands of tiny, delicate waves rose and fell. This lasted but a moment. In the next instant, all those waves transformed into fine droplets of silvery foam. Across the vast expanse of the sea, those white beads of foam leaped and played. What would it look like if, upon a wide green meadow, countless millions of thumbai flowers rolled and tumbled in a gentle breeze? Just so did the sea appear at that moment!

Yes; a light, gentle breeze—sweet and cool—embraced the ship for a moment and then passed