Hearing the accusation that Kandhamaaran, his dear friend, leveled against Vandiyathevan, Aditya Karikalan burst into thunderous laughter, his whole body shaking as if struck by lightning.

“Kandhamaaran! Are you saying that Vandiyathevan stabbed you in the back? Why, then, did you turn your back to him?” he asked, and once again began to laugh uncontrollably, his laughter echoing through the hall.

Kandhamaaran’s dark face flushed red; his eyes glistened like ripe kovai fruit, and his lips trembled with agitation.

“My lord! Do you consider this something to laugh about?” he asked.

“Kandhamaaran! Are you saying I should not laugh? Laughter is a divine gift bestowed upon humans by the gods. The cow does not laugh; the goat does not laugh; the horse does not laugh; the lion does not laugh; even monkeys, who delight in mischief and play, do not laugh. Only those born as humans can laugh. And yet, you tell me I should not laugh? It has been so long since I laughed like this, my friend! Even I am surprised to hear the sound of my own laughter now. And you say I should not laugh in your presence?” said Aditya Karikalan.

“My lord! I am glad to see you laugh and rejoice. But do not laugh thinking that I turned my back on this treacherous scoundrel. At an unexpected moment, he stabbed me from behind while hiding. Only by the grace of Goddess Durga and the loving care of Nandini Devi did I survive and rise again. I ask you to investigate this act of betrayal and render justice. Or else, grant me the authority to punish him myself, here and now!” Kandhamaaran said.

“My friend! I will certainly investigate and render justice. There has never been a time when someone came to the kings of the Sembiyan lineage seeking justice and was denied it. Did not our ancestor Sibi, the first king of our line, cut his own flesh into pieces to render justice to a dove? Did not Manu Needhi Cholan, of our clan, sacrifice his own son to grant justice to a cow? You are no less than the dove or the cow. I will not deny you justice. Be patient until I have questioned him! Vallavaraiyan! Before you continue with the other details of your journey…” “It would be best if you gave a reply to Kandhamaaran’s accusation. What do you say? Is it true that you stabbed him from behind? If so, why did you commit such a cowardly, ignoble act, so unworthy of a warrior? For what reason did you do it?” he asked.

“Prince! I did not stab this mighty warrior; I did not stab him in the back; I did not, from a place of hiding, strike him from behind. When he was stabbed in the back and lay unconscious in a pool of blood, I lifted him onto my shoulders and carried him to Sendhan Amudhan’s house, where I saved his life. But now, I regret having