Pazhuvetarayar went to see Nandini with a measure of hopefulness. The confidence with which he had set out for Kadambur had not, until now, borne any fruit. He had believed that if the young Aditya Karikalan could be detained in the Kadambur palace, he could, through persuasion or intimidation, be made to act according to his wishes. He was certain that, at the very least, the prince would have to yield to the commands of himself and Sambuvarayar. Pazhuvetarayar was well aware of the dangers in immediately crowning Madurantakan as the sole ruler of the Chola kingdom. In the north, Malayaman would oppose it; in the south, the Kodumbalur Velan would stand against it. If Karikalan joined forces with them, civil war would be inevitable. Who could predict how such a conflict would end? The majority of the common people would side with the sons of Sundara Chola. Even Madurantakan’s own mother was opposed to him. Could one rely solely on the Kalamukha faction and plunge into a civil war? If rebellions arose in Pandya Nadu, Chera Nadu, or in the lands north of the river, they would only multiply. Therefore, if for now Madurantakan could be given half the kingdom—especially if that half were the southern Chola realm with Thanjavur as its capital—then, in the future, things could be managed as they unfolded. The influence of the Kodumbalur Velan could be dealt with in some way. Later, they could turn north and try their hand against Malayaman of Thirukovalur. Karikalan was nothing but a reckless youth; one day, he might act rashly and lose his life in some foolish adventure. If that happened, all worries would be over. For the present, it was best to arrange for half the kingdom.

It was after much consultation with the young queen Nandini that Periya Pazhuvetarayar had arrived at this decision, and only then had he come to Kadambur. He had summoned Karikalan there as well. But nothing had happened as he had expected. Instead of submitting to the elders, Karikalan had been browbeating them, making long speeches, and mocking them at every turn. Pazhuvetarayar could not tolerate the prince’s jests and double-edged words. Most hurtful of all was Karikalan’s frequent reference to him as an old man, and his habit of calling the young queen “grandmother”—each word was like a poisoned arrow to Pazhuvetarayar’s heart.

To make matters worse, Sambuvarayar’s conduct was far from satisfactory. Instead of standing by his side and helping to restrain Karikalan’s insolence, Sambuvarayar mostly kept his mouth shut and maintained a sullen silence. When he did speak, he did so hesitantly, stammering and mumbling. Karikalan’s... Since he had come as a guest to the palace, perhaps he is conducting himself with such caution so that nothing untoward or improper might occur! Whatever the reason may be, the conduct of Sambuvaraiyar was in no way satisfactory to Pazhuvetaraiyar.

How much of what Karikalan said today was genuine, how much was mockery, and how much was deceitful speech