Vandiyathevan stepped into the pillared doorway and descended a few steps. Then the ground leveled out; a faint, very faint light could be seen. He walked on for ten or fifteen feet. There was a sound, like the turning of a cartwheel. Suddenly, darkness collapsed upon him, engulfing him completely. He remembered, not for the first time, his many resolutions not to meddle in affairs that did not concern him.

“What was the task I set out for? How important it is! And yet, leaving that aside, here I am, entering this subterranean tunnel. Where could it possibly lead? What dangers might be lurking here? What a foolish thing I have done! When will my impulsive nature ever leave me?”

These thoughts slowed his steps. He considered turning back and retraced his path, but his feet struck the steps. Yet, he could not see the entrance above; he groped about, but it was useless. Someone must have closed the door from above. Sweat broke out all over Vandiyathevan’s body. In a panic, he tried to open the sealed entrance. At that moment, from somewhere far, far away, he thought he heard voices—different voices, speaking. Perhaps it was the voices of people at the Ayyanar temple entrance, from where he had entered the pillared doorway. Had Idumbankari not lit the lamp in expectation of someone’s arrival? Perhaps they had come. If this were true, it would be a grave mistake to try and open the pillared doorway and emerge at this moment. Who knew how long they would sit there talking? If they were Idumbankari’s companions—Ravidasan and the other conspirators—they might well talk for a long time. Why had they gathered here? What were they discussing? What plot were they hatching?

That Veeravaishnavan would surely be keeping watch on all this. Rather than standing here, breathless and sweating, it would be better to go a little further ahead and see what lay beyond. Having dared to descend, let me see where this tunnel leads—would that not be better?

Resolving thus, Vandiyathevan placed his hesitant foot forward and began to walk on. Though the ground was level, it was rough and uneven. The tunnel must have been carved out of solid rock. He had a suspicion in his mind about where this underground passage might lead. Most likely… It must end within the Kadambur Sambuvaraiyar palace. But where exactly within that palace does it lead? Perhaps it ends in the treasury chamber, or perhaps within the women’s quarters where the royal ladies reside. Vandiyathevan already knew that such secret tunnels existed in the palaces of kings and minor chieftains. In times of great danger, when escape from the palace became necessary, these hidden paths would be used. Since it was often essential to evacuate the palace women, such passages typically ended in the women’s quarters. And since it might be necessary to carry away important treasures, these tunnels often led to the treasury as well. Where does this passage end? Since Idumbankari had entered and exited by this way, it was most likely that it ended in the treasury. Just as the conspirators, through the young queen, planned to loot Periya Pazhuvetarayar’s treasures without his knowledge, perhaps they had also plotted to rob Sambuvaraiyar’s treasury! But why would they undertake such a deed at a time when Aditya Karikalan and other distinguished guests were about to arrive? Could there be some other purpose behind their actions?

Vandiyathevan remembered what he had seen and heard in the Thiruppurambiyam forest camp. The long sword with the fish emblem, which he had seen with the Pazhuvur queen, flashed before his mind’s eye for a moment. A chill ran through his body. Perhaps these people harbored intentions even more terrifying than mere theft of treasure. If only he could find out for certain where this passage led, it might help him prevent their evil designs from succeeding.

He had only been walking for a few minutes along the underground passage, but because of the darkness, it felt much longer. The lack of air made him short of breath, and sweat poured from his body. When he considered the distance from the Ayyanar temple to the Kadambur palace, he was at first daunted. But then he reconsidered. Since he had come by winding streets and forest paths from the palace’s main entrance, it had seemed a long way. But if one came directly from the rear of the palace, the Ayyanar temple would not be so far. It would be only as far as an arrow shot from a bow. If that were true, he must be nearing the outer wall of the palace by now...

Yes, just so. Suddenly, from somewhere above, a cool breeze struck Vandiyathevan. He had been on the verge of fainting from heat and exhaustion, but that breeze revived him. He looked up in surprise; high above—

In the far distance, a faint light could be seen. Voices, too, reached his ears. It must be one of the turrets built here and there atop the fortress wall, where soldiers stood guard. There must be some arrangement for air to flow through the tunnel at that spot. But Vandiyathevan also realized that, while air could pass through, there was no way for a person to climb up or down there.

The thought that he had now entered the Kadambur palace, and the cool breeze that swept down upon him from above, revived him and filled him with new enthusiasm. The place where the tunnel ended must be close by now. Would it be a treasure vault? Like Periya Pazhuvetarayar, would Sambuvarayar too have amassed piles of pearls, corals, gems, diamonds, and gold coins? Would there, as he had seen before, be a skeleton lying amidst those heaps of wealth? Would spiders have spun webs over the gold coins?

As he pondered these things, something struck Vandiyathevan’s foot, startling him. Then, realizing it was a step, he regained his courage. Yes; once he climbed