Nandini was momentarily startled upon seeing Vandiyathevan and Manimekalai inside the hunting pavilion.

“Oh! How did you come here?” she asked.

“Devi! I came because your friend said it was your command. Only after arriving here did I realize that one should not heed a woman’s counsel,” replied Vandiyathevan.

“Sister! I did not give him advice; I merely begged him to come with me to see you!” said Manimekalai.

Nandini quickly mastered her initial surprise and smiled.

“My dear friend! When we women beseech men, it is as good as giving them advice!” she said.

“Is it only like giving advice? Say rather, Devi, that it is like issuing a command! Saying you had summoned me, the princess here seized me by the hand and dragged me along. The result is that I have now fallen into the clutches of these murderers!” said Vandiyathevan.

“Sir! From what I see here, it does not appear that they are murderers. If I had not come here just now, it seems you would have slain them all yourself!” said Nandini.

“Sister! They are murderers indeed! Just a short while ago, they tied him up together with that tailless monkey!...”

Nandini, with a gentle laugh, said, “Manimekalai! Did you not once say that he hid behind that tailless monkey? Somehow, they seem to have found out about it!”

“Not ‘somehow,’ sister! The very men I told you I saw in this hunting pavilion the day before you arrived—these are they! That day itself they chased after him. Luckily, he escaped from their hands and ran away!...” “Why have you brought him here again today, Manimekalai? For what reason did you lead him along this path?”

“Sister! Just a short while ago, my brother Kandhamaaran said he was going to see you. I brought him this way so that he would not be seen by my brother; it turned out to be for the best. Otherwise, these murderers…”

“Sister! They are not murderers. They have not come to kill him. Two or three times now, he has fallen into their hands alone, yet they have spared his life. You can ask him yourself and learn the truth.”

“If that is so, who are they, sister? Is what they said earlier true? Are they known to you? Have they come to take you away?” Manimekalai asked in astonishment.

“Yes, friend! They have come to rescue me and take me away. I will explain everything in detail. Both of you, come with me to the next room! Let them remain here!” said Nandini.

Then, turning to Ravidasan, she said, “Sorcerer! If you harm either of these two in any way, I will consider it as harm done to me. Wherever and in whatever situation you may meet them in the future, you must treat them with the utmost respect!”

Ravidasan replied, “Devi! Forgive me. This youth knows our secret signal. It was he who gave the owl’s call just now!”

“From that itself, could you not tell