A shelter in the snow

At Himavant

The unknown effort, as well as the time lapse between their dive into the Ganges, and their arrival at Himavant had left both Shankara and Burak exhausted. The fruit of the skies invigorated them, and at the same time, made them drowsy as well. They had just rested their backs on the rock by the side of the blue Ganges, that they dozed off to the realms of sleep, to be woken-up only in the evening, by the distant tinkling of bells, as if from the small tinklets tied on the neck of the cows.

Cows? There would be no cows here; maybe just the yaks. They would use the Yaks as the cows, maybe.

The sun was setting over the mountains behind the Ganges. It was just these folds of the earth everywhere around them. Visible in layers over layers, towering over one another. Burak turned around to Shankara.

‘There must be some humans there as well.’

‘Yes, let us see. We need to move and find a shelter soon, or the night would kill us of its cold even if the wild animals don’t hunt us.’ Shankara answered.

Both got up and turned around to the sounds. The tinkling was not from the vicinity, but from a far off place. As they moved on, the sounds got a tad louder each moment. These were not the tinklets on the necks of the cows, but actually the bells. They kept moving to the direction of the sound, until, in the midway, the sound just stopped all of a sudden. Among the mountains, they weren’t even sure, from which direction the sound came, now they were left entirely clueless.

‘ Let us just walk straight. Let us hope we reach somewhere.’ Shankara said with a sigh.

They walked ahead on the snowy track as it started getting darker. It would be night in another hour. As they walked, they hit a summit and saw a valley down the peak. Burak turned around to look at the expanse around him. The sky was crisp and the air was fresh. A sight suddenly caught Burak’s eyes. A little down the peak, there was a wooden structure. He quickly turned to Shankara, who faced onto the other direction, and patted his back. As Shankara turned around, Burak pointed his finger towards the building. Shankara’s eyes widened for a moment, and then he spontaneously fell on his knees in prostration towards the structure. As Burak looked ahead, he saw a man appear on the way to the structure, and as Shankara went down in prostration, the man faced the building and went into a sajdah. Shankara, got up and pulled Burak’s arm to take him ahead, as Burak watched the man in green robes go down into sajdah again. By all means he was into the namaz, except that he faced opposite to the quiblah.

Chapter 3: The Turbulence

Special Courts

Shepherd’s Bush, Greater London

William McGregor was one of the greatest names in criminal law in England. His law firm Malcolm Associates based out of Edinburgh had become one of the largest law firms west of Bosporus. He himself was an advocate in many major courts in Britain, Europe and America.

The rumor had it, that the Scotland Yard paid him a huge sum for taking up the Dawson case. Both the Scotland Yard and Malcolm Associates declined this. However, the media kept getting regular ‘inputs from confidential sources’ that some people placed at high levels in the Scotland Yard, mentored by people in the government, were wielding both influence, and the people’s money for this case. Even though the denial game continued, it was clear to all that what initially seemed to be an ‘open and shut’ case had kept on lingering unduly and had lately begun complicating.

The latest complication was the petition that Deborah be allowed to visit Portugal as the ‘God’ commanded this by scribbling words ‘clues are in Fatima’ on her back during the episode of ‘stigmata’.

“Milord! The video could be edited.” McGregor said.

“Kiddish.” A voice came from the jury. “It was sent real time.”

“William, what do you want to prove? Has the standard of legal practice has declined so much that a lawyer of your standing gives us these senseless statements?” One of the judges said furiously.

“I’m sorry milord!” McGregor said, rather ashamed.

“Anything else you want to say or ask, William?” The judge asked.

“Sir! My only point is, that I want to confirm that this was a stigma. I have the doctor’s reports of her normal mental status immediately after the episode and a testimony that her wounds miraculously healed on application of the holy water, however, I want to confirm that it is a word of the God. Ms. Dawson is a catholic. I want the Catholic Church to confirm that this was an episode of stigmata. How can we otherwise rely on what is just a supposition and give the verdict.” McGregor came out, rather triumphantly.

The jury nodded in affirmation. McGregor had started doing his job well.

“Further, milords! The ‘message’ does not in any way make it compulsive for Ms. Dawson to travel to Portugal. It just says that the clues are Fatima. Why does the defense want Ms. Dawson to leave the country?” McGregor added.

The jury nodded once again in affirmation.

“Does the defense have anything to say?” The judge asked.

Thomas got up.

“Milords! The persecution should note that the bench itself represents the Anglican Church.”

“Objection Milord!” McGregor jumped up at once” Offensive, coercive.”

“Sustained.” The judge said. “Mr. Thomas, please make relevant statements.”

“Sir! I want to plead that the certificate of the Anglican Church be accepted for this.” Thomas said.

“…so that the defense may influence the decision of the church?” 

McGregor jumped up again.

“Please stop Mr. William; you would be given enough time to speak.” The judge said.  

McGregor apologized and sat down.

“Defense.” One of the judges said. “You may proceed.”

“Milord! I also want to state that the clues in the message were for Ms. Dawson, so she is the one who is expected to find them in Portugal.” Thomas submitted. “That’s all I want to say Milord’s!”

“Does the persecution have anything to say?” The judge asked.

McGregor stood up and said, “Milord I just want my concern about the possibility of the defense influencing the Anglican Church in its decision be kept in record.”

He sat down.

The judges discussed for a while and then pronounced.

“The petition was to allow Ms. Dawson to travel to Portugal as the message directs her to travel. However there is no such direction in the message. If the defense wants to plead on some other grounds they can put up another petition. The persecution can also put up a petition of request of certificate from the Catholic Church. 

The present petition stands rejected.”