Lord of Light (29 page)

"I feel so."

"But—of the—smells. . . ?"

"They are caused by the buckets of items, which I am preserving against the installation of this thing."

"Why?"

"I should rather have it on my karmic record that this thing was used for these items beginning with eight days ago, rather than several moons from now. It will show my rapid advancement in life."

"Ah! I see now the wisdom of thy ways, Vama. I did not wish it to appear that we stood in the way of any man who seeks to better himself. Forgive me if I gave this impression."

"Thou art forgiven."

"Thy neighbors do love thee, smells and all. When thou art advanced to a higher state, please remember this."

"Of course."

"Such progress must be expensive."

"Quite."

"Worthy Vama, we shall take delight in the atmosphere, with all its pungent portents."

"This is only my second lifetime, good Kabada, but already I feel that destiny touches upon me."

"And I, also. The winds of Time do shift, and they bear to mankind many wondrous things. The gods keep thee."

"Thou also. But forget not the blessing of the Enlightened One, whom my second cousin Vasu sheltered in his purple grove."

"How could I? Mahasamatman was a god also. Some say Vishnu."

"They lie. He was the Buddha."

"Add then his blessings."

"Very good. Good day, Kabada."

"Good day, worthy one."

Yama and Kali entered into Heaven. They descended upon the Celestial City on the back of the bird called Garuda. In the company of Vishnu, they entered into the City. They did not pause for any purpose, but went directly to the Pavilion of Brahma. In the Garden of Joys they met with Shiva and with Ganesha.

"Hear me, Death and Destruction," said Ganesha, "Brahma is dead and only we five now know of it."

"How did this thing come to pass?" asked Yama.

"It appears that he was poisoned."

"Has there been an autopsy?"

"No."

"Then I shall perform one."

"Good. But now there is another matter, of even graver consideration."

"Name it."

"His successor."

"Yes. Heaven cannot be without a Brahma."

"Exactly. . . . Kali, tell me, would you consider being Brahma, of the golden saddle and silver spurs?"

"I don't know . . ."

"Then begin thinking about it, and quickly. You are considered the best choice."

"What of Lord Agni?"

"Not so high on the list. It does not appear he is so anti-Accelerationist as Madam Kali."

"I see."

"And I."

"Therefore, he is a good god, but not a great one."

"Yes. Who might have killed Brahma?"

"I have no idea. Have you?"

"Not yet."

"But you will find him, Lord Yama?"

"Aye, with my Aspect upon me."

"You two may wish to confer."

"We do."

"Then will we leave you now. An hour hence we shall dine together in the Pavilion."

"Yes."

"Yes."

"Till then. . ."

"Till then."

"Till then."

"Lady?"

"Yes?"

"With a changing of bodies one is automatically divorced, unless a continuation contract be signed."

"Yes."

"Brahma must needs be a man."

"Yes."

"Refuse it."

"My Lord . . ."

"You hesitate?"

"It is all so sudden, Yama . . ."

"You pause even to consider it?"

"I must."

"Kali, you distress me."

"Such was not my intention."

"And I bid you refuse the offer."

"I am a goddess in my own right, as well as your wife, Lord Yama."

"What does that mean?"

"I make my own decisions."

"If you accept. Kali, then all things are come to an end between us."

"That is apparent."

"What, in the names of the Rishis, is Accelerationism but a storm over an ant hill? Why are they suddenly so against it?"

"It must be that they feel a need to be against something."

"Why choose you to head it?"

"I do not know."

"Unless there is some special reason for you to be anti-Accelerationist, my dear?"

"I do not know."

"I am but young, as gods go, but I have heard it said that in the early days of the world the hero with whom you rode—Kalkin — was the same as the one called Sam. If you had reason to hate your ancient Lord, and Sam was truly he, then could I see their enlisting you against this thing he had started. Might this be true?"

"It might."

"Then if you love me—and you are truly my lady—then let another be Brahma."

"Yama . . ."

"They will want a decision within the hour."

"And I will have one for them."

"What will it be?"

"I am sorry, Yama . . ."

Yama departed the Garden of Joys before dinnertime. Though it seemed an unhealthy breach of etiquette, Yama, among all the gods, was deemed hardest to discipline and was aware of this fact, as well as the reasons that lay behind it. So he left the Garden of Joys and journeyed to the place where Heaven stops.

He dwelled that day and that night at Worldsend, nor was he disturbed by any callers. He spent time in each of the five rooms in the Pavilion of Silence. His thoughts being his own, you leave them alone, too. In the morning, he returned to the Celestial City.

There, he learned of the death of Shiva.

His trident had burnt another hole in the dome, but his head had been smashed in by means of a blunt instrument, as yet unlocated.

Yama went to his friend Kubera. "Ganesha, Vishnu and the new Brahma have already approached Agni, to fill the place of the Destroyer," said Kubera. "I believe he will accept."

"Excellent, for Agni," said Yama. "Who killed God?"

"I have thought much upon it," said Kubera, "and I believe that in the case of Brahma it must have been someone with whom he was sufficiently familiar to have taken refreshment, and in the case of Shiva, someone well enough known to have surprised him. More than this deponent knoweth not."

"The same person?"

"I'd bet money."

"Could it be part of an Accelerationist plot?"

"I find this difficult to believe. Those who are sympathetic to Accelerationism have no real organization. Accelerationism is returned too recently to Heaven for it to amount to more than that. A cabal, perhaps. Most likely a single individual did it, independent of backers."

"What other reasons might be present?"

"A vendetta. Or some minor deity out to become a major one. Why does anybody kill anybody?"

"Can you think of anyone in particular?"

"The biggest problem, Yama, will be eliminating suspects, not finding them. Has the investigation been given into your hands?"

"I am no longer certain. I think so. But I will find who did it, whatever his station, and kill him."

"Why?"

"I have need of something to do, someone to. . ."

"Kill?"

"Yes."

"I am sorry, my friend."

"I, also. It is my privilege and my intention, however."

"I wish you had not spoken with me at all, concerning this matter. It is obviously quite confidential."

"I won't tell anyone if you won't."

"I assure you I shan't"

"And you know I'll take care of the karmic trackings, against the psych-probe."

"That is why I mentioned it, and spoke of Shiva also. Let it be so."

"Good day, my friend."

"Good day, Yama."

Yama departed the Pavilion of the Lokapalas. After a time, the goddess Ratri entered there.

"Hail, Kubera."

"Hail, Ratri."

"Why sit you there alone?"

"Because I have none to make me unalone. Why come you here — alone?"

"Because I had none to talk with, till now."

"Seek you counsel, or conversation?"

"Both."

"Sit down."

"Thank you. I am afraid."

"Are you hungry, too?"

"No."

"Have a piece of fruit and a cup of soma."

"All right."

"What is it that you fear, and how may I help you?"

"I saw Lord Yama leaving here . . ."

"Yes."

"I realized when I looked upon his face that there
is
a god of Death, and that there is a power which even gods might fear . . ."

"Yama is strong, and he is my friend. Death is mighty, and is no one's friend. The two exist together though, and it is strange. Agni is strong also, and is Fire.
He
is my friend. Krishna could be strong if he wished. But he never wishes so. He wears out bodies at a fantastic rate. He drinks soma and makes music and women. He hates the past and the future. He is my friend. I am least among the Lokapalas, and I am not strong. Whatever body I wear goes quickly to fat. I am more father than brother to my three friends. Of them, I can appreciate the drunkenness and the music and the loving and the fire, for these are things of life, and so can I love my friends as men or as gods. But the other Yama makes me to be afraid, also, Ratri. For when he takes upon him his Aspect he is a vacuum, which sets this poor fat a-tremble. Then he is no one's friend. So do not feel awkward if you fear my friend. You know that when a god is troubled, then his Aspect rushes to comfort him, oh goddess of the Night, as even now it becomes twilight within this bower, though the day is far from ended. Know that you passed a troubled Yama."

"He returned fairly suddenly."

"Yes."

"May I ask why?"

"I am afraid the matter is confidential."

"Does it concern Brahma?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I believe Brahma is dead. I fear that Yama was summoned to find his slayer. I fear he will find me, though I call down a century of night upon Heaven. He will find me, and I cannot face the vacuum."

"What do you know regarding this alleged slaying?"

"I believe I was either the last to see Brahma alive or the first to see him dead, depending upon what his twitching signified."

"What were the circumstances?"

"I had gone to his Pavilion early yesterday morning, to intercede with him that he might lift his wrath and permit the return of Lady Parvati. I was told to seek him in the Garden of His Joys, and I walked there—"

"Told? Who told you?"

"One of his women. I don't know her name."

"Go ahead. What happened then?"

"I found him at the foot of the blue statue which plays upon the
veena
. He was twitching. There was no breathing. Then he stopped twitching even and was still. There was no heartbeat and no pulse that I could feel. So I called back a portion of the night to cloak me in shadows and departed the Garden."

"Why did you not summon assistance? It still might not have been too late."

"Because I wanted him to die, of course. I hated him for what he did to Sam, and for the driving away of Parvati and Varuna, and for what he did to the Archivist, Tak, and for—"

"Enough. One could go on all day thus. Did you depart directly from the Garden, or did you stop back at the Pavilion?"

"I passed the Pavilion and saw the same girl. I made myself visible to her and told her that I could not locate Brahma and would return later. . . . He is dead, isn't he? What shall I do now?"

"Have another piece of fruit and some more soma. Yes, he's dead."

"Will Yama come after me?"

"Of course. He will go after everyone who was seen anywhere near there. It was doubtless a reasonably quick-acting poison, and you were there right near the time of death. So naturally he will go after you—and he will have you psych-probed, along with all the others. This will reveal that you did not do it. So I suggest you simply await being called into custody. Do not tell anyone else this story."

"What shall I tell Yama?"

"If he reaches you before I reach him, tell him everything, including the fact that you have spoken with me. This is because I am not even supposed to know that this thing has occurred. The passing of one among Trimurti is always kept secret for as long as possible, even at the expense of lives."

"But the Lords of Karma would read it from your memory when you stood to a judgment."

"Just so they do not read it from your memory today. The knowledge of Brahma's passing will be kept to as small a group as possible. Since Yama may be conducting the official investigation and is also the designer of the psych-probe, I don't think any yellow wheel people will be dragged in to run the machines. Still, I must confirm this fact with Yama—or suggest it to him — immediately."

"Before you go . . ."

"Yes?"

"You said that only a few may know of this thing, even if lives must be spent. Does this mean that I. . . ?"

"No. You will live, because I will protect you."

"Why will you?"

"Because you are my friend."

Yama operated the machine that probes the mind. He probed thirty-seven subjects, all of whom could have had access to Brahma in his Garden during the entire day prior to the deicide. Of these, eleven were gods or goddesses, including Ratri, Sarasvati, Vayu, Mara, Lakshmi, Murugan, Agni and Krishna.

Of these thirty-seven, gods and men, none was found to be guilty.

Kubera the artificer stood at Yama's side, and he regarded the psych-tapes.

"What now, Yama?"

"I do not know."

"Mayhap the killer was invisible."

"Perhaps."

"But you think not?"

"I think not."

"Supposing everybody in the City were made to stand the probe?"

"There are many arrivals and departures every day, via many entrances and exits."

"Have you given thought to the possibility of its having been one of the Rakasha? They are again abroad in the world, as well you know—and they hate us."

"The Rakasha do not poison their victims. Also, I do not believe one could enter the Garden, because of the demon-repelling incense."

"What now?"

"I shall return to my laboratory, and think."

"May I accompany you to the Vasty Hall of Death?"

"If you wish."

Kubera returned with Yama; and while Yama thought, Kubera perused his master-tapes index, which he had set up when experimenting with the first probe-machines. They were discarded, they were incomplete, of course; only the Lords of Karma kept up to date life-record tapes on everyone in the Celestial City. Kubera knew this, of course.