The War of the Grail (10 page)

Kanvar’s brow furrowed and he looked down. ‘Yes. I feel I must.’ He looked up again. ‘I only ask that you think carefully before passing this information on to anyone else. Perhaps it should be more widely known. Perhaps not. Whatever the case, I believe the best way to proceed is with caution.’

‘I’ll be careful. You have my word.’

‘Very well. I will explain further. This yantra, Grow Wheat, was discovered around a hundred and twenty years ago by a Rajthanan explorer. He was searching for new yantras in Europe. You see, the thing you are not aware of yet is that all the yantras have been found in this way. The original siddhas discovered the designs in the sattva streams in Rajthana. Since then, yantras have been found outside Rajthana. All over the world, in fact.’

Jack felt a strange sense of unreality again. This had happened several times since Kanvar had arrived. Things seemed to be shifting in his head, or the world was shifting around him, or both. ‘
All
the yantras are in the streams?’

‘All of them.’

‘That’s a surprise. My guru didn’t think to tell me that.’

‘No. The Rajthanans don’t give Europeans any more than the basic training. You would not be told these things until you rose up further in an order.’

Jack swivelled round and looked back across the glade. For a moment, he imagined he could see the powerful sattva stream rippling as it coursed past. ‘It would be difficult to find a yantra, though. There are so many streams.’

‘Oh yes. Many people have searched their whole lives and not found one. That is what makes the yantras all the more precious.’

Jack turned back to Kanvar. ‘This is all very interesting. But what has it got to do with that meeting point in Scotland?’

Kanvar breathed in and stood up suddenly, as if he’d received some shocking news. He paced back and forth across the glade, muttering to himself, with his hand to his forehead. The silver braid edging his tunic glinted in the sunlight.

After a minute or so, he stopped and squinted up into the sky. Finally, he walked back across the grass and sat down again, crossing his legs as if he were about to meditate.

He stared at Jack, his eyes seeming impossibly wide. ‘I will tell you. But this is a great secret. A far greater secret than anything I told you earlier.’

‘All right.’ Jack shifted into a more comfortable position. This was becoming more intriguing by the minute.

Kanvar gestured at the chart, which was still lying spread out across the grass. ‘This yantra has a radius of about half a mile, in European reckoning. Most yantras are this size or smaller. It is rare for any to be larger, and the largest yantra ever found was a mile across. However, for several decades there have been rumours about a very large yantra here in Britain. A yantra far larger than any found previously. In fact, it is said to stretch for many miles, perhaps engulfing most of Britain.’

Jack blinked. This was a strange thought. ‘And this thing exists?’

‘No one is certain. We Sikhs long suspected it did not. However, several years ago, before the mutiny started, we discovered that the Rajthanans were searching for it. Clearly the Rajthanan siddhas believed in it, so we Sikhs started to think we should investigate as well. You see, the rumours suggested this Great Yantra would give a person some immense power. Something beyond every other yantra.’

‘What power?’

Kanvar pursed his lips. ‘We do not know. No one knows. Except, perhaps, until now.’

‘Now? You’ve discovered the Great Yantra, then?’

‘Sadly not. But we suspect the Rajthanans have.’

Jack sat still. The light seemed intensely bright now and the smell of the flowers overpowering. ‘The Rajthanans have the great power?’

‘Our spies believe so. We know General Vadula has been determined to get it and has sent his siddhas right across Britain trying to map the yantra.’

Jack’s mind was racing now. ‘So, we need to map the yantra ourselves. Use it against the Rajthanans.’

‘Of course. We Sikhs have been trying our best over the past few years. We have found, we think, parts of the yantra. But we have always faced a major obstacle.’

‘What?’

‘We have never known where the edge of the yantra lies. Without knowing that, we haven’t known the size of the yantra. We haven’t known what regions are inside it and what regions are outside it. It has been a huge problem. And the best way to solve that problem would be to find the centre.’

‘Why the centre?’

Kanvar leant forward and swept the sticks and dead leaves away from a bare patch of ground. He prodded his finger in the earth, leaving a small indentation. ‘Imagine this is the centre of the yantra.’ He then drew a circle around the spot. ‘And this is the yantra’s edge. Obviously, the edge will form a perfect circle about the centre. If we know the location of the centre,’ he pointed at the spot, ‘then we can look for sattva streams that arc about it in the correct way.’ He ran his finger along a section of the circle.

Jack rubbed his chin. This was all a lot to take in at once. ‘I think I understand.’

‘The important point is that we have needed the centre in order to complete the design. And so far, we have been unable to find it.’

Things were becoming clearer to Jack now. ‘So, you think that meeting point I found is this centre?’

‘Exactly. We knew we were looking for a confluence point of some sort. The yantra is something like a great wheel with many spokes. All the major spokes meet at that central point.’

‘That’s exactly what it was like. I stood right in it. I could feel the streams all flowing into that one spot.’

Jack recalled the powerful sattva billowing around him, so strong it almost knocked him off his feet.

He plucked a blade of grass and toyed with it absently. ‘If the Rajthanans have found the whole design, they must have found the centre themselves, then.’

‘That is so. Our spies tell us they found it in Scotland, although we haven’t known the exact location. My mission was to go to Scotland to seek the centre. But it looks as though you have saved me some time.’

Jack nodded. ‘You know, when I travelled into Scotland I was with a Rajthanan expedition. We were supposed to be looking for a siddha called Mahajan. But maybe the Rajthanans were looking for the centre all along. Maybe that was the real reason for the journey.’

‘That is possible. That could have been at least one of the reasons for the mission.’

‘Right. Here’s the thing, though. The siddha who was travelling with us would have been the only one who knew about this centre. But he never made it there. He was killed on the way. That map with the centre marked on it must have been Mahajan’s. He’d built his castle on top of the meeting place, so he would have known where it was.’

‘I see your point. You don’t think the Rajthanans could have learnt the location of the centre from your expedition?’

‘Can’t see how. The only Rajthanan who made it all the way with me was a captain called Rao. He didn’t seem to know anything about the centre. And anyway, I took the only copies of Mahajan’s maps.’

‘I understand. But perhaps this Rao told his commanders enough for them to mount another expedition.’

‘That could be true. I don’t think Rao would have meant to help them. He wasn’t so happy with the empire by the end of our journey. But he could have said something without realising it was important.’

‘Indeed. And in any case, our spies tell us the Rajthanans have sent several expeditions to Scotland. One way or another, it seems they found the centre eventually.’

Jack squinted up at the sun for a moment. It was midday. He was sitting in a glade in a corner of Shropshire. The setting was peaceful. Normal. It was strange to be talking about mysterious powers and great, invisible yantras inscribed across the earth.

He looked back at Kanvar. ‘So, now that I’ve given you Sikhs the centre, you can finish the design.’

Kanvar looked at his hands. ‘If only it were that easy. The centre will be a major step forward, but we still have much work to do.’

‘How long will it take?’

Kanvar sighed. ‘I wish I could tell you. It is a huge task. I and my colleagues have been working on it for years. My every waking moment lately has been devoted to it. It could still be weeks. Months, even.’

‘We need it soon if it’s going to help with the fight against the Rajthanans. Once Shropshire falls, that’s the end of the rebellion.’

‘I understand that. We will do our best. I can only hope my comrades have made good progress. I will know more when I meet my commander, Takhat. He has the master copy of the map, the one which contains all of our work. I must leave tonight in order to meet him in Staffordshire at the allotted time.’

‘Staffordshire? Why there?’

‘We think the edge of the Great Yantra runs through there. Takhat has been working on it. I am to meet him at a small confluence point where one of the spokes meets the edge.’

Jack nodded slowly. He was still trying to arrange all this new information in his mind. ‘You’re travelling at night?’

‘Oh yes. It is too dangerous for me during the day. Some of your countrymen almost killed me when I was on the way here. I only escaped because of my powers.’

‘Sorry about that. You do look like a Rajthanan, though.’

‘And to a Rajthanan I look like a Sikh.’

‘Well, I’m glad you made it here at any rate.’ Jack clapped his hand on Kanvar’s shoulder. ‘Come on. Let’s get back to the village. I’m sure the apprentices will be keen to see you.’

Mark and the other students were overjoyed when they spotted Kanvar walking around the side of the House of Sorcery. They abandoned their studies, crowded about him and bombarded him with questions. Eventually, Mark ordered them to sit down and Kanvar showed them the yantras he’d brought. One by one, he held up the pieces of cloth, each of which had a design embroidered on it.

Later, Kanvar went off to meditate alone and Jack spotted him up on a nearby hill, sitting near the old stone cross that watched the valley like a sentinel. After a few hours had passed, Jack climbed the hill himself. His head was spinning with thoughts and ideas and questions. There were many things he still needed to speak to Kanvar about.

At the summit he paused for a moment and gazed back across the valley. The village lay immediately below him, nestled amongst the trees. He could make out the open space of the green and the clearing that contained the House of Sorcery. The brook coiled through the village and twisted away towards Newcastle.

He turned away and walked over to Kanvar, who sat meditating with his legs crossed and his hands on his knees. The ancient cross towered above him, the stonework mottled with lichens and worn by centuries of wind and rain. On the far side of the hill, the slope rolled down into a landscape of gently buckling hills. Forests rippled across the inclines and flocks of birds twisted like torn flags in the air.

Kanvar was completely still, his eyes closed and his breathing slow and deep. Jack examined the Sikh’s face for a moment. Kanvar was only in his late twenties, as far as Jack knew, and yet he seemed to have knowledge beyond his years. It was difficult to know what he was thinking, but to date he’d never betrayed Jack. Whatever was truly motivating him, it seemed he could be trusted.

Jack stood with his hands on his hips. ‘Kanvar.’

Kanvar didn’t react at all.

Jack tried again, speaking more loudly this time. ‘Kanvar.’

Kanvar jumped, leapt to his feet and gave a small cry. He pressed himself up against the side of the cross, panting heavily.

Jack couldn’t help grinning. ‘It’s just me.’

Kanvar passed his hand across his brow. ‘Yes, of course. I was in deep meditation. Near the spirit realm.’

‘Sorry about that.’

‘No. It is all right. It was time I stopped anyway.’

Jack gazed out at the hills. He imagined he could see the sattva streams flowing like veins and arteries across the ground. ‘I was thinking. You said the edge of the Great Yantra passes through Staffordshire. Does it go through Shropshire as well?’

‘Yes, if our surveys are correct. But far to the north.’

‘Nowhere near here?’

Kanvar shook his head.

‘So, if I was to travel to the yantra from here, where would be the nearest spot?’

Kanvar rubbed his forehead, then squatted on the ground, drew out a map from his satchel and began studying it. Jack crouched down beside Kanvar.

Finally Kanvar nodded to himself. ‘Yes, it is as I thought. The nearest part of the yantra is the place where I will meet my commander, Takhat. It is the most southern point of the Great Yantra, you see. At least, as far as we currently know.’

‘Whereabouts in Staffordshire is this place?’

‘It is just over the border with Shropshire. Near the town of Drayton.’

‘Drayton? That’s about two days’ ride from here, isn’t it?’

‘I believe so. Why do you ask?’

Jack rolled his tongue in his mouth. ‘I had a strange idea this afternoon. What if the Great Yantra is the Grail?’

Kanvar frowned. ‘I am afraid I don’t know much about this legend.’

‘No, I suppose you wouldn’t … but think about this. According to the stories, the Grail had some sort of great power that saved England in the past. Galahad used it to free the country from enchantment. Oswin used it to beat the Caliph. What if the Grail and the Great Yantra are one and the same thing? What if Galahad and Oswin found out how to use its power?’