THE GYPSY CHARIOT

Another lap and he was out of the Serelia sea and was resting on the sand on the shore. The Serelia sea is on the planet Gaia2  which is earth’s twin and is still evolving  behind earth by about 800 years. Though it was only early morning the sun’s rays were still hurting and he closed his eyes. A batch of fishermen now came as usual to fish and they crowded around the man lying on the sand. The man in control said “Who’re you? Why are you lying here naked?”

The man said “My name is Harpo. I was crew on a boat which was wrecked by a sudden storm. I swam ashore and I suppose I was lucky to escape drowning in the sea. Where am I?”

“You’re in the kingdom of Colada. I’m Simrod the chief of fisher folk here. We’ll try to help you out of your troubles. You can stay in the house next to mine. I’ve a cloth here. Use it to cover yourself for now and go with me. I’ll give you new clothing after we reach home.”

Harpo covered himself as well as he could with the cloth piece. He was young, tall and had strong biceps and the cloth piece was indeed barely enough. He walked a short distance and reached Simrod’s house. Simrod called his wife and said “Thurmy, this is Harpo who swam ashore from a wrecked boat. He will be our guest and will stay in the next house.”

Thurmy smiled at the handsome young man. She said to herself “Here’s a match for our princess Lugina, the daughter of our king.”

Harpo was given the house next to their home. Simrod said “You must give him a cook-cum- housekeeper.”

“Gypsy can be assigned to him. I’ll get rid of her as I’ve got another to replace her.”

Gypsy was installed. Like the usual practice in the land, Gypsy was also clad only below the waist. Harpo noticed that she was young and nice looking.

Simrod said “Gypsy was a dancing girl of a gypsy band. She is a good cook. I’m sure you’ll find her satisfactory in your service.”

Simrod and Harpo discussed many things about Colada. Harpo said “In the distant land from where I come, it was said Colada was full of cannibals and I was a bit frightened to learn I was in this land.”

Simrod laughed and said “May be we killed some escaped bandits. We’re a civilised people and won’t harm you.”

Harpo said “I can join you in fishing and be useful.”

“Come on then.”

The two joined others in boats and they landed fish. Harpo was happy at lunch to eat the catch as he found Gypsy to be a good cook. After lunch, Simrod said “Harpo come with me. We’ll see some gambling.”

Under a big banyan tree a small group of men were casting dice. Simrod said “The young man who is the cashier is Fanuck. He is a great fixer in this land. He is vying for the hand of princess  Lugina,  the daughter of our king. The king has announced that the winner of the chariot race on the anniversary of his crowning, would marry his daughter. Fanuck is a good charioteer and hopes to beat all others and wed Lugina. She is a great beauty and there’re many aspiring for her hand.”

Harpo said “I’m also a charioteer. In fact I’ve designed a winning model. Can I see a chariot made here?”

“Sure. There’re 2 parked outside the king’s palace.”

“Let me see them. I hope I’m not disturbing your siesta.”

“No.no! I’m free after fishing hours. Let us go.

Simrod led Harpo towards the palace. There Harpo studied the vehicles and said “This model needs improvements. If I can have a chariot I can redesign it.”

Simrod said “Sure. There are two belonging to the royal carpenter lying abandoned in the open almost next door to where we live. You could redesign them if you so desire. I’m willing to invest on whatever you need for the chariots.”

Simrod found Harpo eager to see the chariots and took him to see them. Simrod said “You study whatever you want. Let me go home and take a little rest.”

Going home Simrod said “Thurmy,  that fellow Harpo seems eager to redesign the old chariots. I gave him freedom to work as he wished.”

“Will he be able to make one better than what Fanuck has?”

“I really don’t know.”

“What’ll he do for the horse?”

Simrod was thoughtful. Then he said “I’m sure you can help him as you’re a horse fancier.”

“Let us see.”

Harpo went to Simrod and said “Can you get me carpenters’ tools? I can make the old chariots  winners. I’ll get them into our land for safe custody.”

“Sure. I myself have some tools you can use. And I can ask the royal carpenter to loan some which you may need. Gypsy can help you in this matter.”

“The horse has also to be chosen.”

“My wife Thurmy knows the royal horse breeder. She can help you.”

Thurmy went with Harpo to the horse breeder. The man said “My best race horse has been bought and led away by Fanuck.”

Harpo said “Allow me to choose a horse from those with you.”

Leading a horse home Harpo said “The horse needed isn’t only for speed. It’s needed for speed while leading a chariot. That way a bigger horse would be an advantage.”

By now Thurmy was in love with Harpo. She poured out her heart to him lamenting that she hadn’t produced a child. She led him on till she showed the cattle shed with straw and invited him to make her a mother. Harpo refused to play along and became her enemy.

Meanwhile Harpo, besides fishing, worked with his tools redesigning the carpenter’s  old chariot. Thurmy watched what Harpo was doing and passed the details to Fanuck  whom she knew. She said “With that horse he has chosen and the improved chariot, I feel he will win the race.”

Fanuck said “I’ll take suitable countermeasures.”

“How?”

“I’ll drug his horse. If you’ll let me in while he is away fishing, I’ll replace the cotter pins with weaker ones which would break as the race is run.”

“I’ll definitely let you in. Good luck to you.”

A few weeks later Princess Lugina was shown the redesigned chariot and she was impressed. In fact she fell in love with Harpo and wished he would win the race.

The chariot race was soon announced as scheduled and on the date chosen the king presided. The chariot named GYPSY won the race leaving  Fanuck far behind. The king chose Harpo as his son-in-law. Thurmy was disappointed.

Thurmy went to Fanuck and said “Despite your efforts with the cotter pins and my help, Harpo has won.”

“I’m also surprised. You let me work on his chariot when I replaced the cotter pins. I arranged the drugged horse feed. And still he wins.”

How did it happen? Harpo alone knew the answer. Gypsy was Harpy’s ally. He had treated her well and she had been informing him of the misdeeds of Thurmy whom she hated. She had actually abused and even beaten Gypsy for even small faults. Gypsy had vowed vengeance. She kept a vigil and kept Harpo informed of Thurmy’s misdeeds. Harpo had shifted his redesigned chariot to another location and it was a duplicate which had been sabotaged.  Gypsy hadn’t fed the horse with newly  supplied  feed as she had suspected Fanuck could drug the animal. The redesigned undamaged chariot and the horse which hadn’t been drugged had caused Harpo’s win. Consequently Lugina became Harpo’s wife. He told her about Gypsy’s help and she consented to Gypsy being  taken as his second wife in due course, which was kept a secret between them.

Lugina asked Harpo “Are you planning to return to your land?”

“No. I want to succeed your father. I’ve the capacity to be king.”

Thurmy planned to kill Harpo by letting in a poisonous snake into their bedroom on a certain night. Gypsy learnt it through her sources and warned Harpo.

He said “I’ll show her what I can do to her after I ascend the throne. Till then I’ll be extra careful.”

On the day on which the snake move was plotted, Harpo told Lugina “Let’s spend tonite on the seashore instead of in the bedroom.”

There, in the silence of the night broken only by noise of waves crashing on the shore, watched by a blushing moon Harpo did his best making love to Lugina and they lay spent looking up at the stars.

END