**"So..."** I said, stretching dramatically after finishing the epic tale of Utanka's revenge quest. "How was that for some premium backstory content? Pretty solid setup for the main event, right?"
The assembled sages were all nodding enthusiastically, still processing the sheer interconnectedness of everything I'd just told them. *Man, they're really invested now. This is going perfectly.*
"That was incredible!" exclaimed one of the younger sages. "The way everything connected—the cursed dog, the educational trauma, the jewelry heist, the cosmic revelation—it's like the universe planned this whole thing!"
"Oh, it gets even better," I grinned. "Trust me, we haven't even scratched the surface yet. But speaking of what comes next..."
I gestured toward them with my best 'eager entertainer' expression.
"What would you like to hear about now? I've got SO many stories I could tell! We could dive into the main Mahabharata storyline, or maybe you want some other Puranic tales? I'm basically a walking library of mythological content here!"
The sages looked at each other, then back at me, and I could see them all getting ready to bombard me with requests. *Oh boy, here we go. Everyone's going to want their favorite story first.*
But then one of the older sages held up his hand.
"Wait, wait," he said, looking slightly apologetic. "Sauti, you've been absolutely incredible so far, and we're all dying to hear more, but... well, there's a small protocol issue."
*Protocol issue? Uh oh.*
"What do you mean?" I asked, trying not to sound worried.
The sage gestured toward the elaborate fire altar at the center of the grove. "Our master, Saunaka Kulapati—the one whose twelve-year sacrifice this is—he's currently performing his evening oblations at the holy fire. And, well..."
He looked around at the other sages, who were all nodding in agreement.
"He's kind of the boss around here," another sage explained. "I mean, we're all absolutely loving your stories, but Saunaka is THE authority on divine narratives. He knows stories about gods and demons that we've never even heard of! Plus, he's the one funding this whole sacrifice, so..."
*Oh great. I've been performing for the supporting cast, and now the main event judge is about to show up.*
"So you're saying," I said slowly, "that I need to wait for the Big Boss to arrive before continuing?"
"Exactly!" said the first sage, brightening up. "Look, don't worry—Saunaka is going to LOVE you. This guy is seriously the most knowledgeable person about sacred stories in existence. He's mastered the Vedas, the Aranyakas, all the Shastras, he's incredibly wise, super righteous, and he has the most amazing collection of divine tales you've ever heard!"
"He's also," added another sage conspiratorially, "a complete story addict. Once he gets started listening to a good narrative, he won't stop until he's heard every single detail."
"That's... both encouraging and terrifying," I admitted. "So what you're telling me is that I've been doing the opening act, and now the real critic is about to arrive?"
"Think of it more like," one sage said helpfully, "you've been impressing the fan club, and now you get to meet the person who wrote the fan club handbook!"
*That doesn't make me feel less nervous.*
I could see the fire ceremony area from where we were sitting, and there was definitely still someone performing elaborate rituals with lots of chanting and smoke. *How long do evening oblations usually take?*
"How much longer do you think he'll be?" I asked, trying to sound casual.
"Oh, not long now," said one sage. "He's very thorough with his religious duties—prayers to all the gods, water oblations to all the ancestors, the full proper ritual sequence. But once he's done, he'll come straight over here."
"And then," another sage added excitedly, "he'll probably want to hear EVERYTHING! He'll ask you questions about details we didn't even think to ask about!"
*Oh wonderful. A detailed oral examination by the ultimate expert.*
I tried to keep my expression confident, but internally I was doing a quick mental review of everything I'd told them so far. *Okay, I told the Utanka story correctly, got all the connections right, didn't mix up any of the character names or plot points. I think I'm good. I hope I'm good. Please let me be good.*
"So," I said, settling back onto my mat, "we're in a holding pattern until the boss arrives for the full performance review?"
"Pretty much!" said Saunaka's disciples cheerfully. "But don't worry, use this time to prepare. Think about how you want to structure the main narrative. Maybe plan out some of the more complex genealogies? Saunaka loves a good family tree explanation!"
*Family trees. Right. Because explaining the Kuru dynasty relationships isn't complicated enough without having to do it perfectly for the ultimate expert.*
I looked around at the eager faces of the assembled sages. They were all clearly excited about the prospect of their master hearing my stories, which was sweet, but also added to the pressure.
"He's really going to love hearing about the cosmic connections in the Utanka story," one sage said encouragingly. "Saunaka is fascinated by how individual actions create universal consequences."
"And he'll probably want to hear all the different versions of the stories you know," added another. "He's really interested in how narratives evolve and change!"
*Great. So not only do I need to tell the stories correctly, I need to know multiple versions and be able to discuss narrative evolution. This is starting to feel less like entertainment and more like a dissertation defense.*
I was just starting to spiral into full-blown performance anxiety when I noticed movement at the fire altar. The chanting was reaching what sounded like a conclusion, and I could see a figure beginning to move away from the sacred flames.
"Oh!" exclaimed one of the sages, following my gaze. "I think he's finishing up!"
All the sages straightened up, suddenly looking more formal. The casual, friendly atmosphere shifted into something more reverent as they prepared to greet their master.
*This is it. Time for the main event.*
I took a deep breath and tried to channel all the confidence I'd built up over the past few hours of storytelling. *You've got this, Sauti. You know these stories better than anyone except maybe Vyasa himself. Plus, if this guy is as much of a story addict as they say, he's going to be thrilled to have fresh content.*
The figure at the fire altar was definitely moving toward us now, and I could see he was a tall, dignified Brahmana with the kind of presence that made everyone around him automatically sit up straighter.
"Here he comes," whispered one sage excitedly. "Get ready, Sauti. You're about to meet the most knowledgeable story enthusiast in the world!"
I straightened my shoulders and put on my best professional storyteller expression. *Showtime.*
*Time to find out if I'm really as good at this as I think I am...*
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