The following morning, Eshaan expected another summons from the palace.
It never came.
For once, nobody arrived with a sealed message, a warning, or another report concerning Somadeva. The morning simply began as mornings at the Vedha Shala usually did, with students arguing over calculations, servants carrying water between the buildings, and the faint smell of oil lamps still lingering in the corridors despite the rising sun.
Eshaan found himself strangely relieved.
For the past several weeks, almost every day had brought another piece of the mystery. A missing manuscript. A hidden chest. A strange mark. A man from Pataliputra. Old records. The Nine Seats. Western roads. Even the king had become involved.
He was beginning to miss the days when his greatest problem was being unable to solve a mathematical problem quickly enough.
"You are staring at that tablet as though it insulted your family."
Eshaan looked up.
Lilavati was standing beside him.
"It did."
