The Chronicles of Shamballa

Chapter XL: The Burning Train- Part Two

Halfway out of the Kathmandu valley, a violent blast shook the entire train. It came from the last compartment and the train was immediately stopped to check for damages. Apparently, some of Raza’s men were building local handmade bombs and one exploded accidently. Luckily no one was hurt but the bomb took out the rear end of the compartment. The guards immediately rushed towards them but they ran out in to the forests and escaped. The commanding officer was informed that there were some miscreants on the train and were probably planning on robbing the passengers. After much commotion and chaos, the train was allowed to resume its journey, provided the officer stopped at the nearby police station and filed a report. The foreign passengers were petrified at the thought of the Thugs on the train and it was with great difficulty that the guards calmed them down. A thorough search was conducted and they were asked to check everyone on the train. Meanwhile Carey and the others were worried that they would be caught as they seemed a rather odd group travelling together. The Princess knew that someone or the other would recognize her as she was wanted for her crimes in her hometown. She had to think quickly and come up with a plan to save recognition. Carey on the other hand was travelling in second class when he should have been in the first class compartment- which would also alert the commanding officer and his men.

“Mr. Carey, how good is your acting?” asked the Princess.

“Not good, why? What do you want me to do?” he asked.

“I want you to pretend that you are a rich businessman and we are your servants,” she explained to him.

Carey was nervous, the guards were almost at the door. The Princess dressed up as a shy Indian woman in a simple saree, while the other three sat on the ground as his man servants. He cleaned himself up and pretended to be a posh English gentleman who arrived late at the station and somehow managed to secure a berth on the second class compartment. He had to act like he was disgusted and insulted at the same time. It was time for him to show his acting skills.

“Can I see your ticket please?” a foreign guard entered the cabin and asked Carey.

Carey gently handed him the ticket.

“Hm, may I know why you choose to travel in second class?” asked the guard.

“You think I like travelling here? It is the incompetency of your railway system, I arrive a few minutes late and there’s no seat on the first class? Now I’m forced to travel with great inconvenience in this rather bleak accommodation- look at the seats, no leather!” replied Carey acting as if he were one of those boisterous foreigners.

“I see, well I’m sure you wouldn’t mind moving into the first compartment, but who are they?” asked the guard checking his ticket and pointing at the others.

“They- are my servants, that’s my maid,” replied Carey.

“That’s fine, I’ll consult with the commanding officer and get back to you, thank you!” replied the guard and went away.

Few minutes later, Carey was taken to the first class compartment, while the others remained at the second class. Raza on the other hand was really frustrated at the incompetence of his men. He had clearly instructed them earlier to construct bombs so that they would come in handy for later. But his idiotic henchmen had somehow managed to sabotage the whole operation and now, all the guards were alerted. This was not a good sign, Carey and his team were alarmed too even though they had no idea what had actually happened.

The Dutchman was seated right across the table. Carey sat unwillingly. He knew he had to act but he was too nervous that they would be discovered soon.

“Bonsoir, monsieur! Would you like some champagne?” said the Dutchman.

“Yes, I think I’ll have some,” said Carey, rather uninterestingly, not recognizing the Dutchman’s disguise.

“Oui, seems like you’ve had a rather dull day,” said the Dutchman in a French accent.

“Mhmm! That’s no problem, I’m actually worried about the blast! It shook the whole train,” replied Carey.

“Pfft! Nothing to worry that must have been some thugs- they are long gone now! Relax!” responded the cold blooded assassin.

“Well, never mind, let me pour you a drink,” Carey responded kindly.

“Merci Beaucoup!” thanked the Dutchman.

Carey was seated with the elite. The entire cabin was full of foreign dignitaries from so many nations. He was surprised to see people from the Orient, travelling together with the others. He was correct to assume that they belonged to royal families. Meanwhile the Princess and the others were worried about what would happened next- each time, they sat out on a journey, it seemed that fate had a different plan for them- there were unseen obstacles all along the way.

But Raza was flustered that his men had fled. He wouldn’t be able to execute his plans without their help. He wondered if he could stop the train indefinitely all by himself, then his men would be able to catch up. But it was impractical to think so. His men were gone and there was no hope for him to accomplish his goal. But there was something else coming their way- a horde of well-trained Thugs- the deadliest of them all. They had their poison tipped arrows and black masks- it was the Hard Chief and his men. He couldn’t let Kali escape Nepal. Hundreds of them converged on a narrow mountain top. The train track ran underneath and the men prepared their bows- not tipped with poison but with fire!

As soon as the train reached the narrow track, thousands of flaming arrows came flying out of nowhere and landed on the roof of the train. Everyone in the train watched with horror as hundreds of horsemen gathered on the mountain and began shooting arrows at them. The train sped at full speed but it wouldn’t be long before most of its compartments caught fire. The passengers were horrified and many of them were gravely injured. The Dutchman immediately ran to safety while Carey froze in nervous anticipation. Suddenly the train screeched to a halt. The pilot and his men were shot and the engine was on fire. The Thugs ran down the steep slope yelling war cries- the helpless guards could only watch as the entire train burned in flames and the passengers ran out in fear…