This message is relayed from Pabbata, who addresses you thus:
O Father, I must ask another boon of you. I assure you that this is part of my own game against the enemies of Magadha, and that you will see the fruits of this game in due time.
I am not so naïve as to instantly believe Cāṇakya’s dismissal of Candragupta, that I will accept this as proof of his fair-handedness in the contest, or that losing both his supposed candidates he will truly start anew or abandon his cause. I believe it is possible that this is a plot by him to lure me into a false sense of comfort.
I request that you send a batch of spies to capture Cāṇakya and Candragupta and bring them to Magadha. For all the same reasons as before, it is essential that they be captured alive.
Furthermore, I ask for permission to use the king’s seal once.
