[date:-475|flashback,x]
“Father,” Ajātaśatru addressed politely, “I have come to make amends.”
The former king Bimbisāra looked up weakly from where he was sprawled, his body skeletal and his skin covered with filthy bruises. His one remaining eye opened slowly to behold his son, whose face shone with kindness towards his father for the first time in the forty years of his life.
“… son?”
The king helped his father up, and continued to hold him when he realized the old man could not stand.
“Mother told me everything. About my birth. And who rescued me.”
“Yes … Varṣākāra was quite fond of you.”
Ajātaśatru’s face turned stone-cold.
“He risked his life for you … did she tell you about the boil on your finger—”
Bimbisāra screamed and begged, flailed like a chicken being dragged to slaughter, with more energy than he had mustered in over a decade – as Ajātaśatru dragged him by what remained of his scalp-hair, and nailed his hands and feet to wooden planks.
“You lying, lying hypocrites,” he spat, then mimicked: “Oh, he cared for you like no other person— lies! All. Blatant. Lies!”
The Emperor of Magadha grabbed his sword and slashed at his father’s frail body, relishing in the whimpers that came out of the aged man’s face.
“LOOK HOW QUICKLY YOU TURNED WHEN I OFFERED YOU MERCY! LOOK HOW NICE YOU BECAME, WHEN YOU HAD SOMETHING TO GAIN FROM ME—”
Slash.
“—AND WHO WAS THAT MONK WHO GAVE MY MOTHER THE PROPHECY IN THE FIRST PLACE? MY MOTHER SEEMED TO ENJOY PUTTING THE BLAME ON HIM FOR HER OWN WICKED ACTS—”
Slash.
“—IT WAS Varṣākāra, WASN’T IT? YOU BELIEVE THAT YOU CAN ALL LIE TO ME, DECEIVE ME? YOU STUPID, STUPID ANIMAL—”
Slash.
“—I WILL MAKE YOU WISH FOR YOUR KNEES TO BUCKLE, FOR THE BLISS OF UNCONSCIOUSNESS – I WILL MAKE YOU WISH FOR DEATH!”
Slash.
Bimbisāra would have vomited, if he had eaten anything in the past six days.
Ajātaśatru dropped his torch into the slammer and sealed it shut, blocking out the depraved noises and coughs that came out of his father.
At dinner, the Emperor made five announcements.
First (and he said this as he thrashed Varṣākāra as he often did to vent his anger), in tragic news, his father was found dead in his cell, having just killed himself. His poor, poor father had seen his son approaching to free him, and thought: he is surely visiting to kill me! and committed suicide to spare his son of the sin of patricide.
Second (and this was said between Queen-Mother Chellana’s hysterical sobs), Queen-Mother Vajirakumari Chellana would be granted her wish of being reunited with her husband.
Third (and this was said as Queen-Mother Chellana’s bloodied body was carried out of the room by servants), Udayin – who had so far been known to be a very poor shot as an archer – was now skilled enough to practice archery on ornaments placed on the heads of live people, and Varṣākāra had been chosen for this honour.
Fourth (and this was said as Varṣākāra’s flailing self was dragged out of the room), adding to the tragedies – and this was known to no one else yet – Chief Queen Vapuṣmatī had succumbed to mysterious injuries and died in her cell. Yet another accident in the royal harem.
Fifth (and this was said to an increasedly worried audience in an atmosphere that had considerably darkened), as a result of all these tragedies, the Rajagriha palace now appeared to be ridden with only sorrow for him, and the capital was to be shifted to the nearby town of Pāṭaliputra; preparations would be underway immediately.
“Oh,” said Ajātaśatru, his ears perking up like he had just remembered something, “Right – the fourth thing hasn’t happened yet. Ha, it is as if I just spoiled the ending of a play for you! I’ll be right back.”
