Chapter 2 and title recommendation

Posted by walker from 38.152.176.170 on January 29, 1999 at 06:56:47:

Senor,
why not call this Forum novel Indiana Jones and the Heart of Shiva? That sounds pretty good, I think? Any other suggestions? Also, all mythology in this chapter is based on the real stuff. (Except for the Heart, of course.)

Chapter 2

Indy spent the next two days doing his best to follow a normal schedule: teaching, researching and grading papers. But he found it difficult to focus. While it was true the money offered him was more than he had ever seen in his lifetime, it wasn't the problem. It was the Heart itself. Indy thought back to the first time he'd ever heard mention of the artifact. It was during a lecture by Vernon Scarbourough, a noted archeaologist who specialized in ancient systems of water management.

Scarbourough, in discussing the properties of the Ganges River, related the story of the river goddess Ganga and how her fall from Heaven was broken by the mighty Shiva's locks of hair. "Legend has it," Scarbourough had said, "that Ganga was so grateful, she make for Shiva a heart from the river's essence, her soul. With this gift of a second heart, Shiva's power grew until it eclipsed even that of Brahma, the creator, and Vishnu, the maintainer.

In the end, though, it was lost to him. Shiva's father-in-law, Daksha, had arranged for the sacrifice of a horse in accordance with Vedic rites. As the gods gathered for the event, Sati, Shiva's wife, asked him why he was not going. Shiva told her that the gods had decided he had no right to share in the sacrifice.

Sati, ashamed of this slight to her husband, convinced Shiva of his superior nature. Swayed by her poison words, he took up his bow and arrow and began stalking the animal meant for holy sacrifice. As he flew after his prey, a drop of sweat, filled with his anger, dropped from his forehead to the Earth and exploded in a ball of fire. From this, dozens of grotesque, hairy creatures leaped out and began to ravage the earth. This was pestilence and sickness, let loose until the end of time by Shiva's pride. In anger at his foolish actions, Ganga ripped the second heart from Shiva's chest and threw it to Earth."

Indy smiled as he remembered the tale. Scarbourough went on to say, with a wink of course, that Shiva's heart had fallen amongst the people of the land, who looked upon it as a gift of reparation for the disease and fever cast upon them. It was said that the Heart appeared to them as a bright blue stone, the size of a large man's fist. Warm to the touch, and slick as if worn smooth by water, the stone was said to give both health and prosperity to its owner's as well as a "oneness" with the strength of the Ganges. Centuries ago, however, the Heart was lost to them, stolen away to the Himalaya mountains by the demon Raktabija.

Indy chuckled. Magic hearts and rivers. Demons and gods. It all seemed insane. And yet, he couldn't deny his past--and the undeniable powers and apparitions that begged his understanding. He sat thinking at the desk in his study for most of the evening until he realized he had no choice in the matter. The personal demons that drove him to understand history hadn't abandoned him.

He picked up the phone and asked the operator to make the appropriate connection. The phone rang once and was immediately picked up. The voice at the other end queried simply, "Yes?"

"Cianelli?" Indy growled. "I'm coming over."

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Re: Chapter 2 and title recommendation Senor Palomar 13:09:32 1/29/99 (0)

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: Senor, 
: why not call this Forum novel Indiana Jones and the Heart of Shiva?  That sounds pretty good, I think?  Any other suggestions?  Also, all mythology in this chapter is based on the real stuff. (Except for the Heart, of course.)

: Chapter 2

: Indy spent the next two days doing his best to follow a normal schedule:  teaching, researching and grading papers.  But he found it difficult to focus.  While it was true the money offered him was more than he had ever seen in his lifetime, it wasn't the problem.  It was the Heart itself.  Indy thought back to the first time he'd ever heard mention of the artifact.  It was during a lecture by Vernon Scarbourough, a noted archeaologist who specialized in ancient systems of water management.

: Scarbourough, in discussing the properties of the Ganges River, related the story of the river goddess Ganga and how her fall from Heaven was broken by the mighty Shiva's locks of hair.  "Legend has it," Scarbourough had said, "that Ganga was so grateful, she make for Shiva a heart from the river's essence, her soul.  With this gift of a second heart, Shiva's power grew until it eclipsed even that of Brahma, the creator, and Vishnu, the maintainer.

: In the end, though, it was lost to him.  Shiva's father-in-law, Daksha, had arranged for the sacrifice of a horse in accordance with Vedic rites.  As the gods gathered for the event, Sati, Shiva's wife, asked him why he was not going.  Shiva told her that the gods had decided he had no right to share in the sacrifice.

: Sati, ashamed of this slight to her husband, convinced Shiva of his superior nature.  Swayed by her poison words, he took up his bow and arrow and began stalking the animal meant for holy sacrifice.  As he flew after his prey, a drop of sweat, filled with his anger, dropped from his forehead to the Earth and exploded in a ball of fire.  From this, dozens of grotesque, hairy creatures leaped out and began to ravage the earth.  This was pestilence and sickness, let loose until the end of time by Shiva's pride.  In anger at his foolish actions, Ganga ripped the second heart from Shiva's chest and threw it to Earth."

: Indy smiled as he remembered the tale.  Scarbourough went on to say, with a wink of course, that Shiva's heart had fallen amongst the people of the land, who looked upon it as a gift of reparation for the disease and fever cast upon them.  It was said that the Heart appeared to them as a bright blue stone, the size of a large man's fist.  Warm to the touch, and slick as if worn smooth by water, the stone was said to give both health and prosperity to its owner's as well as a "oneness" with the strength of the Ganges.  Centuries ago, however, the Heart was lost to them, stolen away to the Himalaya mountains by the demon Raktabija.

: Indy chuckled.  Magic hearts and rivers.  Demons and gods.  It all seemed insane.  And yet, he couldn't deny his past--and the undeniable powers and apparitions that begged his understanding.  He sat thinking at the desk in his study for most of the evening until he realized he had no choice in the matter.  The personal demons that drove him to understand history hadn't abandoned him.

: He picked up the phone and asked the operator to make the appropriate connection.  The phone rang once and was immediately picked up.  The voice at the other end queried simply, "Yes?"

: "Cianelli?" Indy growled.  "I'm coming over."

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