99 Palms: Horn OK Please Read Free Page A

piece of art is a glorious display of the front section of a running elephant in full action.
    “Wow! Just look at that massive dude!” exclaimed Goose as he went about taking pictures of the rock elephant.
    “This rock elephant that emerges from the rock just above the inscription was probably meant to draw attention to the edict, and to serve as a symbol of peace and tranquility post the bloody war. Isn’t it?” Hound asked, wanting to test our flunkey’s knowledge. 
    “Yes, Sir, elephants are frequently associated with Buddha. Kalinga, being one of the most important places for the transformation of Emperor Ashoka, it sports this rock edifice of an elephant as it depicts the form of Buddha. It is said that he assumed this form in a previous incarnation and entered his mother’s womb. The elephant is a sacred symbol of Buddhism”, replied Nitwit.
    We stood in front of the Elephant rock, gazing at Nitwit in awe and reverence, for he seemed to be transfixed by the sheer size of the stone elephant, clutching his umbrella as though he were made of mud. It was windy now as we huddled around him, trying to find some space under his umbrella. It was drizzling and the drip of a tourist guide stood there in the rain, lost in a trance.
    “Tell us more about those edicts of Ashoka, dude. Spare us the touristy shit. Tell us about the legends, you twit!” said Derek, placing his right hand on the flunkey’s shoulder. It made him puff up with pride.
    “Then you’ll have to forget about this rain and give me time to speak. Let’s go, sit under the tree by the ruins over there. It’ll be more comfortable. Tourists don’t usually show interest in such stories, myths and legends, you see, Sir, for they are more interested in taking photographs and reading from cheap books. You’ll have to tip me nice, Sirs”, said Nitwit, evident that he’d found his four scapegoats for the day.
    We shall cross his palm with silver for sure, but we decided to milk him dry of his knowledge. And then he taught us all that he seemed to know. He did know a lot, seemed to make up lots as well.
    “Shoot! We’ll make your day, but make sure it is worth the money”, said Goose as we all made ourselves comfortable under a tree amidst the ruins of an era gone by. There were a lot of pebbles around us. The drizzling continued as each one of us was handed an umbrella by our benevolent Mr. Nitwit of a guide.
    About Emperor Ashoka:
    “Ashoka became Emperor in the year 269 BC. He inherited the empire founded by his grandfather, Chandragupta Maurya. Emperor Ashoka was a barbaric leader, a ruthless being and a merciless tyrant then. He killed ninety-nine of his own brothers to grab the throne. Eight years after his accession, he killed over a hundred thousand people right here in these killing fields of Kalinga…” said our guide as his pointed to the vast open field near the hill. His voice seemed to be coming from very far away. He knew he had our attention as well, not just our money.
    “It is whispered that he possessed some strange and powerful weapons using which he took complete control of his kingdom. The river you see over there by the hill? That’s river Daya. It had turned red with blood from the killings. The killings were inhuman and Ashoka was invincible”, said Nitwit as I wondered what technology existed in those medieval times to make such destruction and killings possible.
    Derek looked on intently at Nitwit as if taking mental notes. Hound was playing with the pebbles around his feet. He seemed busy searching for the perfect pebble as Nitwit spoke with knowledge. Derek and I were lost in Nitwit’s yarn. Goose was all ears once he’d kept the distraction of his camera aside.
    “This war was fought between Mauryas and the State of Kalinga, a feudal republic that you now know as Orissa today. The armies of Kalinga put up a stiff battle, but they were no match for Ashoka's brutality and advanced weaponry. It is said that Emperor