The statue had been there from the time the pond and waterfall had been built, and blended into the rocks surrounding it so well that she hardly noticed the handsome little idol was there most of the time. There was a box of incense sticks and another of lucifer matches on a ledge nearby, out of reach of the damp—Gupta was particularly attached to Ganesh, and he often lit incense as an offering here. But this afternoon it was Maya who felt an unaccountable urge to make an offering. Oh, well, God’s commandment is “Thou shalt have no other gods BEFORE Me.” That doesn’t exclude getting a little help from a lesser power, now, does it? And since I don’t happen to have a statue of Saint Jude around to patronize my hopeless cause, I believe the Remover of Obstacles will do. With a chuckle at her own mendacity, she lit a lucifer and set flame to the tips of several incense sticks, placing them in the holder beside Gupta’s previous offering. Just what obstacles she wanted removed from her path at the moment, she couldn’t have stated clearly—just that she would very much like to see more of that charming Peter Scott....
What do You think about The Serpent's Shadow (2010)?
