Bala Devi, Girl-Child Avatar - Book Two - Holiday in Kodaikanal

Chapter Seven - So Much Gold

Chapter Seven

So Much Gold

Taking an enormous breath of air, Bala dived to the bottom of the lake and discovered that the shinning stuff was actually a sizable number of Gold Biscuits, just as she suspected, and that they were enclosed in a clear plastic bag. The bag was evidently attached to a rope which was, at that very moment, being pulled through a very large concrete pipe by an unseen hand.

Bala, needed air desperately and so she surfaced again long enough to tell her companions about finding the Gold in the plastic bag.

”Bala, would you like to see something wonderful? Look up!” Uma cried.

Looking up, Bala saw two Brahminy Kites hovering over the water. There seemed to be checking on her!

“When you bent under the water, Bala, they swooped down from those trees up there in the woods. It really looks as if they are trying to protect you,” said Uma, smiling.

“That’s right, Bala, if you hadn’t come up I think they would have gone down to get you,” laughed Mary.

Bala smiled and whistled and the kites flew back to the trees.

“I think, I found the smugglers ‘Gold’ you guys. There’s a concrete pipe down there and I think it runs up to the pond on the Walton Golf course. I’m going to find out.”

Even as Uma began to shout, “No, no.” Bala held her nose and turned up her toes, swimming like mad towards the pipe. Now, however, she found that a metal grid was in place over the opening to keep anything passing through. But, it didn’t keep Bala out, of course.

She simply pulled apart the metal strips, ducked her head and swam through the large pipe opening. 26

Half way up the slanting pipe was air and so Bala could breathe again. She swam through the pipe, which went under the road and into a small shallow pond in the middle of the miniature golf course on the first level of the Walton Hotel grounds.

Two men were just walking away as Bala surfaced; one was quite wet and carrying a plastic bag, with a jacket hiding the contents. They were evidently careful not to pull the in when there were people around, but now the golf course was deserted.

“Next time,” muttered the first man, “you go swim in the lake.”

“Say what you like,” said the other, “It was a good place to hide the gold. That customs agent was searched our room didn’t find it, did he?”

But as wet little Bala pulled herself out of the pond, a party of hotel guests came running down the lawn heading for the pond.

“Look, Mummy, it’s a little mermaid,” shouted the tiny tot. “She just popped up out of that pond.”

Bala only smiled and waived as she crossed the lawn with sodden foot steps. She followed the men at a safe distance as they entered the west side of the hotel. She had seen a broom closet next to the stairs, and so she ducked through the door into the dark little chubby-hole and waited there until she saw the men enter Room 213, the room next to Ramanathan. Then she raced to Granny’s room to change her clothes.

“Bala, not again!” cried Granny when the girl speared drenched to the skin. Fortunately, Trishul was sound asleep in the other room, so Bala had a quick shower and changed into a fresh salwar-kameez. Beaming with a smile, she pinched her Granny’s cheeks together and lightly kissed her.

“Somebody, will remember this and laugh, Granny,” she giggled, and then she raced madly down to the boat-house to find her friends, who were slowly mounting the steps with heavy hearts.