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reluctantly came forward, putting on my best and most
pathetic limp, and wondering what more trouble there was.
The messenger spoke to the lama, This boy has to go to
the Lord Abbot at once. I have to take him I do not know
why.
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Ow! I thought, what can it be Now? Could someone
have seen me dropping tsampa on the monks? Had some-
one seen me put the salt in the Master of the Acolytes'
tea? Or perhaps gloomily my mind wandered over the
various sins which I knew to be mine. What if the Lord
abbot knew SEVERAL of my offences? The messenger led
the way along the cold, bare corridors of Chakpori. No
luxury here, no ornate drapes as at the Potala. This was
functional. At a door guarded by two Proctors the
messenger stopped and muttered Wait! before entering.
I stood and fidgeted, shifting from foot to foot, the
Proctors gazed stonily at me as if I were some lesser form
of human life. The messenger reappeared. Go in! he
commanded, giving me a push.
Reluctantly I entered the door, which was pulled shut
behind me. Entered and involuntarily stopped in amaze-
ment. There was no austerity HERE! The Lord Abbot,
clad in the richest vestments of red and gold, sat upon a
platform raised about three feet off the floor. Four lamas
stood in attendance upon him. Recovering from my shock,
I bowed in the prescribed manner so fervently that my
joints creaked and my bowl and charm box rattled in
unison. Behind the Lord Abbot a lama beckoned me
forward, raising his hand when I reached the point at
which I should stop.
Silently the Lord Abbot gazed at me, looking the whole
length of me, observing my robe, my sandals, and pre-
sumably noting that I had my head well shaved. He turned
to one of the Attending Lamas, Arrumph! This is the
boy, eh?
Yes, my Lord, replied the lama to whom he
had addressed the question. Again that stare, that calcu-
lating appraisal. Arrumph. Urrahh! My boy, so you are
he who brought aid to the Monk Tengli? Urrhph! The
lama who had signaled me before moved his lips and
pointed to me.
I got the idea; I was so fortunate, my Lold Abbot, I
replied with what I hoped was suflicient humility.
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Again that gaze, inspecting me as if I were some kind
of bug upon a leaf. At last he spoke again, Err, ahhh! Yes,
Oh! You are to be commended my boy. Arrumphh!!
He turned his gaze elsewhere, and the lama behind him
signaled for me to bow and leave. So three more bows,
and a cautious retreat backwards, with a telepathic thank
you to the lama who had guided me by such clear signals.
The door bumped my posterior. Gladly I fumbled behind
me for the door fastening. I eased through and subsided
against a wall with a PHEW!! of hearty relief. My eyes
moved upwards to meet those of a giant Proctor. Well?
Are you going to the Heavenly Fields? Don't SLUMP
THERE, boy! he bellowed in my ear. Glumly I hitched up
my robe and moved down the corridor with the two
Proctors looking balefully at me. Somewhere a door
creaked and a voice said, STOP!
My goodness, by Buddha's Tooth, what have I done
now? I asked myself in despair as I halted and turned to
see what it was all about. A lama was coming towards me
and good gracious he was SMILING ! Then I recognized
him as the lama who had given me signals from behind the
Lord Abbot's back. You put on a good show, Lobsang, he
murmured in a pleased whisper. You did everything just
as one should. Here is a present for you the Lord Abbot
likes them, too! He thrust a pleasantly bulky package into
my hands, patted me on the shoulder, and moved off. I
stood as one stupefied, fingering the packet and guessing
the contents. I looked up and the two Proctors were smiling
benevolently upon me they had heard the lama's words. Ow!
I said as I looked at them. A Proctor smiling was so
unusual that it frightened me. Without more ado, I scur-
ried as fast as I could out of that corridor.
What ye got, Lobsang? piped a small voice. I looked
176
around and there was a boy who had recently been accepted.
he was smaller than I, and he was having difficulty in
settling down.
Eats I think! I replied.
Aw, gie us a taste, I missed me food, he said wistfully.
I looked at him and he did appear to be hungry. There was
a storeroom off to the side; I led him in and we sat at the far
wall, behind some sacks of barley. Carefully I opened the parcel
and exposed the Indian food. Oh! said the small boy.
I have never had food like that! I passed him one of the
pink cakes, the one with the white stuff over it. He bit and
his eyes went rounder and rounder. Suddenly it dawned
an me that I had been holding another cake in my left hand
but it was GONE! A sound behind me made me turn
round; there was one of the cats . . . eating MY cake! And
enjoying it! With a sigh of resignation I dipped into the
packet again to get another cake for myself.
Rarrh? said a voice behind me. A paw touched my
arm. Rarrh? Mrlaw! ' said the voice again, and when I
turned to look he had taken my second cake and was
eating it. Oh! You HORRID thief! I exclaimed crossly, then
I remembered how good these cats were how they were
friends of mine and how they comforted me. I am sorry,
Honorable Guardian Cat, I said contritely. You work
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