Chapter 10

The chapter starts with Nisha offering to take the first watch and Abhaydatta drawing the map so that the kids can memorize it. Abhaysatta tells Nisha to wake him whenever she gets sleepy and to not let the fire go out in any circumstances. Before Anand goes to bed Nisha asks him why Surabhanu is after them. Anand is not sure if he should tell her so he says to ask Abhaydatta in the morning. Anand cant go to sleep for a while though and when he does he has another dream, this time some hands are searching his body and they finally settle of the conch's pouch. Suddenly Abhaydatta waked him up and tells him that it is his watch. Anand starts his watch but feels uneasy throughout it. He hears his mothers voice and dashes out on to the rocky ledges leaving the cave unprotected. A wind rushes into the cave blowing out the fire and suddenly it's like there is a hurricane inside the cave. He is about to take out the conch but with the conch's help he is able to stop himself. As the wind subsides he sees Nisha on the other side of the cave but there is no sign of Abhaydatta.

One thing that puzzled me about this chapter is when the conch responds to Anand's thoughts. I would think that even a magic conch wouldn't have a conscience and be able to help somebody. What i think might be possible with a magic conch is to harness it not communicate with it. Another think is that if the conch can speak then is it a living thing in its own way?