Our boat cruised slowly through the tranquil river for a long time. Then we caught sight of dancing light from the riverbed. We all dropped our jaws. Rising out of nowhere was a palace like nothing I had ever seen. Columns of jade rocks with fluorescent walls surrounded the vast area. Manicure gardens of rainbow-colored weeds and stones decorated every corner. Gems and rubies paved the winding paths. Then the boat landed on the soft muddy bottom.
"Your ride is over," the oarsman said. We took it as our cue to get off. I gingerly stepped outside, feeling quite jumpy at the strange new world around us. Atith seemed excited while Samudra and Tusita didn't seem so impressed.
"My father's palace is better," she said with a shrug.
For a while, we had to walk through a field of dancing weeds a
