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But the air is not entirely empty. Gliding in and out of the small clouds, soaring in the sunlight above the forest is the heavenly Sadayu. This great bird has long been a friend of the king of Ayutaya and of his children, and seeing that Seeda is in trouble he immediately stoops to the attack, crying as he falls, "You ten-headed blackguard, prepare to meet your doom !" Totsagan, furious at being insulted by a mere bird, prepares to dispatch his assailant. When Sadayu clashes with the enemy, however, striking left and right with powerful wings and needle-sharp talons, the demons of Totsagan's bodyguard rain lifeless from the air. The two thousand lions drawing the demon's chariot are similarly destroyed, and Totsagan and his prize are thrown roughly to the earth. His weapons scattered, his demons destroyed, the King of Longka draws what seems likely to be his last breath when the great bird sings out in triumph: "Your death is here, O criminal king, For you are mortal, whereas I am told that I need never die unless I'm struck by Isuan's ring." Hearing this, Totsagan immediately tears Phra Isuan's ring from Seeda's finger and hurls it at the bird. Transformed into a hissing discus, the ring breaks the bird's mighty wings and lodges in his breast. With the wind sighing through his broken feathers, Sadayu crashes to earth. There he plucks the ring from his breast and, mortally wounded, awaits the coming of Phra Ram. Totsagan reanimates his creatures, mounts his chariot once more, and flies on with captive Seeda to Longka. |
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