I have always wanted to go to Xanadu. No, not the one in Inner Mongolia. By the way, did you know that the Xanadu (or Shangdu) site was planned according to traditional Chinese feng shui in relation to the nearby mountains and river? The city’s interesting history, and its remains, including temples, palaces, tombs, nomadic encampments and the Tiefan’gang Canal are reason enough for anyone to go there.

But….

The Xanadu that I am talking about is different. Located as it is on a mountain top about an hour’s drive outside New York City, it is home to Mandrake and Lothar. Mandrake is the world’s greatest crime-fighting magician (a deadly combo, that!), and Lothar is the Prince of the Seven Nations from the continent of Africa, who gave it all up to follow Mandrake and help in fighting crime. That Xanadu was gifted to Mandrake by President Andros for help given during the country’s unstable period is proof enough how successful they are in their mission.

Xanadu has lovely gardens with many fountains and a huge pool where Mandrake and friends chill out. It has beautiful shiny domes too. But that’s not what makes it interesting and also intriguing. To get in one has to go through a gate with high tech cameras, hidden microphones and the works. Once you are past the gate, you have to cross a chasm at just the right time when it closes by driving at the right speed. You also have to drive through a wall, again at just the right time when it will let you through. If this is not enough, there is also a tunnel whose one end closes the minute you are in, effectively trapping you inside till the other end opens up when you reach it.

The inside of the house has more in store for you. A control room from where the visitors can be spoken to, and their route tracked, a chemistry laboratory (for help in analysing stuff to fight crime), an observatory (Mandrake is interested in astronomy), a rogues gallery with the photos of the criminals Mandrake has faced, a study hidden behind wall panels in which behind invisible beams rests the Crystal Cube used by Mandrake for long distance communication with Theron, the principal of the College of Magic.

Umm… did I hear someone say that there is no such place? Sigh. You might well be right. You see, it existed only in the imagination of Lee Falks, the author of Mandrake comics, and now also in the imagination of all the readers of his. When people talk about going back and being a child all over again, I normally say a loud, NO. But if I can go back and relive the times I spent time reading Mandrake and Phantom comics, I might consider it. Oh well, why bother and go to all the trouble! I can read them in the here and now! 😉

©️ Shail Mohan 2024