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Back A Burning Sea
Chapters (54)
  1. CAST OF CHARACTERS
  2. PART ONE
  3. CHAPTER ONE
  4. CHAPTER TWO
  5. CHAPTER THREE
  6. CHAPTER FOUR
  7. CHAPTER FIVE
  8. CHAPTER SIX
  9. CHAPTER SEVEN
  10. CHAPTER EIGHT
  11. CHAPTER NINE
  12. CHAPTER TEN
  13. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  14. CHAPTER TWELVE
  15. PART TWO
  16. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  17. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  18. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  19. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  20. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  21. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  22. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  23. CHAPTER TWENTY
  24. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  25. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  26. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  27. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  28. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  30. PART THREE
  31. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  32. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  33. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  34. CHAPTER THIRTY
  35. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  36. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
  37. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
  38. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
  39. CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
  40. CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
  41. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
  42. PART FOUR
  43. CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
  44. CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
  45. CHAPTER FORTY
  46. CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
  47. CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
  48. CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
  49. CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
  50. CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
  51. CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
  52. CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
  53. HISTORICAL NOTE
  54. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Davit swore and followed him. Einar shrugged and fell in behind, with Erlan bringing up the rear. If that puckered arsehole wanted to put himself in harm’s way, then like it or not their duty lay that way, too. The strategos stomped along the deck, bellowing encouragement to the rowers below. He took the steps up to the forecastle two at a time. The others followed. Only Erlan hesitated, his attention snared for a second by the fire-machine lurking under the foredeck like a worm in its lair. There was a laugh above him. He looked up to see Davit at the top of the steps. ‘Know how it works?’

‘The Devil’s magic, ain’t it?’

‘Something like that.’

‘Sound the attack!’ cried Arbasdos, now hanging off the prow. He seemed to be enjoying himself for once. Trumpets blared and the deeper horns boomed all around them, their sound rippling out from the Belisarius to the other Byzantine ships. Erlan climbed up to the bow-deck.

Three ranks of fire-runners moved ahead. Erlan was almost disappointed not to be with them as they stretched away in front, feeling his breath shortening in anticipation of the crack of timber at first contact. Then, an instant before impact, came the sudden blinding gush of flame, the bronze beast-heads roaring like fury and scalding death in splaying arcs over the Egyptian vanguard. In an eye-blink the front ships of each column were engulfed in a whirling fire-storm, but still they ploughed onward into the Byzantine ranks in a furrow of splintering wood. There were cheers and battle-cries, a hail of spears and arrows, and the sound of rending timber. Already dozens were dead and more would soon burn in that hellish furnace. The air was filled with screaming and the acrid reek of burned oil. Yet the discipline of the Byzantine fire-runners was remarkable, hunting down each dromon as the enemy columns scattered. The dromons wallowed and reeled, trying in vain to turn or ram the little fire-ships. Men jumped into the sea which was already awash with fire. Bodies floated by like human torches, some still alive, writhing in pain. But the flames continued to burn.

It was awesome. And sickening.

Erlan turned away. But as he did, he glimpsed something which froze his blood. More shadows moving to the north. Beasts lurking in the darkness. Then the shadows took solid form and he knew what he saw.

‘Skip,’ he said in Norse, his throat dry.

‘Hey?’ said Einar, turning.

‘Skip,’ he said again. Only the third time did he think to speak in Greek. ‘SHIPS!’ he screamed, emptying his lungs.

Because the Arab fleet had come to the fight.

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

Illustration

‘Turn, you bastards! Turn!’

Arbasdos’s voice of authority was now a raging primal scream.