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Back Copper Chain Save as PDF
Chapters (62)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Page
  3. Dedication
  4. CONTENTS
  5. MAP
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. 55
  61. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  62. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The vessel traveled with surprising speed under the power of so many oarsmen, and was soon close enough that tiny figures could be seen rushing about on the top deck. Fluttering multicolored pennants trailed from the top of the mast, snapping in the breeze.

‘You’ve been learning about their vessels. What manner of ship is that?’ Palemon asked.

Kyphos rubbed his chin and squinted for a time. ‘A bireme. Wait’—he shielded his eyes—‘no . . . It has three banks of oars. A trireme, then.’ He made a sound of surprise. ‘I didn’t know such a thing existed.’

‘Are they here for war?’

‘No,’ Kyphos said. ‘See the multicolored pennants? It’s here for trade.’

Palemon met Kyphos’s eyes. ‘You say we need a dozen ships? We might have found our first.’

‘I suggest we lure them in,’ Kyphos said. ‘No soldiers to greet them. We’ll summon the captain and give him a choice. Either surrender or we’ll seize his ship by force.’

‘Why not seize the ship immediately?’

‘Despite its colors, it’s a warship. There could be armed men on board. If there’s fighting, we could damage the ship or lose crewmen, and we need skilled sailors.’

Palemon scratched his chin and nodded. ‘All right then. We’ll do it your way.’

5

5

Crossing the deck of his flagship, the Liberty, Dion, king of Xanthos, glanced apprehensively at the sharp islands that jutted out of the water, some several miles away, others flanking the trireme on both sides, almost close enough to reach out and touch.

The Lost Souls reminded him of the Shards near Xanthos, but on a much larger scale. There were fewer of them, but some dwarfed even his warship in size. At least, he hoped there were fewer of them. It was impossible to say what lurked beneath the surface of the water.

Approaching the helm, he glanced at Cob, who growled at him as he guided them through.

‘Do we really have to do this, lad?’ The old man scowled.

‘I want to see the sunken city for myself. Just keep us away from the peaks.’

‘Don’t tell me how to do my job,’ Cob said.

Dion smiled at his old sailing master, and behind his smile was gratitude that the short, bald, round-faced man who had been like a second father to him still never called him by his title. Now that Dion was king, he could truly appreciate how separate from everyone else it made him.