BooksBarbecue
Back Golden Age
Chapters (70)
  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. 56
  62. 57
  63. 58
  64. 59
  65. 60
  66. 61
  67. 62
  68. 63
  69. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  70. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chloe knew exactly how many men were under Amos’s command. ‘I . . . I am a woman, sun king. I know nothing of military matters.’

‘Kargan?’ Solon frowned at the overlord of his fleet.

‘It may be as she says, eminence,’ Kargan said. ‘I know that the Assembly consists only of men, and that while women and men share meals together in the home, it’s likely she has little involvement or interest in war.’

Solon nodded curtly. ‘Then, girl, tell me of this ark.’

Chloe had been expecting this. ‘The Ark of Revelation was a gift from the gods. It was not constructed by men.’

‘But it is a chest of solid gold, the size of an ox cart?’

‘Y—Yes, it is gold. But to defile the ark would bring down the wrath of the gods. It must always reside at the Temple of Aldus.’

‘This Aldus is not a god we worship in Ilea,’ said Solon. ‘We share Helios, the sun god, most supreme and mighty of all, and it is in honor of Helios that we build the golden pyramid. I fear Helios, as all men must. But I do not fear your god of justice.’

‘It is sacred,’ Chloe spoke up, knowing she was taking a risk. ‘Inside the ark are the laws that a man is weighed by when Aldus decides whether to grant him entrance to heaven.’

‘Then why not open the ark and discover the laws?’ a lord with a wide golden belt around his girth asked.

‘Because to know the laws is not the intention of the gods. A man must choose his path and develop his own moral code. He must rely on himself and the words of the priests to discover what the laws are.’

Glancing at the six courtiers, Chloe saw they all had puzzled expressions on their faces.

Solon’s voice increased in volume as he addressed the entire room. ‘I am the sun god’s representative in this world and any justice is mine to dispense. Are there any here who disagree with my words?’

When silence was the only reply, the lean king nodded.

‘I will take this ark for the gold it is made of,’ he stated. ‘As my soul prepares for the coming journey, I grow closer to the sun god, who now speaks through me. I decree that we have nothing to fear from the false god Aldus. Our decision is now whether to ransom this girl for the ark or to seize it by force, adding another nation to our dominion in the process.’

Chloe felt a shiver along her spine at the sun king’s words.