Sometimes the foam would shift into the shapes of the hungry ghosts he’d seen in the Underworld, and then he would shiver and draw the cloak around himself. He remembered the prophecy of the Sibyl. One will die. But what did it mean? Lionstone? Dolphinlight? And would Python die, or one of the three of them?

The soldiers of Helenus were the Myrmidons of Achilles, and they were strong and purposeful. They worked continuously, making sure the ship was sailing true.

When they were not working, they were exercising, wrestling each other on the broad deck or throwing spears, or sword fighting. Silvius watched them, envying their togetherness and their camaraderie. But they mostly ignored him, and he felt useless.

One day a dagger landed at his feet. He looked up to see one of the younger ones, Callias. ‘Teach you hand combat,’ said Callias, his blue eyes glinting. Unlike most of the Achaeans, he had very pale skin and eyes that were the colour of the unclouded sky; his hair was flame red, and he kept it very long. He was proud of his long red hair, and was often found combing it.

So Silvius passed the time learning how to fight with Callias. He was a good teacher, and let Silvius make mistakes. Silvius felt his muscles hardening, and his skills growing, and soon he could twist and turn and stab and parry so well that one morning he took Callias unawares, and laid the young man low.

Callias simply laughed, and said, ‘The wolf cub is turning into a wolf!’ Silvius blushed, but he was pleased, and wished Elissa had been there to see it.

Elissa spent her days doing target practice with the archers. Once an arrow thudded into the wood of the deck just by Silvius, and he looked up to see a laughing Elissa. ‘I meant to do that!’ she said.

‘Sure you did,’ smiled Silvius, and threw the arrow back. She caught it with one hand, and made a little mock bow. But she was improving, and he watched as she hit the bullseye dead in the centre.

Tisamenos was practising fighting with the Last Gorgon’s head around his neck, and sometimes he would face Silvius for a bout.

One afternoon, as they were circling each other, Silvius lunged, and managed to knock Tisamenos to the ground. The sack fell from his shoulder and the head fell onto the floor. The bandage slipped from its eyes and a gull, which happened to be sitting on the rigging met its gaze and dropped, stone now, to the deck, before Tisamenos could grab the head and shove it back into the sack.

It unsettled everyone. Helenus consigned the stone gull to the waves, with a prayer to Apollo.