BooksBarbecue
Back The Arrow of Apollo Save as PDF
Chapters (52)
  1. Cover
  2. Title
  3. About the Author
  4. Dedication
  5. By the Same Author
  6. Author’s Note
  7. Map
  8. Domus Libris
  9. House of the Wolf
  10. The House of the Wolf
  11. One
  12. Two
  13. Three
  14. Four
  15. Five
  16. Six
  17. Seven
  18. Eight
  19. Nine
  20. Ten
  21. Eleven
  22. Twelve
  23. Thirteen
  24. Fourteen
  25. Fifteen
  26. Sixteen
  27. Seventeen
  28. Eighteen
  29. Nineteen
  30. Twenty
  31. Twenty-One
  32. Twenty-Two
  33. Twenty-Three
  34. Twenty-Four
  35. Twenty-Five
  36. Twenty-Six
  37. Twenty-Seven
  38. Twenty-Eight
  39. Twenty-Nine
  40. Thirty
  41. Thirty-One
  42. Thirty-Two
  43. Thirty-Three
  44. Thirty-Four
  45. Thirty-Five
  46. Thirty-Six
  47. Thirty-Seven
  48. Thirty-Eight
  49. Timeline of the Trojan Cycle
  50. Further Reading
  51. Acknowledgements
  52. Supporters

But Tisamenos was too quick. In a second he clamped down on the head, and returned it to the sack, out of reach behind his back.

‘Tell me,’ he demanded. ‘Who killed Hermione? Who killed my mother, the daughter of Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world?’

Hero said, ‘What will you do with this knowledge?’

‘I will act on it.’

‘What will you do? Answer truly.’

Tisamenos’s voice was strong. ‘I will take my revenge. It is in my blood.’

A half-smile played across Hero’s lips.

‘Do you swear?’

Tisamenos clenched his hands together, feeling the stump, the pain of the past day, all the past years.

‘I swear by the gods above and the gods below, I will take my revenge.’

‘Then take your revenge,’ said Hero, gently, ‘on your new mother. Erigone.’

Thirteen

images

An Attack

THE TYRRHENIAN SEA

Dawn was touching the edges of the sky when Silvius and Elissa had fully recovered themselves. Ruffler, the wolf cub, was curled up between them as they lay in the small cabin below deck, his head on Elissa’s thigh. Silvius, wanting air, clambered up the rope ladder and went out onto the deck, lifting Ruffler up with him.

Above them a white sail spread out, filled with the wind. They were far out to sea, and could not see land anywhere.

But still, on the horizon behind them, the red light was following them.

A sudden panic gripped Silvius. He did not know where they were, or even where they were going. He had never been on the open sea before, and he found the lack of any trees or cover disturbing. The motion was also making him feel distinctly unwell.

After a few seconds he pitched towards the port side of the ship, looking about him with his back to the sea. His stomach heaved suddenly, and he was sick over the railing. Queasily he slumped down.

The ship was quite small, and, as Silvius watched, he was amazed to see that it was sailing itself, making little adjustments to ropes and sails. The helm was moving from side to side, as if an invisible hand were guiding it. He wondered if he could still talk to the ship nymph, and made his way to the bow where the carving was. Ruffler, ears pricking up, followed him, gambolling at his heels. Silvius watched the foam breaking off the keel.

The carved effigy of the nymph was looking out to sea. She had bluish skin that seemed to change as the surface of the water changed, like wine in a bowl, and the hair was white like foam. Silvius did not know how to address a ship nymph, so he said, ‘Be well, nymph of Aeneas’s fleet. May I ask where we are going?’

Elissa appeared through the hatch, mightily cheerful.