“But—” I opened my mouth and then stopped. But the rule of law, I’d wanted to say, but the terrible things that happen when bloodfeud replaces it? And why had Mother kept quiet about the rape except to prevent exactly this? Then again, the idea that she had been raped and hadn’t told anyone for so many years was awful. The thought of it made my stomach churn. “I want to kill him too. I think rape should be considered a more serious offense.”

“When you’re an adult you should argue that in Chamber,” Father said. “Lots of us would support that. It has the death penalty in the City of Amazons.”

“Maybe we could drag him back and try him there,” Neleus said. “And look for the head at the same time.”

“No. I couldn’t bear being on the ship with him for that long. I’m not sure I’m going to be able to bear having any conversation with him at all. I’m going to kill him as soon as I possibly can.” Father bit his lip hard, but even so tears ran down his cheeks. “I hate the thought that he’s still alive and breathing after he did that to her.”

So did I. “But what about trade agreements and diplomatic relationships between us and the Goodness Group?” I asked.

“Once Kebes is dead, we can make agreements.”

“But you can’t just walk up to him in the street and run him through, and then carry on with the others as if you didn’t do it,” Neleus said. “You’ll have to either make it seem as if you didn’t do it, or else tell everyone why. Unless you could find a pretext. Or fake an accident somehow.”

“You’re right,” Father said. “I need to find a way of killing him that’s personal and acceptable and doesn’t destroy all possibility of friendship between our cities later. I wonder whether they allow duels?”

“It doesn’t seem likely,” I said, appalled.

“Kebes probably wouldn’t agree to one anyway. He’s fought me before, he knows I’m better.”

“Does he know that you hate him?” I asked.

“Yes. Though he has no idea how much more I hate him now that I know what he did to Simmea. I wish I’d killed him long ago when I had his neck under my hand in the palaestra.”

“Why didn’t you?” Neleus asked.

“He was her friend and she valued him,” Father said, sobbing openly now. Maia was coming toward us. I waved her away, but she kept coming. “She thought he was her friend and he did that to her.”

He put his hands up to his face, pushed away from the rail and went below before Maia reached us.

“What’s wrong with Pytheas now?” Maia asked.

Neleus and I looked at each other. “Just missing Mother,” I said.