It was just after the midwinter celebrations. It had been a mild clear day with a promise of spring in the air. The Assembly had voted that the voyage of exploration would take place when spring came, and now the question was of who was to go. Father was going, there was no question of that. Klymene was going with the Florentia troop. Erinna was going, as one of the few people who properly understood how the Excellence worked. And Ficino was going, and so was I—I had won that battle without any need to fight. This was to be a voyage safe for old men and children, and Ficino and I were the exemplary old man and child. That I was only a child for three more months didn’t matter. I was going!

My brothers all wanted to go. Well, Plato-loving Alkibiades didn’t. He had written to us—he had sent a letter to Father with the envoy who went to Athenia. Father let me read it. In addition to saying all you’d expect about Mother, he said to trust that the head of Victory wasn’t in Athenia, and that he would let us know immediately if he heard anything. He sent love to all of us and said he had made the right choice and was happy.

Phaedrus and Neleus were at home in Thessaly on the evening when Kallikles came around with a jar of wine after dinner. “We need to talk,” he said.

I broke the resin seal and mixed the wine without being asked, using the big red-figure krater decorated with Apollo killing the dragon Pytho, and the cups that matched it. (Apollo on the krater didn’t look at all like Father, but I liked the coils of the snaky dragon.) I watered the wine half and half, as Plato recommends, and then gave a cup to everyone.

It was too cold to go into the garden now that the sun was down, which was inconvenient as it was the only space suitable for sitting and talking. There was a reason the houses were known as “sleeping houses.” We were supposed to do everything else elsewhere. Most of the year this worked out well enough, and even now it would have been all right if we could have gone to Florentia or another eating hall to have our conversation in public. As it was, we all sat on the beds. I passed around some dried figs and goat cheese and missed Mother, who would have made the boys help.

“I want to go with you on the voyage,” Kallikles said, once we were all settled. I sat down beside him on the bed.

“It isn’t up to me,” Father said. “The Chamber is deciding who goes. Apply to them.” Father was looking a little better now that the voyage had been agreed on.

“We all want to go,” Phaedrus said.