The Anger of Achilles by Peter Tonkin

Author:Peter Tonkin [Tonkin, Peter]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sharpe Books
Published: 2021-02-24T22:00:00+00:00

iv

‘Of course! You’re right!’ said Briseis. Even in the face of the new danger, she turned and called, ‘Captain Odysseus! Whoever took the gold lowered it over the side here down into the boat we came out in!’

Odysseus was leading his men back towards the stern at rowing deck level and he paused beside us at the first rowing bench. ‘Yes,’ he agreed. ‘They lowered the chest from here. Once in the boat, the weight of the gold would have seemed like nothing! They could easily have moved it wherever they wanted.’ He hesitated. ‘But they didn’t move it far – apparently only to where we found the boat. Why take it ashore there I wonder?’ He waited a moment more at the splintered gap in the side, looking down. Then he nodded once, and all five of us were scrambling over the benches and the oars back towards the stern as the wind carried the conflagration along the hull above us, washing the elevated walkway with fire, turning the watery trail to steam, wrapping flames around the mast like bright golden ivy and setting the sail on fire along with the ropes that held it all in place. ‘We need to hurry,’ said the captain. ‘The rigging won’t last much longer now and we want to be well clear before the mast comes down.’

I was in the best position to scramble off the burning ship and into our boat when we reached the stern so I led the way. Briseis followed, then the others. Had the vessel not been secured to the ship it would have pitched us all into the water at once. Even with everyone except Elpenor and myself settled, the little hull rocked quite wildly as the line was loosened. I was in an uneasy crouch, my legs unwilling to fold so that I could be seated as securely as the others and the instant the rope came off and the boat tossed, I went over the side. I panicked at once, floundering and fighting to get my head above water. But then a surprising thing happened. I found my feet. Literally. I discovered that I was standing on solid sand, and I straightened. A moment later I was upright and secure, the water up to my shoulders. A wave slapped me in the face and I choked, but my panic had vanished. I could have waded ashore without too much trouble, had Elpenor not reached down and lifted me bodily back into the boat. I sat there looking down as the chill seeped through my soaking himation. The brightness of the burning ship was just strong enough for me to see the puddle gathering at my feet.

Then, once again, Elpenor’s careful work with the pole steadied us and guided us back to the beach where we had first come aboard. We beached the boat and Odysseus examined it, but apart from the splintered side, the puddle I had left and Elpenor’s damp footprints, there appeared to be nothing to see of any importance.

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