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.But Rose’s become a turtle on that beach - you’ll see her in a little while - and young Aristion’s so much fish bait.’‘How long ago?’‘Two days, or three.Long enough for the corpses to rise.’ Peleus shook his head.‘What is One-Eye doing on this coast? I thought he was going after Cassander.’Satyrus shrugged.‘That’s what he wanted us to think, maybe.And maybe Stratokles wanted Ptolemy to think the same.’‘Nasty thought, lad.If that’s the case - why then, he’s going to have a go at Aegypt.Could already be over.’‘I worried about that last night.’ Satyrus shook his head.‘And other things.’‘You’re a worrier, and that’s a fact.Make you a good helmsman.Except that your steering oar will be a sceptre, won’t it, lad? This is just an adventure for you, eh? Timaeus told me who you are.Sort of knew all along, of course.Anyway, you could be a helmsman.’ Peleus sounded rueful.‘Why - thanks!’‘In a few years,’ Peleus said, with a glint.Early afternoon.Laodikea’s beaches shining to the east in the hazy sun and the wind rising to a scream and then falling away to a fitful breeze that somehow failed to clear the haze.An Athenian grain merchant, sails flapping, barely making headway.He was a huge ship, with something like a full load, heading south along the coast.‘Lay me alongside,’ Peleus said.That was the only order he issued, and the oar master and the sailing master did the rest.The merchant ship needed wind to run away, and the wind was not cooperating.Rising and falling on the swell, grappled to the Athenian, Satyrus waited with the archers all on their toes, eager to shoot, and all the marines away on the giant merchant ship with Peleus.And then the boat came back, the marines all shaking their heads, and finally Peleus coming up the side, his chiton soaked through from climbing the side of the grain ship.‘Grain for Demetrios,’ he said, shaking his head.‘Grain for his fleet.He assumed we were Rhodians.Surrendered.I told him not to be silly - we’re not at war.’ Peleus shrugged.‘We can’t tow that behemoth.I’d like to let him go.’Satyrus stared up at the towering sides of the great ship.‘I see your point.Won’t he report us?’‘Only as a friendly merchant ship that paid him a ship visit.And he gave me a chestful of information.’ Peleus stripped his chiton over his head and pulled another from the leather bag he kept under the sternpost.Satyrus waited, as did Kyros and Karpos.The marine captain had his cuirass open to catch any air that happened to brush past him, and his Attic helmet was tilted back on his head.‘Demetrios, One-Eye’s golden son, has two hundred ships of war on the beaches south of here.He’s got half his father’s army, and they’re on the march, heading east into Nabataea.’ Peleus nodded into the silence.‘It’s a money raid.He’s going to rape the Nabataeans for gold and use it to finance the war in the west against Cassander.See?’Satyrus waited patiently - not an easy feat for a sixteen-year-old.But he wanted to let the grown men speak first.In case he was wrong.‘So we’re done,’ Karpos said.‘Slip away to seaward and we can be in the Bay of Kyrios tomorrow afternoon and find the Rhodian cruiser.Make our report.’ He slapped his hands together and sailed one away over the horizon of the other.‘And home.’Kyros shook his head.‘It’s clear you’re not a Rhodian, Karpos my lad.No Rhodian captain will take a report like that.We need to see this fleet.’Peleus nodded.‘’Fraid so, Karpos.’Karpos shrugged.‘Let’s get at it, then.’Satyrus stepped forward.‘They’re not raising the money for the war on Cassander,’ he said.The other three turned to look at him.‘It’s all a deception.Listen - I grew up with this.Stratokles came to get troops out of Ptolemy.Now there’s an army in Nabataea and the whole of One-Eye’s fleet is two days’ sail from Aegypt.The target is Aegypt.Cassander has made a deal with One-Eye.’ Satyrus looked around at them, conscious that he had pounded his fist into his palm in his eagerness to convey his conviction.Peleus rubbed his beard.‘Not saying I believe you, lad - but not saying I don’t.It could be that way - aye, and that makes the risk all the worse if we’re wrong.’Karpos pursed his lips, spat and then said, ‘I may not be a fucking Rhodian, but I can tell you that what we need is a prisoner.A good one - somebody who knows this crap.’‘How do you propose we get one?’ Peleus asked.Karpos glanced at the towering sides of the grain ship.Due to the fitful wind, the grain ship was still less than a rope’s length away.Peleus rubbed his chin.‘I gave my word,’ he said.‘We’re not pirates,’ Satyrus said, ‘and we’re no worse off than we were this morning.Down the coast, on the lookout.If we can find a prisoner, fine
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