‘We’ll do better than hold the end of the rope,’ said Theopompos. ‘We’ll secure it to the mast. The whole ship will be holding you. If Charybdis swallows you up, we’ll all come to Hades with you.’
Fotini dragged one end of the rope to Thrax and I helped tie it round his waist, cursing my hands for shaking with fear. I looped it round and round till it couldn’t possibly come undone. Corpus and Castor lashed the other end to the mast.
‘Good luck, the gods go with you,’ I screamed as Thrax dived into the sea and the rope started slipping off the boat after him. But the wind blew my words the wrong way and I knew he didn’t hear them. By now Abantes and Smilis were blurred spots in the waves, one brown, one gold. It was difficult to see through the rain but it looked like they were still locked in battle.
I don’t know if it was water in my ears but suddenly the world went silent. A shaft of sunlight pierced the clouds and everything became very sharp and clear, like a vision sent by the gods. I saw Thrax reaching Smilis and Abantes. I saw the whirlpool swirling around them, trying to drag them into its maw. I saw Thrax wrestle the slave out of the pirate’s grasp. Abantes raised his dagger, his golden mask flashing in the sunbeam. And then I saw his eyes bulge with fear through the peepholes in his mask… and a moment later he vanished, sucked down into the depths by Charybdis.
Thrax and Smilis disappeared after him only a moment later. The rope went suddenly taut and I grabbed it, pulling on it with all my strength.
‘Row,’ Theopompos screamed behind me. ‘Row, Corpus. Row, Castor. Row away from the monster.’
The rope sliced through my skin, sharp as a wet knife, as I tugged harder and harder and the salt water burned into the cuts. Still I would not stop. My best friend was at the other end of that rope, and he needed my help.
Fotini and the other children joined me and we all pulled together. Slowly the ship crawled away from the whirlpool. I kept my eyes firmly on the rope, hoping, begging the gods it would not go slack.
Thanks to the gods, it didn’t. My prayers had been answered.
Fotini poked me in the back. ‘I can see them, Nico.’
I looked up from the rope. She was right. I could see Thrax in the distance, Smilis still clinging to his shoulders.
We pulled them in, handspan by handspan, till Theopompos could reach out and haul them on board with his own bare hands. They both lay on the boards, gasping like fish.
Smilis held out a shaking hand to offer me something.
It was the ring of the harpies. He’d managed to snatch it back from Abantes.
CHAPTER 24
New Members for the Medusa League
‘Is that why you went after the pirate, Smilis?’ I said. ‘For the ring?’
The boy nodded, spluttering water. ‘He and Belos tricked me.’
Belos! In our attempt to save Thrax, I’d forgotten about Belos and the pirate ship hulking over us. I looked up to see if the myrmidons still had their spears trained in our direction. But the trireme had drawn back across the sea. I could see its oars dipping in and out of the water as it fought its way through the churning waves. Belos had abandoned his father when he needed him the most.
The storm died down a few hours later and we made it to the nearest harbour without any difficulty. Our little ship had taken a battering and Theopompos needed to make sure it was seaworthy before we could continue our journey to Aegina.
While Corpus and Castor were busy checking it over, Fotini and I bought food from the local agora. We shared it out amongst the children, who fell on it like a plague of locusts. After the meal, Thrax, Fotini and I found a quiet spot under the harbour wall and called a special meeting of the Medusa League. We invited Smilis and Alexa to join us.
‘Smilis,’ said Thrax, ‘you broke the law by stealing the ring of the harpies.’
The slave boy hung his head in shame. ‘I’m sorry.’
‘It is not right to take other people’s belongings, no matter how rich they are. Many of them worked very hard to buy their possessions. But my friends and I understand that sometimes we all do things we shouldn’t. We’re pushed to our limits and we take the wrong decisions. Abantes tricked you into thinking you would be able to start a new life on the high seas if you stole the ring for him. Never trust people whose promises sound too good to be true. They are almost always cheats and liars.’
Tears of remorse ran down Smilis’s face and Fotini wrapped her arm round his shoulder to console him.
‘But you righted the wrong that you did,’ continued Thrax. ‘You placed yourself in great danger to retrieve the ring from the pirate. Well done.’
He turned to Alexa. ‘You have shown great courage helping us. Fotini, Thrax and I would like to thank you. Where do you come from?’
‘The island of Crete,’ said Alexa. ‘The pirates kidnapped me while I was helping my grandfather with his fishing nets. I shall try to get back there.’
‘Nico, Fotini and I have a secret society,’ said Thrax. ‘It’s called the Medusa League because the gorgon protects us. We help people solve crime and tackle injustice, whether as a group or alone. Gaia, Fotini’s slave, is also one of us. They live in Corinth. And we have a member in Delphi too. Her name is Selene. We would be honoured if you and Smilis would join us.’
The slave boy brightened up, surprised by the sudden turn in Thrax’s speech and the offer to become part of our society.
‘We think you are very intelligent, Smilis,’ continued Thrax. ‘We would welcome your help should we ever need it.’
‘It would be an honour to help the great Thrax,’ said Smilis. ‘You saved my life and I shall be forever in your debt.’ Then his face clouded over as a second thought came to him. ‘But I can never go back to Aegina. Master Onatas will have me whipped for stealing the ring.’
‘He has already forgiven you,’ said Thrax. ‘Nothing bad is going to happen to you when you get back home. I give you my word of honour.’
Smilis beamed happily.
‘I will join the Medusa League too,’ said Alexa. ‘And if you ever come to Crete, I shall be at your service.’
Fotini pulled two medallions of the Medusa out of her bag and hung one round Smilis’s neck and one round Alexa’s. She had bought them at a market in the harbour. ‘Welcome to the Medusa League,’ she said. ‘Wear your medallion always and with pride.’
Our little ceremony over, we returned to the fishing boat where Corpus and Castor were ready to sail. Aegina came into view later that afternoon and by sunset we were safely back in Inacus’s house.
Gorgias and Onatas were immediately sent for, and they listened to our story with open mouths.
‘My dears,’ exclaimed Master Ariston when we finished. ‘You put Prince Jason and his Argonauts in the shade.’
‘But where is the ring of the harpies?’ said Gorgias. ‘I beg you, let me know it’s safe.’ He pulled a bulging purse from inside his chiton and thrust it into Thrax’s hands. ‘Here is gold for your services. I think you’ll find I’ve been very generous.’
I reached in my bag for the ring and handed it to him. Gorgias slipped it on his finger, where it sparkled in the lamplight.
We all looked at it entranced and, once again, I marvelled at its beauty and magnificence.
But then I thought of all the people who had suffered and died because of it. Was it really worth all the pain, all the fear? I had no costly rings to wear, and probably never would. But I had things that were much more precious.
I had my parents in Kos thinking about me and offering prayers for my well-being. And I had my friends in the Medusa League, especially Thrax. He was now one step closer to buying his freedom. But perhaps best of all I had my talent – my writing. Golden rings and costly treasures don’t change the world for the better, but stories do.
I was eager to sharpen my stylus and start writing about my third adventure with Thrax. I already had a title for it: Pirates of Poseidon.
Bonus Bits!
Glossary
Acropolis a collection of buildings on a high hill, usually surrounded by a protective wall
Agora a marketplace, also used for public meetings
Alabastron a perfume jar, sometimes worn around the neck
Amphorae long, narrow jars made of clay, used for storing liquids
Andron a special room where men relaxed and held parties
Archon a magistrate, a very powerful and important person
Argonauts a band of legendary heroes who accompanied Jason on his quest for the golden fleece
Aulos a musical instrument made with two reed pipes
Calathus a vase-shaped wicker basket, used for storing wool and sometimes fruit
Chiton a long tunic, often made of wool
Cothurnus a laced boot of a type worn by actors and sometimes soldiers
Chytra a round cooking pot
Gorgon a female monster with snakes for hair
Gynaikon the part of a Greek house reserved for women
Hellas what the Greeks called their world
Hellenic something that belongs to Greek culture
Himation a long woollen garment, like a cloak, worn over the left shoulder
Hoplites Greek citizens who also acted as soldiers
Krater a large vase used for mixing wine and water
Kylix a two-handled drinking cup
Kyrios master, or lord
Lebes a large round cooking pot, usually made of bronze
Lekythos a long-necked storage jar
Myrmidons a war like people. Legend has it Zeus created them from ants
Nymphs female spirits and minor goddesses of the natural world, who lived in springs, rivers, seas and meadows
Pantheon a group of powerful gods
Petasos a sun hat
Pythia the priestess of the oracle at Delphi
Rhipis a fan, usually woven out of reeds
Stamnos a round storage jar with two handles
Symposium a party for men only
Tiganites wheat pancakes, usually eaten for breakfast
Trireme a warship with three banks of oars
Greek Gods and Myths
Nico mentions a lot of gods, goddesses and mythical beings in his story. Here is a list of them.
Aphaia a goddess who was only worshipped on the island of Aegina. She had a famous temple there.
Aphrodite goddess of love and beauty.
Apollo god of music and poetry.
Athena goddess of many things, including wisdom, mathematics, war and heroes. Her many symbols included the owl, the olive tree, the shield, the spear and a protective amulet with the Medusa’s face on it.
Charybdis a mythical sea monster that lived under a rock in the sea. Ancient sailors believed it swallowed colossal amounts of water three times a day, which it spat out to create a deadly whirlpool.
Charon the ferryman who carried the souls of the dead to Hades, the underworld.
Demeter the goddess of the harvest and of agriculture. When the god Hades kidnapped her daughter Persephone, she abandoned the crops to look after her daughter, and the fields were destroyed by cold and rain. It was only when Zeus ordered Hades to free Persephone that Demeter brought light and growth back to the world.
Dionysus god of wine, the grape harvest, merrymaking and theatre. Many illustrations of him show him as a well-rounded old man but he is sometimes drawn as a younger person too.
Eros the god of love and friendship, often depicted as a young man with wings.
Eurus the god of the east wind. The Spartans sometimes sacrificed horses to Eurus and other wind gods. His brother Notos was the god of the south wind.
Hades the god of the underworld, which was called after him. He was also the god of the dead, and riches. His brothers were Poseidon, the god of the sea and Zeus, the chief of the gods.
Hermes god of theives, travellers and athletes, who acted as a messenger for the other gods.
Hekate goddess of witchcraft, the making of magic potions, lights and crossroads. One of the most popular goddesses in Athens, she was seen as a protector of households. Her statues often showed her holding a key or two torches.
Hephaestus the god of smithies, metalworkers, sculpture and stonemasons. He lived in the underworld, where he built weapons for the gods on Mount Olympus. He is often seen in statues holding a hammer and tongs and sometimes riding a donkey. His symbol is the volcano.
Herakles a demigod famed for his strength and his twelve feats against monsters, kings and magical creatures.
Hypnos the god of sleep who lived in the underworld with his brother Thanatos, the lord of of death. His home was a large, mysterious cave from which the river of forgetfulness flowed. It was completely silent, day and night. The entrance was overgrown with poppies.
Melinoe the goddess of ghosts. She lived in the underworld but at night, she would wander out to strike fear in people’s heart. She was accompanied by a crowd of ghosts. Melinoe’s body was white on one side and black on the other.
Phantasos one of the gods of dreams and nightmares called Oneiroi. Dark-winged and demon-like, they flew out of their cave in Erebos, the land of eternal darkness, to haunt people’s dreams.
Poseidon god of the sea. He was also known as the earth-shaker because he could cause earthquakes. He could create islands and springs by striking rocks with his trident.
Zeus the chief god on Mount Olympus, he ruled over the other gods with a fiery temper. His special symbols were the oak, the bull and the thunderbolt, which he loved hurling at his enemies. Zeus was married to Hera, the goddess of the home.
Acknowledgments
As always, I have a few people to thank for helping bring this book to life: Hannah Rolls, commissioning editor at Bloomsbury Education for believing in the project; my editor Susila Baybars whose tweaks and suggestions vastly improve my stories; my editor Catherine Brereton who weeded out any inconsistencies in the plot; my agent Katy Loffman who is full of boundless energy on my behalf and Freya Hartas for her wonderful illustrations.
I also need to thank Albert Schembri, a friend from the old country, with whom I discuss my ideas long before anything is committed to paper. Thank you all.
BLOOMSBURY EDUCATION
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BLOOMSBURY, BLOOMSBURY EDUCATION and the Diana logo are trademarks of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
First published in Great Britain in 2018 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
This electronic edition published in 2018
Text copyright © Saviour Pirotta, 2018
Illustrations copyright © Freya Hartas, 2018
Saviour Pirotta and Freya Hartas have asserted their rights under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as Author and Illustrator of this work.
This is a work of fiction. Names and characters are the product of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publishers
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN: PB: 978-1-4729-4020-9; ePDF: 978-1-4729-4021-6; ePub: 978-1-4729-4018-6
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