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by Sue Davies (Author)
It is about 500 BCE. The Delphis, a Greek merchant vessel with one huge sail, noses its way out of the Great Sea towards the unknown. On board is the loyal crew: Dubb, the navigator, famed for his expertise in reading the night sky; his wife, Nyptan, a remarkable healer and Qart, a street boy from Carthage, whom they all love. As for the others, they are the usual multi-lingual mix of seamen from everywhere. Their goal is to uncover the strange world which lies beyond the Pillars of Herakles. They have only their sailing experience and the stars to guide them.
Into their midst steps Hanno, a princeling from Carthage, and his aristocratic layabout friends. The prince is to take charge of the vessel. In a search for gold and glory he imposes an alternative system of navigation on The Delphis. He and his followers, Etruscan soothsayers, believe in reading the livers of chickens rather than the heavens.
As this volatile group rows, or sails, its way down the west coast of Africa, the seas are huge. The lordlings hunt relentlessly for treasure and women. They enrage the locals with their rude and coarse ways. The skies are overcast and the vessel gets lost in lakes and lagoons. They are all sick and some die of fever. The Delphis rides out a tidal wave, Nyptan miscarries her baby and they hunt for gorillas.
When, eventually The Delphis turns for home, no one doubts the voyage has been a failure. Not even Lord Hanno.
By a miracle, the crew of The Delphis makes it back to the Great Sea. As soon as their feet touch land they are confronted by the mighty power of Carthage. Lord Apsan Asrupal Nimiran, the Commissioner of the Board of Trade in Gadir, arrests them. He hauls them up before an enquiry and tries to lay the blame for the failure of the mission on them. Was any treasure found? Who was in charge of The Delphis? How did Lord Hanno conduct himself. Most importantly of all, where is the lordling now?
This multi-voiced, historical adventure is fast paced and gripping. Based on a true story it explores what was it like to travel the world when it was said to be flat and Helios, the sun, disappeared sizzling into the sea each night only to rise, fresh faced again, every morning.
