thing I knew, I was in a cell simply because I refused to concoct a better way for them to attack us.”
“And the Proginosko? Where is it?”
He laughed. “Your concern for my well-being is touching, Sophia.”
“Don’t be a fool, Sosigenes. Who do you think paid to break you out of there?”
He lowered his eyes. “My apologies.”
Sophia bent to the couch and squeezed his hand. “No, no. I am sorry. It is just—I cannot believe—”
“It is well-hidden, Sophia. Kallias’s legacy.” He laughed. “Unless the Romans develop a deep appreciation of Lucretius’s lesser works buried in the Library. No one will find it.”
“You said that it was almost finished?”
“It is still in need of testing and perhaps some small adjusting. But in essence, it is complete.”
“How much longer?”
“Two months. I must get enough readings from the various moon phases to be sure.”
Ares’s knuckle-beating on the door caused Sophia to jump. He didn’t wait to be invited but pushed the door open and entered with a tray overflowing with meats and cheeses. “Thoseold men can eat!” he said, shaking his head. “It was all I could do to tear this much away for the two of you.”
Sosigenes laughed and lifted his head. “Much sustenance is needed to fuel the mind, my boy.”
Sophia took the tray from Ares and set it on her desk. She waved him out of the room with a flick of her hand and crossed to close the door behind him. She turned and leaned her back against it and frowned at Sosigenes. “It is too long.”
“Since I have eaten?” He pulled himself to his feet. “I would agree.”
“Two months. Too long for you to stay in Alexandria. Not with Caesar looking for you.”
Sosigenes went to the food on her desk. “The One God has long had His hand on me, Sophia. He will protect me still.”
Sophia snorted. “You talk of your ‘One God’ as though he cares for people personally.”
Sosigenes lifted his eyebrows. “Yes, and He even cares for you, Sophia.” He tore a piece of bread from a small loaf. “But the Roman cares only about warfare, I am afraid. I doubt he would even see the value of the Proginosko.”
“We must get you out of Alexandria. Today. Before he thinks to look for you here.”
“How?” The scholar popped a grilled chestnut into his mouth and chewed it slowly.
Sophia went to the wall of windows and studied the harbor. “You must sail to Athens.”
“And what of my colleagues? Shall I leave them behind to be conscripted into building siege works that violate every bit of conscience they have?”
Sophia pressed her forehead against the blurry glass. “No.You must all go.” She turned to him. “I will pay for passage for all of you. Do not worry.” She crossed to the door, yanked it open and yelled for Ares, who was still on the ramp.
“You must give Ares instructions on how to find the Proginosko, Sosigenes. He can retrieve it and bring it here. Meanwhile, I will secure passage to Athens for you.”
The man nodded, and Ares showed up at the door. “Take Sosigenes to the others,” she told him. “Then do as he says. I will be back.”
Ares’s mouth dropped open slightly. “You are going out? Again?”
She scowled. “You make me sound like some kind of mad recluse, Ares.” He said nothing. Sophia kissed Sosigenes on the cheek, grabbed a pouch, and hurried to the ramp. On the way down, she tied the pouch under her tunic.
At the bottom of the lighthouse, she found one of the servants charged with keeping the light functioning and told him to fetch a horse and cart for her. His eyebrows lifted in the same manner as Ares’s.
Yes, I know. Twice in two days I have entered the city .
“Go!” She thrust her arm toward the stable.
She waited, using the time to run through possibilities. It would need to be a larger ship, already bound for Athens, to avoid suspicion. A captain who was unsavory enough to ask no questions about his new cargo, but trustworthy enough to
“And the Proginosko? Where is it?”
He laughed. “Your concern for my well-being is touching, Sophia.”
“Don’t be a fool, Sosigenes. Who do you think paid to break you out of there?”
He lowered his eyes. “My apologies.”
Sophia bent to the couch and squeezed his hand. “No, no. I am sorry. It is just—I cannot believe—”
“It is well-hidden, Sophia. Kallias’s legacy.” He laughed. “Unless the Romans develop a deep appreciation of Lucretius’s lesser works buried in the Library. No one will find it.”
“You said that it was almost finished?”
“It is still in need of testing and perhaps some small adjusting. But in essence, it is complete.”
“How much longer?”
“Two months. I must get enough readings from the various moon phases to be sure.”
Ares’s knuckle-beating on the door caused Sophia to jump. He didn’t wait to be invited but pushed the door open and entered with a tray overflowing with meats and cheeses. “Thoseold men can eat!” he said, shaking his head. “It was all I could do to tear this much away for the two of you.”
Sosigenes laughed and lifted his head. “Much sustenance is needed to fuel the mind, my boy.”
Sophia took the tray from Ares and set it on her desk. She waved him out of the room with a flick of her hand and crossed to close the door behind him. She turned and leaned her back against it and frowned at Sosigenes. “It is too long.”
“Since I have eaten?” He pulled himself to his feet. “I would agree.”
“Two months. Too long for you to stay in Alexandria. Not with Caesar looking for you.”
Sosigenes went to the food on her desk. “The One God has long had His hand on me, Sophia. He will protect me still.”
Sophia snorted. “You talk of your ‘One God’ as though he cares for people personally.”
Sosigenes lifted his eyebrows. “Yes, and He even cares for you, Sophia.” He tore a piece of bread from a small loaf. “But the Roman cares only about warfare, I am afraid. I doubt he would even see the value of the Proginosko.”
“We must get you out of Alexandria. Today. Before he thinks to look for you here.”
“How?” The scholar popped a grilled chestnut into his mouth and chewed it slowly.
Sophia went to the wall of windows and studied the harbor. “You must sail to Athens.”
“And what of my colleagues? Shall I leave them behind to be conscripted into building siege works that violate every bit of conscience they have?”
Sophia pressed her forehead against the blurry glass. “No.You must all go.” She turned to him. “I will pay for passage for all of you. Do not worry.” She crossed to the door, yanked it open and yelled for Ares, who was still on the ramp.
“You must give Ares instructions on how to find the Proginosko, Sosigenes. He can retrieve it and bring it here. Meanwhile, I will secure passage to Athens for you.”
The man nodded, and Ares showed up at the door. “Take Sosigenes to the others,” she told him. “Then do as he says. I will be back.”
Ares’s mouth dropped open slightly. “You are going out? Again?”
She scowled. “You make me sound like some kind of mad recluse, Ares.” He said nothing. Sophia kissed Sosigenes on the cheek, grabbed a pouch, and hurried to the ramp. On the way down, she tied the pouch under her tunic.
At the bottom of the lighthouse, she found one of the servants charged with keeping the light functioning and told him to fetch a horse and cart for her. His eyebrows lifted in the same manner as Ares’s.
Yes, I know. Twice in two days I have entered the city .
“Go!” She thrust her arm toward the stable.
She waited, using the time to run through possibilities. It would need to be a larger ship, already bound for Athens, to avoid suspicion. A captain who was unsavory enough to ask no questions about his new cargo, but trustworthy enough to
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