'I'm just glad I saw the volcanoes when they were quiet,' Sostratos said. 'Well, yes,' Erinna admitted. 'But even so.' Her gaze sharpened. 'When the man came running up here from the harbor, he was shouting about sea fights. You didn't talk about any sea fights.' 'We really had only one,' he said, and told her the story of the clash with the Roman trireme. This time, his sister clapped her hands when he was done. 'That was exciting,' she said. 'Why didn't you tell me about it before?' Sostratos chuckled sheepishly. 'Because it wasn't exciting while it was going on, I suppose,' he answered. 'It was terrifying. And seeing the Carthaginian fleet coming at us outside of Syracuse was worse. If that had turned into a sea fight, we couldn't possibly have won.' 'Why did you let Menedemos go on, then?' Erinna asked. Sostratos' mouth twisted into a wry, lopsided smile. His laugh was similarly sour. 'My dear, it wasn't a question of my letting him do any such thing. I'm toikharkhos. He's the captain. The choice was his. I tried to talk him out of it.' I thought he was a fool. I thought he was a reckless idiot. 'When he said we were heading for Syracuse, what could I do? Leave the ship and swim home? It turned out well.' 'Luck,' Erinna said, and then, 'Why are you laughing now?' 'Because you sound just like me,' he told her. 'But it wasn't all luck. Menedemos turned out to be right about that. Agathokles used the grain fleet to lure the Carthaginian ships away from the harbor and give his own navy the chance to get out and make for Africa.' 'Can he take Carthage?' Erinna asked. 'I don't know,' Sostratos answered. 'Nobody knows - including the Carthaginians, I'm sure. But I do know they can't be anxious to find out. No one's ever tried to take the wars in Sicily to their country before.' 'Alexander conquered the barbarians in the east,' his sister said. 'Why shouldn't Agathokles conquer the barbarians in the west?' 'I can think of two reasons,' Sostratos replied. Erinna raised a questioning eyebrow. He explained: 'First, the Carthaginians are still strong. And second, Agathokles isn't Alexander, no matter how much he wishes he were.' 'All right.' Erinna hugged him again. 'It's so good to have you home. No one else takes me seriously when I ask questions.' 'Well, if your brother won't, who will?' Sostratos kissed her on the forehead. 'I'll be home till spring, so you'll have plenty of chances to ask them. But now I'm going upstairs.' With obvious reluctance, she dipped her head and let him go. As he headed for the stairway, she picked up the hydria and went back to watering.
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