He leaned over and shook Suniaton. ‘Wake up!’

The only response was an irritated grunt.

‘Suni!’ This time, Hanno slapped his friend across the face.

‘Hey!’ Suniaton cried, sitting up. ‘What’s that for?’

Hanno didn’t answer. ‘Where in the name of the gods are we?’ he shouted.

All semblance of drunkenness fell away as Suniaton turned his head from side to side. ‘Sacred Tanit above,’ he breathed. ‘How long were we asleep?’

‘I don’t know,’ Hanno growled. ‘A long time.’ He pointed to the west, where the sun’s light was just visible behind the storm clouds. Its position told them that it was late in the afternoon. He stood, taking great care not to capsize the boat. Focusing on the horizon, where the sky met the threatening sea, he spent long moments trying to make out the familiar walls of Carthage, or the craggy promontory that lay to the north of the city.

‘Well?’ Suniaton could not keep the fear from his voice.

Hanno sat down heavily. ‘I can’t see a thing. We’re fifteen or twenty stades from shore. Maybe more.’

What little colour there had been in Suniaton’s face drained away. Instinctively, he clutched at the hollow gold tube that hung from a thong around his neck. Decorated with a lion’s head at one end, it contained tiny parchments covered with protective spells and prayers to the gods. Hanno wore a similar one. With great effort, he refrained from copying his friend. ‘We’ll row back,’ he announced.

‘In these seas?’ screeched Suniaton. ‘Are you mad?’

Hanno glared back. ‘What other choice have we? To jump in?’

His friend looked down. Both were more confident in the water than most, but they had never swum long distances, especially in conditions as bad as these.