The Sacred Land - first US edition
by H. N. Turteltaub
The third installment in the tales of those Grecian adventurers, Sostratos
and Menedemos. The time is 308 B.C.E., not too long after the death of Alexander
the Great. Greece is in turmoil, politically and socially, but our heroes are
getting away from it all, traveling by sea to Phoenicia, where they intend to
spend a few months trading, but things aren't going according to plan. There's
the matter of their ship's unwanted cargo, olive oil they are supposed to
dispose of (coals to Newcastle). There's the matter of the unwanted guests on
the voyage, a band of sailors who are supposed to protect them from various
dangers. And, well, the whole adventure is just full of misadventure..
Book has black boards with the title stamped in silver on the spine. Jacket is
price intact at$25.95, mylar protected, featuring the artwork of John Blackford
(Written under the pseudonym of Harry Turtledove.)