BURNING GATES
Volume One of the series A Chariot to the Sun
by
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Enthralled by his first ever sight of the sea, he tested it with his toes and cried out with joy—almost of triumph. He navigated the pebble-covered beach in wonder, rounding the curve of the bay until he finally reached the imposing docks. It was hard to take it all in. At one point he stumbled blindly into someone while his attention was caught by a long gangway sweeping down from a grand ship freshly painted dark blue and white. A fantastical parade descended in lavish array. He stared, transfixed. Men in smart white suits and straw hats, sported walking sticks and cigars. Women wreathed in frilly long dresses, held fragile fringed parasols. Were these real people? For some reason he could not understand, he ached with all his being to be one of them. He finally let himself breathe once more and turned his attention to the other vessels along the docks. With the aid of a friendly stevedore, he discovered one with six ports of call crudely drawn on a chalkboard. The last of these was New York. The colors on its single smokestack had faded into rust. The ship loomed, deserted, if not desolate, no person in sight on its decks. A gangway alongside the vessel was roped off at the bottom end. He stood and canvassed the scene for several minutes. Satisfied, he slipped under the rope and climbed steadily upward, small enough not to be very noticeable and resolute enough to belong to the ship. He arrived at the deck unchallenged and looked about. No one.
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About the Book
It is 1901 when ten-year old Basil finally grows weary of the poverty and tragedy that have transformed him into an orphan, and an unloved, unwanted part of his only relative’s household. His frustration and desire for a better life fuels a fire in him to pursue more than the wretched life he has led in the rocky reaches of the central hills of Peloponnesian Greece. Driven by his inner voice and unflinching ambition, Basil stows away on a tramp steamer where he is soon befriended by an Englishman who changes his world forever. As Basil learns the English language, he and his new friend develop a trusted relationship boosted by their mutual love of telling stories and similar life experiences. While the steamer moves from port to port on its long voyage to America, Basil’s coming-of-age journey becomes a series of unfolding adventures filled with excitement and curiosity. But Basil has no idea that his decision to board the ship is just the first step in attaining more than he ever imagined. In this historical novel, a Greek orphan born into poverty stows away on a ship that takes him to America and a new beginning.
About the Author
James Constantine Marlas enjoys writing stories that are enriched by a life filled with adventurous travel, encounters with fascinating people, years spent as a business entrepreneur, several marriages, and a love of history and ideas—all fed by insatiable curiosity and a belief that nothing is gained unless something is tried. He divides his time between the East Coast and southern France.