The Assassins

By Louis Shalako

Emperor Domitian hates Christians. He isn't too fond of philosophers either. The Assassins will cut anyone's throat for a few pieces of gold, so that's no problem. The popular Heron of Alexandria is brash and outspoken. In addition to teaching school and building an aeolipile, history's first reaction motor, he has some surprising survival skills. Like many a boy before him, Diogenes needs a hero, and he and Peleus follow him straight into trouble. A short story.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Louis Shalako
• Release date: Feb 15, 2013
• ISBN: 9780991671670

Louis Shalako

Louis Shalako is the founder of Long Cool One Books and the author of twenty-two novels, numerous novellas and other short stories. Louis studied Radio, Television and Journalism Arts at Lambton College of Applied Arts and Technology, later going on to study fine art. He began writing for community newspapers and industrial magazines over thirty years ago. His stories appear in publications including Perihelion Science Fiction, Bewildering Stories, Aurora Wolf, Ennea, Wonderwaan, Algernon, Nova Fantasia, and Danse Macabre. He lives in southern Ontario and writes full time. Louis enjoys cycling, swimming and good books.

Book preview

The Assassins

Louis Shalako

This Smashwords edition copyright 2014 Louis Shalako and Long Cool One Books

Cover by J. Thornton

ISBN 978-0-9916716-7-0

The Assassins originally appeared in Nova Fantasia (Spain) entitled Dioxenes.

http://novafantasia.com/arquivos/6575

The following is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any person living or deceased, or to any places or events, is purely coincidental. Names, places, settings, characters and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination. The author’s moral right has been asserted.

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Table of Contents

Diogenes was Folding Laundry

Heron was An Early Riser

Diogenes and Peleus

Heron Unlocked the Door

The Boys Went into the Alley

In the Light Spilling In

About the Author

The Assassins

Louis Shalako

Diogenes was Folding Laundry

Diogenes was folding laundry for his mother. He had barely found time to pull it off the lines last evening. Some of the thicker, woven items were still damp. While he hated doing women’s work, it was the price of attending school. The slightly-pudgy Diogenes had always been a bookworm, ever since he could remember. His father, presently snuffling and grunting in the kitchen area, had reluctantly agreed to send him to the school of Heron, the world-famous lecturer, after extracting certain promises from his thirteen year-old son. Hector couldn’t refuse the lad, even though his meager salary as a scribe at the library barely made ends meet. The boy’s enthusiasm for Heron, not just the best teacher in Alexandria, but probably the world, people were saying, was a reward in itself.

Anything to get the boy out of his room and out into the world like a normal person seemed worthwhile. Hector