Eurymedon

Tom Banks and his father, Alistair, leave England to cruise the Mediterranean on their yacht, Genie, to experience history first hand. In Malta, they meet Helena, a librarian with a deep interest in ancient history and together, they travel to Sicily.

There, Helena relates the tale of the battle of Syracuse, a turning point in the Peloponnesian War. Tom questions the story related by Helena so they seek out a historian, a rich recluse living at a remote villa in the Sicilian countryside with his two servants, to resolve the matter.

No sooner than having made Doctor Porcini's acquaintance, they find themselves embroiled in the theft of an ancient and valuable relic, Eurymedon's jewel encrusted sword. Matters take a turn for the worse when Alistair unexpectedly encounters the gang.

Presumed guilty by the police and Doctor Porcini, and with his father missing, Tom is forced to go on the run with Helena and face up to the criminal mastermind in order to rescue Alistair and prove their innocence. A chase that takes them back to Malta and a final dramatic encounter.