The Macedonians were nervous enough already. They’d thought the desert was as bad as it got, but that was before they got out on the ocean. All these theories about Athenian seamanship and shipbuilding and maritime tradition were all very well, but the fact of the matter is that the Macedonians just didn’t like the ocean. Yet to win this war they were going to have to beat it. Which is what they were attemping to do now, thanks to Carthage and its newly revitalized fleet. Perdiccas would have liked to take credit for the alliance with the Phoenicians, but that was really due to Alexander and Craterus. Their back-channel diplomacy been a phenomenal success—not only had it helped engineer a coup that substantially weakened Athenian power, but it had also managed to give Macedonia an ally. A naval ally, no less.There was just one problem: ultimately, Macedonia didn’t want allies.She wanted subjects.Perdiccas stood on the prow of the transport-barge, looking out into the gathering dark.
