THE 22 LETTERS

by Clive King ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 1967

In an unusual quest-like adventure touching on many facets of ancient history and cultural progress, three brothers, dispersed by chance, return with news (of military threat) and with knowledge which will transcend material loss--this transcendence is the message which implies a parallel with the present. Resh, the mason of Gebal, has three sons--Aleph, Zayim and Nun-and a daughter, Beth. Aleph and Beth have worked out a twenty-two letter phonetic alphabet as a game, and when the boy is taken into slavery by an Egyptian Jew and learns of a forthcoming attack, he sends a note to his sister in their code tied to a pigeon. Zayim, a general, is captured by ""centaurs"" who turn out to be men on horseback; he hears of a plan to invade his homeland and escapes in time to lead Gebal against its enemies--he is the first cavalry officer. Nun, a sea captain, has the most exciting experiences of the three: carrying a Chaldean sage as passenger, he learns to navigate by the stars, fights the bull of Knossos, and flees home with the knowledge of the Cretans' intended invasion. Threatened on three flanks, the small army holds out until . . . the Chaldean's forebodings prove correct: the world suffers the earthquake and tidal wave which destroyed the Minoan labyrinth and drowned the enemies of Gebal, but could not obliterate the new-found knowledge. Details of daily life, animated dialogue and high adventure spark this fictional supposition of how three crucial discoveries came about, and Mr. King is a sound enough historian to make maybe could be.

Pub Date: April 1, 1967

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Coward-McCann

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1967

Categories: FICTION