Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt: The epic conclusion to the Seven Sisters series

Contents Foreword Cast of characters Prologue: Tobolsk, Siberia, 1925 The Diary of Atlas: 1928–29 1: Boulogne-Billancourt, Paris, France 2 3 4 5 Merry: In transit: Dublin to Nice: June 2008 6 7: The Titan 8: Merry 9 10: Merry 11 The Diary of Atlas: 1929 12: Boulogne-Billancourt, Paris, France 13 14 15 16 The Titan: June 2008 17 18 19 The Diary of Atlas: 1936–40 20: Leipzig, Germany 21 22 23 24 25: Bergen Harbour, Norway, New Year’s Eve 1938 26 27: Inverness, Scotland, April 1940 The Titan: June 2008 28: Merry 29 30 The Diary of Atlas: 1944–51 31: High Weald, Kent, England 32 33 34 35 36: England, 1949 37: Atlantic Ocean, 1949 38 39: Alicia Hall, Adelaide, Australia 40: Coober Pedy, 1951 41 The Titan: June 2008 42 The Diary of Atlas: 1951–93 43 44: 1965 45 46: May 1974 47: August 1977 48: May 1980 49: August 1980 50: 1981 51: 1982 52: 1993 53 The Titan: June 2008 54 Pa’s Final Pages: The Titan: June 2007 55 56: Tyumen, Siberia, 1918 57 58: Tobolsk, 1926 59: The Olympus, June 2007 60: Tilbury Port, Essex, England, 1949 61: The Titan, June 2007 62 The Titan: June 2008 63 64 Epilogue: Atlantis: One year later Acknowledgements Lucinda dedicates this novel to her readers across the globe. I dedicate it to my mother, Lucinda, who inspired me in every way – H.W. Dear Reader, Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Harry, and I am Lucinda Riley’s eldest son. I suspect not, but perhaps it surprised you to see two names on the cover of this long-awaited novel. Just before the release of The Missing Sister in 2021, Lucinda announced that there was to be a surprise eighth and final instalment in the Seven Sisters series, which would tell the tale of the enigmatic Pa Salt. In her Author’s Note at the end of the seventh book, she wrote: ‘It’s been in my head for eight years, and I can’t wait to finally get it down on paper.’ Tragically, Mum died in June 2021 following an oesophageal cancer diagnosis in 2017. Perhaps you are speculating that she never had the chance to pen anything. But fate works in mysterious ways. In 2016, Mum There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy. William Shakespeare ATLANTIS Pa Salt – the sisters’ adoptive father Marina (Ma) – the sisters’ guardian Claudia – housekeeper at Atlantis Georg Hoffman – Pa Salt’s lawyer Christian – the skipper THE D’APLIÈSE SISTERS Maia Ally (Alcyone) Star (Asterope) CeCe (Celaeno) Tiggy (Taygete) Electra Merry (Merope) As the bitter wind whipped up a flurry of snow before them, the two young boys pulled their thinning fur coats tightly around their faces. ‘Come on!’ cried the elder of the pair. Although he had just turned eleven, his voice already possessed a gruff, husky quality. ‘That’s enough. Let’s get back home.’ The younger boy – only seven – picked up the pile of firewood they had been collecting and ran after the older boy, who was already striding