At the Point of the Sword

Jack Crawford has never set foot on England, yet his English name and blood tie him to a distant island he may never see. Growing up on the outskirts of Lima, he watches the waning days of a once‑great Incan world under Spanish rule, and hears whispered plans for independence from his father’s circle. The story opens on the eve of his fourteenth birthday, when he is busy painting a small boat in his workshop, dreaming of the celebration his absent father promised to bring.

That night a pale, frightened girl named Rosa Montilla bursts into his home, calling his name in tears and hinting that something terrible has befallen her family. Jack’s instinct to help pulls him into a tangled web of secret meetings, hidden keys, and a daring voyage that could change his life. As the first act unfolds, the quiet streets of Lima give way to a world of intrigue and peril, setting the stage for the adventures that lie ahead.