As the Titan approached Delos, the tiny island was bathed in the gloaming of the as yet unrisen sun. It was rock-strewn, with patches of green and yellow grass that rose up towards the peak. This, combined with the ancient Grecian pillars that adorned the land, created an atmosphere of ancient wonder.

There was no hope of taking the Benetti into the tiny harbour, so Hans Gaia dropped anchor as close as he could, and organised a tender to take the sisters to shore. As Ally navigated the small boat – which also contained Georg and Ma – towards the jetty, a familiar figure came into view. One by one, Claudia helped the girls out of the tender, and embraced them all individually. She saved her longest hug for her brother, Georg. Their normally reserved housekeeper broke down in his arms.

‘Girls,’ she sobbed, ‘your father is a guardian angel.’

‘Take us to him, Claudia,’ Maia said.

The housekeeper led the group up a dusty path from the harbour to the foot of a large green hill, where the walkway became so thin that the sisters had to travel in single file. Sure enough, as they neared the top, an isolated whitewashed bungalow came into view. The spectacle was as magnificent as Pa had written, offering panoramic views of the classical island and the sea that surrounded it.

‘How is he, Claudia?’ Ally asked.

‘Even he is not invincible. Last week, he had another heart attack. Thinking it was his last day, I told him that Merry had finally been found, and that you were all coming to lay a wreath. It has kept him going. He has refused to surrender for his entire life . . . But now . . .’ Claudia turned to Merry and took her hand. ‘My darling, perhaps it is best if you let the girls prepare him for your arrival first. He is so very weak.’

Merry nodded. ‘Of course.’

‘Ma, would you go in first and tell him we are all here?’ asked Maia.

‘Something tells me he already knows,’ whispered Tiggy.

‘Of course, chérie,’ Ma smiled sadly. ‘I will go and see him first.’

Claudia led Marina through the front door of the cold, shadowy house and down the hallway to a bedroom at the back. ‘Are you ready?’ Claudia asked. Ma nodded, and opened the door.

On a double bed in the corner of the room, Atlas dozed, propped up by half a dozen white pillows. As Marina approached, he slowly opened his eyes, and turned to look at her. His skin was grey, and his eyes sunken. But the irises themselves contained the same brown shine which they always had.

‘Bonjour, chéri,’ she said quietly, taking his frail hand. ‘It is I, Marina.’

Atlas broke into a smile. ‘Hello, Ma.’ She wrapped him in a gentle hug, a little unnerved by just how thin he had become. Then she pulled up a wooden chair and sat by his side. ‘Marina . . . I . . . I’m so sorry. So very sorry. For everything,’ he whispered.

‘Shh, chéri,’ Marina comforted him. ‘There is nothing to be sorry about.’

‘The girls . . . are they all right?’

‘They are wonderful, Atlas.’

The news calmed him. ‘Do they know I am alive?’

‘Yes, Atlas, they do. And they are outside waiting to see you.’

Atlas’s shoulders seemed to drop. ‘The girls are here? For me?’

‘Yes. All of them.’

‘You mean . . .’ Marina nodded. ‘She . . .’ Atlas’s voice cracked. ‘She is here? My first daughter?’

‘Yes.’

Atlas tried to gather himself, clearly fighting his shallow breathing. ‘Do they know I am near death?’

‘Don’t be ridiculous, chéri. As if you could ever do anything as normal as dying!’

‘Ma,’ he said, squeezing her hand a little tighter. ‘It’s all right. Do they know?’

Marina held back tears. Atlas was protecting his daughters to the last. ‘Yes. They wish to say goodbye. As do I, my dear man.’ She stroked his head gently. ‘What troubles you have seen.’

‘Troubles, Marina?’ Atlas managed to shake his head. ‘No. Only life and humanity – the good and the bad – played out over ninety years.’

‘Before the girls come in, I want to say my own thank you, for trusting me with their upbringing. For taking me on when I had no relevant qualifications . . .’

‘My dear Marina,’ he smiled. ‘I saw the way you cared for those children in Paris. I knew how much love is within you.’

‘I did some dreadful things, too . . . things I am so ashamed of.’

He patted her hand. ‘As I have told the girls so many times, never judge others on what they do, but on who they are. Now, is Georg here?’ Ma nodded, and Atlas sighed. ‘Do you ever wonder why he has never felt he could profess his love for you, when it has been so obvious for all these years how he feels about you?’

Ma gave a light chuckle. ‘I would be lying if I said no. But, there are many things he does not know about me. I worry that he would be . . . ashamed of me.’

‘I entreat you to speak to him. He and you must both lay the past to rest. Please, Marina, life is so very short . . . promise me you will try.’ He looked at his old friend imploringly.

‘I promise.’ Marina took a moment to compose herself. ‘Now, have you the energy to see your girls?’

A smile returned to his face. ‘If I don’t, I will find it. Are they going to be all right?’

‘Oh, yes. We have raised some strong women.’ Marina stood, took Atlas’s hand again, and kissed it. ‘I will send them in.’

Atlas leant back into his pillows, and summoned every last iota of strength he possessed. He took a moment to close his eyes, and send up a prayer to the heavens.

‘Thank you for sending them.’

Them the door to his bedroom opened once more, and tears fell down his face as he greeted his six daughters one by one. He took each in his arms, and lightly kissed the tops of their heads, as he had done when they were children. Although every one of them cried, they were tears of joy, not pain. Though events had tried to keep the family apart, the universe had brought them together one final time.

The sisters settled themselves around their pa’s bed, and he was clearly overjoyed to be surrounded by the people he loved most in the world.

‘My bold, brilliant, beautiful girls. I only ever wanted to keep you safe.’

‘We know, Pa, we know,’ Star comforted him.

‘We’re just . . . so happy to see you again,’ wept Ally.

Atlas looked up to the ceiling. ‘The story is long. I did not expect to live . . .’ He turned back to the sisters. ‘But I wrote everything down, and gave it to Georg. You will all know the truth.’

‘We already know, Pa,’ Electra said softly. ‘Georg gave us the pages before we arrived here.’

‘Ah, did he now?’ Atlas said, raising an eyebrow. ‘Please remind me to give him the sack.’ Muted chuckles punctuated the girls’ tears. ‘In fact,’ Atlas breathed, ‘where is he?’

‘Outside,’ said CeCe. ‘Shall I fetch him?’

Atlas smiled. ‘Thank you, CeCe.’

Maia leant in towards her father. ‘Pa, through your “death” each of us grew up and found ourselves. We are all adults now – the people you wanted us to become.’

Atlas gave a little nod. ‘I’m so proud of you. Georg has told me that each of you found your birth families.’

‘Yes,’ said Maia tenderly. ‘But more importantly, we all found our futures. And happiness.’

‘Then that,’ Atlas breathed, ‘is the best gift I could ever have given you.’

‘Pa, just one question,’ Ally said. ‘Over the last year, we all at one time thought we had heard or seen you.’

‘Or even smelt you,’ Electra whispered.

‘Did you ever come back to Atlantis?’ Ally asked.

‘Or were you in Bergen?’ added Star. ‘I thought I saw you at Ally’s concert.’

Their father smiled. ‘Sadly, no. Although I was following your progress. You could say I was with you in spirit, as I always will be . . . Just look up to the Seven Sisters of the Pleiades and I will be there, too. Atlas – your father – watching over you all.’

‘You’ll always be Pa Salt to us,’ sobbed Tiggy.

He grinned. ‘Of course. Do I still smell of the sea, little Maia?’

The girls laughed again. He was being so strong for them.

There was a faint knock on the bedroom door, and Georg Hoffman entered the room. ‘Hello, Atlas,’ said his old friend.

‘Hello again, Georg. It’s nice that you are here to say goodbye to me for a third time.’ He gave Georg a gentle wink. ‘Now, excuse me, girls, might you just make a little room?’ Maia and Ally moved so that Georg could reach the bed. He took Atlas’s hand, but was delicately pulled in for an embrace. The sisters watched as he whispered something to Georg, who nodded fervently before standing up. ‘Thank you, my friend, for bringing everyone to me. It is the most beautiful gift.’

‘Speaking of gifts,’ said Georg. ‘Ally? Bear has arrived.’

‘Pa . . . would you like to meet your grandson?’

‘Your boy, Ally? He is on Delos?’

She nodded. ‘Captain Hans has just ferried him over from the Titan.’

Atlas’s eyes glistened. ‘Please, bring him in . . .’

Ally disappeared momentarily, and returned with her son in her arms. ‘Pa, this is Bear. Bear, meet your grandpa.’

‘Hello, precious one. May I hold him?’ Ally hesitated a moment. ‘Please, I didn’t drop any of you. I don’t intend to start now!’ Ally smiled and gently placed her son in her father’s arms. ‘Bear . . . what a wonderful name. My goodness, Ally.’ He looked up at her. ‘He looks so much like you.’

The women watched their father coo and fuss over the infant, who somehow provided Atlas with a second wind of energy, as if he was taking strength from the young life – and the future – which he cradled in his arms. With his renewed vigour, Atlas was able to ask his daughters about the romantic partners that Georg had told him all about, and hear from their own lips the fates of the families he had known from long ago.

When the time felt right, Maia made eye contact with each of her sisters. They all sensed that the moment had come.

‘Pa,’ Maia said. ‘There is someone else here to see you. She is waiting outside.’

Atlas’s breathing quickened. Tiggy took his hand. ‘Don’t be scared, Pa. This is your reward from the universe.’ The girls stood up one by one, and he blew each a kiss as they left the room.

Then, very slowly, the door opened once again, and Merry stepped inside.

‘Hello, Pa,’ she said with a smile. She walked towards him and gave him a gentle peck on his forehead.

Atlas’s eyes were open wide. ‘Elle . . .’ he whispered.

Merry shook her head. ‘I’m afraid not. Mary was the name I was given by my family in Ireland. But everyone would call me “Merry” because I was happy. Your girls say you’d be calling me “Merope” had you found me sooner.’

‘Merope . . . Merry.’ Atlas beamed at the coincidence, and stared at his daughter in wonder. ‘Can it really be you?’

‘It’s me all right. I’m your flesh and blood.’

Atlas was too moved to speak, tears dripping down his cheeks. He reached out his hand, and Merry gripped it tightly. Soon, she began to cry too. The pair sat in silence for a while, father and daughter, taking each other in for the first time.

‘You look like your mother,’ Atlas managed. ‘Merry, she was so beautiful. See? There she is.’ Atlas pointed to the charcoal drawing from Atlantis, which now hung alongside his bed.

‘I’ve seen the copy Georg has,’ Merry replied. ‘The girls have said they recognised me from it the moment I stepped on board the Titan.’ She nodded towards the drawing. ‘Everyone was wondering where the original picture had gone.’

‘I asked Claudia to bring it here. It is all I have left of her, I . . .’ Atlas stared at his daughter, choked with emotion. ‘Now you are here – a part of her is with me. It is a miracle. Forgive me, my darling, that I couldn’t be there to protect you. I searched for you for years, right across the world. I never expected you to be in Ireland, I . . .’

Merry could see Atlas becoming distressed. ‘Shh, it’s all right, Pa. Everything’s all right now. So, tell me about her – Elle. Tell me of my mother.’

Atlas smiled widely. ‘It would be my honour.’

He held Merry’s hand, and told her all that he could. His eldest daughter watched the light dance in his eyes as he recalled the love of his life, and everything that she was to him. Eventually, Atlas became tired, and Merry watched him doze off, his hand still clutching hers. Slowly, his grip began to lessen, and Merry sensed her father floating away. She quickly stood up, and went to bring in the rest of the girls to say goodbye.

Each of them kissed their father in turn and sat around his bed, holding tightly to one another and weeping.

Eventually, as the sun began to rise over Delos, the light crept onto Atlas’s face. He opened his eyes, and gave the room a smile which radiated warmth and love.

‘I can see her,’ Atlas said. ‘She is waiting for me. Elle is waiting for me . . .’

Then, after his life of immeasurable beauty, pain and kindness, Atlas Tanit closed his eyes for the final time.