[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
one's slaves to bear arms within the city; it was much easier to give them staves and special training.
Pressure from women worried about the "gangs of runaways" changed the law to permit slaves to bear
staffs at any and all times, though not swords.
Any man could learn to handle a staff, and one did not have to worry quite as much about watching
one's back as when the slaves were armed with edged weapons. The very idea of men with swords-even
for a short period of time and under the proper supervision of a female-made some Mazonites very
nervous. That was all to the good so far as Xylina was concerned; it meant that she and Faro had more
business.
That was the positive side of their situation. On the negative side, Xylina had been forced to hire six
guards to watch over her property. There had already been two more attempts to set her house ablaze;
both foiled because she or Faro had caught the fire before it began to spread. Xylina had practiced the
conjuration of fire-stifling vapor, learning well from her mistake with water on oil. There had also been
a number of attempts at ambushes. It would have been cheaper in the long run if she had been able to
buy the slaves outright, but at the moment she could not afford that many trained men.
But she did not have time to think about her finances. There were training-contracts to arrange, a
household to run, the training itself to oversee, and a hundred details to take care of. There never seemed
to be any end to it. And she never had any time to really look into her financial state. She could only
assume that since there was more money going into their account than leaving it, that everything was
fine.
There was, however, one matter she realized she had to address. "Faro," she said one evening before
sleep.
"Yes, mistress?" He had been about to lie down across her doorway, as usual.
"I think I don't know exactly how to say this," she said, aware of the awkwardness of the situation, but
determined to get through it. "I don't want to offend you."
"I think you could not do that if you tried," he said with a low laugh.
"You have been a good slave and a good guard and a good friend. You have served me so much better
than I had any right to expect. But I may not have treated you with the same consideration."
"I have no complaints, mistress."
"You are a man. You-surely have male needs. And I -"
"I think this is a dialogue we do not need to finish," he said gruffly.
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Click here to buy
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He was misunderstanding exactly the very way she had feared. "I want you to be-be satisfied-
somewhere. As I understand other slaves are. So that your life will have some-some pleasure. But I don't
know how it is accomplished."
"Oh. There are pleasure houses run by freedmen. Slaves go there when given leave, or in groups by
appointment. Their mistresses give them coins to purchase the service, much in the manner of any other
market."
"Take what coins you need," she said. "Go there when- when you need to."
"Mistress, I can't leave you. Someone would see me go, and know that you were not properly guarded."
This was every bit as difficult as she had feared it would be. "I am prepared to risk it. I want you to be-
be taken care of, and I just can't-do this particular thing for you myself. Please go, Faro."
He was silent a moment. "Mistress, I thank you sincerely for your offer. But I could not enjoy myself
anywhere if I knew you were left vulnerable. I must not leave your side. So I beg you, think no more of
this matter."
"I can't put it aside," she said. "You have risked your life to protect mine, and you are making it possible
for me to repay my debt of gold. I must give you some-"
"Mistress, I'm sure you don't want to walk with me to such a house," he said, laughing.
"Walk there with you," she said thoughtfully. "Yes, I could do that. Is it safe in their-their
antechamber?"
"Certainly. They have women from other cultures, ones without magic, and they guard them well. But-"
"Tomorrow," she said. "Tomorrow we shall go there. There is one close by?"
"Such houses are everywhere. They do not advertise their presence, but all slaves know their location.
There is one near."
"Tomorrow we go," she repeated with determination.
And the next day they did. The house turned out to be unpretentious. In fact it seemed to be a
knickknack store, with slaves entering and departing fairly constantly. That was its cover. Its real
business was in the several chambers in back. Faro showed her to a door that seemed to lead to a store
room, but beyond it was a waiting room where several slaves sat. They sprang to attention the moment
Xylina entered, looking alarmed. One was armed with a staff.
"Be at ease," Faro said quickly. "My mistress merely wishes to know the nature of the establishment I
might visit. She has no concern about you."
A freedman appeared, readily identified by his costume and attitude. "I am Bulmer, the proprietor. Is
there a problem?"
"My mistress feared I might be cheated or waylaid," Faro said smoothly. "So she came to see the
establishment for herself, as is her right."
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Click here to buy
Click here to buy
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"Come into my office," Bulmer said.
They followed him to a small private chamber. The freedman turned to Xylina. "Is this a surprise
inspection? I assure you we are in order."
Xylina decided to tell him the truth. "I depend on Faro for protection. There have been incidents. He is
concerned that if he leaves the house, I will be vulnerable. So I came here, so that he need not be [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl karpacz24.htw.pl
one's slaves to bear arms within the city; it was much easier to give them staves and special training.
Pressure from women worried about the "gangs of runaways" changed the law to permit slaves to bear
staffs at any and all times, though not swords.
Any man could learn to handle a staff, and one did not have to worry quite as much about watching
one's back as when the slaves were armed with edged weapons. The very idea of men with swords-even
for a short period of time and under the proper supervision of a female-made some Mazonites very
nervous. That was all to the good so far as Xylina was concerned; it meant that she and Faro had more
business.
That was the positive side of their situation. On the negative side, Xylina had been forced to hire six
guards to watch over her property. There had already been two more attempts to set her house ablaze;
both foiled because she or Faro had caught the fire before it began to spread. Xylina had practiced the
conjuration of fire-stifling vapor, learning well from her mistake with water on oil. There had also been
a number of attempts at ambushes. It would have been cheaper in the long run if she had been able to
buy the slaves outright, but at the moment she could not afford that many trained men.
But she did not have time to think about her finances. There were training-contracts to arrange, a
household to run, the training itself to oversee, and a hundred details to take care of. There never seemed
to be any end to it. And she never had any time to really look into her financial state. She could only
assume that since there was more money going into their account than leaving it, that everything was
fine.
There was, however, one matter she realized she had to address. "Faro," she said one evening before
sleep.
"Yes, mistress?" He had been about to lie down across her doorway, as usual.
"I think I don't know exactly how to say this," she said, aware of the awkwardness of the situation, but
determined to get through it. "I don't want to offend you."
"I think you could not do that if you tried," he said with a low laugh.
"You have been a good slave and a good guard and a good friend. You have served me so much better
than I had any right to expect. But I may not have treated you with the same consideration."
"I have no complaints, mistress."
"You are a man. You-surely have male needs. And I -"
"I think this is a dialogue we do not need to finish," he said gruffly.
a
a
T
T
n
n
s
s
F
F
f
f
o
o
D
D
r
r
P
P
m
m
Y
Y
e
e
Y
Y
r
r
B
B
2
2
.
.
B
B
A
A
Click here to buy
Click here to buy
w
w
m
m
w
w
o
o
w
w
c
c
.
.
.
.
A
A
Y
Y
B
B
Y
Y
B
B
r r
He was misunderstanding exactly the very way she had feared. "I want you to be-be satisfied-
somewhere. As I understand other slaves are. So that your life will have some-some pleasure. But I don't
know how it is accomplished."
"Oh. There are pleasure houses run by freedmen. Slaves go there when given leave, or in groups by
appointment. Their mistresses give them coins to purchase the service, much in the manner of any other
market."
"Take what coins you need," she said. "Go there when- when you need to."
"Mistress, I can't leave you. Someone would see me go, and know that you were not properly guarded."
This was every bit as difficult as she had feared it would be. "I am prepared to risk it. I want you to be-
be taken care of, and I just can't-do this particular thing for you myself. Please go, Faro."
He was silent a moment. "Mistress, I thank you sincerely for your offer. But I could not enjoy myself
anywhere if I knew you were left vulnerable. I must not leave your side. So I beg you, think no more of
this matter."
"I can't put it aside," she said. "You have risked your life to protect mine, and you are making it possible
for me to repay my debt of gold. I must give you some-"
"Mistress, I'm sure you don't want to walk with me to such a house," he said, laughing.
"Walk there with you," she said thoughtfully. "Yes, I could do that. Is it safe in their-their
antechamber?"
"Certainly. They have women from other cultures, ones without magic, and they guard them well. But-"
"Tomorrow," she said. "Tomorrow we shall go there. There is one close by?"
"Such houses are everywhere. They do not advertise their presence, but all slaves know their location.
There is one near."
"Tomorrow we go," she repeated with determination.
And the next day they did. The house turned out to be unpretentious. In fact it seemed to be a
knickknack store, with slaves entering and departing fairly constantly. That was its cover. Its real
business was in the several chambers in back. Faro showed her to a door that seemed to lead to a store
room, but beyond it was a waiting room where several slaves sat. They sprang to attention the moment
Xylina entered, looking alarmed. One was armed with a staff.
"Be at ease," Faro said quickly. "My mistress merely wishes to know the nature of the establishment I
might visit. She has no concern about you."
A freedman appeared, readily identified by his costume and attitude. "I am Bulmer, the proprietor. Is
there a problem?"
"My mistress feared I might be cheated or waylaid," Faro said smoothly. "So she came to see the
establishment for herself, as is her right."
a
a
T
T
n
n
s
s
F
F
f
f
o
o
D
D
r
r
P
P
m
m
Y
Y
e
e
Y
Y
r
r
B
B
2
2
.
.
B
B
A
A
Click here to buy
Click here to buy
w
w
m
m
w
w
o
o
w
w
c
c
.
.
.
.
A
A
Y
Y
B
B
Y
Y
B
B
r r
"Come into my office," Bulmer said.
They followed him to a small private chamber. The freedman turned to Xylina. "Is this a surprise
inspection? I assure you we are in order."
Xylina decided to tell him the truth. "I depend on Faro for protection. There have been incidents. He is
concerned that if he leaves the house, I will be vulnerable. So I came here, so that he need not be [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]