This happened in the last chapter: Daniel has been bought by the priestess of Hera. Sam had hoped to join him but the priestess has no use for her skills. Many male customers are interested in her, she is scared. A strange old man asking weird questions might be her best chance.
Glossary: Gymnasium: training center. Matrones: wives of important citizens. Quaestor: a public official, here presiding the auction.
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Chapter 4
As Khastor, the second sun, was beginning its descent, the heat became a little more bearable and the streets seemed to wake up. People were leaving the coolness of their houses to go about their business. The Eastern part of the city was filling with sounds from craftsmen's activities, slaves were wandering from one stall to the other, gathering the necessary ingredients for the evening meal at their master's house. Sellers were yelling and bragging about their products, dogs and geese looking for crumbs or leftovers under the stalls. Climbing down from carts driven by their slaves, the town's dignitaries were gathering on the slopes under the gymnasium to discuss politics, while the matrones were taking their turn to the public baths; Children armed with buckets formed a line at the fountain, waiting for their turn and a happy chat could be heard from the basin where women were beating the linen of their dominus' household. After an hour or two, those in need of a new slave gathered around the revolving stage, waiting for the auction to begin, tension rising among the prisoners.
Eventually, the quaestor announced the beginning of the auction and the less attractive slaves, wearing a hat indicating they had no guarantee, were gathered closest to the stage. Jack was frustrated, knowing that Sam was the crown jewel of the lot and that she would be last to climb on the stage. Because of that, he would not know what happened with her if he was sold before her, which was a distressful thought. He nearly wished he would not be sold that day, but it would mean the mines or the galleys for him and frankly, he had worked in enough mines already, and the galleys were not that attractive either.
A man with a club foot was presented first. He was solidly built and Jack had heard that he had lost his foot when he had tried to escape his former master, his ankle being smashed by the ring. He was still able to work though, and a modest family bought him for a cheap price to work in their house and field. Two or three older prisoners were presented after him but no one seemed to be interested and they were returned to the prison to be sold the day after. Fortunately, the old woman they had made friends with was sold to a young couple in need of someone to attend their first born and she seemed happy with her fate. The fact that she had already served as a slave had been a determining factor, since the young couple felt she would be easy to deal with and trustworthy. One by one, the prisoners' fate was decided and they were dispatched to the four corners of the city. There was only five of them left now, and Jack was certain he was next on the stage. There was no way he could expect to be sold for a higher price than Carter or the three young and handsome specimens remaining. Studying the small group of potential buyers at the front row, his gut churned at the sight of the pervert returning and taking a seat. "Hell no!" he thought. "Anyone but him!" He couldn't bear the thought of any of them being left into the clutches of this man. To his amazement, one of the young women was brought to the stage in his place and the auction started immediately. He addressed one of the guards:
"Why isn't it my turn? She is more valuable than me, I should have been first"
"You have already been sold" the guard answered absently as he was following the auction.
"What? Already sold? But who? When? Why am I still here?"
"An important citizen bought you in a private sale before the auction but he is interested in other items too and will collect you at the end of the auction"
"Who bought me?" Jack wanted to know. But the guard pushed him away, not wanting to be disturbed anymore, and another guard walked him back to his place.
"Who bought me?" Jack asked him.
"I have not been informed. You will find out soon enough. The auction is soon over"
"What did you say Sir? Someone bought you already?"
"Yeah, no one wants to tell me who. I just hope it's not the pervert over there..."
"God I hope not. And I really hope he is not buying me either..."
"If he does I'll break his neck"
"Sir no! You'd only get yourself into trouble and I'd end up with him anyway. Promise me you won't do anything like that!"
"Carter..."
"Promise me!"
"I just.. Sam.."
"Sir! Please!" She was both angry and scared for him... There was only one thing to do. He promised. At that point, the young woman was sold to a rich dignitary and taken away. The guard took Sam by the arm and forced her up on the stage.
"Wait! What about them?!" Jack asked, pointing at the two other prisoners.
"They are sold too and will be picked up at the end of the auction. She is the last one"
"Why?! Why is she sold at the auction and not them?"
"Only one buyer was interested in each of you three. For her there were several. She'll make a good price!"
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And so it began. Sam had been pissed at Turghan when he had forced her to turn around and expose herself in that damned blue dress, but she would have paid for that blue dress today. In all her glorious nakedness, she was standing on the stage, exposed for all to see while the slave trader was declaiming her physical characteristics and unusual skills to the audience. The words "scholar" and "warrior" were followed by shocked murmurs of approval and excitement in the crowd. The slave auction was one of the rare entertainment they had, and they knew the best part of it was to come. Two or three bidders fighting for the possession of the best slave. The bidders usually played along, the show being an occasion for them to reassert their status and power in the city, their strategic skills and their poker faces. Sam was terrorized, but not about to show it. She stood steady on her feet, showing a blank face with a hint of fierceness in her eyes.
The first bidder was a man Jack hadn't noticed before. He was exceptionally dull and commonplace, nothing distinguished him from the crowd behind him and Jack had to make an effort to identify him again after he sat back down. The second bid was placed by Pervert Aquilon Tiberius. His smug smile sent shivers in both Jack and Sam, who turned their looks back to the first bidder in expectation. But a third bidder entered the scene, the crowd bobbling with excitement. Tiberius didn't seem happy to see him, which seemed a good thing to Jack at first. But the new comer looked like Julius Caesar with short hair resembling steel wool, harsh features, a crisp white tunic under a chain mail and a red mantel. He didn't look like the kind of guy who cared for beautiful women nor scholars, and Jack doubted he was interested in Sam's skills as a warrior. What did he want with Carter?
The first bidder held for a few rounds but he gave up pretty quickly and melted back in the crowd. The two others had reached insane sums already and Jack was both proud and worried. Did one of these guys buy him? Would Carter be bought by the same one? What did they do with their slaves? None of them seemed a good choice, but of course, he would choose harsh over perverse any day. At least, with harsh he knew what to expect. With perverts you could never anticipate the next blow...
The opponents were taking more time between their bids now, needing to consider their next move and think their strategy through. At one point, it looked like Tiberius had the advantage and the other one was about to give up, the quaestor initiating the final count down, but suddenly, the mad professor stood up, holding a large roll in his raised hand.
"By Hera, the sale is over!" he declared. The crowd burst into a frenzy. Tiberius was looking daggers at him and the other bidder was gone already.
"What?! What just happened?" Jack begged.
"Hadrian Anthonius has used the right of Hera" a young guard said eagerly, looking at Jack as if his words were self-explanatory.
"And?"
"Hadrian Anthonius is the High Attendant at the temple of Hera. As such, he has a first right to choose slaves for the service of the Goddess. In the case of highly prized items like this one, he has to wait until the final count down before he can use the trump roll. When he does, he effectively closes the auction, committing himself to pay a fee over the final bid and to personally ensure that the slave will be used properly"
"Oh thanks God!" Jack exclaimed, relieved to know that Carter was now safe. He was also ridiculously proud that those people had recognized her value in such a way. Triggered by some insane curiosity, he felt he had to know the final price the mad professor would pay for her.
"A fee you said? How much?"
"I don't really know. It has been privately settled between the quaestor and Hadrian Anthonius when he bought you"
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Sitting at the back of Hadrian Anthonius's cart, Jack couldn't believe his luck! Here he was, WITH CARTER, in the cart of the High Attendant of Hera -quite a mouthful but it sounded like a nice occupation- who seemed to be a decent man (much more that the two others anyway), making their way slowly along the river toward a beautiful domain they could see on the slopes of a green hill ahead.
"The vine is early this year" their new dominus said casually. "Our wine has a fair reputation in the kingdom"
"You are making wine?" Sam asked politely, pulling at her tunic, which she found too short because it only covered half her thighs.
"Of course. Everybody makes wine" the dominus smiled. "I think you'll enjoy the process of wine-making, Helen" he said to the girl he had bought for his wife. Jack and Sam had been surprised to find out that their master had bought the girl too. She must have been around eight, had a lovely face and bright eyes, but horrible burn scars on her back and arm as well as a spot behind the head were hair would never grow again. The child had been very scared at the prison, but the dominus had already charmed her when he told her she would be named after the legendary Helen of Troy, a woman of astonishing beauty, like herself.
"Oh look!" Sam showed Jack some people crossing the river. "It's the old woman who has been so nice to us" And true enough, the woman was following her new owners across the river, struggling to keep her balance between the stream reaching her calves and the slippery stones covering the river bottom. The young couple had reached the bank on the other side, waiting for her. Not wanting to appear weak and dishonor her new owners, she hastened her pace and fell, finding herself sitting in the river, her new tunic soaked and her pride washed down the stream. She was struggling to get up again when a strong hand grabbed her arm and she was suddenly gathered in Jack's arms, who carried her to the other side. As he lowered her to her feet, she patted his jaw like she would her son, and thanked him. The young couple was waiting, watching approvingly, then the old woman followed them and Jack waded through the water again, returning to the cart. As he was climbing out of the river, he realized he had missed a sandal and stood there for a moment, wondering if he should go back and look for it.
"Come up here now, I'm sure Hephaestus will be able to find another one for you" the dominus said before turning to Sam. "I had made up my mind to name you Amanda, "worth of love" but I think after that, I have no choice but name you Atalante, don't you think?"
"Atalante? What does it mean?"
"Atalante was a huntress, like the goddess Artemis, and the only female companion of Jason, who was leading the Argonauts. It has become quite obvious that your companion deserves his name of Jason"
"Jason? Why?" Jack asked as he was climbing back in the cart.
"Jason was son of a king, but his father had been chased away by his own brother, who was ruling while Jason was growing up as herd boy in the mountains. The oracle told Jason he was son of a king and would regain his kingdom. The same oracle told the false king to beware of a man with only one sandal. Jason followed the oracle's advice, took a sword and walked down the mountain to reclaim his throne. On his way, he met the Goddess Hera who had disguised herself as an old woman to try him. He agreed to carry her over the river, and in so doing, one of his sandals snap off but he continued undisturbed and regained his throne. So you see, Hera gave me all the signs I needed to know that I had to name you Jason"
"Makes sense" Jack concluded.
