“Then seek a new tyrant. The son will lose his place in the hierarchy.”
Verres laughed.
“Congratulations, Batiatus,” he said. “You have just invented the Republic!”
“We had our kings and found them wanting,” Batiatus agreed. “Following the bad days of Tarquin the Proud, we replaced them with our Republic. With men such as yourself made to run the course of honors as their training for rulership. With men such as Cicero to learn the best course of political action.”
Verres seemed to suppress a flinch, as if he had stubbed his toe, although Batiatus did not see him stumble on the steps.
“Rome has no tyrant,” Batiatus continued. “That is what makes us great-great enough to overcome the backward Sicilians.”
“Perhaps,” Verres said. “Yet we do have tyrants. Several occasions have seen the Republic falter and the appointment of new dictators to cut through the knots that senatorial government could not. Why, within living memory, Sulla was made our dictator in order to restore order to Rome.”
“And resigned office, once job was completed.”
“Fortuna smiles upon us. But what befalls the Republic should a dictator not resign?”
They reached the base of the steps.
“Then a king would rule once more.”
Each turned to head in a different direction.
“You depart?” Verres asked. “My litter awaits.”
“First I must attend to the gladiators, and sign off on the departed Bebryx. The show is not over for the lanista!”
“Of course. Forgive me. Till tonight, then.”
Lucretia stared listlessly at the colors and muted sights of Neapolis as her litter swayed past them. But no distraction could put the prattling of Ilithyia from her ears.
“I practically
“You will lay eyes again soon enough, Ilithyia,” Lucretia replied. “Tonight is the silicernium banquet, when all grief for Pelorus is put from mind.”
“Another gathering!” Ilithyia sighed dramatically. “For a man of no consequence to me.”
“He was nothing but a name, to me,” Lucretia admitted. “A stranger unmet. A fragment of my husband’s history that has brought us little fortune. Would that my father-in-law had never freed him!”
“He need not have.”
“Pelorus saved his life in some forgotten act of kindness. He felt an obligation.”
“A master has no obligation to his slaves,” Ilithyia said. “Nor does a mistress. Slaves are the spoils of our superiority. They are the prize for our labors. We can do as we please with them!” She raised her eyebrows conspiratorially. “Anything!”
“Not anything,” Lucretia said. “Slaves do not spring into the world fully formed. They must be found or bred, raised or trained. They must be clothed and fed. Their illnesses attended to. With such an investment in a human possession, it would be foolish to abuse it.”
“I can no more abuse a slave than I can abuse a table. I have even heard it said that a slave with no tongue is not diminished in value.”
“It is true slaves are not expected to speak,” Lucretia agreed. “In most cases, the tongue is an unnecessary organ. Unless to command other slaves, or serve as nomenclator to remind you of appointments and distant acquaintances. A food taster checking for poison would be of no worth without tongue. As would a pleasure slave!”
They giggled together at the thought.
“Not all men share the entitlements and honors of a Roman citizen,” Ilithyia said. “If a foreigner wishes to be Roman, it is the work of generations to learn the etiquettes and culture required. Why, one such as myself is the very pinnacle of such development, representing generations of breeding.”
“How could we forget?” Lucretia noted, flopping her head back onto her pillow.
“But I fear I am not the type to ever give consideration to freeing a slave. Not unless he is of no possible use to me, and impossible to sell on.”
“You mean if blind, infirm, or senile?”
“Certainly. Why waste coin upon him? Would you have me purchase
“Would he not be burden on our city, when found wandering the streets?” Lucretia asked.
“I would see him taken him up into the hills. Left beneath the heavens for the gods to decide his fate.”
“Is that not a little cruel?”
“Such a method gave us Romulus and Remus, suckled by the she-wolf. Rome itself came into being by such means.”
“Does that not seem like a strange comparison?”
“How so?”
“Between the legend of the foundation of Rome, and the abandonment of old slaves in the wilderness!”
“You should have a scribe set this down. A treatise on the management of a state, resembling Plato’s
“You think I am a lady of bad ideas?” Lucretia asked.
“In such a state, no work is done, but coin mysteriously appears to clothe the idle and feed the indolent. Your world is the most terrible of Saturnalias, where slaves sit in luxury while their masters scurry like mad to make sums enough to keep everybody happy.”
“You misunderstand meaning, I suggest not an end to slavery,” Lucretia scoffed. “but small kindness, when merit allows.”
“I keep them fed,” Ilithyia said, a small frown crinkling her delicate brow. “I give them a roof beneath which to sleep. I call the medicus if they injure themselves. Already I am the very model of charity.”
Bebryx’s body was already gone, hauled away by the harenarii to an unknown fate. Batiatus applied his seal to the proffered document of recognition, and prepared to leave the unpleasantly warm, blood-soaked inner hall.
His three surviving gladiators were led past him in manacles, ready for transport.
“A word, dominus?” Spartacus hissed.
The guards tensed, but Batiatus waved them on, leaving the Thracian by his side.
“What is it, Spartacus?” he demanded impatiently. “Today has been very trying.”
“Apologies, dominus,” Spartacus said. “I meant only to impart news.”
“News!” Batiatus laughed. “Neapolis has news in abundance! A day at the arena that saw a whole ludus despoiled! An entire school of gladiators massacred in the name of justice! And a painted woman fighting a pride of lions practically bare-handed, before the Champion of Capua rides to her aid! Already the tongues wag. Already words cast at country cousins enumerating the sights they have missed.”
“Even so, dominus-”
“And you! You are fortunate, Spartacus, that you only fought in the arena! My fellow citizens near blows. A quaestor seeks to debate politics with a governor and a freed slave. And I suddenly found to be warden of wise words on matters gladiatorial! You fought well today. Thank the gods for you, able to conceal the shame of Bebryx’s defeat.”
“Bebryx fought as best he could, dominus. Tired and unprepared, absent the care of a medicus-”
“Gratitude, Spartacus! When I need a new doctore to chastise me, I shall give your application due consideration. You may go.”
“But dominus…”
“What?”
“I wished to have word with you.”
“Your wife again? I pursue her to the ends of the earth and beyond. I had the departed Pelorus scouting
