were to be placed in throat coffle.
'I take it,' said Octantius, 'that we are now to be taken out and killed.'
'You are a brave man,' I said.
'It is easy to be brave when one has no hope,' he said.
'I am sorry I spoke to you as I did earlier.'
'Your ruse was transparent,' he said. 'I took no offense.'
'You are not to be killed,' I said. 'You are to be taken away from here, and released.'
He looked at me, startled.
'Tomorrow,' I said, 'recollect honor.'
He looked at me, and then he was thrust several yards toward the gate, to be held there as more of his men were being added to the coffle.
The leader of the mercenaries hefted the bag of gold in his hand. He looked at Marcus. 'You did not tell us that you did not have the gold when you hired us,' he said.
'I had prospects of obtaining it,' said Marcus.
'What if it had not been here?' asked the mercenary.
'Then,' said Marcus, 'I would have sold my life dearly.'
'I see,' said the mercenary.
I was pleased to see that Marcus had formulated a plan for that contingency.
'Well,' said Marcus to the mercenary, 'you have your gold. You may now be on your way.'
'Marcus,' I whispered, 'please.'
The mercenary then went to where Ina lay in the dirt, in the center of what had been the circle. She was still unconscious. 'So this is the little traitress and slave,' he said. He turned her to her belly with his foot. 'Not bad,' he said. He then, again with his foot, turned her to her back. 'Good slave curves,' he said.
'Yes,' I said.
'Where are you going?' he asked.
'Ar,' I said.
'It would be dangerous to take this slave there,' he said.
'I have no intention of taking her there,' I smiled.
'Has she been taught anything of the collar?' he asked.
'A little,' I said.
'Such as she should learn quickly and well,' he said.
'I have every confidence that she will do so,' I said.
'She will, or die,' he said.
'Perhaps then,' I said, 'my camp, in an Ahn?'
'I shall sent Mincon,' he said.
'Good,' I said.
'You will have to buy her if you want her,' said Marcus.
'What a mercenary fellow,' said the leader of the mercenaries. He then, with a laugh, tossed the bag of gold to Marcus.
Marcus caught the gold against his chest, and clung to it, astonished.
'I wish you well,' said the mercenary captain to me.
'I wish you well, too,' I said.
The mercenary captain then turned to Marcus. 'I wish you well, too,' said he, 'my young friend.'
'I do not understand,' said Marcus.
'That is because you are not a mercenary,' said the captain.
'I do not understand,' said Marcus.
'We have already received our pay,' he said.
'But this is the gold,' said Marcus.
'Not all pay is gold,' he said.
'My thanks,' I said to the mercenary.
'It is nothing,' he said.
He turned to leave, but then turned back. 'I heard a fellow in the crowd, a few moments ago, tell someone that you had said Saphronicus was dead.'
'Yes,' I said.
'How did you know that?' he asked.
'I do not know it,' I said. 'I made it up, hoping to delay matters.'
'Interesting,' he said.
'Why?' I asked.
'Because,' he said, 'Saphronicus is dead.'
'How would you know this?' I asked.
'I have an agent,' he said, 'in the camp of Ar at Holmesk.'
'How did it happen?' I asked.
'That seems obscure,' he said. 'There are many reports, which conflict with one another.'
He then turned and, with a swirl of his cloak, left the concourse.
'I wish you well,' called Marcus, after him, puzzled.
'You are rich,' I said to Marcus.
'The dark-haired slave!' he cried. 'I can afford her, she at the wagon!'
He then, suddenly, turned about, and ran from the concourse. I then went and crouched beside Ina I shook her, lightly. 'Am I alive?' she asked.
'It would seem so,' I said.
'Where have they gone?' she asked.
'They have been taken away,' I said.
'But will they return?' she asked.
'I do not think so,' I said. 'The gold is gone.'
'But there will be more?' she said.
'I am not sure,' I said. 'I have heard that Saphronicus is dead.'
'Truly dead?' she said.
'I think so,' I said.
'Then I am safe?' she asked.
'I do not know,' I said.
'What is to be done with me?' she asked.
'While you were unconscious,' I said, 'someone found your slave curves of interest.'
'My 'slave curves'!' she said, in horror, putting her knees together, and covering her breasts with her hands.
'Yes,' I said, 'and open your knees, and put your hands down, on your thighs.'
She obeyed.
'What now is to be done with me?' she asked.
'Come with me,' I said, going back into the camp.
In a bit I knelt her before a horizontal bar, about a yard above the dirt, and tied her wrists to it.
'Master?' she asked.
'You were disobedient,' I said.
'Master?' she asked.
'Earlier this morning,' I said, 'when I warned you to stay close to me, near the fence of the sunken sales pit, you fled from my side.'
'Master!' she cried.
'Yes?' said an attendant, coming up to us.
'Bring me a slave whip,' I said.
