Over the Wine Dark Sea

He opened the door to Maibia's chamber. Such bloodthirsty thoughts flew from his head. She wore the tunic of Koan silk, in which she looked even more alluring than she did naked. 'Is it true what Fabia told me, that you'll be leaving before long?' she asked.   'Yes, it's true.' Sostratos closed the door behind him. 'I'll miss you,' he went on. 'I'll miss you more than I thought I would.'   'But not enough to be after taking me with you.' Maibia sighed. Through the thin silk, the sigh was worth watching. 'In spite of what you said and all, I did hope you might. I'd be good to you, Sostratos; you know I would.'   She'd be good to him for as long as he kept her in the style she wanted, or until she found someone who'd keep her in higher style. He didn't blame her for wanting to escape from Lamakhos. Who wouldn't? But he tossed his head even so. 'I'm sorry. I told you how things are. I didn't lie to you.'   'Truth that,' she said, and Sostratos felt the snugness one feels for playing the game by the rules and winning anyhow. Maibia promptly punctured it: 'Sure and it is a truth, but not one that does me any good at all, at all. I'm still stuck here, still here to be stuck by any spalpeen with the silver to pay for it. And why should you be caring? You've had your fun.'   How much did playing the game by the rules matter when those rules were stacked in your favor? She was only a woman, only a barbarian, only a slave; she had no business making him feel so guilty. But somehow she'd done it. 'Here,' he said roughly, and gave her his farewell gift: five heavy Tarentine tetradrakhms. 'I hope this is better than nothing.' He'd intended that for sarcasm; it come out sounding more like an apology.   Maibia took the silver coins and made them disappear. With luck, they'd disappear from Lamakhos, too. 'Better nor nothing?' she said. 'Sure and it is. What I'd hoped for?' She sighed and shook her head, then looked at him out of the corner of her eye. 'And I suppose you'll be wanting it once more, for good-bye's sake?'   'Well . . .' Sostratos hadn't been able to keep his eyes from traveling along her sweetly curved body. I could deny myself, he thought. That would make me feel virtuous. Then he laughed at the absurdity of virtue in a brothel. And he did want her, virtue or no. He compromised with himself: 'However you please. The silver is yours either way.'   'What a strange man y'are, Sostratos,' Maibia remarked. He couldn't tell whether that was meant for praise or curse. A moment later, she pulled the thin chiton off over her head, and he stopped caring one way or the other. 'Why not?' she said as she stepped into his arms. 'Better you nor plenty of others I can think of.' Again, he wondered whether that was praise or something else. Again, he didn't worry about it for long.   He thought he pleased her when they lay down together. Afterwards, though, she started to cry. Awkwardly, he stroked her. 'I'm sorry,' he said. 'I do have to go.'   'I know,' she wailed. 'And I have to stay.' Her tears splashed down on his bare shoulder. They felt hot as melted lead.   'There's no help for it,' Sostratos said. 'Maybe it will be better from now on. We've tried to do things so it would be.' Yes, I'm trying to salve my own conscience, too, he thought.   'Maybe.' But Maibia didn't sound as if she believed it, and Sostratos' conscience remained