“I’m glad you understand how difficult it will be, Zenobia. But I have considered all these things as well. To start, I will loan you twenty gold coins, more than enough to buy a good-sized house and furnish it properly. It will probably take another ten coins before you are fully established, especially if you begin your search for girls at the slave market. I’m sure there are plenty of women in Akkad who would be willing to work for you in the beginning- and for very little.”
Trella paused for a moment, to make sure Zenobia understood her words. “If more gold is needed and all is proceeding well, it will be provided.
Six months from now, you will begin repaying all the gold loaned to you at the rate of three gold coins each month. That is in addition to our regular profits. You will have to work very hard to make sure you are successful, and there are other conditions as well. Are you interested, Zenobia?”
The woman’s head bobbed up and down with excitement. “Yes, of course, mistress, I am very interested. What else must I pay?”
“You need pay nothing further. If you work hard and the house is successful, you should be able to repay all of the loans within two years. We would charge you no interest on the loan, Zenobia.” Again she paused to let that information sink in. “You would be required to train the girls, teach them the love arts, and make sure they learn how to please their customers. Can you do that?”
“Oh, yes, Mistress Trella, I have been well trained myself, and I’ve trained new girls for many years.”
“There is one more thing, Zenobia, and this is the most important.”
Trella shifted her position on the chair to look directly into the woman’s eyes. “Your establishment must be the best house of pleasure in Akkad. It must be the one place where all the rich and powerful men come to amuse themselves. They will come for your women, they will drink too much wine, and they will talk about many things. You will instruct your girls to report all that they hear only to you, and you will pass it all on to Annok-sur or myself. And you must do more than just listen. You and two or three of your most trustworthy women must learn to extract as many secrets as possible. You will reward those girls according to how much information they gather.”
Zenobia opened her mouth, but Trella continued on, her voice harder now. “That is why we do this, to gather information, not because we wish to make a profit in a business arrangement. You must make certain that no one learns of this. No one. Only Gatus, and the three of us. If any of the girls refuse to obey, you will take whatever steps needed to make sure that they do.”
“I… understand, mistress. It shall be as you say.”
“Make very sure you understand me, Zenobia. You will tell no one what you do with the information, and you will keep silent about me. Also, you will guarantee that none of your girls tell anyone, especially their customers. They must understand the penalty for careless talk. As must you. If you fail, then you will be removed. Since you will not officially own any part of the business, you would simply disappear. So you will have great incentive to remain loyal and faithful.”
Zenobia swallowed nervously but didn’t hesitate. She had been in the village long enough to understand Trella’s meaning. To “disappear” in Akkad meant a splash in the river in the dark of night. “I will be loyal, mistress. None will learn of our arrangement.”
Trella smiled at her, then reached out and gently took her hand.
When she spoke, her voice sounded soft and pleasant again. “I am glad, Zenobia. If you do this, in a few years you will be rich and respected.
Starting tomorrow, you will meet with Annok-sur to begin the planning.
You will report only to Annok-sur or myself. When you have listed all that you require and have an idea of the cost, we will begin buying what you need.”
“Yes, mistress. Thank you, Mistress Trella.”
“One more thing, Zenobia. If you hear anything about Korthac or his men, anything, you are to get the information to us at once.”
“The Egyptian? Yes, of course.”
“Then we are agreed.” Trella pushed back her chair and stood. “You will start tomorrow. If all goes well, in a few weeks you will have the finest pleasure house in Akkad.”
Zenobia stood also and bowed again, this time so low that her hair brushed the tabletop. “It will be as you say, Mistress Trella. I will learn all the men’s secrets for you. I promise it.”
“Then we will both prosper, Zenobia.”
Annok-sur stood also. “Zenobia, it’s too late to walk the streets,” Annok-sur said. “Spend the rest of the night here. I’ll escort you back to your home in the morning.” Taking Zenobia’s hand, she led her from the workroom to one of the rooms below.
In a few moments Annok-sur returned to Trella’s presence. “We’ll leave the house right before dawn. With her cloak drawn, no one will notice her.”
“Thank you, Annok-sur.”
“I think she will do well, Trella. It will take many months, perhaps years, but Zenobia will gather much useful information. And you spoke to her with the voice of command, with the voice of someone twice your seasons. You know the ways of power and how to bend both men and women to your will.”
“Yes, I have learned much in the last few months,” Trella answered, a hint of bitterness in her voice. “When I was sold into slavery, I was told a slave needs to learn quickly. And so I am always learning. From Nicar, from Eskkar, from the people of the village, even from you, Annok-sur. I must be stronger and wiser than my seasons and I must hide my doubts, if Eskkar is to succeed.” She shook her head to banish the dark thoughts. “Do you need any help to find the house or furnish it?”
“No, I know what is needed,” Annok-sur replied. “But we should meet with Gatus in the morning, to make sure he is ready and understands his part in this new undertaking.”
“I think Gatus will find this task to his liking. Perhaps Zenobia will have the girls practice their arts on him.”
They both smiled at the thought of the old soldier reclining in bed, sip-ping fine wine, and surrounded by eager women while counting his profits.
“As long as they gather secrets,” Trella said. “I just wish Zenobia were already in business. Korthac and his men would be sure to visit her.”
Trella sighed. The secretive Egyptian seemed to be ever in her thoughts. Soon, she hoped, his riddle would be solved.
Tammuz and his new slave followed Gatus back to the alehouse, where he grunted his goodnight without stopping. Tammuz watched the veteran soldier disappear into darkness down the lane, hand on his sword.
While anyone walking around in the middle of the night could expect to be a target for robbers, only someone blind drunk or very desperate would think of attacking the captain of the guard.
Tammuz rapped three times on the door. “It’s Tammuz, Kuri. Open up.”
He waited, glancing up and down the narrow lane. En-hedu still held on to his left hand, an unfamiliar sensation he found surprisingly enjoy-able. He’d taken her hand when they left Trella’s house, before he remembered the need to keep his right hand free and close to the knife in his belt. So he changed hands, but discovered his crippled arm couldn’t hold her properly as they walked. Before he could get frustrated, En-hedu had gently withdrawn her hand from his weak grasp and taken his left hand in her own, holding him gently until they reached the alehouse.
The door creaked open at last, and Kuri stood there, looking half asleep, but holding his old copper sword in his hand. A sour odor wafted out of the alehouse; the old man smelled of barley ale, on his breath and his garment. His eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the girl.
“Fasten the door, Kuri.” Tammuz stepped in, leading his charge. Even in the best of neighborhoods, you didn’t stand about with the door open after dark. “No one else is to enter tonight.”
Inside, he led his new slave carefully through the blackness of the main room, trying to ignore the smells of ale, sweat, and worse. His new slave would no doubt be disgusted by such a place, especially after having lived at Trella’s house. Half a dozen snoring men slumbered on the fl oor, the heavy sleep of those who’d drunk too much ale before retiring late.
None of them woke as Tammuz passed between them and into his private quarters at the back of the alehouse.
Closing the door, Tammuz placed a rickety bar across the entrance.
