by C K Ruppelt
“I’ll tell you everything you want to know. Yes, I sold her, and perhaps I shouldn’t have, but it was for a fair price, I swear she got the difference herself. If you have any issues, you need to take it up with the person I sold her to,” Minatus offered.
Blandius smiled again. It would be so easy to end this slimy piece of scum.
With some effort, he pulled the knife back and took a deep breath. “Spare your lies for somebody else. You have exactly two choices. We can do this the easy way, which is by far better than you deserve. I’ll pay you four-hundred, half of what her father owned you.” Minatus gave him a look so full of hatred that he had to chuckle. “Don’t look at me like I am trying to steal from you. I know she earned you the difference in her very first month.” He saw Minatus open his mouth to speak and moved his knife forward again. “I don’t want to hear a word from you, this is not a discussion. I know you are the real owner of the brothel. I also know your sale was not legal because there was never any paperwork filed for her at the magistrate. So, I know you are the right person to sign the letter of emancipation. You will write that the money for her freedom was paid.” Blandius added a dramatic pause. “I tell you what, I’ll still give you the full eight-hundred, but for that, you also include a little boy by the name of Velthurus and a woman named Titia. Same deal for both, I need full papers.”
“What if I refuse?” Minatus whispered. Blandius moved the knife forward right above the man’s right jugular. Another big drop of blood ran a parallel, second line all the way down into Minatus’ clean tunic.
“You really want me to spell that out? I am disappointed, I figured you’d be smarter than that. Ok, let me be very clear. I’ll leave three dead bodies in your office and go see Fastie next, who I am sure will be more accommodating. If you’re gone he might see himself as the real owner of your place. I bet he’d love that.” Blandius said with a chuckle.
“Stop! Please.” When the knife retreated, Minatus slumped forward in resignation, his hand rubbing his throat. “Thank you. I can write the letters up right now. You have the money?”
“Of course. Two hundred denarii equaling exactly eight hundred sesterces. I don’t trust you to keep your word, so you will get it when I have the women and the boy. I think it’s best I leave the cash with Fastie as we walk out of your brothel.” He waved the tip of his knife and smiled again. “I hope we agree?”
Minatus nodded instantly. “Of course, considering the circumstances.” The man pulled out a stack of fine Papyrus and started to write.
A few minutes later, Blandius exited the front door. He waved across to where his friend stood watch before turning left to run down the street. The man jumped from the curb onto the road surface and caught up with him. “Albatius,” Blandius called as they met. “I have the papers, but we don’t have much time. That bag of slime will send his thugs after us, you can be sure of that. We need to get the women and the boy out of the brothel now while we still can.” Blandius smiled, his friend easily able to keep up with his own wobble of a jog. He was enjoying himself, just happy to be of use again and able to help a legion comrade out by coming here with his best friend Albatius. They had a lot in common, including the Ninth as their home since its very first days back in Hispania. Both crippled there three years ago, Blandius had lost most of his right foot in the first battle against the Transcudani while Albatius had lost his ear and ultimately his arm in a brawl between legionaries in winter quarters in Scalabis. The left arm had followed the right ear into the underworld thanks to an infected cut. Blandius still thought of both of them as very lucky, he had seen many fellow soldiers die from harmless looking scrapes and cuts. After their injuries, neither of them had figured on more than an honorable discharge, until the camp prefect’s team had surprised them both with an offer to join the army’s supply team, dependent on their ability to write and count. They both had passed that muster and had started training together as wagon drivers. After a few months as apprentices, they had become friends and were elevated together to full members of the camp prefect’s staff.
“Are you glad we took this job?” Albatius asked him with a smile.
“You bet I am. I was getting bored with our boys doing all the fighting and us just driving wagons back and forth. Frankly, I can’t think of anything better to do than messing with somebody as slimy as that dung bucket Minatus.” Blandius replied with a wide grin.
Many months ago, Albatius had been approached about this search and rescue mission by an old tent mate who had risen to decanus of his own tent squad. One of the man’s fresh recruits had serious worries about his sister back in Clusium. They had both been eager to help, paying forward the mercy the legion had shown them.
Fortunately, the perfect official reason to travel had soon presented itself, urgently needed gladii, pila, shields and other replacement pieces ordered long ago for the Ninth’ armory had to be picked up in Rome. So, they had driven their supply wagons south as part of a big convoy, loaded the weapons and armor and started the trek back north on the Via Cassia before stopping in Clusium to search for young Numerius’ sister. They hired a couple of locals to drive their wagons for a few days and bought three horses as a means to catch up again.
A few minutes after leaving Minatus’ office they entered the road leading to the brothel. Good, I don’t think I could have run much further.
“My foot hurts like the missing piece is undergoing torture in the underworld,” he joked.
They slowed down for the last block and walked up to the door. “You need to go in alone. Minatus and his men don’t know me, so I’ll keep watch at the door. If they show up, I’ll follow them in,” Albatius said.
Blandius nodded and held out his right hand to his friend until Albatius handed him the bag of coins. Two hundred denarii were significantly less bulky than eight-hundred sesterces, but still made for a heavy load. Blandius decided to keep the money bag in his hand and stepped to the door as his friend moved a few feet back to the side to lean against the wall.
He walked in with a nod at Fastie behind his counter and headed for Velia.
“I can’t tell you how glad I am you are out in the atrium right now. Take these scrolls and follow me.” He walked back to the counter to face Fastie.
“I need your help with some business,” he said, receiving only a raised eyebrow and a sneer in response. “Very well, let me rephrase this. I just came from your boss Minatus, and we made a deal that includes your help. Do you have an office where we can talk?”
“This better be good.” Fastie came out from behind his counter and motioned for one of his brawlers to follow before leading them into his small office located off to the near side of the atrium.
“I’ve given the girl three papers of emancipation. For her, Titia and a boy named Velthurus. They were written personally by Minatus, have his signature, and show that the money was paid. For that last part to become true, I will pay you when we all walk out of here.” He held up the bag. “I suggest that your man here gets Titia and the boy, I’ll hand you the money, and we’re done with this transaction.”
Fastie just stared at him with no reply. Blandius sighed. That phallus is going to make trouble. Why couldn’t this go easy?
“Baricus, hold the girl!” Fastie shouted at the bouncer before pulling out a long cudgel from a shelf behind his desk.
Blandius waited for the brothel manager to turn and commit his swing of the long piece of wood before ducking under and hitting him squarely in the jaw with the bag of denarii. Fastie dropped to the ground like a sack of wheat.
He turned to the brawler behind him, who held a knife to Velia’s throat. “Stop or I’ll hurt her,” the man grunted.
Blandius pulled his own long knife out from under his toga and grinned again. “If you don’t let her go now, I will kill you.” He took a step forward. “I don’t make empty promises.”
The man swallowed hard before shoving Velia into the room, retreating as fast as he could. “Come her
e! NOW!” he called across the atrium to the other brawler in the room, who was tall and built from solid muscle. “This guy just took Fastie out. Let’s get him together.” The other man pulled his knife and advanced on the office door. Blandius saw customers hurriedly leaving behind them, avoiding what was clearly not their business. The working women hurried away to the other side of the atrium, leaving the space in front of the office wide open.
“You alright?” Blandius asked Velia, who rubbed her neck but nodded. “When I’m done with these two guys, can you find Titia and the boy? We need to get out of here, quick like.”
Velia nodded again. “I can get them, it won’t take more than a couple of minutes.”
“Good.” He moved closer to the doorway. The two men had to get at him one at a time. As expected, the smart one from earlier let the bigger man rush through first. He jumped back from a wild swing going side to side and stepped back into the man’s reach before his blade hand came back around. Blandius’ blade penetrated into the man’s stomach and ended the fight, felling the big man. Once on the ground, the brute started to sob in his misery and crawled sideways, away from him. The remaining man now backed away again, the sweat on his forehead betraying his fear. “Merda, merda, merda! Are you legion?” he asked as he continued to move backward. Blandius gave the man a curt nod. “I’m putting my blade down, see? I’ll stay out of your way, I promise.” The bouncer dropped his knife to the floor and shoved it towards the office.
“Velia, go. Now!” Blandius shouted.
***
She ran and picked up the bouncer’s knife before hurrying to fetch Velthurus and her friend. She decided to go for the boy first. “Velthurus? You are coming with me, we are leaving this place forever. Do you want to get anything from your closet before we go?”
“All I have is an old blanket. Fastie never lets me keep anything.” Velthurus replied with saucer-like eyes.
“That means you’re ready. Let’s get Titia and we can be on our way.” They hurried down to the other corridor until she reached her friend’s chamber and pulled the curtain. A middle-aged man stood close to the doorway, alarmed by the screaming voices from the atrium and undecided what to do, while Titia stood behind in front of her bed.
“You just stay out of the way, you hear me?” Velia shouted, pointing the long knife she held. He lifted both hands and stepped away until he reached the wall. “I don’t want any trouble.”
“Good. Titia, we need to go. I have papers for both of us and Velthurus. We are free, you hear me? But, we need to go now. If you have anything of value, grab it.”
“What? What kind of cruel joke are you playing on me?” Titia stepped back, unbelieving.
“It’s legal, I promise, though we must go NOW. Come on!”
She walked to her friend and grabbed her arm and pulled. Finally, with a jerk, Titia started to move, an old stola her sole possession important enough to grab on her way out. Piece of cloth in hand, her friend followed her down the hallway. “I need to fetch my family statuettes,” Velia said before rushing into her own room.
***
Blandius saw eight brawlers coming into the brothel. Must be Minatus’ men already. That didn’t take long.
They held a variety of weapons, knives, cudgels, one even gripped a rusty old spatha. “A lot of good that long-sword will do in close quarters,” Blandius chuckled to himself. The men were all brutes, though he doubted any of them had proper training. Or they wouldn’t work for a sleazy lender like Minatus.
He smiled when he realized the door was closing behind them with the loud clang of the inside crossbar falling into place. Thank you, Albatius.
Grinning wide at the armed men, Blandius stepped forward, long knife in hand.
“Sorry people, I should apologize. This fight hardly seems fair,” he shouted to the rough looking men.
“Too late for apologies, you fool. Minatus wants you dead. Not our fault if the fight isn’t fair,” the bearer of the rusty cavalry sword yelled before spitting on the floor.
Blandius laughed. “But you are wrong, it is your fault, truly. You should have brought a lot more men.” He could hear Albatius laughing heartily at his joke from the far side of the room before the first of the brawlers screamed, indicating his friend had started without him. Blandius jumped at the closest man, dodging another’s swing of a wooden cudgel along the way, and pushed aside his target’s knife-wielding arm before stabbing into his side.
He stayed close to the wall and decided to ignore the loudmouth for now, likely the least dangerous man despite his sword. Easily avoiding another wide sword swing he turned to the next cudgel holder instead. The spatha impacted the wall behind him, and he heard it clanging onto the mosaic floors after falling out of the brawler’s hands. Ha, I can still call who’s the fool, I haven’t lost my knack yet.
He recognized genuine fear in the man facing him, a nervous tick playing over his opponent’s left eyelid. I am sorry for you, I can’t stop now.
Though when the time came for him to stab into the man’s armpit, he chose to push the knife lower and forward to slash deeply across several ribs instead. Painful, yes, but the man would live. He turned around and saw a face full of anger staring at him. The sword wielder had picked up his weapon again. You, on the other hand…
***
Velia held tight to Velthurus’ hand as they arrived back at the hallway leading to the atrium. They burst into the open space and stopped after hearing loud shouting and screams. Several men stood between the front door and Fastie’s office, and she realized there were more on the floor, some moaning, others still. Blandius fought the men closer to her, but there were also men screaming at the door.
As she watched she realized it was less of a fight then she had thought, with Blandius quickly dispatching three men in front and another man cutting down two more at the entryway. The single man left standing between them threw down his cudgel and raised his hands. “Please, I give up, see? Don’t hurt me!” Blandius motioned for him to join Fastie’s remaining other brawler and the women at the far side of the atrium and turned to Velia. “Are you ready? We better go before any more of these idiots show up.”
Velia crossed the open doorway to the office when Fastie snatched Velthurus out of her hand. The furious man had a bleeding wound on his head from crashing to the floor earlier and held the boy rigidly by the arm with his left hand while waving the cudgel with his right. Velia raised her knife to attack but was pushed out of the way by Titia who ran past her with balled fists. The cudgel, already swinging for Velia, impacted Titia’s head instead with a loud crunching sound. Fastie screamed as Velthurus bit hard into his arm, and Velia resumed her own run at the hated man, pointing her knife straight forward at his chest. Fastie bent down at the last moment towards the boy, and her knife tip came close to his face. She did not hesitate and pushed for his right eye. As he screamed and jerked back, Velia let go of the handle. He stepped back while screaming profanities at her and gripped the knife handle to pull it back out. NO, YOU DON’T. I’VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOU.
Velia’s numbness, all her desperation and her fear suddenly slipped away from her, replaced by bottomless rage. White hot, seething anger overpowered her completely. She stepped forward and punched the end of the handle with her open palm, driving it in until the hilt hit his face. Fastie dropped, his body convulsing briefly before laying still. Velia turned back to Titia, and her anger evaporated, leaving her empty again and drained. She lifted her friend by her arms. “Wake up Titia, wake up.”
“I am so sorry, Velia,” Blandius whispered to her. “She’s gone. Her skull… it’s over for her.” He gently pried her hands from Titia’s body and pulled her up. “We need to go, and we can’t take her.”
“Wait.” Velia opened the scrolls. The second one was Titia’s and she held it up for the people across the atrium pool. “Do you see this papyrus? It’s her legal declaration of freedom. We all three have one, but Fastie didn’t want to let us go. He was the cr
iminal here, remember that!” She gently laid the scroll on Titia’s chest.
“I am ready,” she said and followed the two men and the boy to the door.
Blandius carefully opened it and looked outside. “No other brawlers, good. Follow me.” He ran across the road ahead of them and entered a side street where they were hidden from the Lupanar’s entrance. “By the way, there’s somebody close that’s anxious to see you,” Blandius added.
Velia saw her friend waiting for her as they came around the corner. “Lethie!”
“I am so glad you are out of there,” Lethie said, bursting into tears. Velia hugged her tightly.
“Sorry to break you up but we can’t remain any longer,” Albatius told them. “We need to move.”
She released her friend and turned to face Blandius. “Fine, but where to? What is next?”
“We thought you should come north with us to the legion. Your brother is there, and he’d be happy to have you close,” he suggested, “and there’s always plenty of work around the camp, lots of paying jobs available.”
“Either way, you shouldn’t stay here. If you do, Minatus will contest your freedom,” Albatius added.
She stood straighter. “I have no choice then.” She took Velthurus’ hand and dropped on her knees to look the boy into his eyes. “I know we haven’t known each other for more than a year, but you are very dear to me. Do you have anybody else, or would you consider coming with me?” In response, Velthurus cried and hugged her tight. “I guess that means we’ll both go with you,” Velia added to Blandius. Then she looked at Lethie. “Would you join me? With Numerius and Vibius, the four of us together would be like old times.”
“I am tempted, but I can’t, not now. My father just passed away and I can’t leave my mother alone,” Lethie replied.
“This is goodbye then, at least for now. Take care,” Velia said. “I’ll write once I can afford to.”