Aquila Et Noctua

by P J Mann

  “Your eyes?” he asked.

  “Master…I,” he broke into a desperate cry.

  Marcus Tiberius touched his son’s arm. “Flavius, this is another issue. Saul was assaulted by strangers intruding during the nighttime into your house. He has been blinded, and there’s nothing we can do about it. The reason I brought him here is that if a Master cannot protect his belonging, it is tantamount to mistreating it,” he said.

  Flavius quit listening after the words that Saul would be blind forever. He enfolded Saul in his arms,

  “Master, I'm sorry,” he wept in his ear.

  “I’m not going to let you down, remember? You are more than a slave to me. Since we were children, I considered you a friend. Did you forget our deal?”

  “I haven’t forgotten that…Flavius,” he muttered.

  Flavius parted from him, then cradled Saul’s face between his hands and kissed his lips.

  “I shall die searching for the hand which blinded you, and I won’t find peace until I have ripped it away from its body. This is an offense, not just to you but also to my father and me. I’ll have my revenge.” he said, turning to glare at Marcus Tiberius.

  “Flavius, revenge won’t bring Saul’s sight back. What kind of justice will we ever find? You are a man of law; you know better than me that, for a property like a slave, there isn’t any justice that will quench your thirst of revenge. Don’t seek for troubles from which you won’t easily find a way out,” Marcus Tiberius warned.

  “So, you are suggesting I forget what has happened to my slave? I needed him in many ways, and now that he is ruined, some of his services are no longer available to me. He is also the most trusted friend I have. He is the only person who has ever understood me, the one who has always been by my side.” Flavius raised his voice. “No, Father, I am not going to turn my back on the one who never turned his back on me.”

  “Master, please, listen to your father. It’s not worth it,” Saul urged.

  Flavius looked at them, not understanding why neither of them was interested in knowing the truth, or in having justice. “Is there something I should know?”

  “Why do you say that?” Marcus Tiberius asked,

  “Because it sounds as if you are trying to protect someone. Am I wrong?”

  “Yes, Flavius. There is no conspiracy. Before you make any decisions, you might consider taking the time to think about it,” Marcus Tiberius suggested. “If you cannot think clearly and calmly, you might lose touch with reality. You might find justice only when you start to think without rage or hatred. Do you understand what I mean?”

  Flavius thought carefully. He was right, even if what happened to Saul deserved justice. “I’ll do what you suggest. Maybe I do not see things clearly. Explain something to me; our deal stated that you would take Saul back only if he were mistreated. Why did you take him? What happened to Saul was a terrible accident beyond mine or Claudia’s will.”

  “Flavius, I took him away for two reasons. If a Master cannot ensure protection to his belongings, it means that he does not care enough, and from my point of view, this is also a way of mistreating a slave. Moreover, Claudia had hard times, and taking care of a blind slave would have been too much.”

  “I see. Well, I was not home at that time, and I think you are unfair to me when you say that I wasn’t able to protect Saul. That was beyond my control. I agree that Claudia hadn’t the ability to take care of him in that particular situation. What I want now is to take Saul back with me,” Flavius pursued.

  Marcus Tiberius looked at Saul, not sure if he should agree to that, but the emptiness in Saul’s eyes could not express what was in his mind. “Let him stay here for a few days while he is still under Rufus’ care, then you will have him back.”

  Marcus Tiberius needed time to talk in private with Saul, to think about what to do. He thought that once again, Saul’s wisdom would help him to make the right decision.

  “So it shall be. I will come to see Saul every day, if you agree.”

  “You are always welcome in my house. This is your house too, Flavius. Remember that,” Marcus Tiberius said.

  Flavius walked to Saul and took his hands in his own. “I shall return tomorrow, Saul. I don’t mind that you can’t see. I need your advice, your loyalty, and friendship.”

  Saul smiled weakly. “Thank you, Master.”

  As he walked the streets, Flavius realized he needed more time alone to think. The fresh air would help him to think clearly.

  He had never asked Saul for a specific task in his household, but because he wanted his friend always at his side. At least, that had been the original plan.

  The period spent with his uncle had changed his points of view, and Saul became more a lover, rather than just a friend. The wife at his side was not the one he wished to have, and yes, sex with a slave was better than with her.

  The kidnapping didn’t change my feelings for her; nothing can change that.

  He thought then about the strange behavior exhibited by his father and Saul. Well, he understood Saul’s attitude. Yet, since Marcus Tiberius had tried by all means necessary to protect Saul, he should have sought for revenge.

  By nature, Flavius was not the kind of person to give up on something without having everything set clear. He needed the truth and, in his profession, he needed to search for justice, if not for Saul, then for himself as someone damaged something he owned, something he considered highly valuable.

  His father was right in urging him to take a measured approach, but this wouldn’t stop him from searching for the truth. Who broke into his home and damaged his property; who his kidnappers were, what they really wanted, and how did they know who he was, where he lived, and that he had a wife?

  He could not take his mind off those swirling thoughts. Those men knew him very well. Maybe they personally knew him, or perhaps they had been paid by someone who knew him.

  Who could they be? The more he pondered it, the more frustrated he became. Answers evaded him.

  He needed someone to talk to.

  His uncle’s house was far away, but Flavius thought he would listen to him and give good advice. It was the eleventh hour of the day when he arrived at his uncle’s door, hoping not to be rejected.

  Titus opened the door.

  “Flavius, what brings you here?” he asked, inviting him in.

  “I need to talk to you. I am in the middle of a huge problem, and I don’t know how to solve it. I thought maybe you could help me.”

  “Of course, please follow me. I'll order something to eat and some wine; we will talk more comfortably.” Titus called someone. “What happened to you? You look like a beggar.”

  “It’s a long story. May I stay for the night? We might be late talking, and I’d rather not return home too late. You might send one of your slaves to inform my wife,” he proposed.

  “You are welcome to spend the night, and I will send someone to tell your wife. Please, make yourself comfortable and tell me what your problem is.”

  Flavius started to tell the entire story from the beginning; from his departure to his kidnapping and to Saul’s accident, trying not to leave any detail untold.

  Titus listened to him as to a fairy tale; he could not believe something like that could happen to a person like his nephew. He wasn’t a politician or someone who would have many enemies. He couldn’t see any reason for someone to plot against him.

  “That is the strangest story I’ve ever heard. If you weren’t the one telling me, I would have thought it was a lie. I'm sorry for your slave, but if you used him mostly for your pleasure, his blindness shouldn’t be a problem.”

  “Saul is not just a slave I use for my pleasure. He is a trusted friend and a wise advisor. In his eyes, once the flame of life burned bright, but now they are lifeless. I loved them, and I loved the way he looked at me. I can’t tell you my bitterness, but this accident is something I will think about later. I need your advice about my kidnapping” Flavius let himself comforta
ble on a couch.

  Titus sipped his wine, taking time to think about it. “Maybe the two events are connected.”

  “What?”

  “What if someone wanted to hit you right where it hurts most? If I were someone who wanted revenge against you, for whatever reason, I would choose the way to hurt you deep in your heart.” Titus said standing up from the couch and pacing the room. “Certainly, I could kill your entire family, but in that situation, if I were caught, I would probably be exiled or worse, which would not be my goal. My goal would be to hit you in your heart without any consequences.”

  Flavius listened to him open-mouthed and didn’t dare interrupting his uncle.

  “Now, if I knew you as well as I do,” Titus continued, “the best way would be to permanently damage your precious slave, the one you love, making him useless. In that way, I would make you understand that I know where to hit you; therefore, next time you won’t cross my road again.”

  Flavius gasped.

  Titus grabbed the cup with wine, and walked to the door, opened to the garden.

  “To do this, I would need you to be away from Rome long enough to arrange everything. During one of your trips, I would set up a kidnapping to keep you from home; in the meantime, I would take care of your slave. How does that sound?” he asked.

  Flavius listened, terrified by what Titus said. His hypothesis made sense. Too much, maybe.

  “I haven’t thought about that possibility, but still, something doesn’t fit. Who could hate me so much? I have no enemies. I've never crossed anyone’s path,” he said, trying to think of all the people he knew, to identify any who might have something against him.

  “On this, I can’t much help, but it might be someone you crossed without knowing it. It might be somebody who thought you hadn't done a good job. Does someone come into your mind in this sense?” Titus wondered.

  Flavius shook his head. “No, nothing comes to mind, but if the person responsible is someone I didn’t realize I wronged…”

  “Some old friend who might have been jealous of you? Someone who wanted Saul, but since it was your slave, he decided to get revenge by ruining him? Could it be someone who wanted instead to hurt Saul and needed you to be away? Does your slave have enemies?”

  “No, that is impossible. Saul can’t possibly have enemies, and what’s more, he said that he couldn’t recognize any of the intruders.”

  Titus remained silent, steepling his fingers. “Do you trust him as a sincere person? Did he ever lie to you?”

  “No, Saul is not a liar, and my father also believes what he said,” Flavius said firmly as he took another sip of the wine offered.

  “That does not prove anything. Saul might have lied to your father as well.”

  “No, you don’t know him like I do. If you saw them, you would understand how strong the bond is which binds them together. They are connected, and there is no way Saul can tell him a lie without him knowing it. He tried once and was punished. From that day on, Saul never lied to him about anything. Even when the truth led him to other punishments, he has been totally sincere with my father,” Flavius said.

  “Remarkable slave you have, indeed. However, what if your father knows the truth, and he prefers to keep it to himself?” he dared ask.

  “Why should he do that?”

  “I do not know. Maybe it is better you don’t know the truth; remember that not everything needs to be told.”

  Flavius smiled as he heard that. “Uncle Titus, that does not work for me. Do you remember I am a lawyer? I have to seek the truth always.”

  “You have to, but what about your father? He is not a lawyer; maybe he thinks that hiding the truth is a way to protect you. I am trying to analyze every possibility, even the stupid ones.”

  “I feel like we are spinning around the solution without grabbing it… This is hopeless,” Flavius huffed as a slave came to fill up his cup.

  “Bring more food,” Titus ordered.

  To Flavius, he said, “You might be right, but I won’t leave the idea that the two events relate to one another. Saul's accident is the reason for your kidnapping, and even if the same people didn’t do it, they were following the orders of a single one. This is my theory, and nothing can take it out of my head,” he said, pointing his finger at his temple.

  “What is left to understand is who and why? I believe it will be a long search, but I’m not going to give up. Someone killed three of my best slaves, damaged my favorite one, and kidnapped me. I won’t let this slip away, and when I find the responsible person, he has to hope for the favor of the gods because I will have my revenge,” Flavius hissed.

  Titus laughed heartily. “I wish I could be there. I wouldn’t miss your anger for anything in the world. It is something I’ve taught you, and of which I’m proud.”

  “Thank you for everything. I feel tired. Maybe it is better if I take a bath and go to sleep.”

  “Do you need one of my slaves for the night?” Titus winked.

  “Thanks, I can manage without.” Flavius smiled.

  “As you please. I just think that a warm bed is far better than a cold one. Oh, sorry, you prefer your Saul, don’t you?”

  “Show me your slaves,” Flavius chuckled.

  He chose a young girl with the skin like ivory and silky dark hair. Flavius grabbed her hand and guided her to have a bath.

  “What's your name?” he asked her.

  “My name is Layla, Master,” she replied blushing. She couldn’t have been older than fifteen years, with a face and form comparable to the goddess of flowers and Spring, Flora.

  He didn’t think about having sex as he removed her clothes. He needed to hold her warm body against his to find peace of mind from the questions tumbling in his head.

  As they reached the bedroom, and she lay beside him, caressing his body, kissing his chest, he could not avoid caressing her body.

  Her shallow breathing as passion grew within her aroused him. He took her body for his own pleasure until sated, he lay by her side.

  As he closed his eyes, she thought he wanted to sleep the rest of the night by himself, and eased away, trying not to wake him.

  He held her gently by the waist. “Where are you going?”.

  “I thought you wanted to rest, Master.”

  “Rest with me. You pleased my body; now please my soul. Lay with me.”

  “Thank you, Master,” she replied, lying down, her body pressed against his as slumber claimed him.

  The following morning, after an abundant breakfast, he departed.

  “Flavius, keep the details of our discussion secret, as, at the moment, you don’t know who you can trust,” Titus warned.

  “I won’t. Thank you again for the hospitality and for the excellent advice,” Flavius waved and walked toward home, determined to pursue the truth— at any cost.

  Chapter 20.

  That morning, Marcus Tiberius asked that Saul be brought to him.

  “You need me, Master?” he asked.

  “Saul, I don’t know what to do. I still feel incredibly guilty.”

  “Are you talking about Master Flavius?”

  “Yes. I hated lying to him. He deserves the truth, but how do I tell him?”

  “He will probably find out by himself and I will be punished for having lied to him, but that would be fine; I deserve it. As a slave, I should have told the truth. As a friend and lover, I am not so sure. He trusts me, and it hurts me not being honest with him, as much as it hurts me lying to you. I was just scared of the consequences, and I still am.”

  “You don’t need to justify yourself. I gave you an order, and your duty was to obey. As for Flavius, he was no more your Master, so you have nothing to worry about. If he finds out, we should expect his reaction. It won’t be as calm as mine. He spent too much time with my brother, who trained him for the military service, but I am afraid he didn’t teach him the qualities of patience and calm.” Marcus Tiberius combed his fingers through his hair.


  “Is your brother a soldier, Master?”

  “Not just a soldier, he is a General, one of the most successful in the entire Empire. If he understands that Claudia did this to you with her own hands, I can’t imagine Flavius’ reaction.”

  “What do you think would happen if I tell Flavius the truth?” Saul asked.

  “Are you going to?”

  “I don’t know. Should I be more afraid of Claudia’s threat, or should I fail the Master who protects and takes care of me? Should I disappoint Claudia or me? I am nothing, but Master Flavius is not to be disappointed.”

  “He is not your Master,” Marcus Tiberius corrected.

  “He claimed me back three years ago; he would do it again. I am only a property, so I am wondering if you are going to have me back as your exclusive property? Will you have good arguments for keeping me? Will Flavius have me back?” Saul asked, looking straight in front of his face.

  “I am glad I bought you; you are wise, and the gods speak through your mouth. So it shall be, that if I can have you as my property, then you will do what I order you. If not, your Master will be Flavius, and you will be loyal to him. Saul, you are a gift from the gods, or maybe you are a god yourself.”

  Saul blushed and lowered his gaze. “I’m nothing but a slave, and Claudia took away from me any possibility of being freed one day. I'm no god, but I can recognize the people to whom I should be grateful, and the first of these is you, Master,” he said with a sweet smile.

  “Rufus mentioned that you might learn to use the other senses to compensate for the lack of sight.”

  Saul sighed.

  Marcus Tiberius proposed, “I will make sure Cassandra takes care of your needs; I understand she has sympathy for you. She won’t leave you for a second until Rufus affirms you have enough autonomy. If you don’t reach it, Cassandra will be your eyes. I think it makes a good solution to one part of the problem.”

  Saul tried to hide the intoxicating happiness he felt at the opportunity to always be with her, “thank you, Master.”