by P J Mann
Marcus Tiberius noticed the secret smile he tried to hide and called Cassandra.
She arrived in a hurry, fearing that since she had been with Saul during his punishment, it was her turn.
“Cassandra, Saul will need someone to assist him night and day, someone who can act as his eyes,” he commenced. “You will be that person since I understand that you get along well together. Whatever he needs, you will provide. Do I make myself clear?”
She smiled. “Of course, Master.”
“Very well, you are dismissed. Saul, soon Rufus will be back, and he will take care of you. Follow his instructions and keep yourself within reach, as I might need you,” Marcus Tiberius ordered.
“Yes, Master.”
As they walked toward the garden, Cassandra asked, “so, what’s your need now?”
He smiled. “I need your lips on mine.”
She glanced around to be sure that nobody else was watching and guided Saul to his room, where she complied with his request.
Saul’s accident was the most horrifying thing she could conceive, but it had brought him back to her arms, and she knew he would be safe with Marcus Tiberius. She thanked the gods for that he was in the same house, and by order of her Master, she was to be always at his side, day and night. Cassandra thought that she couldn’t be happier. There was nothing else in the world she could desire, not even her freedom.
As he kissed Cassandra, searching her skin with his hands, something incredible happened, and he understood what his Master said about replacing his sight with other senses. He could not see Cassandra, but somehow, he could read her heart. He could hear her thoughts, the voice of her soul, and he was sure that as he could hear her, he could read the hearts of others. The thoughts dissipated as he concentrated on the softness of her body under his fingertips, seeing it through the touch of her skin.
When Flavius reached home, he felt exhausted by the long walk and the thoughts which would never be revealed until the case was closed. The discussion with Titus was surely enlightening, but at the same time, it opened his mind to many possibilities which needed to be considered.
If it were true that the two events were connected, then he had to pursue the lead of jealousy. This brought to his mind a lot of people, including those who he could not suspect of having a reason to act like that.
He shook his head as rage germinated again from his soul, “whoever did such a cruel thing will pay for that,” he whispered to himself.
He reached his house at the fourth hour of the day. Claudia greeted him at the door, creases of displeasure lining her perfect face, “I thought you were going to get your slave from your father’s house. You told me you would return soon, but only now you come home. What happened?”
“I decided to see Uncle Titus. It has been a long time since I saw him, and I needed to ask him a few questions. He lives far from here, so I had to spend the night there. Didn’t a slave deliver the message to you?”
“Yes. I just wondered why.” She tried to smile. “So, where is your slave? Is he still in your father’s house?”
“He will remain there until his full recovery, and then we will consider whether he will return here or not. It might take some time, but I am not going to give up. I am not responsible for what happened to him, so I can’t understand why he considers our deal over,” Flavius said thoughtfully.
“It sounded strange to me, but I could not oppose him. The deal was between the two of you; I had nothing to do with it.”
“I am going to find out who did that to Saul.”
A scowl marred her features. “Why do you care so much about him? He is only a slave. You can get a better one; one who is useful.”
“Are you suggesting that I give him away now that he is blind, and get a new slave to replace him? Don’t you understand that I want to get the people that ruined him because they damaged my property? And besides, I will not give Saul away; he is my confidant and advisor, not to mention my friend.”
“I always told you that you had a strange taste in friends. You don’t realize that a slave cannot be a friend. It is like pretending to be the friend of a horse. He is there because he has to be, not because he wants to, and he does what you order because if he doesn’t, you will punish him. A slave would do anything.”
“I never punished him, and I still consider him the only one I can trust with my life.”
“Whatever, but I doubt you will ever find out who did this. Those people could already be far from Rome. How could you possibly think to find them? We don’t have any kind of lead on them. None of us saw whoever did this to Saul. Julius and Nara confirmed that he couldn’t see their faces and could not recognize anyone.” she said, caressing the surface of a table.
“But maybe I do have a lead…” he replied.
Her head bolted upward, and she eyed him suspiciously, feeling certain that Saul would never reveal the truth to anyone.
The fear of crueler punishments would have been enough to convince him to keep the secret. However, Flavius’ words aroused fear that he might know something, harbor more than a suspicion.
“What do you mean you have a lead? Is there something I don’t know?” she asked, trying to hide the turmoil swirling inside her.
Flavius’ mouth tightened, and his nostrils flared. “No, but I have some ideas, and I will find out who did that you can be sure of it.”
Claudia’s heart pounded like the hooves of galloping horses. If Flavius found out… everything would be lost. She had to know all his moves, but it was clear he didn’t trust her as much as his worthless slave.
She called for Nara to come to her room.
“You need me, Mistress?” he asked.
“Of course, I need you, idiot. I wouldn’t call you for the pleasure of your annoying presence. I need to know…what do you know about what happened to Saul?” she hissed.
Nara backed up, scared. He had started to have a few suspicions as well. “Mistress, I have absolutely no idea. Saul didn’t remember much of anything about that night, and since he left, I haven’t had the opportunity to talk to him. I am sure that if he remembers something, he will tell us.”
“Well, it seems like I am the one in this house who doesn’t know anything at all. My husband seems to have some ideas about who did it,” she said, biting on her fingernails.
“Having ideas does not mean knowing the truth. Maybe Master Flavius is thinking about who might have had a valid reason.”
“But what has Saul told you? He surely told you something about it,” Claudia insisted.
“He said that he was awakened by some noises. He stood up from the bed to understand what it was, when some people, of whom he could not see their faces, grabbed him. He tried to break free, but in the fight, they managed to harm him,” he replied.
She smiled; he was keeping his silence.
She’d managed to scare him to death. “They should have killed him; it would have been better for everybody,” she said, her pulse settling down to a regular pace.
“A dead bird can’t sing, can he, Mistress?” he asked cunningly.
She turned her gaze on him, and grabbed a vase, then hit him on the top of his head as fragments of the vase fell on the floor. “What do you mean, miserable beast? How dare you use that tone to speak to your Mistress?”
Nara fell to the floor unconscious, just as Flavius came in, attracted by the commotion. “What happened here? What have you done to him?” he yelled, kneeling beside the slave. “Nara, can you hear me? Please wake up.”
She looked at the scene, speechless. That was something she hadn’t meant to do. She stood with the fragment of the vase in her hand, incapable of moving, saying, or thinking; her mind was suddenly blank.
In her heart, she hoped Nara would move from his immobile position. She would have given everything to rewind the past few minutes, to not hit him so badly.
Is he dead? No matter how much Flavius tried to shake him to reanimate him, the boy didn’t move,
<
br /> The room spun around Claudia until it blurred into darkness. It was like being in a trance, and Nara was there as well.
He was crying.
“I’m sorry,” Claudia whispered.
“Was it you?” Nara asked between sobs.
“What?”
“You did that to Saul. That's why you got so angry when I said that, but I really meant to say something else. I didn’t mean I knew it was you.”
“Yes, it was me. I don’t expect you to understand, but I had to. What I didn’t mean was hurting you the way I did,” she said.
He wiped his eyes and tried to smile. “I know, Mistress. Don’t you worry, everything will be fine. I’m not dead. Master Flavius is calling me, but I can’t open my eyes.”
She looked at him. “I can’t hear him.”
“Please, Mistress, tell me why you did that to him.”
“Am I the only one who could see what he was doing? He took everything from me. My husband prefers to spend his days and nights with him, my guests ignore me when he is around. Even Flaminia asks for him when she visits me. It feels as if I am the slave and he is the Master of this house. I needed to do something to make Flavius get rid of him. The best option was making him useless.”
Nara’s brow furrowed, “Why didn’t you kill him? It would have been easier, and he would not have bothered you anymore, and you wouldn’t fear him telling the truth.”
“Because I wanted him to suffer as much as possible. I’ve hated him since the first time I saw him at the engagement party. You are right, I should have killed him.”
“I know Saul, and he hasn’t tried to do anything against you.”
Claudia shook her head, nobody seemed to understand her frustration. There was nothing she could say that could make things change.
“Are you going to tell the truth to Flavius?”
“No, Mistress. You will. Now, forgive me. I have to go. Julius has arrived.” He disappeared then a shroud of darkness surrounded her.
“Nara.”
“Julius… what…?” he said, opening his eyes.
“What happened? How do you feel, son?”
“I-I…my head is exploding,” Nara replied, trying to rise to a sitting position on the floor.
“Come, I will bring you to your bed and take a look at you.” Julius helped Nara to stand. “Can you walk?”
“I guess so,” Nara took a few hesitant steps. “Master, it was an accident, really. She didn’t mean to hurt me.”
Flavius pursed his mouth as he knelt beside Claudia. “We’ll see about that. These things should never happen.”
“Claudia, please open your eyes.” Flavius patted her cheek.
When she opened her eyes and looked at him, she blurted, “I’m sorry.”
“It's fine now. Nara is with Julius. I don’t think there will be serious consequences.” He said, trying to talk with a gentle tone. “You must treat your slaves more fairly, or one day they won’t serve you anymore, and then what will you do if you have rebellious slaves in your house? Will you kill them all? Why spend money to buy good slaves if you have to kill them?”
“I-I don’t know.” she wept.
He sighed and held her to his chest. Maybe Saul was right, and the reason for her cruel behavior was because he didn’t care about her.
What can I do? I can’t stand her selfishness and ill-temper.
She was always cruel to her slaves; therefore, his behavior couldn’t be the reason for her attitude. There must be more to it that, something deep in her nature. He was forced into a marriage he didn’t ask for. Sure, the advantages for his career were not to be underestimated, but he would rather accept a more modest life, with a wife he would have liked at his side.
Flavius parted from her. “Let’s not talk about it. Promise me you won’t mistreat your slaves anymore.”
She nodded, and he kissed her forehead, then stood, extending a hand to help her up. He returned to his working room while she strolled to the garden, where she sat alone in silence. She thought again about the strange dream while she was unconscious.
Was it actually a dream, or was it true that she confessed everything to Nara? What did he mean when he said that she would tell Flavius everything?
That is impossible. I will never confess. I will do whatever is in my power to prevent Flavius from finding out the truth, even if I have to kill Saul.
Being ignored because of Flavius’ job was easier to accept than being put aside because of a slave. Nights without him, because he worked over his desk, was acceptable; wrapped in Saul’s arms was not.
She walked to the slaves’ rooms, where she found Julius and Nara.
“How is he?” she asked with concern in her voice.
“I think he will be fine soon. He just needs rest now,” Julius replied, standing up.
Claudia ordered, “Leave us alone,” and sat on Nara’s bed, caressing his hair. She spoke to the sleeping slave, “I don’t know what happened; I don’t even know if I really spoke to you when I was unconscious but, trust me, I won’t ever say anything. I am sorry for what I did to you. I hope you will feel better after a good sleep.”
She touched his face and kissed his lips. “You are truly beautiful, Nara. More than Saul.”
The sun was setting, and a golden light shone upon the trees, statues, and the water of the fountains, before disappearing into the darkness. Soon it would be time for dinner, so she went to Flavius’ room.
“Are we dining together?” She asked from the doorway, hesitant.
He looked up. “Of course. Have you ordered it to be served?”
“First, I wanted to know if you were ready to come.”
Flavius nodded and stood up from the chair, offering her his arm as he approached her.
As the days passed, Saul realized what Rufus meant by using the other senses to see. His hands became the most trustful tool to recognize faces and surfaces.
From touch, he saw in his mind the exact shape and characteristics of objects. His ears perceived the state of mind of the person speaking as if he could see their expression. From the subtle nuances in the tone of voice, he detected when someone was lying or was suppressing agitation, anger, excitement, happiness or sorrow,
He learned to use a stick to decide which direction to move in, and he memorized every corner of the house.
Cassandra’s help was needed for many things: taking care of his toilette, eating, or the food by himself. For the rest, he was satisfied and amazed with the small achievements he made every day in his new life.
He missed that he could not read or write, nor work as a translator for his Master.
As his role of confidant and advisor to Marcus Tiberius grew, new tasks were created.
Saul’s Master trusted his capability of reading the soul of people and brought him to every meeting to discern if they were in the presence of a liar.
The person who benefitted the most from this new condition of life was Saul himself. After the initial depression and hopelessness passed, he realized that his lack of sight meant not being distracted by the bias of the public face that people show. He could focus solely on the vision of the speaker’s soul. Claudia had given him not a punishment but a gift.
Early one afternoon, as Saul and Cassandra sat on the grass in the garden, he said, “I hope these days in Marcus Tiberius’ house won’t ever end. It would be painful to leave you, Cassandra.”
She held his hand in hers. “I know. Do you think Flavius will be able to take you away?”
“No idea, but he won’t give up without a fight.”
“It seems that you are the most desired of the slaves, at least for Marcus Tiberius and Flavius.”
“In totally different ways, though. What about you?”
“I don’t desire you; I love you,” Cassandra corrected.
He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. “Marcus Tiberius wants me for the services I can give to him and because no other person in this world feels the same co
nnection with his soul. Flavius wants me as a friend and lover. The needs are different, but they converge to the same result. They both want me for themselves, unwilling to share, and this isn’t good. A slave needs only one Master.”
“You talk too much,” she complained and reached his lips with hers.
Everybody in the household knew they liked each other. Marcus Tiberius and Flaminia encouraged them as their relationship helped Saul to accept his condition and focus again on serving his Masters.
Life stabilized until one spring morning when Flavius came, as usual, to check on his slave’s condition.
Watching Saul and Cassandra in the garden, he said, “I can see that Saul is making great progress, Father.”
“Yes, he has managed the situation in a superb way.”
“So, it is time to get him back where he belongs, to serve me.” Flavius’ expression darkened ready to fight for his precious slave.
“Try not to be so hasty in your decision, son. From my point of view, Saul has been mistreated in your house, so no deal anymore,” Marcus Tiberius replied, trying to buy more time.
“I wasn’t mistreating him, nor was Claudia. If there is something I should know, then tell me. Stop saying that he had been mistreated,” Flavius said, raising the tone of his voice to overwhelm the one of his father.
His father’s jaw clenched, then he spoke in low, measured words, “I am not going to tolerate this tone from you. I am still your father; don’t forget that. If a Master cannot provide the necessary safety for his properties, it means he does not care about them.” His voice rose an octave. “You were not caring for your family when you left without ensuring that no one could enter the house uninvited. You were not a responsible Master when you left your slaves undefended, and you were not a conscientious husband, either. What if, instead of Saul, they had harmed Claudia?” Marcus Tiberius hissed.
Flavius lowered his gaze. His father was right about that. But how could I ever imagine that something like that would happen?
“Father, forgive me, please, but I hadn’t meant for anything like that to happen. Not to my wife or to any of my slaves, or any other property in that house. I was sure I had taken all the necessary measures to ensure the safety of the people living in my household. I need Saul.”