Fortune Favors

Chapter 3

Nicodemus Marinos looked down at his reflection in the pond where he and his slaves and guards had set up camp for the night. He was hoping the bruising on his face would heal before he reached Rome. The problem with having none of his brothers or any of his friends on this trip with him was that no one was honest. All the slaves and guards told him the bruising was gone, but it wasn't. What the Hadius bastard must have thought of this, Nico didn't know.

Nico felt around his eye and cheek. He could handle himself in a fair fight, but his brother Alex wasn't prone to fairness. The blows had come without warning, and Alex hit hard. For the first few days of his journey, Nico couldn't see out of his left eye.

"I'm glad you're going to Rome, so you'll be out of my sight," Alex had spat at him. "You're a disgrace."

Nico didn't regret what he had done, and that had infuriated Alex even more. It was just that Heron, the young slave that Nico had freed, was special. All the young man wanted was to go and live free with his woman.

Nico would have preferred if Heron had wanted to stay and continued to serve him as he had done since they were boys, but it wasn't to be. Nico couldn't keep someone who had meant something to him in his household against his will. Nico wasn't naive either, he knew that the world was cruel, but Heron was brave and worked so hard and had desired his freedom. Nico loved him, so he had to let him go.

Nico had given Heron enough money to free himself and his wife. It was Nico's money, and Alex shouldn't have cared so much. Except, Alex knew that Nico cared for Heron and that was what his brother could not abide.

There were rules that governed relationships with slaves and relationships between men, and Nico had violated them.

He had brought shame to his house, and as punishment he was being sent to Rome on a merciless errand, negotiating a trade pact with a family that was known to be treacherous even by Roman standards. When Nico had left, even his parents had seemed eager to see him leave, although his mother had hugged him and told him that it would mean the world if he could negotiate a favorable deal. The meaning was clear. If he could squeeze as much gold as he could from the Hadius family, then he would be back in their good graces.

So, Nico had to do that. Although, Nico wasn't sure rescuing a bastard Hadius from drowning was a good omen or a bad omen. He felt a little bad that he had avoided telling Marcus his identity and that they would probably meet again soon, but he wasn't ready to face that family. He wanted to give himself time to settle in before the negotiations began.

Nico glanced up, and he saw the old man who had been assigned as his body servant. No more pretty young men would be allowed to serve him, not after Heron.

"It'll be healed by the time we reach Rome, sir," he said, finally being honest. "I promise."

Nico nodded. The old man was kind, and he probably was just as happy to be away from Alexander as Nico was.

"I suppose it won't be more than a day or so," said Nico. "We didn't lose much time helping those unfortunate Egyptians."

"You did a good thing, sir. You should write your mother and tell her. She'll be proud."

Nico didn't respond.

"Are you excited?" asked the old man. "I went with your father to Rome years ago, when Julius Caesar still lived. You'll find much to recommend the city. Some of the fairest girls you'll ever see, from both respectable and not respectable families, depending on which pleasures you seek."

Nico smiled to himself, and he resolved that he would keep his mind on business.

****

Marcus plowed into the warehouse, one of many owned by his family, and demanded to see the crusty old man who managed the place. The manager came out from behind some barrels, clearly worried. An unexpected visit from his boss's son was probably the last thing the man had expected or wanted. His hands shook slightly but he looked Marcus straight in the eye.

"A group of Egyptians arrived today. Their ship caught fire."

The manager gave him a blank stare. "You're the newsreader now, sir?"

Marcus shook his head. "No...no. It's not worth it to buy slaves for the new shipments. The increase in the number of crates and barrels that will be arriving is short term. It's best to hire help. Father says so. I think the Egyptian will work cheap."

The manager shook his head. "There's men around these docks that are veterans of the campaign against Antony. They hate Egyptians and won't much care for anyone who hires them."

Marcus sighed. "They won't much care for Egyptians sleeping on the piers either." Marcus folded his arms. "It's not a request. My father heard from someone in the Senate that Egyptian laborers work harder than slaves and are cheaper for short term jobs. We can even use some of the empty space to lodge them, so we can pay them even less."

This, of course, was not true at all. Maximus Hadius wouldn't have thought twice about buying cheap slaves, working them to near death and then selling them off to finish their miserable lives in the mines or fields. Marcus never understood the practice, which seemed to him both cruel and wasteful.

"Your brother won't approve," said the manager.

"When has my brother ever approved of anything you've done? At least you'll have my approval."

The manager ran his fingers through his hair and took a deep, long breath. Marcus knew and he knew that Eolus was impossible to please and never did favors for the men under their father's patronage. If this man had any wisdom, he would know that pleasing Marcus was a far more self-advancing course of action. "All right, sir. All right. We'll try your plan. Where are these Egyptians?"

Marcus really only knew the general direction they had gone, but he told the man which way they had walked, and the manager promised to send a few of his assistants.