The Price of Freedom: Innocence Lost

New Masters

Once off the ship, the slaves are herded along the docks like cattle to be sold. The slave market is so crowded you can barely put one foot in front of the other, but eventually the ship's Captain finds a spot where his slaves can at least be seen by the public. A horrible feeling of shame comes over you. People are walking past and staring at you like an animal, looking at your arms and your teeth as if those are the only things that determine your worth. You should've expected it really. In the eyes of the free people, you're not a human being anymore.

"Look that man." Lula whispers to you, pointing to a very wealthy looking merchant in a white cotton toga, who is inspecting a rather handsome male slave with light skin and fair hair. "He very lucky." Lula tells you about the slave. "He smart, Greek slave like you. He go work in house for rich man. Eat well. Good work. Maybe you work in house too." She says, trying to sound encouraging, but the thought doesn't appeal to you at all. At the end of the day, you'll still be a slave.

Many more customers come and go throughout the day. One man goes through the lines, selecting all the biggest, most muscular slaves he can find, regardless of their race or any scars they might have. Lula looks at the men with pity in her eyes. "They not lucky." She tells you. "The strong men go to work in mine or pit. Break rocks all day. Very hard work. No live long." Luckily the man buying these slaves has no interest in you.

Another, rather rich looking man is carried over in a litter, a young boy fanning him with palm leaves as he looks around, mostly looking over the young female slaves, and buying the ones who look most attractive. Lula hides behind you when the man passes by. "That man is love merchant." She whispers to you. "He buying girls for pleasure house."

"What's a pleasure house?" You ask her. Lula just shakes her head and tells you it doesn't matter.

It's mid afternoon before anyone takes notice of you. A well built man is walking slowly through the rows of slaves, accompanied by a strange woman with a shaved head, tattoos on her arms and face, and piercings all along her ears and under her lips. The two of them are picking out young children to inspect, discussing amongst themselves for awhile until one or both of them dismisses the child as unsuitable and moves on to the next.

"What about those two?" The man asks, pointing to you and Alexius. "There's definitely a resemblance there. Are you boys brothers?" He asks you both.

"Yes sir." Alexius replies before you can decide whether to answer the man's questions or not.

"They'd look good together." The man says, turning to the tattooed woman. "You could teach them as a unit. Make them work as a pair. The people will love it."

While the man might be keen on the idea of buying you and your brother together, the strange woman he's with seems more sceptical. "They're too skinny Master Titus." She says, pulling at Alexius's sleeves to reveal his arms. "Spoiled Greek boys. Never done a day's work in their lives I'd wager."

"And that's why we buy them young." The man called Titus tells her. "What does it matter what shape they're in now? You have eight... Maybe ten years to fix that."

"Yes, but why waste money on scrawny Greeks when we can get a strong, healthy African boy for half the price?" Rhode asks.

"Woman, there's more to it than brute strength and you know it." Titus says firmly. "Yes, they're more expensive, but there's a reason. Just think of all the most famous heroes. Hercules, Theseus, Perseus, all Greek. Yes, with a cheap African boy, you could make a strong man, but I don't want you to make strong men. I want you to make legends! Men who's names will be chanted through the street. Men the people will pay good money just to catch a glimpse of. And to make that kind of man, that's where you need to start!" The man tells her, pointing directly at you.

The woman just stares at you for awhile before shaking her head in frustration. "If I just had something to work with, they might be worth the price. But without any kind of physical advantage, pretty faces aren't going to count for anything."

"They'll be educated." Titus points out. "Intelligence can be a valuable asset too."

"Oh you think so?" Rhode asks with a smile, approaching you and leaning down to your level. "Do you know your letters and your numbers boy?" She mocks you, lifting three fingers in front of your face. "How many fingers boy? Can you count them all by yourself?"

You're not sure how to react. If you impress the master, he'll probably buy you, and he seems interested in buying you and Alexius together, so you wouldn't be separated. Then again, you don't know what kind of work he has planned for you. Maybe getting purchased by him wouldn't be in your best interests. Also the strange, bald woman is really irritating you.

"Yes, I read." You tell them both. "We both do. Greek and Latin. And we're learning arithmetic and history."

"What kind of history?" Titus asks you.

You look nervously to the floor. "I... Greek history. Great rulers and famous battles..."

"There!" Titus cuts you off. "Battle tactics. Strength might be a bonus, but in the end, intelligence can be the most valuable asset of all."

Rhode doesn't seem impressed, but shrugs her shoulders and admits defeat. "It's your choice master." She tells him. "I still say it's a waste of money, but if it is your will, I'll teach these boys to the best of my ability."

"I never doubted it." Titus says with a pleasant smile, beckoning the ship's captain over to barter for a price.

Lula looks quite upset as you and Alexius are released from the rest of the group. "You be strong." She whispers to you both. "Do nothing stupid. Stay alive."

As the tattooed woman takes hold of your chains, she starts to lead you away when Titus puts his hand up to halt her. "And the girl." He says, looking at Lula.

Rhode seems surprised by this. "I thought you didn't want any cheap Africans." She says, irritably.

"They have their purpose." He states. "Besides, the women are becoming more popular. Some men have a taste for the exotic." Before Rhode can object, Titus asks the Captain her price and it's low enough that he agrees straight away. "It might just be a passing fad, but we'll see if she pays off."

Lula is chained back up with you and Alexius while your new master and tutor talk quietly amongst themselves. "What do they want us for?" You whisper to Lula, since she seems to be able to tell the tasks that certain types of slaves are selected to perform.

The girl just shrugs her shoulders. "Not know." She admits. "But we find out soon."