annr.pandora-第20节
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〃Madam；〃 he said； 〃if you seek my services for a house of ill repute； let me tell you now。。。 if it is to torture and force young girls such as those you just purchased； if you order me to advertise their charms abroad； I won't do it。 It is as dishonorable to me as to steal or to lie。 Why do you want me？〃
The tears were halted； merely resting between him and his vision of the world around him。 His face was serene。
〃Do I look as if I am a whore？〃 I asked him with shock。 〃Yea gods； I wore all my best clothes。 I'm doing my best to look revoltingly respectable in all these fancy silks！ Do you see cruelty in my eyes？ Can't you believe that it is perhaps the tempered soul that survives grief？ One need not fight on a battlefield to have courage。〃
〃No； Madam； no！〃 he said。 He was so very sorry。
〃Then why fling these insults at me now？〃 I said； full of hurt。 〃And no； I agree with you； what you've written there； our Roman poets are not the equals of the Greeks。 I don't know our destiny as an Empire and this weighs as heavily on me as it ever did on my Father and his Father！ Why'？ I don't know！〃 I turned as if to go； but I had really no intention of going！ His insults had simply gone too far。
He bent towards me over the writing table。
〃Madam；〃 he said whispering even lower and with greater solicitude。 〃Forgive me my rash words。 You are absolutely a paradox。 Your face is eccentrically painted； and I think the lip rouge is not properly set。 You have rouge on your teeth。 You have no powder on your arms。 You wear three dresses of silk and I can see through all of them！ Your hair is in two barbarian…style braids lying on your shoulders； and you are raining little silver and gold pins galore。 Look at these little pins falling。 Madam； you will be hurt by these pins。 Your mantle； more appropriate for evening； has fallen on the ground。 Your hems drag in the dirt。〃
Not missing a beat of his speech； he reached down deftly and picked up the palla； standing at once to offer it to me； ing round the table with a heavy shift of his leg； to lay the palla on my shoulders。
〃You speak with miraculous speed； and stunning gibes；〃 he went on； 〃yet you carry a huge dagger in your girdle。 It should be hidden on your forearm under your mantle。 And your purse。 You take gold out of it to pay the girls。 It's huge； carelessly visible。 And your hands； your hands are beautiful； fine as your Latin and your Greek； but they are deeply creased with dirt as though you have been digging in the Earth itself。〃
I smiled。 I had stopped my tears。
〃You are very observant；〃 I said cheerfully。 I was charmed。 〃Why did I have to cut you so deeply to find your soul？ Why can't we simply reveal ourselves to one another？ I need a strong steward； a guardian who can bear arms； run my house and protect it because I am alone。 Can you really see through all this silk？〃
He nodded。 〃Well； now that the mantle is over your shoulders and hiding the。。。 the dagger and the girdle … 〃He blushed。 Then as I smiled at him； trying to regain my calm； trying to fight back the engulfing darkness that would take away all confidence from me； all faith in any task； he spoke on。
〃Madam； we learn to hide our souls because we are betrayed by others。 But I would entrust to you my soul！ I know it； if you would reconsider your judgment！ I can protect you； I can run your house。 I will not molest your little girls。 But mark； for all my time fighting in Illyricum I have one leg。 I came home from three years of bloody constant battle to lose it to a boar because a spear； poorly tempered and made； broke as I thrust it into the boar。〃
〃What's your name？〃 I asked。
〃Flavius；〃 he answered。 This was a Roman name。
〃Flavius；〃 I said。
〃Madam； the palla is slipping again from your head。 And these little pins； they are sharp； they are everywhere； they'll hurt you。〃
〃Never mind that；〃 I said； though I let him drape me again properly as if he were Pygmalion； and I his Galatea。 He used the tips of his fingers。 But the mantle was already soiled。
〃Those girls；〃 I said； 〃whom you glimpsed。 They are my household； as of the past half…hour。 You have to be their loving master。 But if you lie in any woman's bed under my roof； the bed had better be mine。 I am flesh and blood！〃
He nodded； at a total loss for words。
I pulled open my purse and took out what I thought to pay； a reasonable price in Rome； I thought； where slaves were always bragging about how much they had cost。 I laid down the gold； oblivious to the imprint of the coin； only gauging the value。
The slave stared at me with ever increasing fascination； then his eyes whipped the merchant。
The slimy； merciless； weasling slave trader puffed up like a toad and told me this priceless Greek scholar was to be auctioned for a high price。 Several rich men had expressed interest。 An entire school class was to question him within the hour。 Roman officers had sent their stewards to inspect him。
〃I have no more stamina for it；〃 I said； and reached in my purse again。
At once； my new slave Flavius put his hand out gents to prevent me。
He glared at the merchant with great authority and fearless contempt。
〃For a man with one leg！〃 said Flavius between his teeth。 〃You thief！ You charge my Mistress that； here in Antioch； where slaves are so plentiful the ships take them on to Rome； for it's the only way to cut their losses！〃
I was quite impressed。 All had gone so well。 The darkness flowed back away from me； and there seemed for the moment a divine meaning in the warmth of the sun。
〃You cheat my Mistress and you know it！ You're the scum of the Earth！〃 he went on。 〃Madam； do we ever purchase from this scoundrel again？ I advise never！〃
The slave trader broke into an inane smile； a hideous grimace of cowardice and stupidity； bowed and gave me back a third of what I'd given him。
I could hardly keep from another burst of laughing。 I had to fetch the mantle from the ground again。 Flavius did it。 This time； I knotted it properly in front。
I looked at the gold which had been returned； scooped it up； entrusted it to Flavius and off we went。
When we had plunged into the thick crowd in the center of the Forum I did laugh and laugh at the whole affair。
〃Well； Flavius； you're protecting me already； saving me money； giving me excellent advice。 If there were more men like you in Rome； the world might be better for it。〃
He was choked up。 He couldn't talk。 It was an effort to whisper：
〃Lady； you have on trust my body and soul forever。〃
I went up on tiptoe and kissed his cheek。 I realized that his nakedness； the filth of the loincloth； all this was a disgrace he bore without a sign of protest。
〃Here；〃 I said； giving him some money。 〃Take the girls home； put them to work； then you go to the baths。 Get clean。 Get Roman clean。 Have a boy if you want。 Have two。 Then buy fine clothes for yourself； not slave clothes； mind you； but clothes that you would buy for a rich young Roman Master！〃
〃Madam； please hide that purse！〃 he said as he took the coins。 〃And what is my Mistress's name'？ To whom shall I say I belong； if asked。〃
〃To Pandora of Athens；〃 I said。 〃Though you shall have to fill me in on the current state of my birthplace； because I have never actually been there。 But a Greek name serves me well。 Now； go。 See； the girls watch！〃
Lots of people were watching。 Oh； this red silk！ And Flavius was such a splendid figure of a male。
I kissed him again； and whispered in his ear； calculatingly； devil that I am； 〃I need you； Flavius。〃
He looked down at me； awestruck。 〃I am yours forever； Madam；〃 he whispered。
〃Are you sure you can't do with me in bed！〃
〃Oh； believe me； I have tried！〃 he confessed； flushing again。
I made my hand into a fist and punched his muscular arm。
〃Very well；〃 I said。
The damsels had already risen； at my gesture。 They knew I sent him to them。
I gave him my key； the directions to my house； described the particularities of its gate； and the old bronze lion fountain right inside the gate。
〃And you； Madam？〃 he asked。 〃You're going in the crowd unacpanied？ Madam； the purse is huge！ It's full of gold。〃
〃Wait till you see the gold in the house；〃 I said。 〃Appoint yourself the only one who can open chests； and then hide them in obvious places。 Replace all the furniture I've smashed in my。。。 my solitude。 There are many pieces stored in rooms above。〃
〃Gold in the house！〃 He was alarmed。 〃Chests of gold！〃
〃Now； don't worry about me；〃 I said。 〃I know where to seek help now。 And if you betray me； if you steal my legacy and I find my house ruined when I return； I suppose I shall have deserved it。 Cover up the chests of gold with carpets。 The place has heaps of little Persian carpets。 Look upstairs。 And tend to the Shrine！〃
〃I shall do everything you ask and more。〃
〃So I thought。 A man who cannot lie cannot steal。 Now the sun is intolerable here。 Go to the girls。 They wait。〃
I turned。
He caught me by ing round in； front of me。
〃Madam； there is something I must tell you。〃
〃What！〃 I said with an ominous face。 〃Not that you're a eunuch；〃 I said。 〃Eunuchs don't grow muscles in their arms and legs like that。〃
〃No；〃 he said。 Then he took on a sudden gravity。 〃Ovid； you
