Wednesday 17 March 2010

The Slaver


I know, when I talked about That Other Side you thought of something different than a silly story like this. See it as a gentle beginning.


Who said the life of a slaver would be easy? I didn't, I know better. Ah, when I was a boy I dreamt of being a slaver, thought of all the lovely merchandise I would come across. I know better now.


It is true that handling the goods is a pleasure but it isn't an easy life. So much to think about. Troubles and problems everywhere, all the time.


Well, I won't bother you with that, you will see. Where shall I start? Ah, my family. It always has to start with the family. What would I do without my lovely wives. I love them with all my heart, they are my joy and happiness. One is as beautiful as the other's tongue is sharp. She thinks she runs the household, that one. The other one? Oh, she is sweet, very beautiful and very nice. She often warms my bed. And she doesn't speak much. I like that.


I have two sons, a blessing and a curse. My oldest son, what a disappointment! He is a scoundrel and a drunk, not good for anything. He spends his time in the taverns by the port. He drinks and he plays with the dancers and waitresses. That is when he doesn't gets in his head to use my merchandise.


He is good with the whip, I will give him that, but otherwise, he is a useless bastard. He is good for nothing.


Oh, I remember once, when he made me happy. I had bought this redhaired little wildcat from the North. She was foulmouthed as a fishmonger and stubborn as a hungry monkey. She was pretty and if she had behaved she would have fetched me a good price. I tried everything, I kept her naked on a lead and had her whipped but she was as proud as a queen.


Then my eldest son wandered into the warehouse one night. I wasn't there, of course, but he got the key and went into the cages. I don't know what he did to the redhaired one but when I sold her the day after she was as gentle as a summer breeze. I am sure my bastard son made me a couple of gold coins that night.


My younger son, he is something different. He is hardworking and loyal. He is obedient and determined. He does what he is supposed to do and he is learning the trade. He is my pride. I think he will inherit my business when I am gone. Pity he is so dim.


I have two daughter, two lovely daughters. They are my pride and joy. Who wouldn't be delighted by having two such wonderful girls.


The oldest one, she has got her raven hair from her mother. She is beautiful as a queen and she is expensive. She has good taste, I have to admit that but it costs money. Does she thinks a poor slaver is made of money?


Some day, I hope, a very rich young man will decide that she will make a good wife. I am looking forward to it, although I pity him. She doesn't just look like a queen, she is haughty as one too. She is arrogant and proud and behaves as if she owned the world.


She would fetch a good price if I sold her though. In fact, I think a month or two naked in a slaver's cage and a closer acquaintance with a whip would be good for her.


My younger daughter is of another kind. She is not only cleverer than her sister, she is prettier too. She has blond hair, she got it from her mother. She is the sweetest child imaginable. She is gentle and obedient and walks with grace. There is not a grain of arrogance in her. A father has to be happy for such a daughter. She would make a lovely slave and I believe she would bring even a higher price than her sister.


A father shouldn't talk like that about his daughters. I would never sell them. Not even if I was offered twenty gold pieces for one of them. Although twenty gold pieces would allow me to replenish my stock and really get my business going...sigh.


Business has been bad, lately. There has been no major wars for three years and almost no raids to the northern lands. This makes slaves expensive. I can sell the ones I have for a higher price but I have to buy them for a higher price too. Business is slow.


I remember the Eastern Campaign. When was it? Seven years ago? Anyway, those were good times. The supply of girls was overflowing. And what beauties there were! Such lovely women that come from the East...sigh. Those were the days. Good supply and demand was still increasing. I made good money then.


Now my cages are half empty. I have even had to send my boys, not my sons, of course, the boys I have hired, I had to send my boys out in the night and look for girls in the streets. These are sad days, when a man has to revert to such methods to fill up his warehouses.


The problem with such slaves is that you can't sell them here, they may be recognised and that causes all sorts problems.


I have even considered stealing some of the daughters of the nobility. The upside is that they won't be recognised, they are often kept away from the public eye. The downside is that the actual acquiring of them is a bit tricky. Either you have to bribe their guards or you have to break into their houses, which can be quite dangerous at times.


When I was young, I used to love those things. We were reckless and thought that getting a nobleman's daughter was a great adventure. Those were the days. Made you feel strong. The girls didn't like it, protested and cried a lot but when you got the clothes off them and tied them up in the cage they came to their senses and some of them made very good slaves.


I prefer the legal ways of getting girls, I have to say that. They are less adventurous but safer and better for business.


A couple of years ago there were quite a lot of volunteers. There are always volunteers but they make no steady flow of goods. Some years ago it was different, we had a couple a week coming and asking to be enslaved.


Some of them had ridiculous demands, that I should give so and so many gold pieces to this temple or that person. You have to be hard, even if the woman was lovely and you knew you could get a good price for her, even make some profit. If it became known that you were too generous it would just make them increase their demands.


I had to turn away some really pretty ones but it paid off. Some of them didn't want anything but a prayer in the right temple and then you could have them. Strange thing, really. I don't understand why a girl would want to be a slave. The strangest thing of it all is that it is often the wealthy ones that want it most.

But as I said, you have to rely on the proper ways of getting your wares. War and plunder are the best ways of getting girls cheaply. There are some that fall in debt but they are often more expensive. It is nice, thought, with local girls.


Some girls you don't ask where they come from. I mean, if there is a gang of youngsters turning up at your doorstep with a girl, who look like a local farm girl, who is gagged and stripped and tied up and the young men want a quick sell and are happy with peanuts you knew she is stolen goods. Best to ship such a girl away from the city as quickly as possible.


I am boring you with details of my trade. I love my work but it is hard work and not easy to make a living from. Come back if you have something to sell, I give a good price. Or even better if you want to buy. Buy two and I'll give reduction...eh?



11 comments:

Paul said...

Janice, your slaver sounds like he might be middle eastern, or possibly Greek.
I wonder what the elder son did to the red-haired Northern wildcat, now there's food for fantasy.
A nice if unexpected read, thank you.
Love and warm hugs,
Paul.

Anonymous said...

Fun. My advice to the narrator would be: quality over quantity. (Though sometimes quantity IS quality... heh-heh...)

Regards,

Wystan E

Lea said...

Dear Janice - I really like this - the thoughts and considerations that are evident throughout - imaginative indeed - and very enjoyable ... :)

Joanna said...

I really enjoyed this side of the story, Janice - and I shivered a little at the thought of living in a world where a woman's freedom could be ripped away at any moment. It was mostly a good shiver, though!

Thanks,
Jenny

Nikolai said...

Very nice. The tone does remind me of the Kerim Bey character from James Bond, From Russia with Love.

Interesting you mention some nobles selling themselves into slavery. I was just reading a book from 1900 where the author mentions so debased had the Roman empire become that in the end some Roman citizens sold themselves into slavery in their lust for gold and silver. Seems a Citizen did not do manual labor as that was slaves work so quite a few Citizens lived on the scraps of others rather than do work. Well at least that is what the history books tell us :)

Cécile said...

How to learn a clear and elegant « Queen » English ?
That is really easy, just come here and read!
I have a good dictionary, an excellent grammar book, a special book called something like “How to avoid the usual mistakes a Froog does in English” but I learned more when coming here and enjoying the crystal clear an elegant writing of Janice.

I note the use of the conjugations in the past, I copy out idiomatic sentences which are inconceivable for a French brain, I verify in my dictionary of the totally unknown words…
What a pleasant work!

Dad often say that we cannot have an imagination more important than its intelligence. All the texts I read here are evidences that Janice is not, really not, a dummy.

Hugs and kisses Janice.
Be kind to yourself.

Cécile.

Janice said...

Dear Paul, some place were it is warm, I am sure of that...smiles. I am glad you found it nice, unexpected is not so bad either.

Dear Wystan E., I hope you don't talk about my writing but the slaves in the slaver's warehouse.

Dear Lea, thank you. I thought it could be fun to give a voice to this kind of person.

Dear Jenny, I share those thoughts with you. I am glad you liked this, rather, silly story.

Dear Ollie, thank you, although this was a rather light take on it.

Dear Nikolai, thank you. I am a little intrigued by the person who would come to a slaver and offer herself as a slave.

Dear Cécile, you are too kind. It is true that I care about language (besides the obvious sloppiness, of course) and your words make me feel it is worthwhile.

Hugs

Janice

Mina said...

Dear Janice, an interesting side to come from. I can imagine the actual commerce side of the slaver could be as tedious as any business at times can be. Never thought of that before.

Well done.

Hugs
Mina

Anonymous said...

Wonder if Janice (he)was a "she" and a slave too?

Janice said...

Dear Anonymous, don't understand your comment. In view of other comments you left, it seems quite spiteful, I hope I am wrong.

Janice

Anonymous said...

"Slaver" isn't as good as story "Sold".