11 - The Slave Market
In the minutes after Nikah's punishment on the frame of repentance, when it became clear that his emotional recovery was going to take some significant time, Ashala suggested that Ruta return to the Temple Gardens where she would be sorely missed should she remain absent much longer.
"But what about you Ashala?" asked Ruta. "Do you not have important duties at the Infirmary?"
"The Infirmary is empty Ruta," said Ashala. "No kitchen boys have been scalded, no library boys have fallen from ladders, and neither have your garden boys been stepping on rakes! I shall stay with Nikah until he is properly with us again. And Ruta, I shall talk to him about our need for assistance this coming rest day."
Ruta leaned down to kiss the resting Nikah.
"Nikah, it was wonderful what we did together, the three of us. I hope you know that Priestess Ashala and I love you very much. Was it very painful Nikah?"
"Yes, but I was glad." replied the boy.
Ruta departed, leaving the two of them alone. Ashala knew that abandoning her boy was out of the question while he was recovering from such an intense, emotional and stimulating experience. She stayed with him dutifully; holding him, stroking his hair and talking softly about how pleased he had made her.
"Mistress, you know it was not I that spoke of our activities last rest day. It was Tak." said Nikah.
Ashala laughed.
"Yes Nikah, I knew that all along. Perhaps the need for you to be punished was not as great as my need to punish you."
Nikah took a few seconds to ponder her comment.
"I understand Mistress," he said. "I was scared when you commanded me onto the frame. You were so cold. I felt fear of you but I was also excited. Deep down I know I am safe with you. And I will always obey you, Mistress, whether you whip me or not."
"You are a good boy Nikah. Fearful of the Goddess, as you should be, and submissive towards priestesses, the personifications of Her divine being. And that is why I select you to help Ruta and I on the rest day tomorrow. And no, we shall not be visiting any taverns on this occasion."
"You wish me to carry your parcels Mistress?" asked Nikah.
"No. We are going to purchase a boy. We will need you to help us handle him, should it be necessary."
"A replacement for Tak? Mistress, do you think I shall see Tak again one day?"
"I do not know Nikah. Try not to think about it. Whatever will happen will happen. Here, let me take a look at your rump. Oh my, you are quite marked. Who do you go to tonight?"
"Priestess Shallie, of the Library. She will probably not notice Mistress, she removes her eyeglasses when enjoying boys in her bedchamber."
"Nikah, there are big red welts across your cheeks!" said Ashala. "I think she will notice. I shall come with you to her door to explain. But now we will go to the High Priestess. You have some grovelling to do, but you are good at that, are you not."
****
The next morning, Ashala and Ruta came early to the bedchamber of Shallie to fetch Nikah, as had been agreed the previous night. The boy was already fed and dressed in his tunic, ready to leave for the day.
"I tried to use him in ways that would not make his condition worse," said Shallie. "And I bathed him well this morning and applied lotion."
"We are so sorry Shallie," replied Ashala. "Ruta and I got quite carried away with him yesterday. I hope we did not spoil your evening."
"Not at all. I always enjoy Nikah." she said, tousling his hair.
Ruta, Ashala and Nikah rushed out of the Temple and into the City streets, heading in the direction of the West Quarter. Ashala bade them hurry, as it was best to be at the Slave Market early, so as not to miss the best 'livestock', as she put it. The Market was staged once each moon inside a large circular hall, more commonly used for public events, such as the annual celebration of the Republic, and theatrical or musical performances. At the entrance to the hall, a lady of the City sat by a table, controlling the crowd, for it was an extremely busy morning. Distracted, and barely looking up, she said to Ashala, "No males, unless they are merchandise or vendors. We are trying to prevent it becoming too crowded inside." And addressing Nikah directly she said, "Go wait for your Mistresses over there with the other slaves!"
Ashala turned sharply to face the seated woman.
"I beg your pardon! How dare you speak to priestesses of the Temple in such an offhand manner, without standing and without doing us the courtesy of looking us in the eye. And do not presume to give our boy a direct command! He is not a simple slave; he is of the Temple and, I suspect, closer to the Goddess than you will ever be. You shall apologise!"
Ashala had raised her voice to the administrator and many around them were now looking over with great curiosity.
"Mistress, do not trouble yourself," said Nikah, embarrassed. "I shall go and wait with the others."
Ashala ignored him.
The lady citizen, paling, stood and addressed her, "I am so sorry Priestess. I did not look carefully and failed to see that you are a Lady of the Goddess. I most humbly apologise."
Ashala stared at the woman icily.
"Not to me! To my boy! His name is Nikah."
The woman stared at Ashala incredulously. There were gasps among the crowd of onlookers; disapproving murmurs. But Ashala stood in the doorway, hands on hips, her gaze fixed on the woman as the group behind them, seeking access to the hall, grew further in size. Finally, the lady, her cheeks reddening, turned to Nikah and said, with a faltering voice, "I am sorry Nikah. I should not have presumed to speak to you like that. You are not my property and I had no right. Please forgive me."
The lady looked as though she were about to die of shame, but Ashala said simply, "Thank you sister. It was not so difficult was it?". And then, turning to her boy, she said, "Nikah, go wait with the other boys and husbands over there. We may be some time."
Ruta and Ashala entered the Hall to be confronted by a chaotic scene. Around the outside circumference, in a large circle, sellers struggled for space, tightly packed against each other. The 'merchandise', as the lady citizen at the door had termed it, consisted of many hundreds of boys standing on short display boxes elevating them about a foot from the floor. The sellers stood beside the boxes, shouting and haggling with potential customers, perhaps two thousand of them, who circled the hall in a generally clockwise manner, eyeing the boys on display. They were all boys of course - the keeping of females as property being forbidden within the City. Ruta and Ashala saw bands of rough Cargian men selling eastern boys in groups of twenty or thirty at a time. In other places a single lady citizen, perhaps fallen on hard times, would stand patiently with her solitary boy, waiting to be approached. The priestesses could see some like this in tears. Everywhere there was noise; the shouting of the sellers, screams of faux outrage over prices asked, and demands to inspect the goods more closely. Just in front of Ruta, two women started fighting, clawing at each other and pulling hair until they were dragged apart by those around them.
"Look Ashala, there is a pretty one," said Ruta, clutching at her companions arm.
