Agnes Smith When in Rome 848 A.D. Rome ......... [Agnes] She takes Antonella's hand, and holds it to comfort her as Techo tells her the distressing news. "Well, Antonella. Let me say that which you would not want to say yourself: you cannot stay. To do so would be to burden your family even more. Yes, return to let them know that you are alive. But you cannot impose yourself upon them. It would make things even worse for them. We could stay in Rome - though not here: I think that we are imposing ourselves upon Lucius too much already. Perhaps we could find some sort of employment. I suspect that Romans would be as lothed to have a woman book-keeper as the Saxons in London, but I 'm sure when they see that I can do it they will relent. Alternatively, after we have said our goodbyes we could make our way back to London. I have some money buried there - enough to get us back into business. Not that I actually want to return to London yet, and certainly not remain there too long." "What do you say, Antonella?" She looks at Techo again. "Was there any indication of when Lavinia might be due to be wed?" <><><><><> [GM] Antonella looks at you. "I...." she opens her mouth, and you see her eyes widen a bit, in enthusiasm, when you propose having her stay with you after all...and then they cloud over with doubt. "P..perhaps, that would be wise....if you *really* want to, Agnes," she adds anxiously. "But, once my family knows I'm alive, they won't be at all happy that I'm not coming back to my father's home and letting him take care of me as is his right and his obligation. I mean, even if they do want to be rid of me quickly..." there is a slight tremor in her voice at this, "we're still a noble family, such unproprietous arrangements simply aren't done!" Techo has been listening quietly, arms folded. "Under Church law, your father would have the right to force you to come back to his house, and he probably has the means to have it done," Techo says quietly. "The question is, *would* he?" Antonella bites her lip, uncertain. Techo turns his head towards you, to answer your question. "As I understand it, her father is narrowing down prospects for Antonella's sister now. I'd say they're expecting to have her married off by the end of the year, certainly." <><><><><> [Agnes] "Antonella. I would be happy to take you with me, and travel to wherever. You want to see your family, and yet there is a risk if you do." Agnes sure-footed start to an explanation of what to do falters and stumbles, as she realises that she will either have to risk telling the girl her future, or deepen the deceit that she is exercising on the girl. She struggles internally, and a pause hangs in the air... Finally, she says, "You will have to decide for yourself what to do. We have tried to advise you as best we can, but at the end of the day, it is your choice. We cannot make your mistakes for you. But know this, Antonella. Whichever way you choose, I will be there for you, whenever you need someone to turn to." <><><><><> [GM] Antonella looks at you gratefully, and only with an effort of will does she keep her eyes from brimming over with tears again. "Thank you, Agnes," she says softly. Then she rises to her feet, with a determined lift of her chin. "I do not know how desperate my father will be to have me married off, or how he will react to my....unseemly associations." She smiles at you, and almost manages a wink. "But I must see them, especially poor Lavinia. I can't just hide in Rome, or run away to some other city, without visiting my family first." She looks at you. "If something goes wrong....if my father tries to hold me against my will....will you help me, Agnes?" <><><><><> [Agnes] She realises that she really cares. "Of course," she manages to reply, as she fights to stop her eyes from filling in sympathy. She fights to quell the emotions inside her. She realises that Antonella, is not just her-pupil-to-be. Their two years together in Africa had meant it was different. She was in love with Kemal, and now she knew that she loved Antonella as she would have loved a little sister: as Antonella obviously loved Lavinia. "Of course, I will help. I will stay in Rome in case you need me." <><><><><> [GM] Antonella smiles and nods. "Good!" she says cheerfully, though you see deeper gratitude in her glistening eyes. She turns to Techo. "Master Techo, will you accompany us to my father's house? It would be better if I could invent some story about...about how a noble knight rescued me from the Saracens and brought me home. Or....or something. I mean, just showing up with Agnes will seem awfully strange." Techo raises an eyebrow. "A knight?" he says wryly. "I suppose I could play the part, though in all my years, I've never actually *been* a knight. But perhaps your reintroduction to your family should be a bit better thought out than that." "Like what?" Antonella says, chewing on her lip nervously, bashful again now that she must be corrected, however gently, by the ancient immortal. Techo looks down at the floor, his arms folded, thinking. "I could probably play the part of a merchant more successfully," he says. "A merchant captain, plying the Mediterranean. I can drop a few names your father will recognize. And I could have met the two of you in Ifriquiya, heard your story, your pleas to be taken home, and your promises that your father would reward me for my generosity. So I bought you from the Saracen who owned you, and brought you back to Rome." He smiles. "When inventing a tale, it's best to stay as close to the truth as possible. This way, I have a much more understandable motive than...nobility." He smiles a bit sardonically at the last word. "And your father will be indebted to me. And whatever he does pay me, if anything, I can give to Agnes, which will provide a sort of dowry for you should the two of you then find it necessary to strike out on your own." He looks at you. "What do you think of this, Agnes?" <><><><><> [Agnes] "Well, the plan does have its merits," she replies with a smile. "It would mean that I have some starting capital without having to trek back to London ." She glances at Antonella. "It does mean that Antonella's family would have to find even more money to pay the reward, and then to save towards her dowery." She adds wryly, "As well as the cost of providing new clothes for all occasions." You already said that they were less well off than before. Will they be able to afford what you would have to have paid to buy her off. Kemal had to sell his horse to buy the two of us. To ask any less than Antonella would fetch, plus a reward would undermine the verisimilitude of your story. Will they struggle to pay such a price, and how will that affect their attitude to their long lost daughter?" "There is a risk, Antonella, that rather than welcoming you with open arms, your family may resent your return." "However, I must admit, if you are to return to them, this plan is as good as any I can come up with." <><><><><> [GM] "If they *won't* pay it, then I certainly wouldn't *want* to stay with them!" Antonella exclaims haughtily, but there is a flicker of doubt in her eyes. Techo smiles ironically. "Less well-off is a relative term. I've never been able to feel much sympathy for the very wealthy when they fall on hard times. Even with their current financial difficulties, the Gallini house is hardly going hungry, and what Antonella's mother is wearing would feed a peasant family for a year." Self-conscious, Antonella looks at her own bangles and bracelets, not as ostentatious as what she'd no doubt wear if she had the money, but tokens of Kemal's affection and generosity, and certainly capable of buying many meals for a poor peasant family. "I'll make up a figure that will be painful but affordable for your father," Techo says. "He won't like paying it, he'll certainly feel the pinch....but I won't impoverish your family. And as Agnes points out, how they react may determine what your future with them will be." Antonella, now somber, nods. She looks at Techo, then at you. "Well....is today too soon?" she asks. "And, uh....what role *will* you play, Agnes? My father....well, he won't pay for you. And you obviously can't be a servant." She flushes. <><><><><> [Agnes] She smiles at Antonella. ""Why, I managed to get Lucius to stand surety for me until Sancho returns. Thus, Techo has already been paid off for my rescue. I am merely escorting you to your parents. Once Techo has delivered you safely there, and has been paid off for your return, I shall return here with him." She looks at Techo, "We must remember to tell Lucius that that is our story, in case he is asked." "Today would seem as good as any other." <><><><><> [GM] Antonella nods. "All right," she says nervously. "I'd better get properly dressed!" She hurries to your shared room to find another outfit to wear, even though what she's wearing seems perfectly appropriate to you. While she fusses over herself, Techo says to you quietly "The impression I got of Aleardo Gallini is that he probably does love his daughters, but he loves his wealth and social standing more. He'll try to be grateful that Antonella is back, but she's going to be more trouble than she's worth to him. She's probably going to have many more illusions shattered before this is over, and it's going to be painful." He looks a bit sad, if resigned. This can't be anything he hasn't seen before. <><><><><> [Agnes] She sighs as she looks at Techo. "There is no easy way is there? She is determined to return home. I will remain in Rome to pick up the pieces afterwards." As Antonella eventually returns, she says , "shall we go?" <><><><><> [GM] "No, no easy way. There usually isn't." Techo smiles gently at you. "But most aren't fortunate enough to have someone there to pick up the pieces afterwards." Antonella nods to you. She tosses her hair back, fluffs it some more, and seems to be reacquiring more of her old vain habits with every step. Probably a natural reaction to reentering her old world. She is very beautiful, even more so now than when you first met her. No doubt this will help make her marketable as a bride, even with the associated problems she'll present. On the other hand, she has absorbed much of your independent attitude, and she was pretty assertive to begin with. She's learned how to do for herself, though perhaps not as much as she should have, and she's learned how to fight. She's taller than most men, and probably as strong. You can't imagine she'll be easily broken to submissive married life. It's hard to say whether Antonella's reunion with her family will be harder on her, or on them. Techo walks with you and Antonella, along the streets of Rome, into the wealthy district. He seems as casual and at home as ever. He could be a native of Rome, just as he walked through Palermo and Carthage as if he was a native of those cities. Antonella takes a deep breath, and involuntarily clutches your hand, as a large estate surrounded by a lot of statuary and some slightly ill-kept gardens looms before you. You can see what Techo means; the Gallinis may have fallen on hard times, but they could still buy and sell the village of Marham a dozen times over. With her head held high, Antonella lets go of your hand, stands up straight, and strides up the paved path to the marble-columned entranceway. "Servants should have come out to greet us already," she murmurs with a sniff. "Where is Tomas, or Renato?" She stands on the porch, staring at the doors, put off and disconcerted that her family might have fallen into such a low state that their servants must wait until guests are actually at the door before they receive them. <><><><><> [Agnes] She walks down the drive towards the villa, suddenly appreciating how wealthy the Gallinis really are. Especially when her own wealth consists of all that she wears - a set of plain clothes, a sword, and some jewelry. She looks at Antonella as she stands at the door. "What could be wrong, Antonella? Could your family have got rid of so many servants that they haven't seen us approach? Maybe they have seen us approach, and have taken fright because it is you and they believe you to be dead." Conscious now, of the fact that she is wearing the skirt and top she had made to be hardwearing, whereas Atonells'a clothes were made to make her look beautiful, she adds, "Or maybe it is because you are accompanied by some common woman in plain clothes and with a sword at her hip - not to mention Techo." As the pause continues, she glances at Techo, "This is the right villa? I mean they haven't sold it and moved somewhere else to cut costs?" <><><><><> [GM] Techo shrugs and rolls his eyes a little. "They lived here yesterday," he says. The door opens. A small, dark-haired man stares at Antonella. "Renato!" Antonella exclaims. For a moment she looks like she might embrace him, then remembers herself and adopts a more regal tone. "Renato, where are all the other servants? Why were we not greeted at the gate?" Renato stares at Antonella, and stammers witlessly for a few moments, before blurting, "M- many of the slaves and servants have been sent to your father's southern villa, milady. Milady, it- it's good to see you b-but-" he looks back and forth between Antonella and you and Techo. "These are my fr- my comp- my *friends*," Antonella says firmly. "I will see my father now, and they will accompany me!" She raises her chin so she can look down her nose at Renato. The wide-eyed servant blinks, bobs his head and stammers "O-of course, Mistress Antonella." Clumsily, he backs inside, and Antonella swoops in after him. "Spirited child," Techo murmurs. "I wonder how well she really stands up to her father, though." He politely indicates for you to precede him inside. <><><><><> [Agnes] She smiles at the change in demeanour and bearing evident in Antonella as she gets back onto her home ground, and enters the villa at Techo's indication. <><><><><> [GM] You follow Antonella inside, through a foyer that would almost contain the cottage you grew up in, and across paved floorstones into a grand hall. This is a newer building, not one of Rome's ancient mansions, and the builders seemed to be trying to combine old Roman styles with modern Carolingian architecture. It looks a bit jarring, but overwhelming, to you. Techo looks around with a frown, obviously not finding it particularly aesthetic. "Noveau rich," he mutters. "I'd wager the Gallinis haven't been among the aristocracy for more than three generations." The huge residence seems a bit empty, this impression enhanced by a thin layer of dust and grime building in poorly-accessible corners. In the grand hall, Antonella's family is quickly gathering, having been alerted by scrambling servants, the few that are around. A tall, thin woman, with greying hair and a face that was probably once beautiful, but now looks worn and prematurely aged, cries out and almost staggers forward as she advances on Antonella. "Antonella!" she cries. "Oh, God is good! He has heard my prayers!" She continues stumbling towards her daughter, who closes the distance more quickly and embraces her, grinning and crying. "Oh, Mother! It's so good to see you again!" Antonella holds her mother, who leans against her daughter's shoulder for a few moments, before looking up with a sniffle and saying "You've grown!" Domina Gallini has not yet taken notice of you and Techo when a shriek fills the hallway. A girl, tall and pretty but still a long way from full womanhood, is at the top of a set of marble stairs, staring down at the scene. "Antonella!!!!" She comes running down the stairs, skirt flying about her ankles, and Antonella smiles broadly, and holds out her arms. "Vinny!" Tall stature and comeliness seems to run in the family, at least on the female side. Lavinia, for her youth, is still certainly grown enough to attract male interest, and she is already taller than you. Like Antonella, she has long golden curls and wide blue eyes. Her features are softer, and her frame more slender. She will probably grow to be nearly as tall as her sister, perhaps not as voluptuous, but definitely another real beauty. It is as touching a reunion as you could imagine. Techo has a small, distant smile on his face, as if remembering other such scenes, perhaps some of which presaged lasting happiness. Antonella is embracing her sister and spinning around with her, laughing, while their mother shuffles about next to them, making small sobs and wiping her face with a kerchief, and Antonella finally looks back at you and Techo and seems about to bring you into the conversation, when movement on the stairs above causes them to fall silent and look upwards. The patriarch of the Gallini family stands at the top of the stairs, staring down at his wife and daughters with a solemn, almost grim expression. Dominus Gallini is nothing like the distaff members of the household. He is on the short side, and quite portly. His hair is dark and curly, and he wears a small, rather silly-looking mustache and a badly-groomed beard. He's not at all handsome- his face rather reminds you of a toad. His beetle-brows knit together as he regards you and Techo. It's hard to imagine this small, homely, chubby man fathering two angels like Antonella and Lavinia. The corners of his mouth turn upwards, and he smiles in a slightly dazed manner. "Antonella!" he brays. "Good God, how is it you have returned to us, and to what Saints do we owe this miracle?" He begins descending the stairs, while Antonella moves to the foot of the stairs to greet him, smiling but a bit more subdued. She even bows her head a little, and clasps her hands in front of her. "I know not what Saints to give thanks to, Poppa, but I brought two people who had a lot to do with it." <><><><><> [Agnes] Agnes bobs a little curtsey to Antonella's father. "My name is Agnes," she says in Latin with a British accent. "I was captured in Rome with Antonella." She indicates Techo. "It is to this man that the credit is due for your daughter's safe rescue and return to Rome." <><><><><> [GM] Signor Gallini descends, and accepts his daughter's embrace, and kisses on each cheek. Holding Antonella's hand, he looks at you for a moment, then at Techo. "And who are you, Signor, to whom I am so indebted?" "Noah Isaacson," Techo says, bowing with a slight flourish of his cap. Antonella blinks. Techo hadn't warned either of you about that sudden pseudonym. Or that he'd be assuming the identity of a Jew. "I am a merchant, Signor....a seafaring trader to be exact." His Latin, perfect a few minutes ago when he was speaking to you and Antonella, now has a slight Eastern accent. "By chance I found your daughter, enslaved by Saracen infidels in Ifriquiya. The poor girl was so distraught she was almost ready to take her own life, but when she heard I was traveling on, to Italia, she begged me to purchase her freedom and bring me back with her. She assured me her father was a generous man of considerable means, and that I would be reimbursed for all my troubles. How could I refuse the poor child's request? Even though her master demanded three times the going price for a Christian girl-slave of good breeding, and would not be haggled lower?" He spreads his arms melodramatically. You get the impression Techo is rather enjoying this. Signor Gallini makes a rumbling sound in his throat. "She did, indeed?" He assays a faltering smile. "Well....of course you have my boundless gratitude for bringing my daughter back to me...." "Oh yes!" Lavinia runs over to embrace her sister again. Antonella puts an arm around her little sister's shoulders, smiling. "Oh Papa, he must have been sent by God to bring Antonella home! We never thought we'd see her again! You are an angel, Signor Isaacson!" "An angel with a price," you think you hear their father mutter. He smiles again. "Will you join me for dinner, Signor?" He looks you over again, dubiously. "And you, ah, Agnes....I'm sure my wife and daughters will be pleased to offer you something to eat also, in the garden." Antonella's mother, who has been hovering nearby, waving one hand weakly in front of her face, smiles shakily and nods. "Certainly.....won't you join my daughters and I for supper, Signora?" <><><><><> [Agnes] She smiles at Antonella's mother, "I would be honoured Signora Galinni," and makes to move in the direction indicated as being towards the garden. Meanwhile, she worries about the tangled webs that 'Noah Isaacson' was weaving, and whether she would keep up with them. She realised that Techo was a past master at this. Only a jew would get away with haggling over the ransom. A Christian would illicit attempts to persuade him that it was his christian duty to rescue the girl, and a mercenary stance would probably hinder the negotiations. No doubt, the family would prefer to talk to Antonella, so Agnes decides to feign poor Latin, and that her initial sentences were prepared. "Antonella," she says in arabic as they enter the garden, "let's say I am not confident in my Latin." Witha smile she adds, " When you spin your tale, don't make it too extravagant" <><><><><> [GM] Antonella pauses again, blinking, then says, "Oh....all right." Techo's masquerade, and now your little deception, has her learning intrigue quickly, and she clearly wasn't ready to maintain so many fictions at once. She squeezes your hand briefly. "They won't find it hard to believe that you speak poor Latin." In the garden, servants bring you a fine supper, better than you've eaten in some considerable time. Antonella's mother first goes on about the state of the house and the diminishing reliability of the servants, as if she believes these things are reflective of a general deterioration in the state of the world. She doesn't seem to recognize, or acknowledge, that the Gallinis are suffering some reversals of fortune. Lavinia seems more perceptive. "Papa lost a lot of money after the raid," she says to Antonella. "Momma and I were most upset about you, of course." The younger girl stirs the food on her plate. "Sometimes I think Papa was more upset about his ships, though." "Daughters are easier to replace," Antonella mutters in Arabic, surprising both you with her sudden bitter insight, and her mother and sister with the alien speech. "Oh, did you have to learn that dreadful heathen babble?" Signora Gallini exclaims. "Oh, Antonella, please don't speak it here, you're home now, and surely you want to forget your terrible experience as quickly as possible!" Antonella smiles, a little sadly. "Some things I want to forget. Not everything, though." She glances at you. Before her mother or sister can pursue that, Antonella diverts the conversation entirely away from how she spent the last two years. "Lavinia, how have you fared? I...I heard Papa has allowed you to be courted!" This last is blurted out suddenly, and none too wisely, since Antonella shouldn't have had any way of knowing this. Signora Gallini and Lavinia both look a little surprised, but before the mother can ask any questions, Lavinia begins speaking in an excited, frantic rush. "Yes, you can't imagine how many men have come to pay their respects to me in the last few months! Noblemen from fine houses throughout Italia! Even a prince from Lombardy! It's rather exciting, really, although I really didn't think Papa would let me marry so soon. And some of my suitors are rather old." Her voice drifts off, and you can see some of the girl's true thoughts, that she'll never voice out loud. The thrill and excitement of being the center of so much male attention, just at the age when she's beginning to seek it, must be wearing off, especially if she's smart enough to realize that she's not really being courted, but marketed. Antonella looks at her sister, with eyes full of more wisdom and understanding than she had when she left home. Though sadly, still far less than she'll gain in the months to come. "Well, perhaps Papa will put that off for a little while, now that I'm back." Lavinia looks up, hopefully, and then guilt washes over her face, for the hopefulness she knows she revealed an instant before. <><><><><> [Agnes] She lets the conversation flow. She is the outsider, after all. She does allow a small smile back at Antonella at her comment about not forgetting everything. She feels sorry for both Antonella and Lavinia, that such marketing of daughters is so accepted. Maybe she decides, she herself was just lucky enough to be born in a small enough village that such political marriages didn't happen. She listens idly to the conversation, dreading some 'clanger' from Antonella as she waits for Techo's return. <><><><><> [GM] "Antonella....you know, Papa will probably be thinking about *your* marriage prospects," Lavinia says hesitantly. Antonella smiles, a little tightly. "Yes, I expect so. We will certainly have to discuss that, won't we?" Livinia chews on her lip. "Was it really horrible, 'Nella, being a Saracen's slave?" Then she blurts out a rush of questions, in a manner you've become familiar with. "Are there serpents the size of houses in Ifriquiya?" "Do they really worship the Devil?" "Did they keep you in a harem?" "Did they beat you?" "What was your master like?" "Did he make you walk around naked?" "Did...did they...." Lavinia lowers her voice conspiratorially. "I've heard the Saracens engage in certain....practices, with their women-" "Lavinia!" her mother interrupts her, looking shocked and distressed. "That is hardly a proper topic to discuss, especially in front of a guest!" She smiles indulgently at you, as she stomps on her youngest daughter's foot beneath the table. After yelping, Lavinia protests "Oh Mama, she can hardly understand a word we're saying!" She glances at you. "Is she simple, 'Nella?" Antonella shifts in her chair, frowning. "No, and she does understand some Latin, and you shouldn't speak ill of her, especially right in front of her face!" Then, embarrassed as she realizes that she's also talking about you as if you weren't here, Antonella says "Agnes has been....a very good friend to me. We shared captivity in Ifriquiya, and she accompanied me all the way back to Rome. Te- Signor Isaacson purchased her freedom also, for which he's already been reimbursed." Antonella smiles at you. "I understand she's planning to stay in Rome a while, isn't that right, Agnes?" <><><><><> [Agnes] Suddenly realising the conversation has come back to her, Agnes, replies, in her accented Latin, "Oh.. em ... Yes. My husband is a merchant. He travels Europe with a caravan. I shall wait here in Rome for him to return. One of his business partners paid off Signor Isaacson for me. I may be quite a few years here before he returns. I don't suppose he'll rush, as he'll think I'm lost forever." With a smile Antonella may recoognise for its mischeviousness, she continues, "I'm sorry, you were talking too quickly for me. Did you say you were getting married too, Antonella? So soon after your return?" <><><><><> [GM] Antonella colors, and looks at you for a moment, with her mouth half- open. Then she realizes you're teasing her. "No," she says. "No, I don't think I'll be marrying soon." She looks at Lavinia and says "And I think we should have a talk with Papa about your getting married." "A talk?" Lavinia asks, brow wrinkling. The idea that this might be a subject open to discussion has obviously never crossed her mind. "Now Antonella, why don't you wait until you're settled back in before you make all these decisions?" her mother asks. "Why, you've been gone two years, and you're just as headstrong as ever!" Antonella lifts her chin proudly and says "Well, any man who'd have me will just have to *like* headstrong women!" Signora Gallini gapes, a bit at a loss, and you suspect she has always been like this when trying to deal with her headstrong daughter. Who now seems quite determined to infect Lavinia with the same rebellious spirit. Lavinia is watching all this with interest, when a servant enters the garden and says that Dominus Gallini and his guest have concluded their dinner, and would see you now. <><><><><> [Agnes] She smiles at Antonella's antics, that seem to drive her mother to distraction. She rises with the others to return to Dominus Gallini after the servant has informed them that they are ready. "Quite the rebel still, aren't you?" she quips to Antonella in arabic. <><><><><> [GM] "You should talk!" Antonella retorts. Signora Gallini and Lavinia look back at the two of you, as you exchange Arabic words, then continue into the house, where Signor Gallini and Techo/"Noah Isaacson" await. Techo looks pleased, Antonella's father a little less pleased but trying to hide it. "Well, I trust you saw to it our guest was well-fed?" he says to his wife, who smiles and nods. "Yes, dear. She has quite an appetite." Antonella stifles a giggle. Signor Gallini smiles at Antonella and approaches her, arms held out for her. Antonella walks into his embrace and lets him hold her, smiling fondly, as he says "Well, my dear daughter, we rejoice in your return to our household, and we give thanks to the Lord, and to a Jew and a Saxon, of all people, who helped bring her back. I am sure after your long trip, you're probably both tired and want to rest." "We have plenty of room here!" Lavinia says eagerly. Her father's face shifts- that clearly *wasn't* what he was trying to hint at. Antonella, whose expression he can't see since she stands considerably taller than her father, smiles with amusement, with an arm around his shoulders. "Oh, we already have lodgings in town, but the Domina is very kind to offer," Techo replies, with a bow to Lavinia as if she was the lady of the household. Lavinia blushes, and Signor Gallini tries not to look too relieved. "Well....it was a pleasure to meet you, and may God keep you safe," he says. "Be seeing you!" Antonella adds brightly as Techo walks with you towards the grand entrance hallway, causing her father a bit more barely suppressed consternation. "Oh Papa, may I say good-bye?" Signor Gallini hesitates a moment, then smiles. "Si...certainly." He releases his daughter, and Antonella follows you into the courtyard, while her parents and sister stand at the doorway watching you. <><><><><> [Agnes] "Well, Techo?" she asks in Arabic. "How did that go?" "Did you fleece rotten, the father of our friend here? And how did he take her homecoming?" She looks at Antonella as they walk towards the courtyard. "Your sister and mother seem pleased enough at your return." <><><><><> [GM] "I took him for as much as I could squeeze out of him," Techo chuckles. He glances over his shoulder as he jingles a purse inside his cloak. Handing it to you here, in sight of the mansion, would be unwise, but the purse sounds quite heavy indeed. "I daresay it will set you up comfortably in Rome for a while." He looks at Antonella. "Your father really is glad you're back, Antonella. He's not happy about the price he had to pay for your return, nor about the complications you now present, but he does care for you." "I know," Antonella says softly. "But as you said before, he probably cares about other things more, doesn't he?" Techo says nothing. She sighs. Then turns to you, at the gate to the Gallini estate. "I don't know how easy it will be for me to arrange to visit you, Agnes. I'm supposed to have a chaperone wherever I go, since I'm unmarried." She wrinkles her nose. "But I will find a way. Or perhaps you can?" she adds hopefully. "I mean, you're so clever, you've lived so much longer than me." She hesitates, shifting restlessly, emotion suddenly playing across her face again as it's time to bid farewell. <><><><><> [Agnes] She sees Antonella's discomfort, and steps towards her, embracing her. "We'll keep in touch, Antonella." She steps back, smiling. "I don't need a chaperon, so I will be able to visit you." "Well, until next time." and with that she turns and walks away with Techo. Once in the streets again, she says, "Thank you, Techo. That was most kind of you, although I suspect you actually enjoyed trying to get as much as you could from Antonella's father. How much longer will you stay in Rome? Long enough for me to get myself set up, or must you get back to Afrique?" <><><><><> [GM] Techo smiles in bemusement, silently acknowledging your suspicion. "Well....Kemal is waiting for me back in Palermo. We have....some traveling to do," he says. "But he would want me to make sure you're safely settled in first, so I can wait around for a little bit." Since 'a little bit' for this ancient immortal could be days or years, that's a rather vague assurance. But Techo pulls out the purse, once you're out of sight of the Gallini estate, and no others are nearby to see the heavy purse being transferred. Before handing it to you, he shakes out a handful of gold coins and pockets them. "This is for Kemal," he says, turning the remainder over to you. "I believe you owe him a horse." He winks. <><><><><> [Agnes] She smiles and embarrassed smile. "Yes, I believe I do." "So, Techo. Do you want to help me set up in business, or do you want to watch me make my own mistakes, and smile quietly to yourself?" "What is going to be a good commodity here anyway? I only had a day here last time - hardly long enough to work out what is worth buying and selling." They make their way back towards Lucius's home. "I suppose we ought to get out of Lucius's hair too." She feels the weight of the purse. "I think I can afford some rooms for us." <><><><><> [GM] Techo cocks an eyebrow at you. "Is that how I seem to you? I don't mean to be smug. It's just that I've seen....almost everything, before, it seems. So it's hard not to view everything someone else does, mistake or not, with a sense of familiarity." "I can certainly give you some advice on doing business in Rome, and I'm sure Lucius will be willing to help you make some connections to get started." "If you mean to stay in Rome long- meaning if Antonella is really going to stay here- then I should try to put you in touch with Casca. He's had trade networks stretching across the Mediterranean since before the fall of the Empire. And he's quite willing to be helpful to other immortals who may be helpful to him in the future." He glances sidelong at you. "You really should cultivate more contacts, Agnes. You've been very lucky thus far, operating more or less independently. I have to say, though, that of the few female immortals I've known who lived more than a century, only a couple survived purely on their combat skills. All others have had to find a social position which offered them some protection. Just wandering around freely is dangerous for anyone, but as a woman you're a particularly tempting target for mortals and immortals alike...." He stops and shakes his head with a rueful smile. "I'm sorry, you're no fledgling. You're experienced enough to know all these things already." He sighs. "I'd just like to see you survive. Kemal cares for you a great deal, and I find myself liking you also. And you have Antonella to think of." <><><><><> [Agnes] "I've met quite a few other immortals," she counters. After a few moments of walking in silence, as she thinks of them she concedes, "Well, a few anyway." "Maybe I took the warning of headhunters too seriously, and I've gone out of my way to avoid meeting other immortals." She smiles to herself as she remembers the 'encounter' in the inn in Germany, as she thinks through them all. She sighs, "However, although I have only met a dozen immortals, 5 of them have lost their heads. Don't you think that is reason enough for me to avoid company?" She lets the silence hang between them, and listens to his answer. "Let's not do too much long term planning until we know what Antonella is up to, shall we? But I agree, it would be worth asking Lucius if he would assist me." <><><><><> [GM] "Yes, it's safer to avoid other immortals," Techo says. "But don't neglect to take advantage of associating with the few whom you can trust. I wasn't speaking of alliances with other immortals, though. I meant improving your position within society. You can never be completely safe, of course; sieges, plagues, civil wars and barbarian hordes eventually topple every kingdom. But money and power is excellent protection. Of course as a woman, it's harder for you to achieve a position of wealth and power, and still keep your autonomy. But it can be done. It has been done." "I would not tell you how to chart your future, though. You've survived this long, you can certainly take care of yourself. And I can hardly argue against the strategy of living alone and traveling light." He grins briefly. "But I am ancient and wily. You're getting old and crafty by mortal reckoning, but as an immortal, you're still pretty young." He sobers a bit. "Five out of twelve is about right. And half of those remaining will probably be dead in another couple of centuries. You've beaten the odds by surviving this long, possibly because of your solitary ways." He shakes his head. "Of the immortals I've known who were older than I, only a handful remain." "We will talk to Lucius, and see what he will do for you. Then I'll stay until your position is secure, then return to Kemal." .......... Lucius proves agreeable to helping you set up in Rome. He even offers a loan, though you no longer need it, with the starting cache taken from Antonella's father. This being the case, he asks what sort of venture you're interested in. "I know enough people to help you get a little business, at least initially," he says. "But make sure it's something you're good enough at that you can keep their business." <><><><><> [Agnes] "Thank you Lucius. I think I have an eye for cloth and clothing, and in London I bought and sold in bulk. I suppose, if anything, that would be an area where I should be able to hold my own. Perhaps later I could move into warehousing or maybe clothes shops. But I am getting ahead of myself. Antonella might die her first death or decide to leave the city tomorrow. I ought to content myself to something less long term until we know what happens with Antonella. I would make a passable book-keeper or scribe." <><><><><> [GM] Lucius has plenty of opportunity to employ bookkeepers and scribes, but prefers not to have another immortal in his direct employ. Instead, as promised, he arranges introductions for you. You're not sure exactly what businesses Lucius is engaged in, and he seems to prefer it that way, but he knows merchants, warehousers, slavetraders and artisans, and even Jewish bankers, throughout Rome and beyond. He selects those who might not balk too much at the notion of a woman cyphering and keeping ledgers, and gives you letters of introduction. Many of those with whom you meet seem willing to give a woman a try at the books, but only with the understanding that they get to give you a try in bed as well. Narrowing down your choices to those you think will be able to keep their hands off of you (or whose hands *you* can keep off of you), your best option seems to be an elderly silk importer who has made a fortune distributing authentic Chinese silk throughout Italy (along with the cheaper Byzantine silks, equal in quality but still regarded as less luxurious by the wealthy.) He's too old to paw at you; his son is another matter, but his son is the reason the merchant needs a bookkeeper. The young man is supposed to take on the family business after his father dies, but he's clearly neither interested nor bright enough to do anything but run it into the ground. Techo points out, with deliberate cynicism, that this is a situation rife with opportunities for a clever and attractive woman to grasp the reigns of the family business herself. But even if you have no such intentions, it will still pay your way for the foreseeable future. <><><><><> [Agnes] She struggles with the idea of the cynical path that Techo is setting out for her. The cynicism of what he suggests appalls her ... and yet Aethelbad had chastised her in London when she had admitted to him that she had married for love and not cynical self advancement. She knew that she would probably go and work for the family anyway, but she felt obliged to argue the point. "Are all immortals as cynical, that they grasp what they can from mortals with little heed for the consequences. You are suggesting that I grasp the reins of the family business. By marrying the son I presume, such that he will never have an heir? And this despite the fact that I am married to and _love_ Kemal? She's glad that it is Techo that has got her going. It forces her to remain civil. She realises that if it had been Kemal she would have worked herself up into a state of tears and shouting, and both would have drawn lines in the sand that they were not going to cross. <><><><><> [GM] Techo merely cocks an eyebrow and replies calmly "I did not suggest you *should* do anything. I only pointed out that the opportunity is there. Forgive me if you thought I was belittling your morals." He sighs. "Perhaps I am getting more cynical than I thought." Staring at the fire for a time, lost in his own thoughts, he finally looks at you again. "No, not all immortals take advantage of mortals in such a cynical fashion. But to achieve and maintain a prominent position in society requires at least a little of it. That is why I have been a loner, a shadow on the fringes of civilization, for centuries. I was tired of manipulating mortals just to keep myself safe and comfortable. I suppose that makes me a bit of a hypocrite, to assume that you would consider acting in just such a manipulative fashion." He shakes his head. "I'm sure you can survive without marrying to your advantage, Agnes, though it will be difficult." He chuckles. "I know Kemal, after much agonizing, gave you his consent to do what's necessary to survive, but he'll be much happier if you are able to avoid crossing that line." "Maybe I am not so wise as I sometimes imagine. I think it's time I stop presuming to offer you advice." He smiles and stands up. "You will be a good teacher for Antonella." Techo is not staying at the temporary residence Lucius has had rented to you...he seems to know every square inch of Rome, and always has somewhere else he wants to visit, something he wants to look in on. He disappears into the night, leaving you with your thoughts. <><><><><> [Agnes] Agnes settles into her new abode, acquiring a few things to personalise it. Whilst out buying them, she spends time in the cloth market, seeing what is there and what the prices are, and treating herself to a new outfit for her work. And then, the next day, she presents herself for work with her new employer. Book-keeping and cyphering are not the most exciting of things, but trying to understand the business is, and it keeps her from delving into the nest egg that Antonella's father unknowingly gave her. She decides that on Sundays she will make a point of going to the church near Antonella's house. That way they can meet and Agnes can see how she's getting on. <><><><><> [GM] The first week passes rather uneventfully. As you expected, bookkeeping isn't the most exciting profession, but there is a sense of discovery as you learn about trade networks, importing, distribution channels, and other aspects of the silk business (which really would apply to any such business)....things you never thought about before. Much like when you first came to London, and learned that business is not just trading a pair of chickens and a goose for a new set of horseshoes. The large cathedral where the Gallinis go to worship caters to noble families. Your simple garb marks you as someone of a lower class, and your accent marks you as a foreigner. A hatchet-faced priest stares down at you narrowly as you try to enter, and blocks your way, even as you feel the aura of Holy Ground seeping out around you. "You need to go there," he says, pointing at a separate section where the servants and some other common folk are gathering (everyone stands continually throughout the service, of course). You've never seen such segregation in a church before....but you've never attended services at a large, wealthy cathedral before either. <><><><><> [Agnes] Her good sense tells her to go and join the rest of the common folk ... but alas, there is just a teensy bit of stubborn-ness that gets in the way. She stares at the priest. "And what about us all being equal before God?" "You just look at my clothes and decide that I am unworthy of crossing the threshold of your church?" She shakes her head. "I am disappointed. I had thought that the church would have kept the best priests in Rome. Now I see that the best must be sent out to France and Germany - for I have never been treated like this there." She smiles. "Forgive me, you must be some sort of probationer that has been kept in Rome unready to be allowed too far from close supervision by the Church." <><><><><> [GM] The priest turns livid. "How DARE you speak to a priest like this, woman?!" He's so incensed, he actually looks as if he's ready to strike you, but restrains himself. The others who are shuffling in turn to look at the scene, and no one looks particularly sympathetic towards you. The priest grabs your arm. "You are a wicked woman with a foul tongue! May you remember your sins of pride and disrespect when you make confession, for you surely have need of penance!" He begins trying to forcibly usher you towards the peon-section. <><><><><> [Agnes] She tries to pull her arm free and stand her ground. "Unhand me!" "Who are you, to talk of the sin of pride? You who look like you would almost have struck me for suggesting that you were a novice? There is pride indeed! Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." She doesn't get too violent, but she is *not* allowing this man to drag her about. <><><><><> [GM] The priest's face turns even redder. Especially when it becomes apparent that he *can't* move you against your will- you're stronger than him. "You....foreign....whore!" he snarls, gasping as he lets go, realizing this wrestling match just makes him look as bad as you. "Peasants and servants do *not* stand with their betters! Have you gone mad, or do you think you are better than you are?" "Who is a whore?" asks another priest, dressed in more ornate robes, attracted by the scene. Quite a few churchgoers have paused at the entrance to the cathedral, to watch this altercation. He looks between you and the other priest with displeasure. "What is going on here, Father Vezio?" "This....this *woman*...." Father Vezio says, pointing a shaking finger at you. "Insists on standing with the nobles. She refuses to go to her place!" The other priest looks you up and down, and calmly says "You do not look like a noblewoman, Signora, and it is not customary for the lower classes to stand with the higher. Do you insist on causing a disruption in the house of the Lord?" There's quite a crowd of spectators now, but you haven't seen any sign of the Gallinis yet. <><><><><> [Agnes] She slaps Father Vezio hard across the face. "I am not a whore." she says through gritted teeth. She turns to look at the other priest, and bobs a little curtsey. "I have travelled a long way to be in Rome, Father. I did not do it to be accosted in the street like a beggar, nor accused of being a whore by a so-called priest, a man whose bearing and manners would have had him thrown out of the ministry years ago if he'd been in France or even in Britain. It is not my intention to cause a disturbance in the house of the Lord. But as it is obvious I am not welcome, I shall leave." She bobs a curtsey again, and looking disdainfully at Father Vezio, says, "I hope you don't make a habit of turning away the faithful, Father, people might think you were in the pay of the Infidels." She turns to walk away, saying quietly in Arabic with a wry smile, "There is but one God and his name is Allah." [or whatever the exact quote is from the Koran.] <><><><><> [GM] Father Vezio, if possible, is even more incensed. "You dare strike a priest!?" he exclaims. The other priest's eyes narrow. "All are welcome in the house of God," he says. "Provided they come in respectful worship." He makes no move to stop you as you walk away. "Perhaps you will return after you have had some time to think about this. I would strongly suggest you seek penitence as soon as possible," he says to your back. The shocked and disapproving gazes of the Roman nobility follow you down the steps of the cathedral. If you plan to see Antonella now, you'll have to wait outside until after the mass. Or you could go find Techo, who would undoubtedly have some wry observation to make about the whole thing. <><><><><> [Agnes] With her head held high, she makes her way down the cathedral steps, holding up her skirts (and the scabbard underneath) to make sure she doesn't trip. She heads for her local church. She'll have Mass there, and confess to striking a man who was a complete stranger who called her a whore. She'd go back to Antonella's after Mass. <><><><><> [GM] The priest at the smaller chapel doesn't seem to think slapping a man who called you a whore was a grave sin; actually, he seems amused. He gives you a minor penance. Of course, not mentioning it was a priest you struck was probably wise. Owing to the simpler services and the smaller crowd, you return to the Gallini estate before the Gallinis do. You see Antonella's parents, preceded by servants who always walk ahead of the wealthy in Rome, making sure there are no obstructions or ruffains in the street ahead. Behind them follow the two girls, both dressed in their Sunday finery. Antonella, you notice, is dressed much more lavishly than Lavinia, as if she's deliberately trying to outshine her sister. The servants see you first, waiting by the gate. A couple of men move towards you as if intending to roust you and chase you away, but you recognize Renato, who simultaneously recognizes you. He rushes ahead to meet you. "Signora Agnes," he says, bowing slightly, a bit out of breath. "Signora Antonella told me to watch for you." He looks over his shoulder. "Are you coming to pay a formal call on her? I'd have to inform Dominus Gallini if so. But, ah, it might be wiser if I simply slipped you in the back way..." Apparently Antonella has already been making preparations of her own, and has learned something about making friends with the servants. <><><><><> [Agnes] "Yes please, Renato, that would seem the easiest". She moves away, and heads for the servants' entrance. <><><><><> [GM] You're kept waiting for a bit, in the servants wing. This large manor really does seem a bit empty, for the relatively small number of people living in it now. Renato finally comes to fetch you, furtively leading you up to the family's quarters, and into Antonella's room. Antonella's quarters are actually a set of rooms, each of them larger than the fairly comfortable room you now have. Antonella is reclining on a couch, but rises when you enter, nods to Renato, dismissing him, and then embraces you warmly. "Agnes! I'm so glad you came to visit so soon!" She steps back to smile down at you. Dressed like a Roman noblewoman, and having regained a great deal of her proper bearing and self-confidence, you notice how much less the little girl she is. For that matter, if she doesn't meet her first death within the next few years, she will soon appear to be just as old as you, and then older. "How have you been? Are you settled into Rome yet?" "What are doing with all that money? Daddy hasn't stopped complaining yet about how much that 'Jew slavetrader' took him for." She giggles, a little self-consciously. "Is Techo still in Rome?" "You are still going to be staying, aren't you?" The last is asked a little plaintively. <><><><><> [Agnes] "Of course, I'm staying - silly girl." she replies as she releases her from an embrace. "I still have the money. I will use it to set up in business when the time is right. At the moment though, I'm keeping books and ledgers to earn my crust. " She smiles, and looks around, "I see you have recovered your composure and deportment well." "What of your future? Has your father made any plans that he has let you know about?" <><><><><> [GM] Antonella smiles. "Well, we talked. Actually, we argued a little." She laughs again, a little nervously. "He's not used to me talking back. I've picked up your bad habits." She winks at you, then squeezes your hand to emphasize she doesn't mean any offense. Her smile becomes more cunning. "Anyway, I held him to a promise he made years ago....he can't let Lavinia be married until *I* am married first." She settles back into her couch, gesturing for you to sit also. "And I intend to take my time getting married again, let me tell you!" She looks down at her hands. "You know....Daddy has already had me....introduced, to a couple of eligible men. He said they were good prospects.....but I don't think any of them hold a candle to Kemal." <><><><><> {btw - "Signora Antonella" ?? isn't that a married title?} [Agnes] She laughs at Antonella saying she talked back. "Next time you see your Father Vezio, ask him if he makes a habit of being slapped in the face in front of his congregation. And by a foreign whore no less." She smiles and tells the girl the story. When Antonella tells her of of her suitors, she comments, "You will only be able to lead them on for so long. Your father will eventually grow exasperated, and just marry you off - whether you like it or not. That is especially true if he feels that he cannot pack off Lavinia into marriage ahead of you." <><><><><> [GM] Antonella laughs. "I don't know Father Vezio, but I'd slap any man who called me a whore as well!" She smiles at you, abashedly. "Well, I don't know if I could so easily slap a priest." She nods. "I know, Poppa thinks he's going to get me married off quickly. But I *won't* let Lavinia be married off to some old man! She...she deserves to be married to someone kind, and gentle...." The girl is silent for a while. "They can't *make* me marry against my will," she says stubbornly. "If they drag me in front of an altar, I'll say 'No!' right there in front of the priest! If they mean to make me marry someone I don't find acceptable, they'll have to tie me hand and foot and gag me as well!" You have no doubt Antonella is quite serious....the image this produces in your mind is almost amusing. Except that you know, unlikely as it sounds, Antonella's father *could* do just that. You've heard of worse. It doesn't seem likely that Signor Gallini would go to that extreme, and it would take an awful lot to break Antonella's will...but she emerged from two years in a Muslim society (which didn't tame her any more than it did you), and deliberately put herself back in a situation where a man has complete authority over her. And as you're learning, Rome is far more patriarchal than Northumbria or London, or even Carolingia. Antonella's expression grows more serious, as she watches you and perhaps reads some of your thoughts. "I know I'll have to settle for someone," she says quietly. "And he won't be as good as Kemal. I may not even love him." She looks down at her hands. "But I can hold out as long as possible....and convince Lavinia to do the same thing. And convince Poppa he can't just match us up with whoever will take the smallest dowry for a respectable marriage." She sniffs. "We're being auctioned to the lowest bidder," she murmurs. "It's almost more insulting than being sold as a slave to the highest." Unexpectedly, a tear rolls down her cheek. "I...I almost wish I'd run away with you, Agnes. Maybe I still will....if you'll still take me." "But I have to make sure Lavinia will be all right first." <><><><><> [Agnes] She gets up, and moves to sit beside Antonella, embracing her and wiping away the tears with a handkerchief. She struggles inside to maintain her resolve not to tell Antonella about her potential. Her resolve holds. With a sympathetic smile, sliding into the more impish sort, she says, "I could always stop your marriage ceremony by declaring a known impediment - the fact that you are already married to Kemal." She sobers a bit, and says cynically, "But if the priests are willing to marry you against your will, I doubt that they'd let a little thing like your previous marriage to an Infidel stop them." "I will stay in Rome until you are happy, Antonella. Or leave with you if that is what you want to do. But it is your choice, I won't make it for you. And if you like, I shall visit you each Sunday after Mass, or every other sunday at least." <><><><><> [GM] Antonella laughs, a little bitterly. "I suppose it would all depend on my husband, wouldn't it? My family has been, well, not coming out and asking directly, but trying to find out if I managed to spend two years as a slave to infidels and keep my virginity, and I've been evasive, so they'll probably assume the worst. Which means my father will probably try to find a man who'll be willing to accept 'spoiled goods' anyway." She shakes her head, and accepts your embrace. "Oh, please do!" she replies. "I like seeing you again. There's no one else like you to talk to. No one else....understands." She sniffles. "And I think I could help you too. I mean, I could talk Poppa into helping you, with your business." She smiles. "And next time, attend Mass with us. It won't do for you to be getting in fights with priests at the door of the cathedral." You aren't so sure Signor Gallini will be as enthusiastic as Antonella about having you as a guest, but she seems able to get her own way quite a bit. <><><><><> [Agnes] "I'm only a book-keeper Antonella - I'm hardly running a business. But thank you for the offer. For the time being I'd rather find out about the cloth business with someone else's money." "I would be delighted to attend Mass with you and your family Antonella," she replies with a mischievous grin. The chatter moves to less consequential things, and after a while, Agnes makes her excuses - after all she wasn't even meant to be there. Renato shows her out and she makes her way back towards her rooms, and the start of a week learning more about the cloth trade in Rome. <><><><><> [GM] The cloth trade in Rome is quite lucrative, and shipping it elsewhere is both risky and highly profitable. Remembering how much a bolt of silk went for in London, as well as the other cities you visited in your years as a tinker, and then as Sancho's partner, you start to trace the mark- ups that follow silk from its origins in Constantinople or Cathay, to its end-markets in Carolingia, Spain, or Britain. It's no wonder that entire fortunes have been built on the silk industry. Signor Savorino seems to have been quite a meticulous bookkeeper in the past, but with his failing eyesight and advancing age, the ledgers have become sloppier in recent years. He certainly needs a competent accountant. His son, Dino, is an obnoxious, spoiled adolescent (actually he's no longer an adolescent, but he still acts it.) Dino, of course, begins flirting with you, hanging around your small office, marveling that a woman can read, write, and count numbers, while asking you questions about your background and your education. His advances are neither the crudest nor the most annoying you've ever had to deal with, but he's incessant. He seems to think his father's new employee was purchased as a gift for him. This was one of the elder Savorino's concerns when he hired you. And he told you quite bluntly, "If Dino bothers you too much, feel free to smack him upside the head. I wish *someone* would beat some sense into him; I'm too old to do it." A week passes. You feel pretty safe in your position; Signor Savorino is satisfied you actually know what you're doing, and his son, while not likely to give up anytime soon, is either not aggressive enough, or too intimidated by you, to be a serious threat. So far his harassment hasn't even become physical; you'd have expected at least a grope by now, testing your reaction. Besides, he's young and rich; he has easier pickings. That Sunday, you attend Mass with the Gallinis. Signor Gallini doesn't look extremely enthusiastic about bringing you in with his family, but Antonella wears a smug smile. This must be one argument she won. You miss seeing Father Vezio, so don't get to enjoy the look on his face, but notice quite a few of the Gallini's peers eying you curiously, as they stand in rows ahead of and behind you. Signor Gallini manages to leave you with just a polite "Good day, Signorina," avoiding making an offer to come eat with the family. Obviously he doesn't think you've been the best influence on his daughter. But Antonella takes you to the side and says she and Lavinia are going to the baths (Rome has several renovated bathhouses and spas, dating from ancient times, which are now in vogue among the rich) later in the week, and asks if you'd like to come. The next day, Dino is lurking at the family warehouse as usual, following you around being a nuisance. He keeps edging closer, like he's finally mustering the courage to try patting or fondling you. You sense the Quickening. You haven't seen Techo in a couple of days. It's probably him, though he's never visited you here before. You're pretty sure Lucius wouldn't come here to see you in person. <><><><><> [Agnes] She makes her excuses to Antonella. She can't afford to go off to the baths, so soon after starting with a new employer, she has to secure her position first before she can take time off. "Maybe once I have made myself indispensible," she comments. She knows that really she would love to go to the baths - yet another arab custom she had grown used to. **Maybe in a couple of weeks I will be able to arrange my hours to suit bathing,** she muses She was just going to threaten to slap Dino, when she felt the quickening. Instead, she walked back to her desk, and buckled round her waist the sword that she kept beside it. Resting her hand on the hilt, she stared Dino in the eye. "I know what you were thinking of doing. Well, don't even think of doing it, or," she patted the pommel, "You might find that I can actually use this." She made her way, as if still doing work, towards the entrance of the warehouse, to see who it was that had arrived. <><><><><> [GM] Dino stares at your sword, and sputters something inane about not knowing what you're talking about. He resumes following you, at a safer distance. "Where did *you* get a sword?" he asks. It is Techo at the entrance to the warehouse. "There must be a better way of dealing with importunate youths than beating them senseless with the flat of your sword?" he says innocently. Dino stammers something about having better things to do, and retreats with as much dignity as he can muster. "Well, he seems manageable enough," Techo laughs. More seriously, he says, "Agnes, unless you need anything more from me, I will be leaving within the week. I can tell Kemal you and Antonella are safe and doing well enough. You know you can still seek aid from Lucius in an emergency." He smiles. "If you'd like to send a letter or some other token back to Kemal, I will carry it for you." <><><><><> [Agnes] "Thank you for escorting us this far Techo," she replies. "I will have something for you tomorrow." The next day she has a letter for Kemal written in Arabic, where, as well as telling of the journey and of how she has settled in Rome, she expresses her undying love for him, and looks forward to being with him once more. To demonstrate that love and her desire to return to him, she send with Techo her most prized possession - her broken sword. She embraces Techo and wishes him safe passage back to Africa.