Work hard in silence, let your success be your noise

[Jenn]

March

Tacita woke to both Corva and Linus telling her that she would be going with Claudus to the office today. She got up from her bed and put on a simple but clean tunic. Tacita took her bag, had a quick breakfast, then headed out with Claudus. They headed through the Roman streets, weaving through various side streets until they hit the market warehouse. When they entered, Tacita hung her satchel, with her wax tablet, up on a wall hook- she wasn’t allowed to use it at work unless Claudus gave her permission. Tacita gave a quick look to Claudus with a ‘do you need anything’ look and he shook his head then waved her away. He headed off towards his office and she grabbed a nearby broom and began to sweep the room.  

@Sharpie (for Aulus)

[Sharpie]

Aulus did not particularly need to be anywhere near the Emporium Magnum but he had no real reason not to be, and no pressing need to be anywhere else. As Consul, he was preceded by a small army of lictors - personally, he though that enough prestige and entourage to go any man's head but it was only for the year and who knew what might happen after that.

"You can stay outside; there's not going to be room for everyone inside," he said, privately thinking that he'd rather not have to pay if any of them broke anything. He relented at the expression on the chief lictor's face. "Just you, I don't need everyone."

He wanted to buy something for Horatia. He didn't need to, but he enjoyed buying gifts for his wife - and he had just foisted a bodyguard on her, he really ought to make up for that with some pretty trinket or scroll (though her library possibly rivalled the new library being built by Octavius Flavius, and he didn't have a clue what she already owned).

A new slave might be just the thing - maybe a girl she could train up for Calpurnia, or a new hairdresser or something? He turned towards the area occupied by the slave dealers.

 

@Jenn

[Jenn]

On this day, the main slave market itself was fairly quiet. Many of the vendors had warehouses surrounding the main market area where they would do business privately. Tacita had come with him on this day to the warehouse to do some general busy work- tidying the warehouse. Claudus had recently gained a new shipment of slaves which meant there was more dirt, dust and mess to take care of. She had spent the morning sweeping the dust & dirt into one larger pile and was in the process of depositing it outside when she noticed a heading in their direction. Tacita gave a quick bow and darted back inside the warehouse to inform the foreman that there was possible business. He went off to inform Claudus who went out to meet him. (Claudus) “Welcome Dominus.” He bowed then stepped back to let the man inside if he wished to enter.

 

@Sharpie

[Sharpie]

"Thank you," Aulus said, stepping inside. 

"Are you after anything in particular?" the slave dealer enquired. 

"I'm not sure. I want to get something for my wife, but I have nothing particularly in mind." Horatia had her own body slave, of course, and various girls for all aspects of her domestic sphere, from a girl to do her hair to... 

He thought she might like something a bit different from everything else she had. He would get her a book or two if he had any idea what she might like and did not think that he would end up giving her a duplicate copy of something. Books could be impersonal and he wanted something she would like.

@Jenn

[Jenn]

The Senator, whom he knew to be Aulus Calpurnius Praetextatus stepped inside and Spurius followed after him. “Are you after anything in particular?” Spurius listened as he went on to say he was looking to get something for his wife, but he had nothing particular in mind. Usually something for a man’s wife from a slave merchant centered around a body slave, cosmetic slave, or general female slaves for the domestic household. “Come with me to my office- I have some refreshment available, while my foreman gathers up my slaves for you to look at.” Spurius waved a hand to the foreman, then they headed off to his office.

Having seen the men approaching outside, Tacita had informed the foreman and then put her broom. Away. She generally stayed out of the way during these situations as she wasn’t technically for sale- as she was owned by Spurius, but Tacita and another woman were handed a tray of food and a jug of wine. Tacita took the jug and followed the other woman towards the office. They arrived at the door, gave a knock and after hearing Spurius’ command to enter, they entered the office. The woman who was with her set a tray down near both Spurius and his guest, gave a curtsy then stepped back out of the way. Tacita, poured a cup of wine and with a curtsy offered it to Spurius’ guest.  

@Sharpie

[Sharpie]

"I don't have anything particular in mind," Aulus admitted, following the other man into his office. He took the cup of wine offered to him - the girl was quiet, as was expected, and pretty. He wondered if she was one of the wares for sale, or not.

"I suspect my wife could do with a project," he said, the idea really only coalescing now. Horatia had been a little down of late, if it could really be called 'down'. He couldn't really put it into words, but she hadn't been quite so happy as in previous months - maybe it was because Aulus' attention was now taken by all the rites and duties he had to fulfil as Consul, maybe it was something else. He felt that she needed some sort of distraction, something to employ her powers of intellect and empathy.

What that could be, he didn't know. Why he expected he might find the solution in the slave market was equally unknown though perhaps a barbarian child she might be able to teach Latin to, or someone she could train to be a secretary or something might fit the bill.

 

@Jenn

[Jenn]

After handing the Consul his cup of wine Tacita stepped back quietly out of the way- they would have left but Claudus hadn’t dismissed them yet. While she wasn’t listening intently to the conversation she did keep an ear open for any commands that came their way. He went on to say that his wife was looking for a project- she wasn’t exactly sure what that meant but as he was in a slave market as opposed to the main market she suspected he was looking for a slave that his wife could train up.
 

Before Claudus could reply there was a knock. “Come in” A moment later the Claudus’ foreman entered the room. “Is everyone gathered for the Consul’s viewing” His foreman nodded his head and gestured back out to the main room. “Good”
 

When the Consul was done with his cup, they moved back out to the main room. The other slave who was with her joined the women, but Tacita stood just outside Claudus’ office door- she didn’t join the other as she wasn’t technically for sale.  

 

@Sharpie(If you want to do the next post & NPC Claudus that can make it go faster)

[Sharpie]

The Consul was pleased to examine the stock of slaves presented to him, but nothing really stood out to him - he didn't know exactly what it was that he was looking for, only that he would know it when he saw it, and he hadn't seen it yet, not in the displays of fine jewellery at the goldsmith's stall, nor in the (admittedly beautiful) samples of Egyptian and Syrian glassware at the stall next to it - and Horatia was perfectly happy to purchase her own books, leading to Aulus' uncertainty what texts she had, and precisely where her tastes in literature ran, although he knew she read voraciously, including on subjects that most women shied away from.

He didn't see it among the slaves presented to him, though they were some of the finest examples of the trade and a clear demonstration on how long the Empire's reach was. he could see sloe-eyed Egyptians, olive-skinned Syrians and Iberians, copper-haired Celts... They stood quietly, with their eyes down, shifting nervously when they thought he wouldn't see, but nothing really stood out to him.

The silent slave who had poured wine for him and her master, though... he turned to see her, standing quietly to one side, waiting to be commanded.

"Is she...?"

"She's not for sale, Consul." There was a slight hesitation in the man's voice; he was a consummate professional and his trade was slaves. Aulus guessed that she would be for sale if the price was right, or why would she be here rather than back at Claudus' home?

"I understand."

"Although if you desire - Tacita."

 

@Jenn (A thousand apologies for the delay in posting!!)

[Jenn]

Tacita stood off to the side while everyone was gathered in the main part of the warehouse. She kept out of the way as she wasn’t for sale. It felt weird simply standing off to the side, but there wasn’t anything she had been told to do, and there wasn’t anything she could see to do. The Consul took his time looking at what was available. At one point the Consul turned in her direction and Tacita momentarily caught his eye, she suddenly dropped her gaze to the floor.

She waited a moment and then lifted her head, but only slightly. She noticed that the Consul and Claudus were talking but she wasn’t able to hear what was being said. “Tacita” Suddenly she heard her name being called by Claudus and saw a flick of his hand for her to approach. What was happening? Tacita approached the pair, gave a quick little curtsy and waited for more instructions or questions. “Consul, should you wish to ask her anything it needs to be in a yes/no format as she does not speak.”

@Sharpie

[Sharpie]

Now that piqued his interest - quite why, he couldn't say for the life of him, but nevertheless it did. "But she can hear?"

"Yes, Consul."

Even more intriguing. He presumed that she must be able to communicate somehow and guessed that she might sign or something. Yes or no questions - well, he had played guessing games often enough with his children when they were younger (and still did, sometimes, especially on otherwise boring journeys to or from Baiea).

"Your name is Tacita?" A very apt name, if she could not speak; it mean 'silent'. "Have you ever served as a lady's maid?"

 

@Jenn

[Jenn]

Slaves, as a group, had learned long ago that they were often talked about but not necessarily talked to but that was even more ‘normal’ for Tacita. Claudus informed the Consul that he would need to ask yes/no questions as she was unable to speak. He then went on to ask the usual follow up question, “but can she hear” which was followed up with a yes. The one thing people quickly learned about Tacita was that while she didn’t speak, she could definitely hear and understand- she was certainly not dumb. She had been lucky that previous masters worked to give her a bit of a voice by giving her rudimentary writing.

“Your name is Tacita?”

Tacita nodded her head- she knew that slaves were often given names based on things or traits. In her case the family that had found her as a baby recognized that she was unable to speak and that was the name they gave her. They didn’t do it to be mean, it was more of an explanation to those who would meet her. Aulus went on to ask her if she had ever served as a lady’s maid. She had mostly been in the kitchens or a general slave, but she picked things up quickly. Tacita looked at Claudus, pointed to herself then across the room to where her bag/tablet hung up.

Claudus debated about letting her write but figured if he was going to end up selling her, he might get more for her if Aulus saw those skills. “Yes you can” Tacita gave a quick curtsy and went to retrieve her bag. Putting it over her head she returned to the two men and pulled a small wax tablet.

“Kitchen & general slave, but I can learn.” She was glad that Claudus had let her get the tablet- she generally did not use it at the warehouse- she had only really written for Claudus or Linus but it did allow her to answer a few more general questions.

@Sharpie

[Sharpie]

And more intriguing yet, as the girl gestured to a bag that was hanging up and received permission to retrieve it, to produce a wax tablet. The writing was clear enough, if perhaps a little laboured - she had been a kitchen and general slave, but was willing to learn

"You can write - can you read?" He hadn't heard of anyone being able to do the one and not the other, but there was a slim chance that writing took the place of speaking yet reading had not factored in anywhere. Horatia would be as intrigued as he was, no doubt - this might be the perfect project for her.

On the other hand, this might be the final straw she needed to divorce him... He smiled at the private joke. Horatia would be extremely unlikely to divorce him for any such reason, and if she did not take to the girl, well, they could always use another slave in the house anyway.

 

@Jenn

[Jenn]

To say she was a bit of a mystery was an understatement. She carried that bag with her everywhere but didn’t use the items inside it very often. In general she used it with their domus head slave Linus as he was helping her with her writing. When she returned, she produced the tablet and scratched out the message.

“You can write - can you read?"

Could she read? That was a hard question to answer. While she understood the letters and had learned language by listening to the people around her, writing was easier as she was explaining thoughts that were in her head already. When it came to reading, it was other people’s ideas and context was an issue. In general, if the reading was simple she could do it but if it was more complex ideas she required someone to help her out/explain it. With the ability to write at least now she could ask for more clarification, ask questions. “I write to talk, working on reading still- if simple it is easier” Probably her biggest challenge was that she couldn’t sound it out and it took a lot of energy to sound it out in her head.

Claudus spoke up to explain further. “Her former master had a body slave he was educating, and he had Tacita included in those lessons to give her a method of communication beyond gesturing. She generally uses the gestures for quick conversation. For reading, it depends on the complexity.”

@Sharpie

[Sharpie]

So she was still learning. That was fine, there was definite potential there, if Horatia would agree with his assessment - if not, he was sure he could find something useful for her to do. And he was intrigued, and that meant that he'd hopefully found the right gift for his wife. If Claudus was willing to sell, anyway, and if not, well, Aulus wouldn't push him too hard.

"Would you accept an offer of..." he named a fair price for her.

"Shall we go back to my office and discuss it over another cup of wine, Consul?"

Aulus acquiesced to the suggestion.

 

@Jenn

 

[Jenn]

“Would you accept an offer of…” Aulus named a price and then Claudus asked him if he would like to go back to the office to discuss it over another cup of wine to which Aulus agreed. Tacita certainly hadn’t planned on getting sold that day, but it seemed like that was what was about to happen. She watched as the two men turned and went towards the office. Tacita put her tablet back in her bag and waited for directions. The foreman selected another female slave and then nodded his head towards Tacita to follow Claudus & Aulus, but when they arrived at the office door he made her wait outside until that time as Claudus summoned her into the room. He stepped into the room with the second slave girl to serve them.

Discussion went back and forth until a price was settled that both were happy with. “Bring Tacita in” The foreman nodded his head and stepped out of the room. A moment later he returned along with Tacita who followed along behind him. At a gesture from Claudus she stepped into the middle of the room to face both men. Her gaze dropped to the floor as she heard the verdict. “Tacita, you have been purchased by the Consul.” Tacita nodded her head to show that she understood/heard the comment. It was going to tear her heart out to leave Corva and Linus as they felt like the closest thing to parents she had ever had, but this was the way business worked. Tacita pulled out her table to make a request. “Dominus, will you please give a message to Corva & Linus for me- tell them thank you.” While Claudus didn’t have to, he was nodded his head as he knew how close the 3 of them were. “Yes I will tell them.” Tacita gave a bit of smile, nodded her head in thanks and put away.

@Sharpie(you can wrap up the thread if you want)