Skaia (26 page)

He wasn’t aware he slept until he was woken abruptly when Castor shook his shoulder. “Get up Skaia. Menion is gone and your master wishes you to serve him at dinner.”

Skaia sat up and looked at Castor, his mind still fuzzy. “Menion is gone? Where, sir, where is he?”

Castor moved to the door. “I told you—he’s gone. Now get your ass up. You can’t keep Master Thaddeus waiting.”

Skaia stood and stepped away, suddenly afraid of what Castor was saying. “No,” he pleaded. “Please no, Castor. I can’t do that. Not again.”

Jerking Skaia forward by his arm, Castor struck his face. “You know better than to argue, little fool. If Thaddeus demands that you service the whole household, you will obey him and not complain. Come on.”

Skaia gave up in the face of Castor’s anger. “Yes, sir, I know,” he said softly in resignation. “But, Castor, sir, please tell me—how many? How many men will be there?”

Castor shook his head angrily. Thaddeus had already upset him by requesting Skaia so late in the day. And now the boy was causing more problems. “I’m not supposed to answer you, you know.”

“
Yes, sir.” Skaia pulled on his tunic, already visibly trembling.

Castor noticed, of course, and touched his shoulder. Gently this time. “None of this is your fault, Skaia,” he said softly. “I’ve overreacted,” he admitted. “And you needn’t worry. This is just a family dinner. Only Thaddeus and Paulinus will be there tonight.”

“
Thank you, sir,” Skaia said with obvious relief.

Castor kept his hand on the boy’s shoulder, feeling at least some of the tension leave him. He hoped Thaddeus would never know he’d spoken so openly. “Go to the washroom,” he said sternly, angry now with himself for being so stupid, “so I can examine you before you go to the dining room.”

Examine me?
“Why?” Skaia questioned.

Castor did not answer and Skaia reluctantly put on his sandals and followed.

In the washroom, Castor looked at Skaia’s back first and then instructed him to remove his breechcloth and lean over the table.

Not so difficult as it had been,
Skaia thought. Gotus’ oil had worked to loosen his skin. And once again, Gotus was right–
you can get used to anything.
He obeyed without question.

When Skaia’s exam was complete, Castor put some of the oily herbal mixture inside him. “You’re well now. I’ve told Master Thaddeus there is no reason you can’t be used.”

“
Yes, sir,” Skaia answered, trying not to let Castor see his distress. He had known already he was healed. But now it was official…

Castor instructed him to wash himself and then brought him a fresh loincloth and tunic. A regular one, this time, Skaia noticed immediately, like those he usually wore. When he was dressed again and walked into the kitchen, Castor called him over.

“
Gods—I will get myself punished—or sold,” he worried out loud. But he spoke anyway. “Relax, Skaia. Nothing bad will happen. Not at dinner.” He was tempted to touch Skaia again, but refrained. “Go to the dining room now. Master Thaddeus and his father are already there.”

Besides Thaddeus and Paulinus, Skaia was startled to see that Thaddia was also reclining on one of the couches. He only glanced at them once, before heading to the service table to prepare drinks. This was the first time he’d served alone, but it was not so intimidating with just the family present. Though he wondered again what had happened to Menion.

He made cups of wine for Thaddeus and Paulinus and wondered if he should prepare a cup for Thaddia as well. But in the end, he poured fruit juice for her, thinking her presence was the only reason juice would be here. When he offered the tray, the two men continued to talk, and took their cups without looking at him or commenting.

But Thaddia protested immediately when she realized she was offered only juice. “I want wine, too,” she said turning to her father. “If I’m old enough to eat with you now, then I’m old enough to drink what you do.”

Skaia looked to Thaddeus as well, seeking his guidance. He could easily water wine for her. But Thaddeus shook his head. “You’re not that old, Thaddia. Maybe after your birthday.”

To Skaia, at least, the matter seemed settled and he backed away to the serving table to pick up the plates to distribute. When that was done, he brought the large platter of various foods to serve each person.

Paulinus asked for his help, and Skaia selected what he wanted from the platter and put it on his plate. The old master smiled at him kindly and patted his arm. Thaddeus ignored him completely, filling his own plate.

Finding himself thankful to be ignored, Skaia turned to Thaddia last, and bowed deeply, well aware that she was still upset. She smirked, and, after filling her plate, jerked her knee quickly, deliberately knocking the platter from his hands.

Skaia was stunned. Though his hands were slippery from handling Paulinus’ food, he knew he had not dropped the platter. Regardless, he knelt quickly to clean the mess. “I’m sorry, Mistress,” he whispered to Thaddia. When he stood again, he looked at Thaddeus who was staring at him coldly. “I’m sorry, sir,” he got out, grateful his knees didn’t buckle. “I need to get cleaning supplies, sir.”

Thaddeus frowned, but said nothing until the slave reached the doorway. “Skaia, your carelessness has pushed you to forty lashes.”

Skaia almost stumbled.
Forty? He’ll kill me.
He came to himself. “Yes, sir,” he answered evenly, and forced himself to continue to the kitchen with the broken pieces of the platter and the wasted food in his hands. He heard Thaddia’s laughter follow him.

But not Paulinus’ voice. “Gaius Thaddeus Suetonius,” he said, using his son’s full name to stress his disapproval. “You will do no such thing. That boy did nothing wrong. Your daughter quite intentionally knocked that platter from his hands.”

“
I did not!” Thaddia proclaimed loudly. “You couldn’t see…”

Thaddeus looked at her, and saw her face redden, confirming his father’s account. “Why, Dia?” he asked quietly.

Though caught in her lie, Thaddia did not hesitate to voice her anger. “The slave would not give me the wine I wanted. He disobeyed me, Father.”

Thaddeus shook his head. “
I
was the one who forbade you wine, Dia. My slave was obeying
me
. Do you have any idea how much damage forty lashes would do to him?”

Thaddia was still petulant and crossed her arms over her chest. “Who cares? He’s just a slave. You were already going to give him thirty lashes. You whip him all the time anyway since Glaucus is gone.”

“
I do not,” Thaddeus declared, with anger of his own.

“
Grandfather,” Thaddia pleaded to Paulinus. “Tell him. He does, too.”

But Thaddeus spoke before his father could. “Thaddia, I expected far better manners from you. I would not have invited you to join us otherwise. Leave us now. I’ll have Castor send dinner to your room.” Thaddia started to argue again, but at the look on her father’s face, she wisely thought better of it, and left. She was still pouting as she walked away, her hands clenched tightly into fists.

Thaddeus took a deep breath before he looked to his father. “Was I too hard on her?” he asked.

Paulinus shook his head. “Not hard enough.” He paused briefly. “Perhaps you could have let her have watered wine. Most young people her age are getting used to it.” He took another breath. “But what she did to Skaia was totally… inappropriate.” He had started to say
unforgivable
, but, of course, with slaves nothing was. “She just wanted to get him in trouble.” He lowered his voice. “And I think she is still not ready for a slave of her own. She takes too much pleasure in causing pain.”

Most Romans do,
Thaddeus thought.
Such
an easy way to express our power.
But he would hardly argue such things with his father. He sipped his wine slowly before addressing him again. “Do you agree with her about Skaia?”

“
Forty lashes, Thaddeus? Are you trying to kill him?” The disapproval in Paulinus’ voice was obvious. “I heard about his back after that dinner with your friends.”

“
You didn’t say anything,” Thaddeus remarked calmly. He had fully expected his father to chastise him and had been surprised not to be summoned.

“
I was sure you already knew of my disapproval. And you’re free to heed my opinion or not.”

Thaddeus nodded. His father had given him that right. Publicly, officially. Though it still seemed strange not to defer to him. “I thought you’d changed your mind, Father, when you didn’t send for me.”

“
Damn it, Thaddeus,” Paulinus’ voice rose. “I can agree the boy needs to understand his slavery. I am well aware Glaucus was far too protective of him.” The thought of Antius and Flavius hurting Skaia still appalled him, but it was done. In every household. Any pretty slave should be well used to such things by the time they reached Skaia’s age. His voice was calmer when he spoke again. “Maybe you did the right thing. Punishment cannot be neglected. But surely you didn’t need to strip the skin from his back.”

“
I didn’t,” Thaddeus objected. “The problem is that Glaucus almost never whipped him. Seriously, his skin is just too soft. Perhaps if he’d stayed with Castor…”

“
Paah.” Paulinus shook his head and this time there was a twinkle in his eyes. “I may be an old man, but I can think of much more pleasant ways to deal with a slave’s soft skin.”

Thaddeus laughed, set at ease by his father’s joke. “I don’t think you ever made a good disciplinarian.”

Paulinus laughed as well, before he grew serious again. “I admit I’m very fond of the boy, Thaddeus. When he’s been with me, he’s been obedient and works hard at whatever task I assign him.” Paulinus remembered Skaia’s smiles, his easy laughter and his genuine enjoyment of the gardens. “I think you’re hard on him, yes. More so than I could ever be. But you haven’t been excessively cruel, if he is really defying you. I was as upset as you, when Glaucus kept insisting on taking him to Greece. My grandson was entirely too fond of him.” He paused, placing his hand on his son’s arm. “I will assume you know what you’re doing.”

Skaia heard Paulinus’ final comments when he returned to the room, and he felt a sense of bitter betrayal. But he said nothing, did not look at the men, just wiped up the mess on the floor and took it to the serving table. He refilled their wine glasses, and then stood back and waited to see if they wanted anything else. He noticed, of course, that Thaddia was gone, but wondered about it only briefly.

As soon as Paulinus called for the water bowl and had washed his hands, he said he was ready to retire. Thaddeus rose quickly to help him up and handed him over to Lucius. He kissed his father’s forehead and watched him as he walked away.

Then he turned to Skaia, dipped his own hands in the water, and looked up as he dried them with the towel draped over the slave’s arm. “Have you eaten?”