The Bow of Heaven - Book I: The Other Al - By Andrew Levkoff Page 0,34
husband who comes complete with both ears and heart?” she asked, also to no one in particular. I felt completely useless.
Crassus answered her nonetheless. “Much depends on where you find them. They’re not much use in the senate.”
“Oh, one more thing. Let Sabina keep her coins. It is a trifle to us, but a treasure to her.”
“Let us wait a moment, Alexander," he said, finally addressing me directly. "There may yet be more.”
“No, I assure you I am quite finished.” Crassus nodded and turned back to his scrolls. “Oh.”
“Yes, dove?”
“Of course, Sabina should only be required to repay 2,300 of the total. If we choose to offer more to Boaz, that is not to be counted against her.”
“Agreed.” Now Crassus waited.
“No, no, I am quite finished. The good commander knows when to leave the field. I retreat and leave you to carry on.” She whispered, “I shan’t say a thing. Let’s tell her when we put the children to bed, shall we?” Without waiting for an answer she kissed her husband lightly on the cheek and turned toward the peristyle. “Sabina! To me, please.”
Tertulla had not gone ten steps when she stopped and called back, “Husband - interest free!” Crassus waved her off.
“I wasn’t going to charge the woman interest,” he muttered.
“Um,” I ventured after making sure that Tertulla was completely out of sight, “I have something more, if I may. It concerns my tutoring duties?”
“Why, are you tiring of them?”
“On the contrary, I think I may have found my calling. Teaching suits me. Which is what gave me this thought: Running about the house translating Pío’s instructions seems inefficient for both myself and the staff. I am constantly repeating myself and being interrupted by someone looking for a word here or a phrase there. I should like, with permission, to make the process more formal.”
“How?”
“A school. Imagine an entire bilingual staff - their value would increase two-fold at least, if I understand the market. Communication and work would flow smoother throughout the domus. And we needn’t limit instruction to language: any skill required by the familia could be taught. Gardeners could teach gardening, cook could teach, well, cooking, so that more than one of us would have the same skill. Should one become sick, others could fill in. And if dominus feels the need to sell one of us, we are bound to fetch a higher price.”
"And where would you organize this school?”
“The apartment has two large rooms. Plus two smaller closets.”
“You’ve been headed here all along, haven’t you?”
“When I thought of Sabina’s plight, I went to look at the apartment - the idea dawned on me then.”
“Why so timid, grammaticus? As you learn to know me, you will find that I am quick to appreciate logic, especially when logic leads to profit. Now I must find my wife and contradict her, gods protect me. News of this importance cannot wait for nightfall. Sabina should not have to wait an extra minute to be reunited with her daughter. Go straight to Pío and have him see to the girl’s return personally.”
“Dominus, what if Livia has been sent to work at another house?”
“Tell Pío to find her and remove her. He can take Betto and Malchus with him. The three of them should be persuasion enough. And if Boaz requires more convincing, remind him his asking price was two; we are paying four. If that should still prove insufficient, I will buy out any open contracts. But I shall want to see them first. Send Pío to me if any of this is unclear to him.”
***
The next morning I had been released to prepare the schoolroom. Secured in my tunic was a purse containing a thousand sesterces! I went to the forum shops and purchased supplies, including writing tablets, paraffin, stili, paint and brushes. My plan was to whitewash one entire wall then use it to write my lessons so all could see them. The student would practice with his wax tablet and stilus, then I would paint the wall and start again. Letters, syllables and some phrases would remain constant at the top of the wall; more ephemeral lessons would be painted over.
When I returned I went right to work. Since the outside door to our new taberna (I had a key!) was on the far side from the main house, at first I saw no one upon my return. I was pouring white paint from the heavy pigskin into more manageable bowls when I heard a noise from