Chapter 5

It seemed like forever rather than five days since we last met for Snake's Tales. So much had happened in between. But as usual Monday evening Lindy and I easily slid into the ancient world Nick narrated:

Exiting the barge where the Nile diverges into two paths, Matta guides Nick and the ladies through the busy nascent city (called Khartoum centuries later) as if it were his hometown. After trading away the provocative clothing of the harem for more practical though hardly less sexy animal skins, Matta brings Nick to a place at the edge of the community that disgusts him as much as any place has. Two pens enclose men and women separately like cattle, the bulls kept away from the cows. The men and women share the deep black skin of Sota and her sisters, though not many share their facial features.

One who does share those features stands a couple paces behind and towers over a corpulent, sweaty Egyptian with an arrogant smirk who greets Matta like an old friend. "Well young man," he grunts, "I see you have gained much value in our mutual business." He scans the females, the youngest dark skinned sister capturing his lustful attention. "Much value."

Restraining his anger and disgust, a quiet grumble emerges when Matta responds, "Do you see any restraints on them? These are my master's companions."

"You are here to trade, Matta. I could provide you many bearers for such exquisite examples of Bantu femininity."

"I have added jewels to your coffers. Have I ever traded slaves for slaves?"

"Don't lift your nose up at me. I know your business. You acquire females and enslave them. You steal them for your masters."

Matta bows his head ashamedly. "Yes, my former masters hired me for such things. My skills filled their harem. But I never brought them to places such as this, penned in like cattle."

"Oh but you did. You brought them cows to be studded just like I do."

"Perhaps, but not exclusively and callously. But never mind. How much for Soluku?"

The slaver's eyes widen and then he chuckles, glancing back at the towering Bantu. "You haven't the riches to afford him. He is my eyes and ears over those I own. And he is my guide and negotiator for those I will acquire. He alone I trust amongst blacks. He alone I give freedom of movement and bring all he requires for his needs. Neither do I wish him sold nor does he wish to be sold."

Nick emerges from behind his ladies leading the young Egyptian girl by hand. "Perhaps she would suffice for payment," he announces.

Pure greed flashes in the slaver's eyes.

Nick chuckles. "Yes, she will provide a king's ransom, literally. Such unsullied beauty and purity of blood may very well double your coffers via the pharaoh's riches."

"She is virgin?"

"Of course. Her for Soluku, and my ladies provide entertainment for your guards for the evening. And I still purchase four males and four females at your going rate. And best of all, we only wish to borrow your Bantu lieutenant, returning him when his usefulness as guide and negotiator ends. But that only happens if she remains unsullied until she is sold to the pharaoh. I have eyes within those royal walls."

"Of course. I will have my wife keep an eye on her. Assat!"

"Yes Korup," a much thinner and inches taller version of him with small saggy tits and with the same malevolent smirk answers his call, appearing within seconds.

"You will look after this Egyptian Princess and make sure she remains intact."

Assat looks at the youth as if gazing at a most delicious dessert. "My pleasure," she purrs. "Come with me, Princess."

The girl looks at Nick with a hidden grin and Nick nods and winks. She disappears into the large white house with the slaver's wife. Moments later, Korup invites the rest of them inside.

"Matta will take care of business," Nick tells the slaver. "And so we have no confusion, the Bantu sisters remain with me."

"As you wish," Korup shrugs.

"They will help choose our slaves."

"Of course. Soluku accompany them and let my guards know there is to be entertainment. Let my son remain as watch."

"Yes, Master," says Soluku with a deep voice.

As soon as they're left alone with the tall Bantu, Sota asks him, "Do you wish to remain here?"

"Like Master said, he provides for my needs. He appreciates my skills."

"As guide and negotiator?" Nick asks.

"Yes."

"And if those negotiations fail?" asks Nota.

Soluku shrugs. "I make sure we never go home empty handed. So what is your agenda? You are of the Kantu clan."

"He was our grandfather," Nota spits

"Shame about your family."

"Shame that we hid from you?" asks Nota.

"I could sound the alarm."

"You won't get that far," says Nick pressing a point into Soluku's chest.

Soluku looks around and sees a glint of iron in the bushes.

"But you wouldn't anyway, would you?" Nick adds.

Soluku tells two guards to head inside.

"Where's the son?" asks Nick.

"Probably in the outhouse raping a slave," Soluku replies matter-of factly. "He likes them noisy."

"Bastard," Nota mutters.

"Then no one's watching them," Sota suggests.

Nick shakes his head. "It might spoil the surprise."

"Some surprise," Nota grumbles. "The big prick just heard you."

"He's with us," says Nick.

"How can you trust him?" asks Nota.

"We give him what he wants: his own little kingdom and a bevy of women. Am I correct, Soluku?"

"So he can rape them like that asshole is raping some poor young girl?" Nota accuses.

"I never have raped," Soluku replies nonplussed, looking at Sota. "I give them what they want, pleasure and comfort, as long as they please me. Those I favor stay in the house with me."

"I have my man," Sota tells him.

"Of course," Soluku bows.

"Better tell the son his duties," Nick suggests to Soluku.

"Of course," Soluku replies and walks towards the outhouse.

"I don't trust him," Sota shivers.

Nick shakes his head. "We have no choice. We need him as a guide and interpreter."

"Doesn't Matta know the way?" asks Sota.

"Not enough, and we will still need Soluku's skills to smooth any confrontations. Hopefully we'll satisfy his ambitions while increasing his kingdom by conquering clans whose chieftains sold their people to people like Korup."

"And Soluku," Nota grumbles.

"We'll give him something much better to exploit."

"Like what?" asks Sota.

"Like skins and precious metals and jewels. Matta told me of diamonds found near your old encampment."

"Yes," Sota replies. "I know of such discoveries. But I don't trust him."

"I hope you're wrong," Nick sighs, watching the son yell at Soluku who carries a young black woman clutching him and crying.

"I wasn't done with her," the son yells.

"You've done enough," Soluku replies. "I won't tell your father this time."

"They're mine to do with what I want."

"They're merchandise. You can't sell damaged merchandise. Your father wishes you to guard them while the other guards get entertained. I am to show this gentleman the stock."

The piggish young man snorts and discovers Sota and her sisters, gazing with animal lust.

"Those are owned by the gentleman. If you bother them I will tell your father."

"Alright," the son responds belligerently.

"Show me the best of them," Nick orders, gesturing towards the men's pen.

Soluku shouts something and the nine men begin to strip off their animal skins despite the cool morning air.

"No. I do not need to see them naked."

Another shout and they stop and return clothing to normal.

"Their bodies are their best quality," Soluku explains. "They have simple minds. It is for the best. Intelligence breeds resistance."

"For you as well?" asks Nick.

"No. I kept that to myself until my time came to prove greater worth." Understanding comes to him. "Tok! Akatinko!"

What appears to be the oldest or at least the most scarred of the men and a second man barely emerging from boyhood separate from the pack with bowed heads. "Tell them to look at me," Nick commands.

Both men attempt neutrality in their faces, but the older one shows a hint of defiance while the other reveals, surprisingly, a slight amusement.

"I can see why one wears many scars," says Nick.

"Foolish pride."

"And the other, the clown?"

Soluku nods his head. "Humor alleviates pain. Luckily my masters don't understand or he would bear the scars of Tok. He speaks in tongues other than his tribe's when appropriate. I translate badly when the masters grow suspicious of their laughter."

"Interesting. Bring them with us."

"I will have to bind their hands."

"Okay. Leave them for now."

They walk to the neighboring pen and look upon the women. "Do you wish them to strip?" Soluku asks.

"Are any cleverer than the others?"

"They are women," Soluku shrugs.

Nick sighs. "Line them up." He notices the ladies beginning to strip. "Tell them to leave their clothes on for now." The ladies make a line just behind the reed fence that separates them from Nick. "Tell them to lift their heads." He gazes into their eyes. He finds great beauty in one of them but an empty expression. "How many are in your harem?" he asks Soluku.

"Three."

"Why not her?"

"Visually her face and body please me, but physically it's like fucking a dead woman."

"How many times has the son raped her?"

"Seldom. She makes no noise. It is said the chieftain of her tribe raped her often as soon as she grew breasts until he grew tired of her and sold her to me."

"Tell her to strip and turn around." The woman does so revealing full round buoyant breasts and ass and a lovely subtle curve in between. "She has no scars."

"She is like a corpse. A corpse shows no defiance."

"Tell her to clothe herself and stand aside." Nick tours the others and finds defiance on a strong handsome face and a glint of sexiness on a smaller, voluptuous woman. "You did not choose her?" he asks, gesturing towards the sexy one.

Soluku chuckles, "She demands too much. She's voracious, threatening to eat me alive."

"Have her strip." The small woman reveals fleshiness at her middle, but not fat. She is an incredibly sensuous creature. "Tell her to put her clothes back on and join the beauty as well as this one," he points to the defiant woman. Soluku nods in understanding.

A sweet, swirling, chanting voice emanates from the house accompanied by the high clack of finger cymbals and a resonant bell like sound. Nick grins. Leaning into Soluku, he whispers, "We wait for the music to end and then wait one hundred breaths or for any painful yell." He looks across to the other pen and sees the sisters converse with a young man. The son's piggish, angry scowl watches them close by. "Is he of their clan?"

Soluku shakes his head. "They are of the same tribe."

The two men approach the sisters. The middle sister translates. "He speaks of depleted warriors and the reduction of clans. His leader remains alive, but weakened by his greed. Too many hunters lost threaten starvation. And if so many vital men keep getting taken or sold, our tribe will be vulnerable to nomads from the west."

"Looks like you have your work cut out for you," Nick smiles at Soluku. More seriously he asks, "There are not so many men here to prove this depletion."

"Pharaoh demands many slaves. We keep these few to continue trade with individuals. Master's coffers are quite large these days."

Nick nods thoughtfully. "Do you know a place to bury this treasure when we take it?"

Soluku nods. "Yes. Before we reach the first boat to be rented. I know of a small hill that should stay high enough to be above the floods."

"Good. We will have enough to carry."

"The passage shall be rough on women," Soluku informs Nick.

Nick smiles. "So I have heard. You will find my women to be tougher than expected."

As if on cue, the music ends and soon after the middle sister whips out a hidden blade and cuts the son's throat.

"Wow," says an impressed Soluku.

"They are easily trained," smiles Nick. "Do not ever underestimate the intelligence of women. All my women are as bright as you. Now!" he yells.

Two men from the barge emerge from the bushes and head around to the entrance to the house. The sisters follow. Nick remains behind. "You do not go with them?" asks Soluku.

"Unnecessary. Please open the pens. Will the former slaves resent you?"

Soluku nods. "They might."

Nick hands him a blade and another one stays in his hand. "Tell them you are necessary for their freedom. Bow to them and apologize."

"I will never..."

Before another word is uttered, Soluku finds himself on his knees, his blade bearing hand held painfully behind him and a blade threatens his throat. "You have need of me," he reminds Nick.

"There are things worse than death," says Nick, cutting lightly into Soluku's neck. Soluku stands and pronounces things in three different tongues and opens the pen and bows to the slaves.

"That I thought I would never see," says the young mischievous slave in heavily accented Egyptian.

A delighted Nick tells the young man, "I have a woman for you."

Inside the house the master and mistress and the guards bleed out from the coup de grace wounds at their necks and from their abdomens. The men's naked erections remain erect. The ladies stand naked over their victims. Ruth spits on the dead slaver before putting on her skins. The other ladies clothe themselves as well. Ruth tells one of the Egyptians from the barge, "Stand out front and discourage any guests from entering. Tell them they are not to disturb a private party for at least an hour."

"I know, Ruth," smiles the Egyptian.

"Sorry," Ruth smiles with one upturned lip.

The Egyptian chuckles. "Not a problem. You're sexy when you're bossy." He heads out front.

She approaches the youngest of them. "Are you okay?"

The Egyptian girl smiles. "The pig may have protected me from men, but managed to shove her dirty fingers inside me." She shivers. The guileless smile returns. "I am fine." They hug.

"Good," says Ruth.

Three naked native beauties emerge looking fearful and puzzled in equal measure. "Potok, get Soluku, the tall black man."

"Yes Ruth," the Egyptian bows.

"Fuck you," she mutters with a grin.

"I wish," he replies with a wink. He avoids her shove, walking briskly out the door with a chuckle. The ladies all laugh.

"We should find his cache of blood money and anything else we wish to bring with us," says Ruth.

"Yes Mistress," says Hilda

"I should spank you, but you would enjoy it too much." Instead Ruth embraces the stunning, voluptuous blonde and kisses her with intensity. "God, I wish we had time to fuck," she mutters.

"Me too, Ruth," the blonde replies and initiates another powerful kiss.

"I will need a hand with this," yells Callista from another room.

"I will help her," says Soluku standing at the doorway.

"I should have waited to fetch you," Ruth says watching the three black women surround the tall man in hugs. He whispers to them and kisses them and they relax. Releasing him, they scamper back to his room to dress. Ruth continues, amused, "He must need you for translating."

"Not necessary," the handsome black man replies. "A slave surprised us with his command of Egyptian."

"Former slave," the Egyptian girl corrects him.

"Of course," Soluku bows before heading off to help Callista.

"We need bearing sticks and containers," Ruth shouts.

"Everything you need will be in the out building beside the pens," Soluku shouts back.

"Ooh, such clothes," announces Kala the Indian from another room.

"Leave all but the most rugged," Soluku suggests from the store room.

"We need another hand here," yells Callista.

"I'll help," Hakana, the Asian volunteers.

"Not necessary," says Soluku and yells out Bantu commands. "I like my women strong," he explains. One of his Harem girls dressed in skins exits his room and heads for the treasure. Soon she and Callista emerge carrying a large covered box sharing a hold of one handle while Soluku holds the other.

"There's another one," Callista tells them and the three head back to fetch it.

Opening the box, Ruth's face shows both anger and amazement. Gold and silver coins and golden and silver jewelry full of precious gemstones fill it. The threesome returns with another, half filled box.