THE INQUIRY
Chapter IV: The House of Sulla
Gaius Lupinius Festus arrived at Cassius' rented house shortly after
sunset, with three horses he had rented for the evening. Cassius and Draco
were waiting outside when he arrived. When he saw the horses, Cassius looked
surprised. "What is all this?", he asked, bewildered.
"The latest development in transportation, Cassius. They're called horses!",
smirked Draco.
"Thank you so much," said Cassius sarcastically. "I think I could have
figured that out for myself if you had just given me a couple of moments.
What I mean is, what are they for? How far away is this place that we're
going?"
"Not far," said Gaius. "Just outside the city."
"Well then," said Cassius as he mounted, "maybe you wouldn't mind telling us
where we're heading?" Gaius grinned. "To Sulla's!" Cassius' mouth dropped
open. "Sulla? Here? In Caesarea?"
"The last I'd heard of Sulla was that he was in Pompeii," said Draco. "He was
running a brothel! What's he doing here?" "Same thing," Gaius answered. "He
has a tavern and brothel here, one in Sidon, and one more on Cypress."
Cassius stopped his mount. "Now wait a moment," he protested, "I'm a Roman
senator. Now Draco may be a party boy like his friend Nero, and you may be a
born again barbarian, but I have to maintain some dignity!"
"No, no, no!",Gaius insisted, "we're not going to the tavern. We're going to
his home! One night each month Sulla throws the biggest party in Caesarea.
Just relax, will you? You do not have to do anything to compromise your
dignitas, ol' boy!" Cassius thought about this a moment. "Well, I guess we
could see Sulla again. Has he changed much?" "That you will have to see for
yourself", Gaius answered. "Alright then", agreed Cassius, "but still, why
the expense for these horses? Are we really in that much of a hurry to get
there?" Gaius turned his head to look at him. "The horses aren't to get us
there quickly. They are to get us OUT quickly, in the event we need to make
a hasty exit." Draco and Cassius looked at each other, Cassius' obvious
concern on his face. "Gaius is just playing games with you, I'm sure," Draco
said reassuringly.
The House of Sulla was a villa next to the beach, just a short distance
from the city. As they arrived, a porter emerged from the main gate to take
their horses. "A pleasure to see you again Master Lykaion!", he said as they
dismounted. The porter took charge of the horses. "I'll have them in the
usual spot for you sir", he said.
"Splendid", said Gaius, slapping the porter on the shoulder. "These other
two men are with me." The porter nodded. "I am sure friends of Lykaion are
friends of Master Sulla. Looks like it is to be quite an evening, sir!
There is already quite a large company inside." Gaius gave the porter a
coin, and the three of them passed into the outer courtyard. There were
gardens and paths running the full circuit of the house, and two naked
Venuses flanked the door. Even outside,
they could hear from within the sounds of music and laughter.
As they made their way to the main door of the house, they were met by a
very tall and muscular woman with long curley black hair. It was Iris, one
of Sulla's mud wrestlers, and a formidable bouncer when her services were
needed. She did not smile. She nodded to Gaius and looked at his two
companions. "They with you?", she asked, expessionless. Gaius nodded, and
the Amazon walked over Cassius and Draco, and stared at them. "Welcome to
the House of Sulla", she said, with no emotion. "As you are with Lykaion,
you shall be admitted. Proper behavior will be expected of you. No
chastity, no morality, no non-intoxicating beverages of any kind will be
tolerated, save for water in the event you pass out unconscious, or get sick
and throw up." Her eyes narrowed into slits. "You both look like perverts,
so you should feel at home. Now you will follow me." Cassius was indignant.
"Why, that impertinent, insulting..." Gaius jerked his head towards him and
signalled to drop it. "Don't take her seriously", he said, "she's just doing
her job." Iris led them to the large banquet room, and there they stopped.
Cassius' and Draco's mouths dropped open in astonishment. There were so far
about one hundred guests, many reclining on couches feasting on the succulent
dinner prepared by Sulla's kitchen staff. In the center of the room,
scantily clad dancing girls girated to the musicians sounds. The room was
darkend, illuminated only by small lamps on tables and a few from the
ceiling. "Let's get a table!", Gaius shouted over the music. The room they
were in was flanked on three sides by several smaller rooms, separated by
screens of stringed beads. Through these, Cassius and Draco could see
couples, threesomes, foursomes, and moresomes, engaging in all manner of
debauchery, mighty copulations. "Gods!", Draco cried gleefully, "Did you see
that?!?!" Cassius looked on with horror at the goings on. "This is so
disgusting! Perverse!"
"This is great!", yelled Draco. Gaius said nothing, but led them to a small
table in a corner. He sat down, with his back to the wall, surveying the
scene about him, nodding his head with satisfaction.
Draco and Cassius were both sitting themselves down, when one of the
dancing girls, a well endowed nymph, ran over to the table. "Excuse me sir,
"she said to Cassius, "but you need a facial." And with that, the girl put
one hand behind his head and thrust his face into her ample, vesuvian bosm,
and shook. "Welcome to Sulla's!", she screamed. Gaius tossed her coin.
"Thanks love. Better let him out of there before he suffocates!". The girl
laughed and ran back to her dance. Cassius was pale. "My gods, I almost died
in there!"
"Yes, but what a death!", laughed Gaius in reply. Cassius was not amused.
"You had something to do with that, didn't you!", he accused. He got no
answer, and looked about the room. A man dressed as Dionysius was playfully
chasing one of the effeminate 'pretty boys' around the room. Some revellers,
sweaty and worn out, emerged naked from the side rooms to take some
refreshment before plunging headlong into another bout. And coming into the
room from a staircase on one side was what appeared to be a very large woman,
drapped in silkin gowns. Her face was covered in white makeup and her lips
painted a dark crimson red. Her hair was raven black and braided, and she
walked, or wobbled, with an exagerated effeminacy. This woman was, in a
word, grotesque, and yet everyone seemed deferential and respectful to her.
"Eeeewwwwww!", said Draco, beholding the sight. "Is that a man or a woman?
"Eeeewwwwww!", gasped Cassius. "Is that human or animal?"
The woman, man, or whatever it was saw them. "Oooooohhhh!", it cried as it
joyfully wobbled over to their table.
"It's seen us! Oh God, it's coming right at us!", Cassius exclaimed in
terror. Gaius was scarcely able to contain his mirth. "It's neither human
nor animal", he said, "It's Sulla!"
Sulla was jumping up and down with glee, clapping his hands. "Cassius!
Draco! Gaius! It is sooo wonderful to see you all here!!!" He plopped his
ponderous backside onto the lap of the terrified Cassius. "How have you
been? When did you arrive? Where is the money you owe me, you little
turds?" "Gods! You forget nothing, do you?", Draco laughed, pulling out his
purse and dumping some coins on the table. "How much do we owe you?", he
asked.
"Oh, nothing, nothing! Forget it!", Sulla giggled, shaking like jello. "I
could just kiss all of you!"
"Don't you dare!", warned Cassius. Sulla looked dejected. "Oh Cassius, you
are just like Gaius. So heterosexual!"
Sulla called for wine, and clapped his hands three times. Immediately,
a steward brought them a skin of wine, and two barely clothed females
appeared, each choosing one of Sulla's guests at the table. The Egyptian
girl sat on Cassius lap and began nibbling on his ear, while Cassius tried to
shoo her off. Draco had the Syrian maiden, who by her build could have been
named Mammaria Maximia.
"None for you Gaius!", chuckled Sulla. "You have to find your own! You know
them all anyway." Cassius was panicking now. "Sulla, will you please get
this waif off of me?" The girl looked insulted. "Whatsa matter? Ain't you
got one?", she asked with derision. Sulla jerked his head towards the center
of the room, and the girl left. Cassius rose from his seat. "That's it!",
he announced. "I'm not staying any longer!". Sulla jumped up, alarmed. "Oh
daahhling, you cannot possibly leave! We have sooo much to talk about!"
"You'll have to forgive Cassius", said Draco. "He is newly married."
"Oh goodie! How wonderful!", Sulla giggled, clapping his hands again. "To
whom?"
"He married Patricia, about four months ago", Draco explained, "and his life
is now over".
Sulla gasped. "Oh, Patricia! You lucky boy! Such a tasty, delictable
morsel!", Sulla said, poking poor Cassius in the ribs. Sulla continued.
"Patricia has always had such exquisite taste in clothing. I have always
wanted to dress just like her!" "I have to go", Cassius protested, shaking
his head adamantly at Gaius. "How can you frequent places like this Gaius?",
he asked indignantly. "Haven't you any dignity left?" Gaius took a long
swig from his glass. "Sorry ol' boy", he said dryly, "but I abandoned all
dignity the day I entered the senate." The two glared at each other for a
moment, when Draco intervened. "Gaius, stop it. Cassius, please don't go.
Just stay and try to have some fun!"
"Draco, I'm a stoic!", exclaimed Cassius, "We don't have fun!"
"Oh, poor Patricia!!!", sniffed Sulla.
"Damn it Sulla, you know what I mean!", Cassius shot back.
Draco stood up and spoke softly and calmly. "You still haven't been able to
discuss your business with Gaius. Look, no one is asking you to betray your
marriage vow. Just relax and be sociable, alright?" Cassius closed his
eyes and regained his composure. "Alright", he said, "I'll stay. But I
won't betray my wife!"
"That's fine", said Sulla. "You just sit here and enjoy the wine and the
music, and we'll betray your wife!"
Gaius screwed up his face and spit onto the floor. "Gads.....this wine
tastes like donkey piss!" Sulla was taken aback aback. "I'll have you know
I paid four drachma for that wine!"
"Why?" Gaius asked. "Where is the good stuff?" Sulla rolled his eyes. "Oh,
I suppose if you must. Go to the back of the kitchen area and you'll find
your Campanian favorite there. But please do not tell anyone! If anyone
knows I let you have some, then I have to let everyone have it!" Cassius'
eyes lit up. "Campanian wine! I KNEW there was still some Romanitas left in
you!"
"Be right back!", said Gaius, leaving the table.
A gong sounded, announcing the arrival of a new girl at the party. All
heads turned toward the entrance. At the sight of her, some of the men who
knew her backed away carefully. Cassius and Draco both wondered why. She
was dressed all in black, with a veil over the lower half of her face. Her
hair was also pitch black, and around her forehead was a gold colored band,
bearing the image of a serpent. Her arms bore several ornaments, and her
exquisitely sculpted body could just be discerned beneath her gown, which
clung to it, giving a hint of her graceful form. Sulla giggled in delight.
"Ah....she came! She has never come to my tavern or to my parties, but I
persuaded her tonight."
"Who is she?", whistled Draco, in admiration. A steward introduced her to
the assembled guests. "Friends! We are delighted to present tonight, for
your pleasure, The Mistress of the Forbidden Pleasures! She will be
rendering her special services for you tonight, by appointment only, on a
first come, first served basis!" The Mistress of the Forbidden Pleasures
surveyed the room, her face showing no expression. Draco rose from the
table. "Gentlemen, you must excuse me, while I make the aquaintance of this
Goddess!" He thrust aside the Syrian girl and left. "That was my
customer!", the Syrian girl cried! "Oh, don't fret child!" chided Sulla. "Go
find yourself a drunken sailer or something." "But it's not fair! He was MY
customer!" she whined. "So get another customer!", Sulla said, irritated.
"Go find yourself a drunken sailor or something!"
Draco approached the mysterious woman, who watched him, but made no
effort to acknowledge him. "It is a beautful night, my lady", Draco said
with a slight bow. The eyes of the mysterious lady flared, as she produced a
whip from her gown. "I did not give you permission to speak!" she hissed,
cracking the whip on Draco, who screamed in pain. "Goddamn! You little..."
The lady's eyes flared again. "How dare you address me in that tone of
voice!", she screamed, giving Draco a sharp kick in the shin. She raised the
whip again, and Draco fled in terror back to the table, as if Cassius would
be able to defend him. Cassius had watched the spectacle with wide open
eyes. "Who's that?!?", he asked Sulla. "Who's that? WHAT'S THAT?!?!",
Draco cried, nursing his shin. "Oh", Sulla laughed, "that's Aeternia
Draconia! She's a dominatrix you know".
"Yeah, I think I just discovered that!", said the annoyed Draco, "Thanks for
the heads-up Sulla." Aeternia the dominatrix passed by the table, growling
like a tigress as she stared directly at Draco. "Sulla, you keep
that...thing away from me!" Sulla shooed the vixen away. "This is not your
customer, Aeternia. Now, be a good girl and go to your chamber. When your,
uh...clients arrive, I shall send them to do directly!" Aeternia growled
again, glared at Draco, and walked
away from them.
Gaius was emerging from the hallway with a large bottle of wine when
Aeternia saw him and waved. "Gaius!"
"Tink!", he called back, and she ran over and gave him a hug. "How are you
Tink?", he asked affectionately.
"Look!", she said excitedly, as she pulled from her gown a scap of paper with
some writing on it. Gaius looked at the paper. It was Aeternia's name,
written in her own hand, along with some simple sentences. "You wrote
this!", he asked with pretended surprise. She nodded, unable to wipe the
smile from her face. "Julia Isidora, that priestess of Isis you introduced
to us, she's teaching me! And she's going to teach us to read too!"
Aeternia Draconia had grown up on the tough streets of Corinth, where
she learned at an early age to hit, kick, and scratch and scream in such a
way as to induce fear in others. It was her way of protecting herself from
the assorted dregs and scum that populated that wild and notorius city. And
it was not long that she discovered that there were men, and some women, who
would pay money to be abused in that manner. And so it was that Aeternia, at
eighteen, was a dominatrix, with a small but well paying clientele. She
shared a room with another young prostitute, Lauria Crispa, seventeen,
another abandoned and neglected girl of the streets. "And how is Lauria? Is
she learning too?", Gaius asked his little friend. Aeternia nodded. "She's
here, somewhere", she said, looking around the room. "I'm worried about
her,Gaius."
"Why? What happened?"
Aeternia looked around to make sure no one could hear. "She hasn't been
well", she whispered. "She drinks way too much, and that leaves her very
vulnerable, know what I mean?" Gaius looked down and shook his head. "She's
also been hit!", she whispered.
Gaius looked up, shocked. "Hit? By whom?"
Aeternia hesitated a moment. "Sporus", she whispered. "He hit her
yesterday."
"Sporus!", Gaius said angrily. He spit. "That little abortion....Has he
abused you?"
"No Gaius. He hasn't met me yet. And besides, I would whip his ass!"
Gaius laughed. "Yes, I bet you would! You would whip MY ass!"
"If you're bad", Aeternia said with a sly grin. "Have you been bad?"
Gaius had an idea, and the more he thought about it, the funnier it seemed.
"I may be", he said. "Tink, you say he has not met you yet?"
"No, not at all", she answered. "I have not worked Sulla's tavern, so he has
never seen me."
"Hmmmm", said Gaius, pondering. "Tink love, how would you like to avenge
Lauria on Sporus?"
"You're not going to cost me my job, are you Gaius?" Aeternia was worried.
"I mean, you're not going to get Sulla mad at me so I can't work his parties,
will you? I need the income!" Gaius reassured her. "No, no. no...you will
be quite alright! Sporus will do this to himself!" He leaned over and
whispered something into Aeternia's ear, and she threw back her head and
laughed.
When Gaius arrived back at the table, his friends were all laughing,
animated in conversation about the old days, back in Italy. He set the wine
bottle on the table, and Draco reached for it greedily. "Oh, great!" he
exclaimed, pouring himself a hearty cup. Gaius noticed Draco's bruises, and
couldn't stop laughing. "I see you met Aeternia!", he guffawed. Draco
sneered an inaudible response. Gaius was highly amused. "So what was it
like, being dominated, I mean?"
"I think I would rather you find that out for yourself!", Draco said with a
sarcastic smile. "Anyway Gaius, you're back just in time! We were reliving
the old days, way back when Cassius had a full head of hair!" "Oh, thank you
so much for that charming time referential, Draco," Cassius replied, irked.
"May we continue now?"
"By all means!", Draco enjoined. Cassius looked at Gaius and filled him in.
"We were in Pompeii, Draco and myself. You had already left Rome. Anyway,
we were in Pompeii and Sulla was there with us, and we wanted to go to the
baths.
Well, as it turned out, the baths were extremely crowded, hardly any room at
all. So, Draco suggested we just leave and forget about it, when Sulla says
he can get us in. So Sulla goes inside, and then, over all the chatter, we
hear Sulla's voice blurt out, 'Ooooh, nice butt!', and that place just
emptied! We had it almost to ourselves!" They all burst out into roars or
laughter. When they were settling down, Draco leaned back in his chair.
>From his position he could peer into one of the side rooms, and was trying to
figure out if the woman inside was having sex or taking horseback riding
lessons. "Damn", he whistled. "Caligula would have loved this place."
"Caligula was a bastard", Sulla shot back, offended. "That little shit liked
hurting people for thrills. Not like my place at all. I provide pleasure,
not abuse."
"Then does this explain your resident dominatrix?", Draco challenged. Sulla
shook his head. "No, that is totally different! Aeternia provides services
to consenting, paying clients. No one is forcing them to suffer her skills!
Caligula just abused for the sake of it. Whipping slaves, raping..."
Cassius grabbed Sulla's arm and motioned to him to say no more. Sulla looked
shocked and remorseful. "I'm sorry Gaius", he said, "I...forgot." Gaius
stared at the lamp on the table, and waved a hand. "It's alright", he said
quietly. "Well, anyway", Sulla went on, "Caligula was a sick pervert. Now
how can you compare me with Caligula? Look at me!" Sulla stood up and faced
them. "Look at me! Do I look like a pervert to you?" Draco said nothing,
and Cassius could only drop his face into his hand and shake his head.
Gaius was pondering Sulla's last incredible question when he saw Sporus
enter the room, felt a flush of disgust and hatred wash over him. Sporus was
a punk, an effeminate 'pretty boy' in his upper teens. While he preferred
men and boys, he could be with a girl, especially if he could abuse her.
Sulla, for some reason known only to himself, had adopted this boy and made
him his heir. And Sporus had all the snobbishness of a rich boy who was over
indulged and never disciplined enough.. Why Sulla kept this little brat
around was something Gaius could not understand. He hated Sporus all the
more for the way he treated the girls who worked in the tavern. Sulla had
forbidden Sporus to even so much as lay a hand on them, but he never really
watched Sporus' behavior or punished infractions. For his part, Sporus knew
Gaius Lupinius despised him, and their hatred was mutual. Gaius had never
missed an opportunity to denigrate him or make him the target of jokes and
laughter.
"The air grows foul," Gaius mumbled aloud, in between drinks. "What?",
asked Sulla, who looked around, and then saw his adopted brat enter the room.
"Oh, Gaius," he pleaded, "please don't torment him tonight! What did Sporus
ever do to you?" Gaius spit. "Sporus is a loathesome, putrefactious vermin.
I object to his very existence."
"But if you would only try to be nice to him, you two could be such good
friends!", Sulla implored.
"If I were a maggot, maybe.", Gaius sneered. "But I'm not that low, at least
not yet."
Sporus was walking past the table, his nose in the air, as usual, and was
carrying a book with him, trying to keep it inconspicuous. Gaius noticed the
book, and mischievously ran up behind Sporus, and yanked the book out of his
hand. "Give that back!", Sporus yelled, as he struggled to retrieve his book
from Gaius' hand, now held way above his head. Gaius instead tossed the book
to Draco, who unrolled it on the table, and Sporus frantically ran over to
get it back. But it was too late. Draco and Cassius were already studying
the contents. The book was a collection of Egyptian erotic 'art', and each
picture displayed a man and a woman in one of many sexual positions. Draco
was chuckling as he scanned the various illustrations. "Done that!", he
said, pointing at one, then at another. "Done that too!" Cassius gasped at
another, and whistled. "Damn, that one looks downright painful!" "Give that
back!", hollared Sporus, clutching at his book. Draco let go of the book and
Sporus quickly rolled it back up, glaring furiously at Gaius. Gaius grinned
back at him. "Sporus! I had no idea you were actually becoming literate!
Do you think you may graduate from pictures to text one day?" "Just because
I have a sex life and you don't?", Sporus screamed. Draco and Cassius both
laughed, and Gaius answered, "How active can your sex life be if you're still
learning the basic positions?"
"That's none of your business!"
"You're right", Gaius agreed. "I'll say no more. That book proves you have
your sex life well 'in hand', shall we say?"
"Gaius, please!", Sulla begged. "See what you started?"
Sporus looked close to tears, and complained to Sulla, "Why do you stay
friends with him? You always take his side!"
But before Sulla could respond, Sporus ran away, to another table by himself.
Sulla was plainly irritated with Gaius. "Now see what you've done!", he
scolded. "Now why don't you apologize to him?" Gaius was aghast. "Me,
apologize to Sporus? I'd rather let you treat my hemorrhoids!"
"Now Gaius Lupinius Festus, you go over there and apologize to him right now,
or you won't be allowed at anymore of my parties!" Gaius mouth dropped open,
and Sulla rose to leave. "I have to leave you for a bit, to mingle and see
my other guests are enjoying themselves. And Gaius, I expect you to have
apologized to Sporus by the time I come back!"
He left the table, and Cassius shook his head at the whole affair. "What are
you going to do Gaius?", asked Draco.
Gaius fortified himself with a long gulp of wine. "I guess I have to go make
up with poor ol Sporus, or else I get no more debauchery!"
Gaius left his friends at the table, and walked over to where Sporus was
seated. "Get out of here Lykaion!", Sporus threatened, as he saw Gaius
approach. "Mind if I sit down?", Gaius asked.
"Yes!"
"Thank you! Don't mind if I do!", Gaius replied, pulling up a chair and
helping himself to a drink from Sporus' bottle. "Sporus", he began, "I've
come to apologize to you."
"Liar!", Sporus spat, "You're up to something! Well, it isn't going to work!
One day Sulla will be gone and all this will be mine, and then you won't be
allowed in here anymore, or at the tavern either!"
"Well, that would be a shame!", said Gaius, trying to hide his disgust with
this punk. "Come on Sporus! Let me make it up to you!" Gaius looked over to
the other side of the room and saw Aeternia watching him. He nodded his
head, signaling her to walk by. Sporus was still fussing. "You can't do
anything to make it up to me. I hate you!" But Gaius was gazing at
Aeternia, coming up from behind Sporus. "My god", he sighed in admiration.
"Take a look at that new girl!" Sporus turned around and beheld Aeternia as
she walked by their table. When she saw Sporus, she slowed down, gave him a
smile, and stroked his shoulder. Then she vanished into an empty room behind
the beaded curtain. "Did you see that?!?", Gaius asked excitedly. "She
likes you!" "Yeah!", Sporus crooned, blushing. Gaius saw Sporus delight and
moved in for the kill. "Tell you what Sporus", he said, "you think she's
pretty? She's yours for the night, if you want!" Sporus spun around towards
Gaius, shocked. "Mine? All night?"
"Sure! That is, if you can handle her!"
Sporus shook his head. "I can't! Sulla said I'm not allowed to be with his
girls!" Gaius held up his hand. "Not to worry!", he answered. "I'll take
care of Sulla. Let me do this to make amends to you for my behavior
earlier." He pulled out a handful of coin and laid it on the table. "There
is twenty denarii", he said, "now go in to her room and have a good time!"
Sporus looked totally surprised. "All night? Do you really mean it?"
"I do! But remember, only if you can handle her! Can you?" Sporus nodded.
"I sure can!"
"Excellent!", Gaius applauded. "But remember, with a girl like her, you have
to let her know who's boss."
"I got it!", Sporus replied happily. He got up to go. "I won't forget this
Lykaion!" And off he went to the room where the Mistress of Forbidden
Pleasures was waiting.
Gaius smiled. "No, I don't think you will."
Draco was enjoying the company of a pretty little lady from Greece when
Gaius Lupinius returned to the table. "Gaius", he said, "I must say thank
you for bringing us here tonight. So far, this has been a perfect evening!"
Gaius shook his head. "Oh no, it isn't quite perfect yet."
No sooner were the words out of his mouth when the air was pierced by the
sharp sound of a whip cracking, immediately followed by a anguished cry from
young Sporus.
"Now it is perfect!", said a gleeful Gaius. Young Sporus ran out from the
side room in terror yelping like a kicked puppy, and Aeternia ran out after
him, chasing him with her whip in hand. "Come back here, you little toad!",
she yelled in a shrill voice. "Bow down before the one you serve, so you can
get what you deserve!" Sporus fled to the other side of the room, tears
flowing down his face, and everyone in the room erupted in laughter at the
sight of Sulla's brat, properly chastized at last. Aeternia stopped her
pursuit, and just looked at him with disgust, and her glare made Sporus
shiver even more. He was painfully aware that he was publicly humiliated,
and who it was that was to blame. His look of fear was replaced by rage, and
he stormed back to the table to confront his tormentor.
"You bastard!", he screamed at Gaius. "You dirty, filthy bastard! You
always hated me, and I never did anything to you! Now you do this to me in
front of everybody! Goddamn you to hell and back!" Sporus was crying now,
and Sulla hurried back to comfort him. "Sporus, dear boy, what happened?"
Sporus told him the story, and Sulla was horrified, and looked to Gaius.
"Oh, Gaius, you didn't!", he cried.
"I did, and I'm damn proud of it", he replied angrily. "That boy had this
coming Sulla!"
Sulla was angry now. "Well, you can leave my house at once!" Gaius rose
from the table. "Fine! Pamper that little shit all you like, Sulla! Let
him hit your girls, like he just hit Lauria yesterday!" Gaius started to
stalk off, with Draco and Cassius getting up to follow him. "Wait!", called
Sulla, shocked by this revelation. He turned to Sporus. "Sporus, is this
true? You struck Lauria?" Sporus said nothing, but only choked out more
sobs. Sulla sighed. "What am I to do with you, boy?" "Yes, what are you to
do with him?", Gaius answered bitterly. "You never control him Sulla. And
one day, he is going to get out of all control. You say Caligula was a
pervert, but you have a young Caligula right here, in your own house! You
want me to leave? Alright then!" Sulla held up his hands and took a deep
breath. "No. No, that isn't necessary. I know Lauria is special to you.
Maybe...you just got defensive for her. Sporus, go up to your room and stay
there. We'll talk about this in the morning." Cassius rolled his eyes and
shook his head. Sporus was still crying, and started to leave, but then he
turned round and look Gaius Lupinius in the eyes. "You wait", he said icily
through the tears. "You just wait. I am going to kill you. One day, I
swear to the gods, I am going to kill you. I am going to see you bleed! I
am going to watch your gasp your last breath, and spit on your corpse! I
swear it...I am going to see you dead!
And when you lay dying, remember how you treated me!" Gaius Lupinius stpped
forward and stared right back into Sporus' face. "And you listen to me boy",
he growled, "if you EVER strike one of my girls again, I will persoanlly cut
off your balls and keep them in a jar, and look at them everyday, and
remember the look on your face when I cut them off! Now get out of my sight
before I do something I could be executed for!" Sporus regained his
composure. "You already have done that Lykaion. And you will die. It's
only a matter of the time and the place." And with that, Sporus left and
went up to his room.
Cassius was watching this confrontation, and something about the look in
Sporus' eye and his tone of voice concerned him greatly. He walked over next
to Gaius and spoke quietly to him. "Gaius, I do believe that boy means it.
Every word."
"He's just a little coward".
"But even a coward has a breaking point, my old friend. And you may have
just pushed him to it." Cassius put his arm around his friend. "Let's go
back to the table. I want to talk with you."
End of Chapter IV
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