I promised a friend I would post this. It started as fanfic, but, with some editing, it comes off better than 50 Shades.
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A Matter Of The Law
Andrew J. Rowland
He sat at his desk, looking down at papers when the man entered the room.
"Lucius Flavius Sardinus, I want to speak with you!"
Lucius was reading of an incident on the back wall. Savages had been at it again, staking some poor sailor out along the rail. Looked like Lia had painted him. He tried not to deal with them, generally speaking, they were trouble but they amused him. This sailor, though, had been taken on the docks, drug back to their lair and...he raised his head from the lurid descriptions and looked at the man. His bass voice growled,
"So? Speak."
Lucius looked at the man, dressed in his finest blue, signifying he was a scribe. Judging from his air, a magistrate. Lucius continued to look levelly at him. The man said nothing and was obviously waiting for him to finish his sentence. Lucius decided to let him wait. The wait got oppressive, but still, Lucius kept looking directly at the man, holding his eye. He made no attempt to get to his feet, nor did he offer the scribe a chair.
Finally, the scribe coughed, looked away and said, "I am here on behalf of Merchant Salazar Crealt."
"Who?"
"Salazar Crealt is the leading silk merchant in Barbary."
The man spoke as if Lucius would know this bit of trivia. He also spoke as a man would to someone he considered himself better than. Lucius shrugged.
"You're an awful long way away from home, friend."
"Quite. I would thank you to address me by my title."
Lucius's face broke into a lopsided grin.
"Would you now?"
"Yes."
Lucius gave a low rumble of a chuckle.
"I would be happy to if I knew who you were. So far, all I know is you represent some merchant in Barbary, Salty Crack or something."
"Salazar Crealt, the leading silk merchant of Barbary."
"So, you are Salazar Crealt?"
"No."
Lucius's grin got wider, his voice got lower and more reasonable.
"Well, then, just who are you?"
The man put on an exasperated air and said in a huff, "I am Magistrate Samos Falden of Barbary. You will address me as Magistrate."
Lucius scratched his ear and grinned.
"Oh, I surely will. What can I do for you, Magistrate?" The way Lucius stressed the title left no doubt of the esteem he held Falden in. He continued to steadily hold the man's eye, not dropping his gaze in deference to the title.
"Yes, well, I have some questions about this place, Sardinus..."
"Administrator Sardinus."
"Beg pardon?"
"I am the Administrator. I do not normally like to be addressed by title, but you have just earned the honor of doing so."
Falden was momentarily stunned into silence. This circumstance didn't last, though. He stammered to a start again, "I have some questions about this place, Administrator."
"Oh? Why do you think I will answer them?"
"Merchant Law. Being an Administrator, you obviously came from the Caste of Scribes so, you should be aware of the niceties of Merchant Law."
Lucius grinned.
"I am a Slaver."
Nonplussed, Falden asked, "Are you aware of Merchant Law?"
"I have heard of it. What about it?"
"By Merchant Law, I can ask any question I want in pursuit of stolen chattel."
Lucius's amusement grew. He looked at Falden with a twinkle in his eye.
"Oh? What has been stolen?"
"The Merchant's wife was stolen by The Silken Bond from Barbary two months ago."
The Outpost was a den of thieves. Pirates, Outlaws, Savage Women. The Silken Bond, that seemingly ubiquitous slaving organization, also had their home here. They would obtain their merchandise from Gods knew where and bring them here for "processing". They had a very profitable trade in both male and female slaves. Lead by a man known only as The Harvester, they paid Lucius handsomely to have their headquarters at The Outpost. Being the Administrator had its advantages.
"A Free Woman is hardly chattel, Magistrate."
"True."
"Then..." he trailed off.
"Obviously, Sard...Administrator", Falden stressed the first syllable of "obviously" in an obnoxious fashion in Lucius's eyes, "she was stolen, enslaved by Silken Bond and brought here. I demand that you help me get her back."
Lucius's humor ran out at that point.
"Where do you think you are?"
"I am trapped in a backwater in the back and beyond."
"You are in the Outpost, Falden. I am the authority here. Not you or your Merchant Law. In the interest of being...helpful, however..."
Lucius raised his voice. "Guard!"
The burly head of an Outpost guard stuck around the corner.
"Yes, Lucius?"
"Go to the Bond and ask The Harvester to come see me, please? Stop by the Fisherman's village on your way there and tell the Fisher Elder "Red Seven". Got it?"
"Yes, Lucius."
Lucius nodded, the guard's head disappeared and Lucius turned back to his reading. Falden spoke.
"Well?"
"Well, what?"
"Are you going to acknowledge my claims under Merchant Law?"
"I am going to finish reading this report. When The Harvester gets here, we will talk."
He turned back to his report, pointedly ignoring the fuming man in Blue. Lucius considered the markings on the sailor. Yeah, no doubt about it, Lia. He'd have to have a talk with their leader.
After a while, a huge man came into the room. He nodded at Lucius.
"You summoned me?"
"Yes, my friend. I have a present for you."
The Harvester's eyes narrowed.
"Present?"
"Yes, this fine fellow is here investigating the disappearance of the Wife of Salty Crack of Barbary. Claims the woman was stolen by you!"
"Salazar Crealt!"
The Harvester fixed the man with a glare which would stop a river crocodile, turned to Lucius and growled.
"Present?"
"Yes. I'm giving him to you. Perhaps he can investigate Salty Cracks up at the mines? You might want to remove his tongue, though. His voice is rather irritating."
Falden sputtered with fury.
"I have a company of Barbary's finest troops with me!"
The clash of steel, the splash of bodies, the scream of men in pain began down on the docks. It didn't last for long.
Lucius looked at the Magistrate. "'Red Seven' tells the Captain of the Fishermen of Laurius, a rather notorious pirate clan, that I have found a nice prize for him at dock seven and that there are soldiers. As forewarned is forearmed, the Fishermen went heavily armed. As a result, your men are dead. If someone comes looking for you; I never saw you. A tragedy, seems you were lost at sea."
The Harvester looked at Lucius again.
"My present is this ratty, scabby thing?"
"Well, yes and five silver."
"Ten."
"Six."
"Nine."
"Eight it is. Good bye, Magistrate."
Lucius watched as The Harvester neatly knocked Falden out and slung him over his shoulder. He handed his friend 8 silver and went back to his reports.
