fortune.
“You must wait until everyone is gone,” said David, “and then hide this gold yourself in various places about the house. You will find such places. We cannot do that for you, for then we would know where it was. Your jewels? Some I leave here to be hidden for they are much too valuable to be flashed abroad among the populace in your first days.” He opened a casket of gems. “See this ruby? It is superb. Look at the size of it. This can feed you for the rest of your life if sold to an honest man for half of its worth. Every jewel in this box is exceptional. I know jewels. These are hand-picked from the finest. See these pearls? Perfection.” He returned the ruby and the pearls to the casket and shut the lid.
“Yes,” I said weakly.
“Pearls, more gold, silver, plate …” he muttered. “It’s all here! We should take more care but …”
“Oh, no, you have done wonders,” I declared.
I stared at the bread and the wine in the cup. My Father’s wine bottle. My Father’s amphorae around the room.
“Pandora,” said Jacob, addressing me most seriously.“Here in my hand is the Deed to this house. And another paper which describes your official entry into the port under your new made-up name, Julia, La, La, La and so forth. Pandora, we have to leave you.”
The old man shook his head and bit his lip.
“We have to sail for Ephesus, child,” he said “I am ashamed that I must leave you, but the harbor will soon be blocked!”
“There are ships on fire already in the harbor,” said Jacob under his breath. “They’ve pulled down the statue of Tiberius in the Forum.”
“The transaction is closed” said the old man to me. “The man who sold the house has never laid eyes on you and does not know your real name, and there is no evidence of it remaining here. Those were not his slaves who brought you here.”
“You’ve done miracles for me,” I said
“You are on your own, my beautiful Roman princess,” Jacob said. “It hurts my soul to leave you like this.”
“We must,” said the old man.
“Don’t go out for three days,” said Jacob, coming near to me, about as near as he could as if he even meant to break all the rules and kiss my cheek. “There are enough legions here to quell this riot, but they will let it burn itself out, rather than slaughter Roman citizens. And forget those Greek friends. Their house is already an inferno.”
They turned to leave!
“Were you well paid for all this?” I asked. “If not, take from my gold now, freely. I insist!”
“Don’t even think of such things,” said the old man. “But for your peace of mind, know this: your Father staked me twice after my ships were captured by pirates in the Adriatic. Your Father put his money in with mine and I made profits for both of us. The Greek owed your Father money. Worry about those matters no more. But we must go!”
“God be with you, Pandora,” said Jacob.
Jewels. Where were the jewels? I leapt up and opened the casket. There were hundreds of them, flawless, dazzlingly clear and exquisitely polished. I saw their value, their clarity and the care of the polishing. I took the big egg-shaped ruby David had shown to me and then another just like it and thrust them at the two men.
They put up their hands to say No.
“Oh, but you must,” I said. “Give me this respect. Confirm for me that I am a free Roman woman and that I shall live as my Father told me to do! It will give me courage! Take this from me.”
David shook his head sternly, but Jacob took the ruby.
“Pandora, here, the keys. Follow us and lock the gate at the street and then the doors to the vestibule. Don’t fear. There are lamps everywhere. Plenty of oil—”
“Go!” I said as they passed over the threshold. I locked the gate and held to the bars, staring at them.“If you can’t get out, if you need me, come back here,” I said.
“We have our own people here,” Jacob said soothingly. “Thank you from my
“You must wait until everyone is gone,” said David, “and then hide this gold yourself in various places about the house. You will find such places. We cannot do that for you, for then we would know where it was. Your jewels? Some I leave here to be hidden for they are much too valuable to be flashed abroad among the populace in your first days.” He opened a casket of gems. “See this ruby? It is superb. Look at the size of it. This can feed you for the rest of your life if sold to an honest man for half of its worth. Every jewel in this box is exceptional. I know jewels. These are hand-picked from the finest. See these pearls? Perfection.” He returned the ruby and the pearls to the casket and shut the lid.
“Yes,” I said weakly.
“Pearls, more gold, silver, plate …” he muttered. “It’s all here! We should take more care but …”
“Oh, no, you have done wonders,” I declared.
I stared at the bread and the wine in the cup. My Father’s wine bottle. My Father’s amphorae around the room.
“Pandora,” said Jacob, addressing me most seriously.“Here in my hand is the Deed to this house. And another paper which describes your official entry into the port under your new made-up name, Julia, La, La, La and so forth. Pandora, we have to leave you.”
The old man shook his head and bit his lip.
“We have to sail for Ephesus, child,” he said “I am ashamed that I must leave you, but the harbor will soon be blocked!”
“There are ships on fire already in the harbor,” said Jacob under his breath. “They’ve pulled down the statue of Tiberius in the Forum.”
“The transaction is closed” said the old man to me. “The man who sold the house has never laid eyes on you and does not know your real name, and there is no evidence of it remaining here. Those were not his slaves who brought you here.”
“You’ve done miracles for me,” I said
“You are on your own, my beautiful Roman princess,” Jacob said. “It hurts my soul to leave you like this.”
“We must,” said the old man.
“Don’t go out for three days,” said Jacob, coming near to me, about as near as he could as if he even meant to break all the rules and kiss my cheek. “There are enough legions here to quell this riot, but they will let it burn itself out, rather than slaughter Roman citizens. And forget those Greek friends. Their house is already an inferno.”
They turned to leave!
“Were you well paid for all this?” I asked. “If not, take from my gold now, freely. I insist!”
“Don’t even think of such things,” said the old man. “But for your peace of mind, know this: your Father staked me twice after my ships were captured by pirates in the Adriatic. Your Father put his money in with mine and I made profits for both of us. The Greek owed your Father money. Worry about those matters no more. But we must go!”
“God be with you, Pandora,” said Jacob.
Jewels. Where were the jewels? I leapt up and opened the casket. There were hundreds of them, flawless, dazzlingly clear and exquisitely polished. I saw their value, their clarity and the care of the polishing. I took the big egg-shaped ruby David had shown to me and then another just like it and thrust them at the two men.
They put up their hands to say No.
“Oh, but you must,” I said. “Give me this respect. Confirm for me that I am a free Roman woman and that I shall live as my Father told me to do! It will give me courage! Take this from me.”
David shook his head sternly, but Jacob took the ruby.
“Pandora, here, the keys. Follow us and lock the gate at the street and then the doors to the vestibule. Don’t fear. There are lamps everywhere. Plenty of oil—”
“Go!” I said as they passed over the threshold. I locked the gate and held to the bars, staring at them.“If you can’t get out, if you need me, come back here,” I said.
“We have our own people here,” Jacob said soothingly. “Thank you from my
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