The Emperor and the Temple Ch. 06

"Tell me, Aysuna, where does Musa find the slaves he offers to you?"

"I do not ask questions, Beshara."

Beshara sighed, "Aysuna, there are rumours in Ephirum. Recently boys have gone missing from the streets. At first just slaves on errands for their masters. They were assumed to be runaways. But the numbers increased. And then even warriors from legions began to disappear. Are they deserters? Have they been robbed and killed? Abducted? Nobody knows. I have not heard Ahirik mentioned with suspicion but, Aysuna, their ages and descriptions align with boys we train here. I cannot say for certain that Musa is responsible, but they say that the Serif is going to properly investigate and that my brother has taken an interest. I am concerned, Aysuna. We could ask the boys for their stories, I suppose."

Aysuna shook her head vigorously, "No! We never do that. In fact we forbid them to talk of anything before their arrival here. Lady owners do not like it, and a boy adapts much better if he lives in the present instead of thinking of the past."

"Very well, Aysuna, but we must stop using Musa."

"Our numbers will fall, Beshara."

"Ah! Well, that brings me to my news. In the coming summer the Emperor will conquer the nations to the far west. King Osta's realm, Casbur, the City of the Goddess. All will fall to his armies. I see your face is blank. You have not heard of these places, Aysuna? That is understandable; few have. But I am to get exclusivity as usual. And there will be thousands of slaves, perhaps tens of thousands. And I am guaranteed ships to bring them back to the Empire. We will have boys aplenty for Ahirik. In fact we should expand - build more stables and find suitable trainers. Educate them in our ways so that we are ready when the boys arrive."

Aysuna looked at Beshara with doubt, "And what are these foreigners like?"

"Well, I have seen some portraits brought back by our spies. And then, after the battle at Teshka, my brother had one in his tent."

"A slave?"

"No, a warrior from his Foreign Legion. But a man of the west, not of the eastern hills or from the lands around Karthig like most of his comrades. This was a beautiful boy, Aysuna. Light hair and skin, tall and strong, with intelligent eyes. Our ladies will enjoy such pets, I am sure of it."

"And you assume they are all as pretty as this one?"

"Well, no. But there will be thousands of them! We will pick the best."

Aysuna sighed, "Oh Beshara, I am still unable to picture these boys in my mind."

"Aysuna, do you remember Javi?"

"Oh yes! I trained him myself! When I still had the time in my days to indulge. A fine boy! So pretty, and loving too. A joy to be with in the bedchamber. He went to your niece did he not? She is happy with him I believe. He had a strange look to him though, as I recall. Beautiful, but difficult to place. What of him?"

"The boy in my brother's tent looked like Javi."

"Ah, now you are starting to convince me!"

And the two women hugged, and began to make their plans as the sun turned red and sank below the hills above Ahirik.