David calls into the inner yard: "Benjamin. Com here."
A boy of about 10 years, obviously a relative of David's appears, looking interested.
"Let me make this very clear. I bought this house and all that is in it from the archbishop of Trier. I do have the papers to show it. Your claim to the contents of my basement is ridiculous. Before I moved here, his house belonged to heretics who forfeited all their worldly possessions to the church. Your asking for those heretic items is quite suspicious in the eyes of the church, I am sure.
I may only be a Jew, but I annually pay for the priviledge of protection by our bishop, and I am a citizen of Trier, well connected to all that matter in this great and civilized city.
So here is your choice: Since you are strange fellows, I must insist on a written contract, which shall be safely deposited at the house of the Jewish medical doctor of Trier. In that contract - writing materials and paper provided by you - I will permit you to spend one day from dawn to dusk to search my basement. For this, you will pay me a compensation of 2 Mythic Pounds in advance. If you find anything in my belongings, or should I say in my basement, that you wish to buy, I will make you a fair price for it - if these things are of little value for me, as you say, there is nothing for you to worry about. So let us go down the street to Medicus Jakob ben Israel.
If you refuse, leave NOW or I will send my boy to fetch the Lord Archbishop's city guard. They will be very interested in hearing that the heretics have returned."
Arturous listens to David monologue patiently, with a blank face.
"Your outburst is out of place, as are your threats. The sum you require is too high; that amount could feed two modest families for an entire year. Since you ask for so much now, I doubt we can come to any sort of arrangement regarding what we may find.
I offered you my favor, and a decent compensation for your time. "
"A decent compensation" Arturous emphasizes
"As that is not enough for you I will take my leave now"
Arturous opens the door and turns to David before walking out to the sunlit street
"And a word of advice,freely given - you should learn to contain your emotions. It's has got the better of you"
"One is still too much, but may I suggest a compromise?
I offer you half a pound, and we will come back on a day you're usually closed for business. That would satisfy all parties, yes?
This way you have nothing to lose."
"Well, half a pound. Agreed. But we will keep an eye on you so nothing vanishes. In four days, there is the day of St. Richard. I am not allowed to sell wine that day. I recommend you stay at the Blaue Keiler until then - you will be wealthy enough to afford it ans" - he lowers his voice - "the innkeeper is a bit of a heretic, people say, you might like it there better than at the hospital."
ooc: Hospitals were cheap places for travelers to stay - healthy ones too. I assume you guys talked this through before and briefed Arturous on the bargaining, he's got the looks, but his bargain skill does not equal gozer's.
“Then it is settled. We will meet in four days time”
Arturous nods at the David before turning and walking out.
Once outside the store, Arturous addresses the rest of the party
“Well, what do you think? We can spend the next few days exploring the old ruins outside of the city, as Honorus suggested. We might even head out there now - the day is still young”
"Let go. since we are waiting four days we might as well make use of them."
Honorus leans over to Gunther "Go get us rooms at this Blaue Keiler and be quick."
After Gunther returns, Honorus would love to look at the ruined Temple (28 on the map). His list would be both temples (28 and 29) the graveyard(34) and then the bathhouse(20) and finally the Circus Maximus(25) and Amphitheader(27). He feels that if an aura were found at any of the sites, the first 3 ( temples and graveyard) would prove to be better locations than the larger ruins or the bathhouse close to a church and the city walls.
"If we take the lodging the Jew recommends, we might as well have the grogs put our bndles in our rooms - I see no point in them having to carry the stuff all the way. We might also consider leaving one of them behind. He can sleep now while he's guarding our stuff and take the night watch. I hope you guys are familiar with architecture because I couldn't tell a Roman temple from a bathhouse. Or we can try and find some local guide to the ruins."
Honorus is sounding more excited then you ever remember. His pace is fast as the group heads to explore the ruins. "I can talk about the buildings and how they are made. Part of my training. What I would not be able to tell you is what God an old temple was dedicated to."
There are plenty of ruins just outside the walls: Honorus recognizes part of an arena, a bathhouse (complete with a homosexual couple engaged in wicked fornication - they do not notice you immediately), several houses belonging to upper class Romans (two more couples - the women professionally loud - easily avoided), defensive structures (presided over by a "knight" of about 7 years, who valiantly defends the ramparts against three blond infidels who are about the same age) and two buildings whose fallen columns bear witness to their function as temples. One is clearly devoted to a chaste female godess (being closest to the gate, it is being used as a quarry by a group of religious stone-bearers who bring the rocks into the city for the construction of the new church in the French style). At the entrance to a mostly intact room in the other temple, a scrawny figure in a Franciscan habit collects small offerings "to see the Roman statue of the angel St. Michael tempted by the animals of the devil". St. Michael turns out to be a life-sized statue of a naked man wearing a winged hat and carrying a serpent staff. To his feet, you can see a cock and a cat. Although half a dozen people are praying to the statue, you do not feel the oppressive hand of the divine near it.
The child is clearly scared of the party. It is only because of the others that he doesn't run. Shooting up a distrustful glance, he says: "Are you just a travelling monk? Then, we can guide you [grin reveals missing teeth], let's say for a Viertelpfennig (little coin). Like, Only a few years ago, they found St. Michael. And we can show you where they do...(giggles, and makes something that is supposed to be an obscene gesture but doesn't come out right). Or we can take you to Master Dombauer. He is a very learned man - he builds Trier's new church and my Mum says he is attractive and knows almost everything. When he was young he has been to Pahrees and he has been to France to build a church in R.. Re..., well, somewhere French."
"A Viertelpfennig seems fair but for that I want to see some secret places in the ruins. Any tunnels or caves. Perhaps later you can introduce me to Master Dombauer. He sounds very interesting."
When they've finished, one of the blond boys says: "My mum says that I am not allowed to go into caves with strange men. But I'm only going to tell her if my friends won't come home tonight. Maybe you are none of those men who do bad things with children in dark caves."
Hildegard says: "You stupid idiot. My dad does not do that kind of stuff. Nor do his friends."
After her grog has made her apologize, the children are somewhat less wary.
They say there are the tunnels where the improper women go with the men to make silly noises, the scary cave with the dead men under the bathhouse, and the secret tunnel to the round place that has stairs on three sides, the one where they'
ve found shards of pottery with writing on it. They start arguing where to go first.
The children tell you to be quiet as you approach the bathhouse, but it is too late: A woman whose red silk veil clearly indicates her profession though she is too old to be active herself steps in the way of the party.
Seeing that children are among them, she seems to come to the conclusion that you haven't come to seek her services as a solicitor.
"In the name of St . Augustine, I prithee, lords not to enter the bathhouse. Rumour has it that it is a place of licence and vice, unfit for the eyes of innocent children. It might even be dangerous since men of strong appetites are often strong men."
Her voice remains friendly when she voices the hidden threat.
ooc: St. Augustine is the patron saint of the whores, as everyone knows at the time.
Arturous kneels to inspect the clay pieces more closely
"Definitely Latin" he speaks quietly to himself
"everorum, everorum, probably part of the word Treverorum – the old roman name for the city of Trier.
And 'gust' appears in several familiar words, but I am willing to bet that in this case it is derived from augustus –glorious, or dignified"
Getting up, he looks around the place
"Probably some sort of amphitheater. What do you think it was used for? Anyone knows the history of this old city?"
The children do. They can tell you wonderful stories with dragons, knights, and Fairies, all of which happened here. They also mention that Master Dombauer knows more about the ruins, and the old man who guards the statue of St. Michael, and their parents, and the priests who can turn bread into our Lord, and one has an older brother who knows a lot and who can speak three languages, and God, of course, knows everything.
