The Fourth Day

Yesterday's event went off well. The Lady Tia presented a nice table to the people of the Street of Brands District; figs, dates, pastries and the like. It was sufficient, I think, to absolve her debt. She was as I expected hesitant on other matters of business pertaining to the girl, Crumb. Funny name, that. Lovely, little slut, however. She was curious as to why a man with so many beautiful slaves on his chain already would want to add another. I explained the notion in the simplest of terms, equating my business with hers. She is of the Bakers. They bake things. That, in itself, is a good characteristic of their caste if you ask me. Spoken in terms of commerce, she understood readily enough. No matter how delicious the dish you are serving a customer, it always pays to freshen the menu. Lewd, I suppose, but undeniable. I suspect this attempt at purchasing stock will go as the last. Which is to say, she'll likely decline the offer. Purchasing slaves from free women is headache-inducing. Too much politeness in it. You can hardly say, "Saw your hand-maiden there. Nice rack on that one, eh? How much?" And, "Does she squirm well?" is hardly appropriate conversation. Still, I have made inducements, offered a fair price. I trust my instincts well enough to know the girl is a slut without ever having bent her over. I have no doubt she is capable of learning the trade. Some have an aptitude for it, some are more eager than others, but any woman is capable.

I may pursue other options regardless. There are auctions at both The Curulean and the House of Tenalion tonight. They will both put on an excellent show and, doubtless, have much to delight the palate of the hungry consumer. And, there is also the tactic of waiting until the end of the fifth day to purchase. You can often catch an excellent deal at one of the side blocks. Of course, there are many thrift-minded patrons to compete with, each hoping to spot an overlooked beauty at a bargain price.