Spartacus (The White Stone Version), Sabinus/Castus and others
They leave for Tunis the next day. The Siren feels emptier, although Saxa insists on bringing several bags of stones on board, much to Castus’ dismay. “Those will be thrown overboard should we have any need of ballast,” he declares. Saxa’s laughter rings up to the top of the mast, where Belesa hears it and smiles.
The journey is much easier on Sabinus this time, and he isn’t sure whether the sea has calmed or his nerves have hardened. He is doing more sailing now, and even tops the mast on occasion. Finally he is starting to feel at home.
After a week they reach Tunis. Here, Sabinus feels they have at last escaped Rome’s grasp. In the marketplace, his senses are overwhelmed with new sights and sounds. Bags of saffron, peppers hanging in bunches, sweets of the most delicate colours cut into squares. People mill about wearing garments of cloths and shades he has never seen. He hears foreign tongues more than Latin, and is impressed when Castus barters gamely with the sellers in their own language. When the sun goes down, strings of oil lamps are hung beneath coloured glass and the market goes on into the night.
The twins take to the place immediately. Ummashtarte is even more enchanted by the market than Sabinus. She buys spices by the handful and their next meals are all tinted saffron-red. Abibaal quickly befriends the young fishermen who frequent the docks and spends his days with them, each one’s tall tales bigger than the next. Once he brings an entire octopus onto the ship, and that night they dine on its stiff tentacles. Saxa threatens to pull out her knife if he tries it again; while Sabinus empathizes with the boy’s fear, he tends to agree with Saxa on this.
It is no surprise, then, when the twins announce they will stay in Tunis.
“No surprise,” Castus agrees, “yet still an inconvenience. It is hard to sail with four.”
“Perhaps we could break words with Abibaal’s friends. They might know one who would sail with us.”
“Perhaps,” said Castus. “Sometimes I wish it could be just the two of us.”
Sabinus glances around the ship, empty now. “The others have gone to the night market. It is just the two of us.”
Castus eyes widen. His lips glow red with saffron, and he smiles as Sabinus drops to his knees.