From: daviderl31@yahoo.com   
      
                                       Xena: Roman Gladiator   
      
                                           Chapter Twelve   
      
                                            Back and Forth   
      
               [no sex, no violence]   
      
      
                   (Gabrielle)   
      
   Gabrielle's race back to her quarters was blurred with tear-filled eyes. The   
   entire way  her thoughts ran along the lines of, "What is wrong with her?   
   What has she become? Why is she acting this way? How could she have talked   
   to me like that?"   
      
   When she arrived, she went into one of the storerooms to hide. A room that   
   was dark and cool, filled with sacks of grain, large clay-lined baskets of   
   olives and grapes and dried fruits. And there she stayed the rest of the day   
   until after dark, knowing she wouldn't missed since she left with a guard.   
      
   At first she tried to understand what had happened to Xena. Even when her   
   dark side had occasionally arisen when she felt it was necessary, Xena was   
   never deliberately cruel or inhuman. And she was getting to the point where   
   she would only take a life if there was no other option. But now….   
      
   Eventually Gabrielle's thoughts turned to what Xena had said to her, her   
   tone of voice, and what she had been implying. Xena was never one to pull   
   punches, but today those punches seemed especially heartless, and they hit   
   an exceptionally sensitive target. She knew that someday, if they ever   
   escaped back to Greece, she would tell Xena all she had been forced to do.   
   But for right now, her only way to cope was to block out what she could, and   
   pretend those things had happened to someone else. But for Xena to so easily   
   knock down the barriers she had put up was more than she could deal with.   
      
   The day passed with repeated bouts of crying, interspersed with feelings of   
   hopeless despair, and the occasional fleeting idea of ending it all and be   
   done with everything. But she squashed those thoughts as quickly as they   
   arose. She suspected she must have slept some because the day seemed to go   
   by more quickly than she would have thought. And so, she was surprised when   
   she heard a sudden noise and saw Phaedra standing over her, a candle in one   
   hand and a plate of food in the other.   
      
   "How did you know I was here?"   
      
   "Do you truly think I don't know what goes on in my household? I heard you   
   arrive, and I've heard you sobbing the entire day. I heard you were allowed   
   to see your friend. And I can only guess things didn't go as you hoped. But   
   today has passed and tomorrow you will be expected to resume the tasks   
   required of you."   
      
   Phaedra handed Gabrielle the plate and the candle with the warning not to   
   set room on fire and turned to go. When she reached the door, she turned   
   back and said, "There is talk that Cicerius has offered a substantial sum to   
   Dominus for the purchase of Xena. And he is contemplating it."   
      
   "WHAT?!" Gabrielle exclaimed, the plate tumbling from her hand as she leapt   
   to her feet.   
      
                   (Xena)   
      
   Xena stayed at the iron lattice for too long, knowing that Gabrielle would   
   not return, yet hoping she would. She finally walked back to her room, not   
   wanting to face anyone, and there she spent the day, going over in her mind   
   what she should have said, rather than the hurtful things she did say.   
      
   As the day ended and the gladiators-to-be came in for supper, Xena   
   discovered she was hungry enough to get up and join them.  But even in her   
   depressed state she could tell something was up. Everyone was watching her,   
   but not speaking, and she knew it wasn't because anyone had heard, or would   
   care about, her quarrel with Gabrielle. So she went straight to Doctore.   
      
   "What's going on?"   
      
   "There is talk among the house slaves that Dominus has been made an offer   
   for your purchase by Cicerius. He says Dominus doesn't have the resources to   
   finance your appearances in the larger arenas. And that under his ownership   
   you could conceivably battle your way to the Coliseum in Rome."   
      
   "How do you know this is true? And how do they know any of this?"   
      
   "Because we are like furniture to Dominus and Domina. Would you hesitate to   
   discuss sensitive matters in front of a chair?"   
      
   "When is this to happen?"   
      
   "Dominus is still mulling over the proposal. And I know it cannot be an easy   
   decision for him, now that you have proved your worth."   
      
   Xena was now more concerned with being sold than her argument with   
   Gabrielle. "Do you think Gabrielle would be sold along with me?"   
      
   "It is doubtful, unless Cicerius can find cause to want her. But with all   
   the female slaves he owns, he would have no use for another."   
      
   "What if Dominus insists we must be sold together?"   
      
   "Why would he do that?"   
      
   "I don't know."   
      
                   (Batiatus)   
      
   "Things were so much simpler before SHE came!" Batiatus railed. "She has   
   raised my ambitions and then has dashed them as if they were nothing to   
   her!"   
      
   "I’m quite sure she has no idea the turmoil she has caused," Lucretia   
   replied.   
      
   "Why are you defending her?" he yelled.   
      
   "I am not. I am only trying to keep things in perspective. She is but a   
   slave, this is your – our, problem."   
      
   "She is NOT 'but a slave'! She is probably the finest gladiator to ever   
   live! And now she is causing me anguish I do not like. The physician tells   
   me she is healing faster than expected, and it will be only ten to fifteen   
   days before she is able to enter the arena again. But invitations I make are   
   rebuffed! After her spectacular win against Cicerius' two best warriors, no   
   one will put their men against her. I even offered three against one, but   
   her reputation has already circulated."   
      
   "Then why not accept Cicerius' offer and be done with her?"   
      
   "Because she is a gold mine! He will make tens of thousands of Aureus while   
   I am offered a paltry four thousand for her!"   
      
   "Four thousand is not an insignificant sum."   
      
   "And just how long do you think it will last? How much did her exhibition   
   cost us in wine and food? No! There must be some way to keep her and to make   
   money. There HAS to be a way!"   
      
   Lucretia was silent, knowing when to speak and when not to. Then a thought   
   came to her.   
      
   "Batiatus, I have heard of the spectacles in the Coliseum, they often pit   
   condemned slaves against ferocious beasts. Why not do the same with Xena?   
   Bring in bears or lions for her to…."   
      
   "And what if she is killed or maimed? Where would we be then?"   
      
   "But if she is as good as you say…."   
      
   "NO! I will hear no more of your inane suggestions! Leave me! This is my   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)