Tweet
Mafia XVII : Non mortem timemus, sed cogitationem mortis.
We fear not death, but the thinking of death. (Seneca)
PRELVDIVM
The April sun shone warmly on the banks of the Tiber where Zopperoni, a slave in the service Spiffor, attended to his master's businesses that day. The aging senator relied more and more on his slaves to do even the most basic tasks for him, and today was no exception.
"Ave!" said ADG as Zopperoni approached his riverside fishmarket "What can I offer you, young sir? Perhaps some nice Cyprinus carpio?"
Zopperoni handed over a few sestersi for the fish and moved along into the Capitoline district.
"Ave!" called Chaunk, sitting on a park bench, surrounded by chickens "Want to stop and help me feed these birds, Zoppi?"
"Ad praesens ova cras pullis sunt meliora!" repiled Zopperoni with a wink as he took 2 eggs and strolled off.
He had to hide them pretty fast as coming the other way were two priests, Rasputin and FlameFlash.
"Clearly," stated Rasputin "Jupiter is greater than Saturn, therefore I am greater than you!"
"That's possible," replied his companion, "But I am a cousin to the Emperor's wine taster."
"Bah" spat Rasputin, "All the best people worship Jupiter, not Saturn."
"Homines libenter quod volunt credunt," interjected Zopperoni as he went past.
Next on the list of jobs was a visit to the Forum to get a letter copied by GJRamesey, the leading public letter scribe, quite a rude love letter actually, but, as Cicerco said, "Epistula non erubescit"
However, on the way there Zopperoni popped into Rah's brothel, which doubled as a bar in the daytime, to get a quick drink.
Rah served him a wine in a clay jug shaped like a vagina.
"The customers like it," he explained with a shrug.
"Hocine bibo aut in eum digitos insero?" asked Zoppi, drank it and left.
Next stop was the local butcher's to get a nice fresh goat for his master's dinner. Theben put it on the bill as usual, refusing to handle money while he was also handling animals.
"It brings bad luck" he grumbled.
"Suos cuique mos," agreed Zoppi, and lead the goat home.
It was all a bit chaotic at the Spiffor villa as GhengisFarb had taken up half the floor to lay a new mosiac, while at the same time the senator's libraian, Jon Miller was trying to reorganise all the scrolls and had laid them out on the other half. Zoppi and his goat were not welcomed.
Luckily the slaves and workmen all had the afternoon free, so they went to the Colloseum to watch the training.
Snowfire was being put through his paces by the gladiator trainer, Vlad Antlerkov.
"You should keep your gladius higher," commented the trainer, between blows, "Or you'll never be as good as DrSpike!"
DrSpike, the current champion of all Rome emerged from a stable talking to Guynemer.
"The reason I always held it higher is because this guy," he slapped Guynemer on the back "Is such a good smith and he makes such light rapierlike swords, that they weigh almost nothing."
Just them Spiffor turned up with a surprise.
"Just to show I'm a decent boss," he said as he handed out some money, "I suggest you bet on Tuberski to win."
Everyone rushed over to Joncha who was always good for a bet, or a cheap whore, for that matter, and placed their bets for the next chariot race.
Tuberski won, of course, and the whole grop collected their winnings and headed off to Skanky's Taverna to celebrate.
"Do you want to buy a slave?" Kassiopeia asked Spiffor, attracted by the sound of money, but Spiffor turned him down.
"I already have a good one," he said, indicating Zoppi.
Hercules tried to stop the growing group from entering the bar, blocking the doorway with his bulk, but when the authoritarian figures of MattH and General Ludd turned up in their uniforms, he relented and allowed them in.
"Just don't make a mess of the furniture," he said.
The group met up with Jonny who started telling them an awful poem about silver circles untill Alva pulled his chair away.
So, everyone was happy, and drank wine together untill the sun came up.
"Morituri te salutamus" they sang to each other
-Jam
We fear not death, but the thinking of death. (Seneca)
PRELVDIVM
The April sun shone warmly on the banks of the Tiber where Zopperoni, a slave in the service Spiffor, attended to his master's businesses that day. The aging senator relied more and more on his slaves to do even the most basic tasks for him, and today was no exception.
"Ave!" said ADG as Zopperoni approached his riverside fishmarket "What can I offer you, young sir? Perhaps some nice Cyprinus carpio?"
Zopperoni handed over a few sestersi for the fish and moved along into the Capitoline district.
"Ave!" called Chaunk, sitting on a park bench, surrounded by chickens "Want to stop and help me feed these birds, Zoppi?"
"Ad praesens ova cras pullis sunt meliora!" repiled Zopperoni with a wink as he took 2 eggs and strolled off.
He had to hide them pretty fast as coming the other way were two priests, Rasputin and FlameFlash.
"Clearly," stated Rasputin "Jupiter is greater than Saturn, therefore I am greater than you!"
"That's possible," replied his companion, "But I am a cousin to the Emperor's wine taster."
"Bah" spat Rasputin, "All the best people worship Jupiter, not Saturn."
"Homines libenter quod volunt credunt," interjected Zopperoni as he went past.
Next on the list of jobs was a visit to the Forum to get a letter copied by GJRamesey, the leading public letter scribe, quite a rude love letter actually, but, as Cicerco said, "Epistula non erubescit"
However, on the way there Zopperoni popped into Rah's brothel, which doubled as a bar in the daytime, to get a quick drink.
Rah served him a wine in a clay jug shaped like a vagina.
"The customers like it," he explained with a shrug.
"Hocine bibo aut in eum digitos insero?" asked Zoppi, drank it and left.
Next stop was the local butcher's to get a nice fresh goat for his master's dinner. Theben put it on the bill as usual, refusing to handle money while he was also handling animals.
"It brings bad luck" he grumbled.
"Suos cuique mos," agreed Zoppi, and lead the goat home.
It was all a bit chaotic at the Spiffor villa as GhengisFarb had taken up half the floor to lay a new mosiac, while at the same time the senator's libraian, Jon Miller was trying to reorganise all the scrolls and had laid them out on the other half. Zoppi and his goat were not welcomed.
Luckily the slaves and workmen all had the afternoon free, so they went to the Colloseum to watch the training.
Snowfire was being put through his paces by the gladiator trainer, Vlad Antlerkov.
"You should keep your gladius higher," commented the trainer, between blows, "Or you'll never be as good as DrSpike!"
DrSpike, the current champion of all Rome emerged from a stable talking to Guynemer.
"The reason I always held it higher is because this guy," he slapped Guynemer on the back "Is such a good smith and he makes such light rapierlike swords, that they weigh almost nothing."
Just them Spiffor turned up with a surprise.
"Just to show I'm a decent boss," he said as he handed out some money, "I suggest you bet on Tuberski to win."
Everyone rushed over to Joncha who was always good for a bet, or a cheap whore, for that matter, and placed their bets for the next chariot race.
Tuberski won, of course, and the whole grop collected their winnings and headed off to Skanky's Taverna to celebrate.
"Do you want to buy a slave?" Kassiopeia asked Spiffor, attracted by the sound of money, but Spiffor turned him down.
"I already have a good one," he said, indicating Zoppi.
Hercules tried to stop the growing group from entering the bar, blocking the doorway with his bulk, but when the authoritarian figures of MattH and General Ludd turned up in their uniforms, he relented and allowed them in.
"Just don't make a mess of the furniture," he said.
The group met up with Jonny who started telling them an awful poem about silver circles untill Alva pulled his chair away.
So, everyone was happy, and drank wine together untill the sun came up.
"Morituri te salutamus" they sang to each other
-Jam
I see you all are keeping up the story tradition! 
Very nice, Jam. 
As soon as my finals are over, I'll be sure to join in the fun for the next Mafia. 
Comment