20: Poseidon’s Wave

  Adaneus spent the 5th of February waiting for a mercenary warlord, spending 5000 solidi on five ships, leaving the reserves of the city to 67,500; turning the ships into warships.

  “Either way, either I have a new fleet, or Gocelin can use them.”

  “Gocelin,” Butros said, “betrayed the Normans, so you need to be wary of him, he now betrayed the Eastern Romans.” He will next betray you.

  “Perhaps he sees in us, something he doesn’t see in them,” Adaneus said, putting a positive spin on it.

  “Adaneus, in politics you should always see what is there, rather than what you want to see, be extremely careful about being too hopeful.”

  “I understand that, that’s why I am buying ships, we will do it with or without him.”

  Other than that, the day was relatively uneventful with men from the walls spotting Norman scouts, and local peasants praising the gods with obsequiousness.

  “Spend 500 solidi on cattle,” Adaneus said, “the peasants should know we support them.”

  “I’m sure they do,” Kwame said, “67,000 solidi is an impressing amount.”

  By the late 5th he sold 1567 litrai of indigo dye, adding a solid 14,000 solidi to the treasury, which he promptly stored in the treasury. 81,000 solidi, certainly more than any of the neighbouring cities, with hungry Saracen and Venetian merchants haggling for the goods, and some even staying the night. New inns were being built, the city having a lot of imported stone.

  On the morning of the 6th, before Adaneus had even woken up, Gocelin hailed the harbour with his fleet, one singular ship going into the harbour, the others waiting. He waited for Adaneus to greet him, and the economic priest went down to the harbour to Gocelin looking down at him physically with eyes of reverent respect.

  “I will take Monopoli as promised, I just wanted to show that I have returned as promised.”

  “That is good,” Adaneus said, “take two of these ships and add it to your fleet, and stack them with catapults and ballistae, I want the city fortified, the other three ships can to and fro supplies to make sure they have enough supplies.”

  “I understand,” Gocelin said, “truly you are Helios’s apostle, for surely you have not been idle while I’ve been away. We will take the city, and we will take Italy soon enough. I have 15,000 solidi, my army can take more land, Brindisi for example.”

  “Then do so!” Adaneus said, “as commander of Poseidon’s Wave, make them feel Poseidon’s wrath!” Adaneus said to dramatic effect, “Italy is the possession of the Roman Western Republic! We will defend its cities! We will kick out Guiscard and his lackeys, Helios will make your life easier!”

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  Thorphinius brought a woman before Adaneus, a brunette with bright green eyes and a snarl.

  “She wished to meet you,” Thorphinius said, “so I accepted her decision,”

  “Truly a pleasure,” she said half sarcastically, “I have heard rumours about you,” she said, “and I wished to find out if they are true, is it true you are a demon worshipper?”

  Thorphinius nodded and went back to his ship, the new ships joining the fleet, as people carried catapults and ballistae. Meanwhile Adaneus was looked at with suspicious looks by this woman.

  “I do not worship demons, anymore than you do, besides the Christians use this term for the polytheists as if to insult our deity, they are arguing about bread, god’s nature and other things, I’m supposed to take their demon insult?”

  “Your way with words has been documented,” she said, “but everyone said you are single,” she said with a leering disposition.

  “Single?” Adaneus said.

  “Like the Catholic priests,” she said, “so I was wondering do your priests take celibacy vows?” Her flirting was so obvious that Thorphinius stared at her with a grin.

  “I don’t think there’s any value in celibacy for celibacy sake,” Adaneus said, “perhaps in respect of a loved one, but simply because you serve god, it is not in my religion to believe that the gods want us to miserable, some are better than others, but misery is not some holy thing.”

  “The tale of the devils of Bari is already spreading across the Adriatic,” she said, “I am Demetra, and I hear you treat women well, so I wish to become your wife.”

  Kwame and Butros baulked, Kwame spewing beer on the floor as he spat it out in shock.

  “Wife?” Kwame said.

  “I can read and write, and do sums, I can help with your urges likewise,” she said honestly.

  “My urges?” Adaneus repeated, astonished at her words.

  “You are a man right?” She said, “I’m not the best cook, but I can manage,” she admitted.

  Adaneus sat down on a ledge, laughing while Demetra sat next to him.

  “Western Rome immediately caught my attention, I have some friends who are merchants and your reputation among them is legendary, they wish for nothing else but to trade and trade, some have gotten fabulously rich re-selling your crops,” she said.

  She wore baggy clothes, so it was hard to tell her shape, but for some reason Adaneus knew exactly that she had a body many men would die for.

  “Demetra, I don’t know your personality, so how can I marry you?”

  “I will be angry if you are stupid and annoying, and I will care for your, no our kin and children, is there anything else that needs saying?” She said simply.

  “I guess not Demetra,” he said, “but at the moment my house is simple.”

  “Then complicate it a little,” the woman said, “what are your state treasuries?”

  “81,000,” he said.

  “Spend a 1000 on a nice residence within the city, preferably with good bathing facilities, don’t you neglect yourself too much, didn’t you say that there is no holiness in misery?”

  He squinted at this lady and mouthed as if to respond, but instead laughed a little.

  What a cunning woman, to think she would use my own logic against me?

  “Demetra, why would you say you want to marry me?”

  “I hear rights of women are good here,” Demetra said, “among other things.”

  “Go on then,” Adaneus said.

  He did as much, spending 1000 solidi on one of the nicer residences, Demetra following him, getting undressed to reveal her figure. Teardrop tits, pear shaped hips and buttocks, she put a hand on her hips that made Adaneus gulp.

  “How do you marry in your religion?”

  “A simple ceremony, and promises of faithfulness,” Adaneus said.

  “This house is in the new district you recently built, I like it,” she said, “Adaneus,” she said sitting on his lap.

  Sitting one of the sofas she kissed him. She moved his hand to her belly.

  “Here, that’s where my first child will grow from, you’re only 20 right?”

  “Right,” he said.

  “26,” she said.

  She removed her underclothes, a trimmed pussy, she dropped him on the floor of her new house. Riding the lord of Bari, and relieving him of his stress.