Passions of New Pompeii (7 page)

“Your cooperation. Gladiators have been known
to challenge their masters, but few are foolish enough to defy the
gods.”

Which was almost exactly what Elaina said.
You’ve never seriously considered doing more than dreaming
because this life is Venus’ will.
He’d thought she was mocking
the gods last night, but he could remember the sadness in her eyes
now, the compassion—and the pity!

“She was telling the truth,” he muttered. “We
are held hostage by our beliefs?”

“Yes and no.” Max chuckled. “The founders
used your beliefs to manipulate you, but the barrier is there for
your protection. Fedoros is like nothing you have ever seen. It is
strange and dangerous in ways you cannot imagine. I have seen these
wonders for myself, yet I chose to come back here.”

Theos rubbed the bridge of his nose, trying
valiantly to ignore the pounding in his temples. Staring death in
the face was nothing compared to reassessing his fundamental
beliefs. “If you were not part of the evacuation, how long have you
been here?”

“Seven years.”

“You passed five winters in this place before
the rest of us were brought here?” Max only nodded, so Theos went
on. “If Venus did not instruct the founders to bring us… No, go
back farther. When and why were you brought to Fedoros?”

“Are you sure you want to know? The events
you ask me to share are what led me to believe the gods are not
real.”

Theos doubted anything Max had to say could
shake his beliefs any more than they were already shaken. He had
been a true and faithful servant of the gods all his life and look
where it had taken him. He was a prisoner on a strange world and
the miracles he’d attributed to their names had proven to be the
work of greedy men.

“I will not live a lie. Tell me your
story.”

Max accepted his decision with a nod and
began. “I was fighting in Rome many years before you joined the
brotherhood. I had defeated several well-known opponents, but I had
not yet earned a
primus
. My master introduced me to Mikko
Xyell and Vito Olla.”

“Who is Vito Olla? Is he some relation to
Prince Tarhee?”

“They are both sons of Emperor Sineth Olla.
Prince Vito was one of the original founders, though he took a less
active role. Vito was Prince Tarhee’s older brother. They also have
a sister named Naloni. Vito is no longer alive.”

Accepting the information with a nod, Theos
said, “Go on. I had not realized the founders visited our world
before the evacuation.” Theos rested his forearms on his knees and
leaned forward, fascinated by the implications.

“They told me they were visiting from a
faraway land.” He smiled and leaned his shoulder against the wall.
“I had no idea just how far away. They explained that they were
intrigued by the games and wanted to introduce them in their
homeland. You see there is no violence on Fedoros. Punishment for
such acts is… How do I explain this? They reorder a person’s mind
so they are incapable of violence, which had become abhorrent to
them.”

Theos stood so suddenly the stool toppled.
“That is not possible.”

“It is on Fedoros.”

Two anxious steps took Theos from one side of
the room to the other. “If violence is abhorrent to Fedorans, why
is New Pompeii so popular?”

Max chuckled, unaffected by his agitation.
“You are jumping ahead. Let me tell my story.”

“I apologize. What was the founders’
proposition?”

“They wanted to create live-action gladiator
games the Fedorans could watch and wager upon. Because violence is
forbidden here, they have a flourishing underground where people
can watch or experience simulations of violent situations.”

“What is a simulation?”

“Something you would have to see to
understand.” Max sighed. “We are always drawn to forbidden things,
so the founders knew the brutality of gladiator games would appeal
to their people and they asked for my assistance.”

“Your master sold you to them?”

“He did and we toured every
ludus
in
the civilized world. We collected the strongest and most
adventurous gladiators, as well as new arrivals who we could
train.”

“When did you realize you would not be
staying in Italy?”

“When I stepped aboard the skyship. The
founders put most of the men in a sort of trance, but I was one of
three they took into their confidence. According to Mikko, people
from Fedoros have been visiting our world for generations. He
claims that we are descended from people who were ‘seeded’ on our
planet many thousands of years ago.”

“Seeded. Seeded! Are we crops to the
Fedorans? They scatter us across the sky and gather us up for their
amusement? I will not be treated like a crop!” Max’s mouth was
twitching and his eyes glimmered suspiciously. It took Theos a
moment to realize his friend was trying not to laugh. “I do not
find this funny.”

“You are being a bit melodramatic. I was a
willing participant and you were part of a large-scale evacuation
that rescued thousands from certain death. How does that compare
with harvesting a field?”

“How was the city constructed so quickly if
the Fedorans are no more than clever men?”

“When the gladiator games began, Fedorans
were not allowed in the arena. You see, they are able to create
detailed images that show exactly what is taking place in the
arena. Other Fedorans would watch these images and wager on the
outcome.”

Theos stared at him, eyebrows drawn together.
“How are these images created?”

“Like a simulation, it is something you have
to see to understand. I cannot explain how it works, but I assure
you people far and wide are able to view events as they are taking
place in the arena.”

“When did it become acceptable for Fedorans
to interact with us?”

Max shrugged. “When they became bored with
only watching. The profits from the early games were so great that
the founders decided to build a city and allow Fedorans to
experience our world firsthand. They intended to bring people here
in small groups as they had done before. The city was nearly
complete when they detected the vibrations.”

“They realized Pompeii was about to be
destroyed by a fire-spewing mountain.”

“They saw an opportunity to save thousands of
people while they populated their new city. They knew it would be
easier for everyone to adjust to their new surroundings if they
weren’t expected to abandon everything they believed.”

“They lied to us because they care about us?”
Theos scoffed. “Elaina is right. The founders used us, are using us
still.”

“That is one way to look at it. Another is
they preserved our world and are allowing us to live out our lives
as we would have had the volcano not exploded.”

“Shades of gray?”

Max smiled. “Exactly.”

With a frustrated sigh, Theos pushed to his
feet. “I must think this through. I had convinced myself Elaina was
just being spiteful. Now I am not sure what she was trying to
do.”

“Enlighten you most likely. She feels it is
wrong for any person to own another. Slavery is against the law on
all of Fedoros, except in New Pompeii.”

“She told me that as well.” As if in a
trance, Theos moved out into the corridor.

“I would say sleep well, but I suspect I
would be wasting my breath.”

“I suspect you are right.”

“We need someone on the inside,” Princess
Naloni Olla pronounced. “Someone who knows New Pompeii and can
circumvent their security.”

Elaina glanced around to see if anyone had
been following their conversation. Naloni frequently met her at
this obscure café so Elaina could avoid the rigors of palace
security. Elaina’d had her fill of life under a microscope during
her marriage to Vito, Naloni’s older brother and heir to the
Fedoran throne.

Two of Naloni’s personal guards were seated
at a table near the door. The other two were patrolling the
restaurant’s perimeter. The rest of the tables were empty, so
Elaina allowed herself to relax.

“Laetif is the obvious choice, but Mikko is
suspicious of her already.” Elaina picked up her
dorchi
tea
and inhaled the spicy fragrance. “Do you know anyone ‘on the
inside’?”

“Just Tarhee.” Naloni grimaced. “My brother
will deny any wrongdoing. He has never taken responsibility for
anything he’s done. Laetif is right. We have to catch them in the
act and the more witnesses the better.”

Nostalgia swirled through Elaina’s mind.
Tarhee’s irresponsibility had been featured in many of Vito’s
rants. Their father had all but given up on young Tarhee, but Vito
was stubborn, unwilling to abandon any member of the Olla family.
And Vito’s fierce family loyalty had only made his betrayal that
much more hurtful in the end.

“Hello.” Naloni lightly drummed the tabletop
with her immaculately manicured nails. “Where’d you go?”

“Nowhere.” Her friendship with Naloni was one
of the few remnants of royal life that Elaina still enjoyed. “What
were you saying?”

“What about this gladiator? You rushed
through that part of the story, but I saw the guilty sparkle in
your eyes. Can he be of any use to us?”

Carefully setting down her cup, Elaina
considered the possibility. Even if Theos was still angry with her,
he lived by a strict code of honor. He had sold himself into
slavery to protect his family. There was no way he’d turn a blind
eye while innocent people suffered. “He’s never allowed beyond the
ludus
without an escort.”

“So volunteer to escort him.” Naloni shrugged
her elegant shoulder and tucked her sleek black hair behind her
ear. Even dressed casually as she was today, Naloni’s bearing
proclaimed her royal blood. “He gives you a reason to be in the
city. If he can offer information as well, that’s even better. But
we have to start somewhere.”

“I agree.”

“If you snoop around inside New Pompeii, I’ll
see what I can find out here. There has to be a money trail of some
sort. Knowing Tarhee, they’re charging ridiculous prices for their
services. I’ll be careful, and you have to convince Mikko your only
interest is this hunky gladiator. They cannot realize we’re on to
them until we spring our trap.”

“What about your father? Should we notify the
emperor, let him know what we intend to do?”

“I’m not sure what we intend to do.” Naloni
waved away the suggestion. “Father prefers it when problems are
presented with solutions. If the House of Morpheus is as bad as
Laetif said, Father will shut it down. But we’ll need to provide
him with the ammunition.”

“That’s basically what Laetif said.”

“And she knows the dynamics better than
anyone.” The waitress refilled their drinks, momentarily halting
the conversation. “So tell me about this gladiator. What’s his
name?”

“Theos.” Elaina offered nothing more. The
details were too personal, and too confusing, to share with
anyone.

Naloni chuckled. “Is he handsome?”

Heat cascaded through her body and Elaina
shivered. “I’m not sure handsome is the right word. His features
are strong, his body…amazing.”

“Did he fuck you like an animal?”

Elaina gasped, her gaze sweeping the room.
Naloni’s guards were immune to her flashes of outrageousness and no
one else was about. “Is that what you want from a lover?”

“We’re not talking about me. Did you enjoy
it, or was he too
barbaric
?” She added the last word with
dramatic emphasis.

“I’m not going to talk about it, so change
the subject.”

“Fine,” Naloni relented with a smile. “I’m
just thrilled that you’ve rejoined the game. Going without sex
isn’t good for anyone.”

“What makes you think I was going without
sex?” Elaina averted her gaze, embarrassed by the truth in Naloni’s
teasing.

“I know you. You buried your heart right
along with my brother.” Naloni’s tone was soft and sad, which made
her assessment even more annoying.

“Vito was a cad.” Elaina ignored the dull
ache that erupted every time she thought of her husband. He’d been
dead for two years now. When would it stop hurting? “Some say I’m
better off without him.”

“I know he hurt you badly, and I won’t defend
his actions. Still, to be ‘better off without him’, you have to let
go.”

“And Theos is the therapy you’re
prescribing?”

“He’s the first man to pique your interest
since before your marriage. I say abandon yourself entirely to the
fantasy.”

Elaina tensed and shook her head. “Isn’t that
what the people are doing at the House of Morpheus?”

“There is one big difference. Theos is
entertaining you of his own free will.”

“He’s a slave. As long as that’s true, he can
do nothing of his own free will.”

“We need a better excuse.” Laetif’s sandals
slapped the tile floor as she paced in front of Elaina. “If you
just want to see Theos again, Mikko will expect you to stay in the
villa. You need to be able to move through the city without anyone
questioning your purpose.”

Elaina turned and faced the fountain in the
center of the garden. Laetif’s pacing was adding to her anxiety.
She’d entered New Pompeii through the VIP portal, which streamlined
the security process. Still, the prospect of seeing Theos again had
her stomach tied in knots.

“No, what I need is a purpose for moving
about the city,” Elaina mused. “What if I offered to run a series
of interviews? My ongoing exposé hasn’t been exactly
objective.”

Laetif came up beside her, a hesitant smile
curving her lips. “You’re finally going to tell the other side of
the story?”

“Exactly. I’ll need to interview a variety of
inhabitants, let them tell their stories in their own words. It’s
only natural for a reporter to ask questions. Right?”