( This chapter is being posted a little later in the day
than usual. The Wednesday Post was originally scheduled for today, but there
was an space in the Posting schedule then. This is the follow up post)
I was sitting in the lobby bar of the Marriot Downtown in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Around
Middle of August, 2016
Narrative of
Patrick Masters
(Except for the first paragraph, this section was supplied by Richard
Estey. I thank him very much – Tracker)
For the past few weeks since my return to San Francisco from Pittsburgh, all had gone smoothly and peacefully, The Frick’s trouble with the patent troll Van Rijn was settled and in return I had received my appointment as a consul for the Grand Duchy of Lutha. This permitted me to legally own slaves on consulate territory, my home in Drysdale House. I had acquired a second slave, and my household was run by the formidable Mrs Magruder. Life was smooth and I was happy. Don Emery, the remote Emery cousin had come and measured Juli and Veronika for silks and slave tunics. He was taken with Juli. He was disappointed when I allowed him the use of Veronika instead.
“Sold, for two silver tarsks!” The former Lady Filomena Viducia Barbietia, now a nameless slave, property of Argentum, naked, freshly branded, kneeling in nadu, gasped as the auctioneer proclaimed her sale to me. She was bedraggled.
