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Back The House with the Golden Door Save as PDF
Chapters (60)
  1. Cover
  2. PRAISE FOR
  3. PRAISE FOR
  4. Dedication
  5. 75 CE
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. FLORALIA
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. LEMURIA
  27. 20
  28. 21
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. NEMORALIA
  38. 30
  39. 31
  40. 32
  41. 33
  42. 34
  43. 35
  44. 36
  45. 37
  46. 38
  47. 39
  48. 40
  49. 76 CE
  50. 41
  51. 42
  52. 43
  53. 44
  54. 45
  55. 46
  56. 47
  57. 48
  58. EPILOGUE
  59. AFTERWORD
  60. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

There is a shocked silence. Victoria gazes back at Felix, and in that terrible instant Amara knows she will say yes.

“No!” Beronice screams. “No!” She grabs Victoria, tearing her from Felix’s astonished grip. “Don’t do it!” Beronice shouts, shaking her by the shoulders. “Don’t throw it away, don’t do this to me!” She points at Amara. “She chose you. I could have gone with her! It could be me leaving now. It could have been me!” Beronice breaks down, sinking to the ground, sobbing, and Amara rushes forward.

“I’m sorry,” she cries, taking Beronice in her arms. “I’m so sorry. I owed her. I had to choose her, I had to.”

Victoria looks down at them both, her two friends weeping in a heap, Amara’s expensive cloak now crushed in the dirt. Then she looks up at Felix. “The answer is no.”

6

“He still feels his master’s slap and wants to give himself a good time.”

—Petronius, The Satyricon

Amara stares at Victoria. The kohl around her eyes is smudged with tears, and she looks terrified, yet she is still managing to hold Felix’s gaze. Victoria has loved him so long and endured so much cruelty, it seems impossible that she has finally found the courage to let him go. Amara can scarcely believe it. From the expression on his face, it seems Felix cannot believe it either. A few men in the crowd titter to see the pimp rejected by his whore. Amara is afraid then, knowing her former master will never forgive the humiliation.

Felix does not acknowledge Victoria’s answer. Instead, he bends down to wrench Beronice to her feet before slapping her hard on the back of the head. Amara cries out, and Philos steps forward, as if to intervene. Felix turns on him, giving Rufus’s slave a look of vicious contempt. Philos steps back. They all know Beronice’s lawful owner can do whatever he likes with her.

“Don’t be late with your payments, Amara,” Felix calls as he leaves the square, dragging Beronice along. “I will expect to see you here in person.”

Amara feels as if she might be sick. In her head, she can still hear Beronice’s words. I could have gone with her. Victoria takes her hand, and Amara realizes Victoria is trembling, unsteady on her feet. “You’re safe now,” Amara says, embracing her, trying to focus on the friend she chose, not the one she abandoned.

Philos leans toward them both. “We need to collect the other woman and go,” he whispers. “Before things turn.” Amara looks around. A number of men are still standing about the square, watching. She has just revealed herself as having several thousand sesterces to spare, an inviting target for robbers.