Rock Hard Page 9

  “Mine augmented by Enlil’s, if he thinks I’ve messed up on something or left any bits out.” Marduk paused, watching Tess wiggle into a more comfortable position. If Enlil weren’t present, he would have convinced Tess that he needed to be lying on the couch next to her for the vision transfer to work. Marduk hated hindsight, even the 20/20 kind.

  “Okay. I’ll believe it when I see it,” Tess scoffed, but closed her eyes and waited.

  Marduk took a deep breath. For him, this would not be fun.

  The picture came clearly, a marketplace…no…more than a marketplace. Tess saw carts piled high with furs, stalls selling pastry-wrapped meats, and horses whose hooves and teeth were being closely examined. But beyond that, deeper into the mud-churned square, she spied a platform. Gathered around it were a group of well-dressed men, their breeches and stockings indicating that this was a very long time ago. They were clearly bidding on something. Tess, in a state of incredulous shock, forced herself closer to the action.

  “Cool,” she muttered tentatively as her body drifted above the crowd for a better look. In the middle of the men, a bedraggled boy of no more than ten was tied to a post and being prodded in an attempt to make him stand.

  Suddenly, Tess had audio to go with the visuals.

  “Here’s a fine boy for ye,” the auctioneer intoned. Was this England? Tess recognized the accent.

  “Muck yer pigs and clean yer flues, he will.” His foot nudged the boy again and, when that failed to raise him, the man grabbed a fistful of the urchin’s hair and dragged him to his feet. Tess, appalled at the treatment, moved forward before realizing there was nothing she could do. This was only a vision.

  Finally, one in the crowd offered half a shilling.

  “Are you saying my boy here ain’t worth more than a few pigeons?” The auctioneer scoffed. “Why, this here young fellow will give you many years of hard labor.”

  When finally the bid reached one shilling, two pence, the boy was shuffled off with his new owner.

  “Change your tune now, gentlemen.” The man in charge was rubbing his hands with apparent glee. “Take a good long look at the best flesh we’ve had the pleasure to sell in many years!”

  In truth, the auctioneer had no idea how the thirteen men had come into his possession. Arriving at his warehouse several mornings before, the over-sized males had been waiting for him, stripped, dirty, and chained, looking none the happier for their existence. One line on a scrap of parchment had also been left. It said: Do not unchain these men. Not one to question the authority that went along with such a fine gift, the proprietor had left the chains in place and was now ready to make enough money to retire to the country. He smacked his lips.

  “I hope you’ve all had a chance to look over the goods in question. These are fine looking specimens. We’ve checked them completely. They are vermin free and have all of their, well, you know, male attributes.” This brought a loud guffaw from the crowd. “If you’re ready, we’ll bring up the first offering.”

  Tess watched, her heart pounding as a broad shouldered male was brought to the platform. Dark hair fell lankly over his features, but she knew exactly who it was as his chains were fastened securely to the post. The auctioneer was smart enough to put some distance between himself and the giant, using a long cane to raise the man’s chin.

  Sure enough, snapping, hate-filled black eyes, so familiar to Tess, flashed out at the crowd, sending the finely dressed men back several steps.

  “Don’t be afraid, my dear sirs,” the seller implored. “These chains are such that, as long as they remain in place, the shackled seem obliged to do anything one says.” The auctioneer sought to allay the fears of his bidders. He gave Marduk an order.

  “Remove your shirt, slave.”

  Marduk’s hands moved of their own accord, and soon the ragged linen shirt was draped over his chains, revealing to the crowd a massive chest and an abdomen stacked with roped muscles.

  “Five shillings,” called a voice from the back.

  The men stepped aside to reveal a woman whose vocation was known to all. She ran the local brothel. Her breath came in short puffs and excitement lit her features. Several of her more deviant customers would pay well for the chance to use such a magnificent stallion and the chains would only add to his appeal. If the slave was lucky, she might try him out before she let others pay for his delectable body.

  Tess found herself trembling, understanding why the woman was bidding for Marduk. She felt bile rise in her throat. Oh, God no! Please don’t let this be what happened.

  “One pound,” called an unpretentious gentleman, standing apart from the group and leaning against his private conveyance. “And an additional pound for each of his twelve companions.”

  “Why, he purchased close to another twenty men just last week,” a dandy in the crowd murmured. “One has to wonder what he’s planning to do with so many young, virile males.” Eyebrows went up as he lazily inhaled a pinch of snuff, enjoying the reaction his words produced.

  “One pound, five,” responded the woman, unwilling to be bested so easily. “But make him remove his trews. I want to see exactly what I’m buying.” The crowd snickered at her boldness, and the auctioneer turned to implement her request, more than willing to add titillation to the show.

  “Two pounds each, but only if I purchase them all.” The plain gentleman was not to be denied, making the counter offer before Marduk was made to disrobe.

  The woman clearly pouted, but turned and flounced away. Two pounds was obviously too rich for her purse.

  “Do I hear any additional bids? Are we done at two pounds per body?” The auctioneer waited only a moment before declaring, “Sold! To the gentleman by the carriage. My thanks to you, sir.”

  Thomas Morton scribbled a quick note and beckoned a boy to bring it to the platform. He called out, over the crowd. “See my solicitor, sir, for payment as agreed. I will send someone to pick up my servants later in the day. See that they are ready for transport.”

  Transport, thought Tess, what an odd expression. Apparently it struck Marduk and his companions as strange, too. She watched as they exchanged looks, clearly wondering where this next step would bring them.

  Chapter Ten

  The market square dissolved in a fine mist. In its place, bright blue skies and green, foam-crested waves danced in the sunlight. Tess realized she was looking outward from a ship’s rail. She turned and was startled to see a large number of men toiling on the deck at various tasks. She didn’t see Marduk, but she recognized a few other faces in the group of men who had been purchased with him. She moved closer to get a better look.

  Tess spied Enlil’s golden hair sparkling in the sunlight and braided back from his face. He looked just like the way she imagined a Greek god. From off in the distance, she heard, “Good girl,” and knew that, in her living room, Enlil approved of her interpretation.

  She ignored him and settled back to study the other faces and bodies, if she were honest with herself. The ones she recalled as being with Marduk were all massively built and blessed by rugged looks. One couldn’t call them handsome in the classical sense, with the exception of Enlil. Tess heard another chuckle.

  A grinning blond with vivid blue eyes, and a dark-skinned colossus with a shiny bald head toiled next to another black man sporting impressive dreadlocks. There were numerous others with massive physiques and multiple hair colors that defied description. One particular man caught her attention.

  He had sinfully beautiful midnight blue eyes and straight hair so black it appeared almost violet. His skin seemed to radiate a golden glow. Wow, he was sumptuous! Neither Marduk nor Enlil must have liked her interest, because he quickly dissolved from the scene. Poo. She could ogle whomever she wanted.

  Her gaze swept to the helm of the ship where three men had converged. She saw that one of them was Marduk. Floating close to the trio, she also recognized the individual who had purchased her men, as she was now calling them.

&nbs
p; “His name is Thomas Morton,” Marduk informed her, from somewhere in her living room. Well, she wasn’t sure she liked Thomas Morton. He had yet to remove the chains that bound her thirteen, making them little more than glorified puppies, but she was willing to reserve judgment for a little while longer.

  “Captain Wollaston,” Thomas Morton addressed the tall man with dark, thinning hair. “Would you care to be relieved of the helm?”

  “I would be appreciative, sir.” The captain stood back, and Morton gestured for Marduk to take the wheel. Captain Wollaston frowned.

  “I don’t think I trust one of your bondsmen with the Unity.” The captain looked down his long nose in distaste.

  “Oh, come now, Richard,” the shorter man admonished. “You see how well they behave with their chains in place. Why, Marduk here has been a tremendous help to me over the past week, and his men have been the picture of decorum. When he told me he could pilot a ship, I thought it useful that a third watch could be added to relieve your burden.”

  Marduk merely grunted, enjoying the feel of the ship’s wheel in his hands. A few more days building trust with his owner, and he would set events in motion that would have their chains removed.

  Tess’s vision blurred and then reasserted itself, this time the sky was engulfed in darkness, a huge storm moving toward them across the horizon. She could see men scrambling on deck, lowering sails, and lashing things down. Marduk and Enlil stood together, staring at the approaching turbulence. A strange power emanated from the pair. Before leaving the rail, they turned smug smiles toward each other, then Marduk walked the length of the deck to where Thomas Morton stood.

  “This storm is going to be a bad one,” he stated the obvious, and noticed the small tremor in Morton’s hands.

  “Yes, I’m afraid so,” the small man agreed nervously.

  “With these chains weighting us down, we can do little to help in the storm, and if we are tossed into the sea, we will be lost for sure.”

  “Huh,” Morton snorted. “Anyone tossed into the sea will be lost. Do you think me daft,” he paused in his query. “But I do understand your want to be free of shackles as we’re buffeted about. To tell you the truth, I’ve been contemplating the removal of your chains for several days. This just gives me a good excuse to follow through on my inclinations.”

  Marduk had no idea it would be so easy. “To be honest, we are bound to you anyway, with or without chains. These truly are no longer necessary.”

  “Well, have your men line up and I’ll release you all, God keep my soul.” And just like that, Tess thought, her men were free. Well, sort of free. Marduk and his men agreed that, in order to retain Morton’s trust, they would use their powers—whatever that meant—only when absolutely necessary. Except for dire emergencies, they would live as mortals.

  Tess watched Enlil and Marduk put their heads together one last time, and the rapidly approaching storm somehow missed the Unity. An interesting occurrence, she mused.

  Captain Wollaston, when confronted with unfettered serfs, was not happy. But Morton, whose shaking had dissipated with the storm, seemed fully satisfied.

  Tess was once again subjected to a change of scenery. This time her men were using their magnificent bodies to chop down trees and haul rocks from a spit of elevated land that jutted out into a bay. They were being aided by a large group of Native Americans; white and brown bodies combined, sweating without shirts in the afternoon sun. Several native women toiled over a fire, preparing what looked to be lunch, and the atmosphere seemed happy and relaxed.

  Tess spirited over to where Morton, Wollaston, and Marduk looked over a parchment filled with lines and figures. Obviously these were the plans for the new settlement, and Marduk had emerged as a major player in the construction process. Tess peered over his shoulder.

  Mount Wollaston—the plans proclaimed. Tess wished she knew more about the history of Quincy, for that’s where they must be now, the name Wollaston ringing a bell from the cemetery where she ran. Before she could draw herself away and question the present day Marduk, the vision changed again, and she was surrounded by a finished village.

  Men, and now women, bustled about, tending gardens and hanging clothes. Several men, once again stripped to the waist, beat and scraped on animal hides that had been strung up between trees. Tess drifted down the length of the street and found herself unable to enter any of the small thatched houses she wished to explore, but finally was allowed access to a bigger structure that, if she was correct, would have been called a long house by native tribes.

  Her group of thirteen was ensconced within, sitting on flat, upturned stumps that served as chairs, chewing on small squares of toughened venison skewered on knives.

  “So how do we handle it?” The bald one in the group looked toward Marduk.

  “I’ll have to let Morton know what’s going on, and convince him that we should intervene and mete out immediate justice.” Marduk looked over at Enlil, who nodded his head in approval. He and the other god didn’t see eye to eye on much these days, but on this they were united.

  Their village had grown into a teaming, thriving community, housing dozens of new settlers, men, and more women every month. Life had been peaceful, hunting and trapping, trading with the neighboring Algonquians. Harmony had reigned and, even though the gods were still owned by Morton, they were allowed to participate in all endeavors, quite frequently sampling the charms of many of the local ladies.

  “If his behavior goes unchecked,” Enlil continued, “Wollaston will be trying his hand with us, eventually, and this we can’t allow.”

  “Thank the deities that we have those blasted chains hidden away,” the dreadlocked one spat out, and all heads nodded in agreement.

  “I say we just kill him.” The violet-black haired one that had been stricken from Tess’s earlier vision bared his teeth in the darkened room.

  “There will be no killing, Dagon!” snarled Marduk. “You will behave, for our fate is most likely tied to Thomas Morton and any killing on our part will be laid at his door. You would do well to remember that.” Marduk flipped the knife, now devoid of meat, to land point first in the dirt between Dagon’s feet. Marduk slowly arose.

  “I will talk to Morton now.” Marduk turned to dreadlocks and blondie. “Enten, Anshar, follow Wollaston today and make sure he does no more damage before we get this under control.”

  The two nodded, rose, and slipped out the door. Marduk gave Dagon one more searing glance before he, too, left the structure.

  Tess followed Marduk back up the hill, just able to match his long strides as she floated above. He was intent on a particular house at the top of the street, and Tess was sure he didn’t feel the small hand that wrapped itself around his muscular forearm right away, but for some reason it pissed her off to no end.

  “Marduk.” A seductive voice wafted through the air, grating in its saccharine sweetness. “Slow down for a moment!” The woman’s pout was enough to make one vomit.

  “Hannah.” Marduk’s voice softened. Hmph! So had they been lovers? “I’m headed to see Thomas right now. Is there anything in particular that you need?”

  The woman glanced coyly down, moving her fingers over his flexing muscles. “I was wondering if there was anything you might need?” Her tongue poked out to lick her bottom lip suggestively. “Maybe more of what I did for you last night?” Answer received!

  And if the bitch hadn’t been dead for millennia, Tess would have kicked her ass right then and there! It was an irrational thought, and Tess struggled to bring her kicked up adrenaline back under control.

  The picture froze.

  “She doesn’t need to see this,” Marduk’s voice was commanding.

  “But I think she does!” Enlil was just as adamant.

  Tess kept her gaze plastered to the fair-haired woman, now immobile, and spoke through the interruption. “You can move this along,” she strongly suggested. “I don’t like her.”

  Tess could almost see E
nlil’s grin, but the next thing she knew, Marduk was at Thomas Morton’s door. He raised his hand and knocked.

  “Yes? Come in, come in.” The voice from inside beckoned, and Marduk stooped to enter Morton’s home. The man was leaning over a table covered with books, eyeglasses perched upon his nose. He looked up. “Oh, Marduk,” he spoke distractedly. “Do come in and find a seat.”

  Every available chair was covered with either clothing or books; even a half-eaten meal from…several days before, by the looks. Marduk simply moved some doublets aside.

  “Thomas, we have a problem.”

  This snagged Morton’s attention, and he looked up, moving his spectacles to the top of his head. “What sort of problem?”

  “Last week one of your men went missing.” Marduk paused. “One of your indentured men,” he clarified.

  Thomas gasped. “Run off, do you think?” He looked confused and scratched his head. “But everyone seems so happy here, and you only have three more years to work off your indenture. Who was it?” he wondered, disappointment evident in his voice.

  “Daniel Breane,” Marduk answered. “Which is why I became suspicious. If you’re not aware, Daniel started courting that pretty little woman who arrived from New Salem two months ago, and was already planning where he would build their new home.”

  “Do you think someone was jealous?” Morton queried.

  “I wasn’t sure what to think, so I kept watch on your other indentured servants and, sure enough, last night we had another problem.”

  “Speak up, man! Have I an insurrection on my hands?”

  Marduk snarled, “Yes. An insurrection of one.”

  “I don’t understand.” Thomas obviously wasn’t following and neither was Tess.

  “Wollaston is your culprit, although I’m not sure why. I had my men follow Wollaston’s first in command after he waylaid another man coming from the outhouse in the middle of the night. The bastard rendered him unconscious and dragged him to a small camp about a mile south of here. My men saw Daniel there, trussed up like a dinner goose. They reported back to me, and after some discussion with my men,” Morton must have known to which men Marduk referred, “we deemed it necessary to bring you the information.”