The best part of regenerating is that you probably won't die from a pierced heart. The second best part is that you have no hangovers. The worst of having a memory perk is that you do remember what happened last night. I woke up with Belle knocking on the door.

"Sandra, wake up. You have a visitor!" She called.

"If there's anyone out there wishing to be taken to the magistrate to die, send them away, Belle!"

"It is master Samus!"

Oh. I doubt Samus wants to be taken to the magistrate. I also noticed I was getting numb to the sight of blood. Or corpses. That was bad. I jumped out of bed and noticed I was naked. The dress I wore yesterday was on the chair and my boots were neatly arranged next to them. I still had the necklace and the earrings were on the vanity.

Maybe I didn't remember all that happened last night.

"Belle, come in here."

The eunuch guarding the door let the cook in and I pointed at my dress.

"How did I get in here yesterday?"

She gave a wry smile. "The guard captain brought you asleep. I took you to bed and undressed you. I washed your underwear, it is downstairs, drying. I've never seen fabric like that. What is it made of?"

Damn. The only garter belt in the whole world. I was quite possessive of my stuff. "Get everything and bring it to me. Now. I don't care if it is damp or dripping. Where is master Samus?"

"In the sitting room. I'll get your things, mistress."

"Call me San..." I never got to finish it because she was already running out.

I put on a fresh set of clothes, the same I wore when the merchants stabbed me as they had finished regenerating. I also cut a small piece of all my articles of clothing to keep in storage so I didn't need to worry about losing them. I stored the dress, the boots and brushed my teeth with the water basin on the dresser.

I wanted running water but it would be a pain to run plumbing on this sandstone house. Finally ready, I went to meet the master blacksmith.

"Master Samus, what brings you here this early?"

He nodded at me. "Miss Rinaldi, greetings. I need your help. I should've traveled to the mines to oversee the purchase of ore for the smithy but due to the problem involving you, Nanna and Hama-Tula, I decided to not go. But our smithy is running out of iron. You said you could get metals, I was wondering if you could help us."

"I can't get metal out of nowhere but I can extract metal from rocks if the metal is present. Like that pebble yesterday, it had that flake of gold inside. I just extracted it. If you have some ore, I can extract the metal without the need to smelt the ore."

"We don't have any ore left. The smithy is running on molten metal scraps but the quality of the final product is too low."

I tried to remember what I could about metallurgy. "What about the slag?"

"We have lots of slag. There are at least two pits full of slag buried in the smithy courtyard."

"Then I might be able to help you. Let me think... I can try to get the iron left in the slag for you if you let me keep the rest, whatever that is."

"Slag is worthless to us. If I have lots of magic to spare, I might be able to reuse it but I have to make the forge too hot. If you can get iron from slag, you can have everything as far as I care."

"Then we have a deal. Let's see... Could you bring the slag here? I really don't want to expose myself more than I already did."

"Yes, we have carts to carry heavy things around. I'll have the apprentices dig up the slag and bring it here. Then they bring the iron back."

I remembered the iron I looted from the caravan. "I have some iron with me. I took all the iron from the caravan the rage-apes destroyed."

"That's good. I can send the cart to pick up the iron. Is it here?"

"Yes, it is here with me. Why don't we go to the smithy and I give you the iron there? I have to go to the caravanserai and it would be nice to know where the smithy is."

"That would be great."

I got my underwear from Arwia and left with Samus to the smithy. The place was huge. A complex walled by the composed back walls of the houses around it, it should have more than ten thousand square meters. It had stables for their beasts of burden, a dormitory for the apprentices, a fancy tent to entertain guests, and the smithy was a collection of forges for several purposes fed by central bellows and fuel storage. The sound of hammers hitting the anvils rang everywhere. I wonder how the people that live near the smithy could live.

"Welcome to my domain," Samus opened his arms wide. "Come, you must meet my partner, Aran."

Aran was a blacksmith a hand shorter than Samus but stocky and with a long beard. How did he keep that beard from burning was a mystery. Samus introduced us and wasted no time in opening negotiations.

"Well met, miss Rinaldi. Lovely necklace, by the way. Superb workmanship," Aran shook my hand.

"Well met, master Aran. The necklace is my own design. Made with sorcery."

He nodded. Samus slapped Aran's back. "Well, miss Rinaldi, let's see the metal you have."

I walked to a cart that was idle near the wall and summoned the trash bags with the disks of iron. Instead of unwrapping them, I just plucked a piece of each bag and stored them.

Samus weighed the disks, pressed on the pliable metal. He put his strength to bear and slightly bent the edge of the disk. He pointed to Aran.

"No veins. I can't believe it but this is pure iron. I've never seen iron so soft."

I pinched one of the disks. It didn't seem soft to me.

Samus called an apprentice and had the iron weighed. Then he did some math and paid me a handful of gold coins. I didn't haggle. After selling the iron, we went to check the slag. They had two pits that were full and buried and a third that was almost full. He picked up a slag rock and gave it to me. I focused on Decompose and felt the resonance. It had a lot of different materials. I could feel the iron.

Since I only had to extract the iron to own the slag, I did just that. The piece in my hand should be two or two and a half kilograms. My first commission would be a scale I could trust. I extracted the iron. Holes broke in the slag and the iron poured out. From the two and a half kilograms of slag, I obtained three hundred grams of iron. I handed the lump to Samus. He bent the iron and even bit on it.

"That's real?" Aran asked, skeptical.

"Yes. Gather the apprentices and tell them to get shovels. We are carting all the slag to miss Rinaldi's property. She will get the iron and give it back to us in exchange for the rest of the slag."

Aran went away to call the apprentices, obviously excited.

"Miss Rinaldi, do you think you will get the same amount of iron as this sample or was this a lucky one?"

"I don't know, master Samus. But I believe it will be close to this. I don't see a reason why this particular rock would have more iron than the others. We will have to test."

"There are gurs of slag buried here. If all of it has this much iron, I am afraid I have to compensate you somehow. You are getting us a fortune in iron."

"Then agree to craft me the items I need. I bet you'll learn one new trick or two."

"That's a deal! Unfortunately, I have a ton of things to do, master."

We shook hands and drank a cup of tea to celebrate. Samus was ecstatic. With the iron I brought back, they can keep on working for another week. The ore only arrives in two weeks, however. But I am pretty confident I can get at least a hundred kilograms of iron from the slag. And a ton of other things. I couldn't hit the books but from what I remember the slag is spent flux with all the impurities from the ore and metal. That means a lot of lime, sand, and metallic oxides they can't process, like aluminum. And traces of almost everything else. But traces from a dozen tons become ingots.

I'd need to wait and see. Nothing is set on stone.

From the smithy, I went to the caravanserai. Nanna and the guards spent the night there protecting my assets. Assets I am about to release. I cross the city streets fast and reach the caravanserai. I could sense the mood was odd. Eerie. As if there was static in the air waiting for just one spark to trigger a thunderstorm. I cross the main gates and enter the inner courtyard drawing attention from all the merchants. They are looking at... my neck?

Oh, yes. I still had the necklace with me. Not that there is a way to take it off without ruining it as it is welded around me. I should've asked Samus if he had a goldsmith. Oh, they are selling bamboo.

It didn't take too long to find the place where Nanna and the guards were. I just needed to find the biggest source of trouble. Next to where the merchant slave had his pen, a mass of angry people is complaining while the guards try to keep them at bay. I approach and hear the commotion.

They are complaining about the freeze on slave trading. Some of them need slaves for their caravan, some of them want to sell the slaves they brought up through the last leg and trade in for fresh slaves. Since I gave them orders to not sell anyone, the caravans northbound are stuck. Even more so now that confirmation of the caravan's demise by the rage-ape-kongs reached the town.

I slip between the crowd and the wall and after being pressed by the angry merchants, reach the line of guards that recognize me and let me past them. Nanna comes to meet me.

"Sandra, this is a mess. If we keep the ban on selling slaves, we are going to have a mutiny in our hands," She tells me. "They might get the magistrate or worse, the Ensi."

Damn. The show must go on? Is that it? I still won't trade slaves. I should just spark a revolution if it comes to that. Damn. If I don't trade slaves then someone else will. Heck, no. Worse yet, how can I change the mentality of the slaves? I know they have the spark of rebellion and the yearning for freedom in them. Every human has, it is inherent to our nature.

But I need to make a decision, and once again it's crunch time. Going from crisis to crisis is tiresome, even more, when I didn't get the release I wanted yesterday. Nanna opens the iron gate and I enter the slave pens.

"Close the door behind me. I'll be safe."

I didn't bring my sword with me but I am not defenseless. I have my survival knife and a hatchet ready to be summoned into my hand. I also know aikido and capoeira, having two and four years of training in each. I'm somewhat rusty because my last three years of college were completely focused on the academic side of college life but I might be able to pull off an attack by malnourished slaves.

A group of five, probably the top dogs in the place, approach. Other slaves are wary. I put my hand inside my pocket and summon the tablet. All five are worshippers. I can be at ease.

"What do we have here? A young lady who got in the wrong spot? Nice necklace. I wonder how many shekels that is worth."

Okay, change of plans. The thugs and douchebags can wait for the next kid that washes down the river in a basket. But given the setting, it might be Sargon the conqueror than Moses.

"Tired of staying penned up? I need a group of volunteers to go with the caravans northbound. I'll pay half the profits of the deal to the person."

My offer sent ripples through the slaves. The side conversations died and only the clamor from outside can be heard. The group of bully slaves didn't flinch though.

"Why would you do that? Why would we go? I know who you are. The girl Hama-Tula wanted. If we catch you, we can force the new slave trader to let us go."

"You want to go? Then go. I'll brand you with a release seal."

One of the big advantages of being the main slave trader at the caravanserai is the writ to carve seals on the slaves without having to go to the courthouse. And right then that person was me. I earned the writ.

"Why would you release us?" He asked, wary.

"I'll offer you four options to choose from," I shouted at the whole slave pens. I don't know if people behind me listened but they probably did. Not my problem.

"First, you go with one of the caravan merchants north as a porter or a soldier. I'll give you half of the price the caravan merchant pays. That money will be yours.

"Second, you come to me and get a release seal branded. You are free to go and live your life however you want.

"Third, you can come work for me. I'll offer you a copper mina per day as wages. Three decent meals a day, no whippings or harsh punishment. You will still be expected to work. No sexual abuse either."

I pause. Then I wait for the lead bully to pick up the cue.

"What is the fourth?"

"You try to do something stupid, like attacking me. Then you suffer divine punishment." I took a step forward. "If you know I am the girl Hama-Tula wanted, then you know what fate awaited both him and the other three merchants that were your masters. Come. You five, make your choice first."

He pushed forward the quiet one of the group. "Here. Gusu, you want a release seal, don't you?"

"Ye-yes," he stuttered. "Give me a release seal, please."

I reached out a hand. "Gusu, is that your name? I shall honor my word. Come, let me get you past the gate and ask one of my guards to give you a release seal."

He didn't take my hand but came next to me. I turned around to ask a guard to open the gate and surprisingly, none of them stabbed me in the back. The guard was listening so he just opened a gap for Gusu to slip past and took him to the brazier where the branding irons are kept warm.

Some slave seals are not tattoos. Some are brands made with a hot iron. One more nail in my coffin. Silence falls on the slave pen and some of the people in the throng of merchants stop to watch as Gusu gets a brand. The hissing of burning flesh and the scream of pain Gusu makes drive that nail to the head into my heart. At least now he's free.

Gusu shouts with joy and the commotion resumes with double the strength. The merchants ask if I am crazy. Maybe I am.

"And to the four of you, option three is not available to you. One or two, pick."

The leader scoffs. "Gusu is an idiot. Freedom without money is just another way to fall into debt slavery. I'll travel north. Let's go, guys."

I reach the gate. "Tell the merchants I have four able and willing men that want to go north with a caravan. Get Nanna to find the highest bidder."

Soon the four bullies are getting a new brand on their forearms for the caravan they are going away with. Each man went with two silver shekels in their pockets and I got six exhausted and near-death slaves as a rebate. I also earned eight silver shekels but that is just a drop in the bucket.

My goal was to get rid of the slaves, not obtain more. I can't even release them because they will just die in a gutter somewhere.

I gather the remaining slaves. "The offer stands. I promise in Tarhun name to treat well the ones that come work for me."

One of the pleasure slave girls I saw on display a few days ago come to the front from her holding cell.

"Will we be forced to provide night services for anyone?"

I shake my head. "Not on my property. I won't stop you if you want to lay down with a willing man, but your body is your own. I don't think any woman likes to be forced. And I kinda know what I am talking about."

She playfully shoves another of the pleasure girls that came next to her. "See? I told you she was looking at us without disgust. I'm Shiva-Fluk. I'll work for you, mistress."

She imitated my gesture and reached out a hand. I took it and gave her a warm shake.

"Welcome aboard, Shiva-Fluk. What about you, girls. Come with me and you won't regret."

All the females leave their cells and file behind Shiva-Fluk. There are the pleasure girls, obviously better treated than the rest, middle-aged and elderly women and even some girls that didn't even start to grow their tits. All of them have only rags for clothing, some of them even forsaking to cover their breasts. I count the women. Twenty-seven. That's plenty for my projects. I want to craft a lot of things. I need to make money or my cash reserves will just plummet.

I turn to the male side now. "I still need able men to go with the caravans."

"Raise our share to three-quarters and we'll go!" Another group of twenty men offered themselves. I sent them off and the pressure from the caravaneers diminished to the point the commotion died since there was no more safety in numbers and they could see the flow of slaves coming out of the pens. I got eight more discarded slaves and twenty silver shekels for my troubles.

I now had eighteen able men and twelve almost-dead newcomers. Like the horse merchant, the slave trader earns his profit from nursing slaves back to health. After some back and forth, I get nine of the twelve to go free after bribing them with a silver shekel each. Gusu got the short end of the bargain, it seems.

"Good. Now, let's go outside, okay. And please, do not run away. I know it hurts but does get a release seal if you want to go away. It will be a bother if you are recaptured and I have to ransom you. I might give you to whoever catches you as a reward instead."

My joke was well-received. One of them joked that I might be able to get milk from rocks if I can give away slaves like that. I lead the group forty-two people to the branding area and make them wait there while I send some guards to buy pelts, twine, and bamboo.

We need stretchers to carry the newcomers. They are in no condition to walk.

I also emptied the coffers of the slave trader. One of the guards knew where it was hidden inside what passes for office on the second floor of the caravanserai. Tomorrow I'll invent a pin and tumbler lock, I promised myself. With the money from the coffers, I order all sorts of things bought. While I went on my shopping spree, a group of merchants approached.

"Milady Rinaldi," They called my name. It seems word-of-mouth spread my infamy around. "You sat at Abil-Kisu's main table yesterday, didn't you?"

I nod. "I was with captain Brandon and we were about to sit at the second table when the host graciously invited us to the main table, yes. What about it?"

They get even more polite. "Milady, I've talked to your guards and the witch. I've watched the way you are dealing with the slaves. Are you perchance going to close the slave market?"

I suck in a deep breath before continuing. "I wish I could, honorable..."

"Bertramus, milady."

"Honorable Bertramus. I wish I could end the slave trade. I believe you should not do unto others what you don't want to be done to you, and let's be honest, nobody wants to be a slave. But is that possible? I closed the market for one morning and look at what happened. No. The slave market won't close."

"If you don't want to trade slaves, then why don't you sell the market to me? I'm sure we can negotiate a good price..."

"Sure."

A battle of wits ensued. Since I was the one willing to sell, the price started low. Too low for my tastes. I countered with a price a score-fold higher.

"That's absurd," He gasped.

"I know that," I replied. "I'd rather close the market altogether and dig a hole a hundred meters deep in its place than sell it cheap to someone that would relish in torture."

"Good. I triple my opening offer and promise under Tarhun's ever-watchful eyes to be merciful to my slaves."

I had no idea if the promise was any good or if the beardy up there would act if he tortured someone. But I pressed on and got a price six times bigger than his opening bid. I also dumped the twelve worn slaves on him with a promise that he'd offer them release when they returned to full health. I'd come back to check in the future.

I didn't sell the writ though. I still needed it to release my own slaves at home. I took the release seal home with me. Everything else in the caravanserai I owned was sold even Nanna's old spot.

Then I resumed my shopping spree, buying things in bulk. Barrels of live oil, fifty-kilogram bags of rock salt, salted meat, spools of burlap canvas, all the bamboo available and some shoots to start my own grove, big ceramic jars with honey, blocks of beeswax, essential oils to make perfume, a crate of clove, and clothes. Lots of clothes.

My shopping spree was met by a sudden inflation spike as the supply dwindled. One of the caravans even decided to switch directions, sell the remainder of their wares after I bought half of their cargo. They will restock and return south and east. The trip north won't be profitable anymore. After my shopping spree, Several wagons departed to take the goods I bought home and I counted what I had from the slavers' assets. Twenty-three gold shekels. I spent about one hundred and forty-something around the market.

I was spending coin and clad in gold, not to mention the rumors I had Abil-Kisu's favor, I could get a lot of quotes for the goods I had. I could appraise the cargo I looted from the destroyed caravan. The kegs of wine were very expensive. The premium beverage is from a vineyard that only sells to nobility. Each keg was worth twenty to thirty gold shekels. I had six. The deer pelts were also a luxury good. Each pelt was worth four silver mina, or two-thirds of a gold shekel.

Back at the spot claimed by my group, I gave each girl a rough linen dress and each man a tunic. I also had kebabs bought for them. The mix of sliced roasted meat, vegetables in a specially baked bread crust made some of the former slaves cry.

Former slaves. I'm getting everyone released this afternoon when we return home.

I take the branding iron with the release seal. "Are all of you sure you don't want to go free? All you have to do is ask. I'll give you one silver shekel if you go. But if you want to stay, then you make sure you'll not betray me later. Come on your own two legs."

Twelve adult women decide to take the offer. They offer me their forearms and I brand them. I have to do it myself. I also won't let the young girls go. I asked and none of them had family that would take them back. One of them even hid from me because she would just be sold again if she was returned. From the forty-two that got out of the pens, I was taking eighteen home. Five children, three men, and ten women, three of them looked almost as old as Nanna.

And they were forty years old.

I gathered my group to go away. Eighteen guards, five of them from home, the others from the traders, the eighteen slaves, and I. I searched for Nanna and she was coming with Penny.

Oh, my. Penny! I'd forgotten Penny! I ran to meet the mare but she backed off. Only after a lot of goading did she let me touch her again. I felt she demanding to stay with me the whole day and go out for a run. I promised her a trip outside town tomorrow.

I was way too busy today.

I took Nanna, Penny and two eunuchs with me and dispatched the rest in a convoy back home. They would help escort the high-profile good. The honey and olive oil were very valuable. My destination wasn't home. I wanted to recruit someone. The inn maid, Arwia.