Гладиатор
A Prisoner Again
"Lookatthisone,"saidtheman."Isn’theabeauty?"
Proximolookedatthetigersthroughthebars."Dotheyfight?"heasked.
"Ofcourse!Foryou,myspecialprice,onlyeightthousand."
"Forme,"saidProximo,"fourthousand.That’smyspecialprice."
"Four?Ihavetoeat..."
Proximolookedaroundatthegroupofmeninchains."Doanyofthemfight?"hesaid."There’sacontestsoon."
"Somearegoodforfighting,somefordying.Youneedboth."
ProximowalkedovertoJuba."Getup,"hecommandedthebigAfrican.
Jubaliftedhisheadandlookedathim.Hegotupslowly.Proximolookedathimcarefully.HeturnedoverJuba’shandsandfeltthehardskin.
ThenhemovedontoMaximus.Hesawthewoundonhisarmandthenhesawthemarkjustaboveit-theletters"SPQR."ProximoknewthattheymeantSenatusPopulusqueRomanus:TheSenateandtheRomanPeople.
"Asoldier,"saidProximo."Didyourunaway?"heaskedMaximus.ButMaximussaidnothing.
"Probably,"saidtheslave-seller."Theysayhe’saSpaniard."
Proximowalkedonandlookedattheothers."I’lltakesix-athousandforallofthem,"hesaid.Hisservanthandedhimasmallbrushwithredpaintonit.
"Athousand!"theslave-sellercried."TheAfricanaloneshouldcosttwothousand."HewhisperedtoProximo,"Turnyourbackonhim,he’llkillyou."
"Theseslavesarenogood,"saidProximo,ashewalkedaway.
"Wait,wait...wecandiscusstheprice."
Proximomadeamarkinredpaintonthechestsoftheslaveshehadchosen."I’llgiveyoutwothousand,"hesaid,"andfourfortheanimals.
