The men stood loosely around Brutin as he stepped up to the large compound door and he eyed each of them as if just beyond the door stood a marauding band of warriors instead of the dust and decay of his absence.
Philodus stood calmly at his side, completely oblivious to the momentous occasion he was witness to. Somewhere behind them all the carpenters and laborers shifted about uneasily. Only Brutin remained unsurprised at Tara's efficiency.
Brutin turned back to the door and inserted the key, twisting and finding no resistance which was no surprise considering Tara had passed this way recently. The click to the lock resounded loudly in his ears and he pushed wide the double doors as he stepped through.
Philodus posted four guards, two to a side and the men took up their posts silently. They had already discussed what was to be done and in what order, the men having taken their orders stood ready to serve.
Brutin did not rush but hurried to the front door to the main hall, opening this door just as quickly and stepping down the dusty hallway. Philodus fell behind as he posted men along the wall and near the front doors, his job to secure as surely as if they were on campaign.
Brutin stopped in front of his office and stared at the door, his only consolation in coming back was that he had lived more of his life here in RhyDin now than he had on Gor. Which of the two was home for him now, truly?
Pushing the door wide he stepped through and glanced about, the large bay window was dirty but intact, the gardens beyond choked with unpleasant foliage and offshoots to his beloved flowers.
He stepped up to the desk and ran his hand over the surface, the wood smooth and solid still and he wondered if he should have it replaced or refinished, there was no use on standing with nostalgia. If it didn't serve a purpose, it would be replaced.
Carpenters and workmen entered behind him and then whistled, apprising their work to be done and he did not envy them, but then, he did not envy any manual laborers.
He turned to the pole in the middle of the left side of his office, the sand around the small pit dirty and colored black with time. Chains still hung rusted from the nap and he shook his head. Those would not be cleaned, only the best for his girls but those chains had held Alyssa, Rose, Bella, Candy and of course, Myr.
Men bustled around him now, they had a job to do and were paid by the job, there was no sense on dragging it out, so like a river they flowed around him as he stood there with the flood of memories passing over him in a kaleidescope of faces, actions and sounds.
He stepped out finally to inspect his garden, even as the men cleaned his window he knew it was for naught if there as nothing there to soothe his soul, for the things he had yet to do would require soothing the likes of which all the whore patrons of RhyDin had no yet seen.
Philodus approached silently behind him and waited patiently for instructions. Brutin gazed one last time over the garden and then sighed.
"We seriously lack in serving staff, Tara will handle the hired labor such as cook and physicians and such things. I am off to acquire the first chattel of the business." He said as he fingered the thongs at his belt and then the steel collars inside his coat pocket. Perhaps hunting females in a business suit was not the wisest but he would only be gone for a few hours, enough to obtain one or two girls for the men and one for himself.
Philodus stood calmly at his side, completely oblivious to the momentous occasion he was witness to. Somewhere behind them all the carpenters and laborers shifted about uneasily. Only Brutin remained unsurprised at Tara's efficiency.
Brutin turned back to the door and inserted the key, twisting and finding no resistance which was no surprise considering Tara had passed this way recently. The click to the lock resounded loudly in his ears and he pushed wide the double doors as he stepped through.
Philodus posted four guards, two to a side and the men took up their posts silently. They had already discussed what was to be done and in what order, the men having taken their orders stood ready to serve.
Brutin did not rush but hurried to the front door to the main hall, opening this door just as quickly and stepping down the dusty hallway. Philodus fell behind as he posted men along the wall and near the front doors, his job to secure as surely as if they were on campaign.
Brutin stopped in front of his office and stared at the door, his only consolation in coming back was that he had lived more of his life here in RhyDin now than he had on Gor. Which of the two was home for him now, truly?
Pushing the door wide he stepped through and glanced about, the large bay window was dirty but intact, the gardens beyond choked with unpleasant foliage and offshoots to his beloved flowers.
He stepped up to the desk and ran his hand over the surface, the wood smooth and solid still and he wondered if he should have it replaced or refinished, there was no use on standing with nostalgia. If it didn't serve a purpose, it would be replaced.
Carpenters and workmen entered behind him and then whistled, apprising their work to be done and he did not envy them, but then, he did not envy any manual laborers.
He turned to the pole in the middle of the left side of his office, the sand around the small pit dirty and colored black with time. Chains still hung rusted from the nap and he shook his head. Those would not be cleaned, only the best for his girls but those chains had held Alyssa, Rose, Bella, Candy and of course, Myr.
Men bustled around him now, they had a job to do and were paid by the job, there was no sense on dragging it out, so like a river they flowed around him as he stood there with the flood of memories passing over him in a kaleidescope of faces, actions and sounds.
He stepped out finally to inspect his garden, even as the men cleaned his window he knew it was for naught if there as nothing there to soothe his soul, for the things he had yet to do would require soothing the likes of which all the whore patrons of RhyDin had no yet seen.
Philodus approached silently behind him and waited patiently for instructions. Brutin gazed one last time over the garden and then sighed.
"We seriously lack in serving staff, Tara will handle the hired labor such as cook and physicians and such things. I am off to acquire the first chattel of the business." He said as he fingered the thongs at his belt and then the steel collars inside his coat pocket. Perhaps hunting females in a business suit was not the wisest but he would only be gone for a few hours, enough to obtain one or two girls for the men and one for himself.