5It was not long before many of the less wealthy were forced to stop bidding and the competition narrowed to three and then two people. Eventually one man won out, and as his prize was led back to the holding pens he followed along, ignoring the hate-laden glances shot his way. The square seemed gray and lifeless without the woman's presence and the crowd quickly dispersed.
The young man who purchased her was ecstatic. He couldn't believe his luck. His father had sent him, his only son, to purchase slaves today, because he had pressing matters of his estate to attend to. He could imagine his father's face when he presented the girl to him. He had picked up several useful looking workers for a small price also, but the girl was the real gem. And for such a small price too! Even though it was more than a slave had ever been sold for, he wasn't concerned. It was only a small portion of his family's income every year.
He made his way to the holding pen. The girl was standing forlornly in the middle of the pen, looking for all the world like a lost child, showing none of the contemptuous dignity she had on stage.
"Allen, Nathaniel Allen," he said impatiently to the handler and then tried to shove past him but the man put himself bodily in front of the gate.
"Wait, you'll be needing this iffen you going to take that one home with ye," he shoved a small pouch into Nathaniel's hand, and then gestured to the girl. "One spoonful, every two hour, or else you'll be getting a little more than you bargained for I'd reckon."
Nathaniel took the offered pouch with a distasteful look, "What is it?"
"Powdered yallow," the man said, "I'd be getting me some more soon, iffen I were you. Buy it down on Chamber Street from the old crone. The girl's a regular nightmare without it. Drugged she be, now. How else you think we be keeping her calm?"
Nathaniel rocked back on his heels, slowly deciphering the man's crude speech, and then looking at his new purchase grimly.
"So you're saying she's drugged?"
"Yep," the man rolled his eyes, looking at Nathaniel as if he were a young child, "Now you just keep giving the yallow to her and she'll go fine. Stop and-" he shrugged and trailed off.
"Fine," Nathaniel said in an irritated voice, "just get out of my way."
The man stepped aside and Nathaniel entered the pen hesitantly. Having been warned of the girl's nature he was not all together eager to get close until he knew if the drug was still working or not. The girl stared at him blankly, as if he weren't even there and he stepped forward, more confidently know. He untied the rope from the ring in the fence and, after checking her hands were still tightly bound, pulled on her collar toward the gate.
The handler stopped him once again as he walked out, "Now remember, she be following simple commands while drugged, iffen you give 'em simple. None of that fancy talk you richies are so liking of."
Nathaniel nodded and after a moment's thought said, "Has she got a name?"
It was the handler's turn to rock back on his heels, looking like he'd been slapped. His face immediately went suspicious, "Why you want to be knowing of that?"
His blatant suspicion took Nathaniel aback but he said, "I would like to know what to call her."
The handler seemed unsure still, but then seemed to make up his mind, saying, "The calling of her, it be Adonia, I believe." And with that he frowned once more and strode away.
"Adonia," Nathaniel repeated to himself, looking at the drugged girl, and for just a minute he thought he saw a flash of something more than drugged blankness in her eyes, but the moment quickly passed.
Sighing, and with the drugged girl in tow, he headed for home, and his father's approval. Hopefully.
(A/N:Sorry for such a short chapter! I promise the next one will be longer.)