Sunday, July 8, 2012

Six Sentence Sunday - The Left Hand of Calvus

Sunday again already! This year is still flying by. I hope all my readers are keeping cool out there.

For this week's Sunday six, a little bite of The Left Hand of Calvus, my ancient Roman work in progress.

An important note to give the sentences context: Calvus is sending his slave Saevius to do a little spying on a man named Drusus, a notoriously brutal lanista (gladiator owner/handler/trader, basically). Saevius is also to deliver a gift of five hundred sestertii that was promised to Drusus by another nobleman.  Which leads us to...
Calvus puts his hand on my shoulder and looks me in the eyes as the amusement leaves his expression. “Be warned, Saevius. I do not tolerate treachery or dishonesty.” He leans in, lowering his voice so I’m certain no one but me and the gods can hear him, and he presses down harder on my shoulder. “Give me a single reason to believe you’re not doing precisely as I’ve ordered, or that you’ve breathed my name within the walls of the ludus, and I will have no choice but to ask Drusus if he received the full seven hundred sestertii I sent with you. Am I understood?”
Want to play along? It’s fun and easy!
1. pick a project – a current WIP, contracted work or even something readers can buy if you’re published
2. pick six sentences
3. post ‘em on your blog or website on Sunday

2 comments:

  1. Excellent six...I'm pulled straight in and want to know more :-)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow, intense. Love Ancient Rome! Excellent excerpt!

    ReplyDelete