Although there are some private show and sales rooms in the House of Cernus, and private auctions and exhibitions, intended to interest prospective clients, are held, most slaves, of the House of Cernus and others, are sold in one of the five public auction houses, licensed and taxed by the Administrator of Ar. ~Assassin of Gor~

�You should have lamps illuminating the stairs,� said Boabissia. �I suppose that tharlarion oil is just too expensive.�
�Yes,� said the proprietor. �But it is also against the law.�
�Why is that?� I asked.
�The danger of fire,� he said.
�Oh,� said Boabissia, sobered.
Insulae, incidentally, are famed for their proneness to fire. Sometimes entire districts of such dwellings are wiped out by a single fire.
�Can we have a lamp in the room?� I asked.
�Of course,� said the fellow. �As long as it is tended. But you may not wish to have one much lit. It fouls the air.�
�Do you have insurance on this building?� I asked.
�No,� said the fellow.
I was pleased to hear that. He would then not be likely to have the building fired to collect on the policy. On the other hand, it was not unusual that such dwellings lacked insurance. This was not simply a matter of proprietary optimism, but also of the difficulty of obtaining it, at least at affordable rates. Most carriers would not accept the risks involved. ~Mercenaries of Gor~

The prices of goods, I might note, carried on ships of Cos and Tyros and her allies, because of the need of paying for additional escort, had risen considerably. Accordingly, her goods, to the dismay of her merchants, were becoming less competitive in the markets of Thassa. Insurance rates on such shipments, even those with escort, I might add, had also soared. ~Raiders of Gor~