Re "nobody would do that": here's a quote from Destiny's Shield, one of the books in the Belisarius series: "I was just thinking of the provisions of a typical

Re "nobody would do that": here's a quote from Destiny's Shield, one of the books in the Belisarius series: "I was just thinking of the provisions of a typical Alexandrian rental agreement. For a house or an apartment. You know, the one about—" Zeno smiled, nodding. "Yes, I know." His voice took on a sing-song cadence: " 'At the end of the term, the tenant shall return the house to the lessor free of dung.' " He laughed himself, now. "It was so embarrassing for me, the first time I rented an apartment in Constantinople. I was puzzled by the absence of that provision in the contract. When I inquired, the landlord looked at me as if I were crazy. Or a barbarian."