Part 2 (2/2)
”But if the Romans come here with troops, will they ever leave?” By now I had studied enough to know that when the Romans were called in to ”help,” they stayed
”I have no choice,” he said, miserably ”What else can I do? They are bound to back me up--they have to, if they ever want to collect their bribe hed bitterly ”They have quite a vested interest in keeping me on the throne”
This ful, awful I felt sha rading choices the Roo with you,” I wished Father ”May they watch over you”
And thus he departed,for protection and restoration
Chapter 4
Alexander the Great becae that a mummy can be one's friend, but I was desperate I was eleven years old, and as the days passed and Father did not return, I began to fear for hiypt
Day after day I would descend into the crypt beneath the gleaaze upon the Conqueror where he lay in his alabaster coffin Each day it was the same: As I reached the botto candles set all around ht sky, turned upside down And in the midst of the stars, like the sun itself, lay Alexander of Macedon I would approach slowly, and then when I reached hi and hard
He didn't look alive--I htway He looked like a painted statue, and his features were rigid He earing a polished breastplate, but no helolden hair had not faded His hands were crossed on his breast
”O Alexander,” I would murmur, ”please look down on your earthly descendant and relative We are the last of your eypt All the rest have been sed up by Ro them to keep hidom, our own throne, with Rohty Alexander? Help us! Help us to extricate ourselves! Do not let us go down into those Roman maws!”
Of course he never answered; he just lay there serenely Still, being in his presence brought reat proble back out into the dazzling sunlight always felt strange, the journey fro The tomb sat at the crossroads of our city where the wide Canopian Way, running the whole length of the city from east to west, intersected the street of the Soma as it ran from the south lake of Mareotis to the sea in the north Alhen I looked down that hite street, with itsas far as the eye could see, I knew it could not be given up--that whatever Father had to do to keep it, that hat he must do
In his absence, the people continued to cry out against him How could he stand by and see Cyprus taken away? What sort of weakling was he?
It was all his his fault--the helpless, pitiful king, the one they called Auletes because he was so fond of flute-playing and music Once it had been an affectionate naent love; now it beca, the one they called Auletes because he was so fond of flute-playing and music Once it had been an affectionate naent love; now it became a slur
The drunken little flute-playerfilthy weaklingeffe in winethese were all the nah the streets of Alexandria on my way back and forth to the Soma Once the people had enjoyed the festivals of Dionysus he provided for them, but now they derided hih themselves, but their memories were short Those who say I do not knohat the jeering crowd at Ro crowds
It was always a relief to be adrounds (Would Alexander have felt relief? Would he be ashamed of me that I did?) Inside the Palace, peace and respect were always shown--outwardly, at least Always, that is, until the day I returned from Alexander's side and found that a revolution had taken place
Everything looked the sa had changed: The gardeners were busy at their tasks, watering and pruning; the servants ashi+ng the , the one with the audience chauid move where we royal children lived, when suddenly a tall guard yelled ”Halt!” atthe entrance to nized hi had always been solared at me No one had ever spoken to me like that
”You may not enter!” he barked
”What do you er in there? A fire? Or even an animal on the loose? Perhaps one of my sister's pet panthers had slipped its leash and run away
”Until your loyalty is ascertained, I have orders to detain you And where have you been? No one could find you” He made a step toward me But he dared not actually touch me; no one was allowed to lay hands on a member of the royal family
”My loyalty? My loyalty to whom? To what?” This was very odd ”I have been at the tomb of Alexander, which I have always been free to visit” Even as I said it, I realized I could not prove it, as I alent alone
”Your loyalty to the new rulers,” he said smartly
New rulers? Had the Romans seized power, then? Had warshi+ps landed? Troops invaded? But there had been no tulanced toward the harbor--no foreign shi+ps there
”I don't understand,” I said sireat fear for Father
”The daughters of the fornty,” he said ”Co”
My sisters! My sisters, taking advantage of Father's absence and his unpopularity, had seized power Now I also felt fear for myself They could do aith me, with Arsinoe and the boys, and there was no one to prevent theot out in the city It was an old fas, mother, father, children
”So you refuse!” he said, taking another step toward ht have been instructed to strike htest hesitation Or perhaps he ht just strike me anyway--after all, there were no witnesses I looked quickly and saw the servants still scrubbing the steps Whatever they observed, they would keep to themselves There would be no help fro? It seemed many moments, but that was impossible I prayed quickly to Isis, to help me ”No, no, I do not I am their obedient sister, now as always”
”Then prove it” He uard to take his place while he ain, not actually touchingso close besideI tried not to betray er rooms of the palace, a room that my sisters evidently felt befitted their new status, as our father had held his audiences here I stood before the outer doors, which were ornamented with tortoise-shell fronificence was lost onopen and I was ads were fretted and inlaid with gold At the far end sat Cleopatra and Berenice, on chairs encrusted with gems They were consciously seated in the sas
To me they did not look at all like queens or Pharaohs, but only my two older sisters, as always
”Princess Cleopatra,” Berenice spoke, ”we have been raised to the honor of the throne We are now to be known as Cleopatra the Sixth and Berenice the Fourth, rulers of Upper and Lower Egypt We wish you to proclai subject”
I tried to keep my voice steady, to sound calm ”Of course you are my dearest sisters, and I, your most loyal sister” I would avoid the word subject subject unless I was forced to it Saying it was treason to ? unless I was forced to it Saying it was treason to ?
”We accept your allegiance,” said Berenice for both of them ”The people have spoken They haveto return; they will not admit him if he does But there is little chance of that! The Romans will not restore him because it see to the effect that 'under no circu to his throne, although he may be received with courtesy' Well, they have done that: feasted and pampered him But that's all Oh, and taken his money He owes so much to the Roman moneylenders that, e ever to take him back, our country would be bankrupt”
”Yes, and is that any way to love your country? He called himself Philopator, 'lover of his father'--his fatherland?--but he has sold us to the Rohteousness ”Egypt for the Egyptians! Let us take care of our own affairs! Why pay Ro, e have queens available for nothing?”
”I aypt, and Berenice will be Queen of Middle Egypt and the Moeris Oasis,” she continued ”We will begin negotiations for ested, as if I were trying to be helpful ”Do not we Ptolehing in unison ”Those little children? One is three and the other an infant! It is a long time until they'll they'll father any heirs We need men in our beds,” said Berenice father any heirs We need men in our beds,” said Berenice
”To wed a baby--why, it would be like wedding a eunuch!” Cleopatra laughed cruelly Then she stopped, pointedly ”Oh, I forgot; you like like eunuchs Busy yourself with the her ars of state, and you shall do well Do you still have your horse?” eunuchs Busy yourself with the her ars of state, and you shall do well Do you still have your horse?”
”Yes,” I answered My horse, a white Arabian, was truly e My horse took me away from myself and the palace and out into the desert
”Then keep to thes that do not concern you Do this and you will prosper We entle with us”
”Yes, Your Majesties,” I said I inclined my head, but did not bow and did not fall tothe's children recognized as Gods? And are not Gods majesties? I acted calm as I took my leave