Part 5 (2/2)
”The Romans from Rome,” said the man with sarcasm ”What other kind are there?”
”Not true,” said his coions--to try to restore Ptoleht them, after all”
”But the prophecy? What of the prophecy?” I asked By that ti out onshore ”Supposedly the Sibylline books forbade any armed help from Rome”
”Money finds a way,” said the man ”Clever child, if you know about Sibylline books, you should know that money overrules all prophecies”
”Co us toward the street of the Soma He was alarmed, and realized he should return us to the palace as quickly as possible As it was, he would probably be lashed as punish us
”Nebao; I will take the blah to order o Neba as as not so certain
Had she poisoned Cleopatra? Would she destroy me, and Arsinoe as well? I felt ith fear
Once back in the palace, I did not wait for her to send for ht to her quarters They were filled with professionalon their breasts, and wailing in high, ghostly o directly to the Queen's roo myself down in sorrow--and trepidation--awaited her I heard her footsteps come nearer and stop
”Oh, sister!” I cried ”Is it so? Is Cleopatra dead? And have I added to your grief by being absent? Forgive nYes, our sister is dead Mushrooms have been her entry into the realm of Osiris One must be careful with mushrooms I avoid thely unht Then, as I looked closer, I saw that there was a half-s hard to keep under control
”Where have you been?” she shot at me ”How dare you leave the palace and stay away for days without infor me? You are only a child! Who is behind this?”
”It was I who planned it, and forced Nebamun, Mardian's uncle, to take me, and several others We did it to him, not he to us” Please let her believe me!
”Take you where?”
”To see the pyrary, but she burst out laughing Then I realized why She had been afraid ere involved in so political, but this was innocent I felt relief floodingto harm me Not today
”I've never seen them myself,” she said ”I am a bit embarrassed to admit it”
”They were all I had dreayptian”
”You aren't an Egyptian, you are a Ptolemy--a Greek!” she reminded me
”The Ptoleyptian by now”
”What a stupid thing to say! Another of your silly ideas! We don't have a drop of Egyptian blood; it doesn'twe've been here!”
”But--” I started to say that we could be Egyptian in spirit if not in blood, but she cut ray piece of granite for a thousand years, does it change?” she bellowed
”People are not granite,” I insisted
”Sometimes they can be almost that hard”
”Not you,” I said ”There is a part of you that is kind” I was trying to flatter her
The half-smile returned ”I hope my husband may find me so”
”Husband?” I almost choked
”Yes I had just married when our sister Cleopatra left us She turnedBut such are the accidents of fate”
”Who--who is he?”
”Prince Archelaus of Pontus,” she replied, and this time the s to her
”How much has happened in the few days I ay!” I blurted out
”Andready to defend ourselves against our father's mercenaries! With Roman money--borrowed, of course-- he has hired yet other Roypt and try to take back the throne!” Her voice shook with the effrontery of it all
”But what of the Sibylline prophecy?” I asked, yet again
”Cicero found a way around it! Yes, the great Ro so noble, is like anya deal in the bazaar The only difference is that he trades in words, not deeds”
”But ords did he use?” Would no one tellshould co for help, do not refuse hio to his aid with force, for if you do you willshould co for help, do not refuse hio to his aid with force, for if you do you will et around that? How to get around that?
”Soovernor of Syria, should send the King on ahead of hi hi him up!” She snorted ”We shall be ready for them!” she said with certainty
Father was on his way back! The Romans would restore him to the throne! It was all I could do not to burst into cheers ”I shall stay in ain about rieved that otten about punishi+ng Nebahts froot about s happened very quickly It was your wish, O Isis--you who deliver the plotter of evil against other ainst-- that my father, Ptolemy XII Philopator Neos Dionysus, should be restored to his throne It was you who brought the troops of Gabinius to the outskirts of Egypt at Pelusiuarrison there, and march upon Alexandria It was you who caused the confusion and overthrow of Berenice's forces and the death of her new bridegroo cavalry coive an honorable burial to Archelaus, and thus win the love of the Alexandrians His Roman name was Marcus Antonius, and he enty-seven years old
It was you who arranged it all, moved all these events, in only a few days provided my entire future and revealed its form
Berenicechild, the one ould be Queen
Queen I would be Queen I kept repeating the words to myself, but I was not impatient for it before my time; unlike my sisters, I would let it happen when it was destined to Their atteiven the throne to me me That made me smile That irl Truly, this was the work of Isis, she who shapes fate
My joy at seeing Father again was unbounded I threwthat now my eyes were al years, years that had wrought es in me
”You are back! Safe!” It seemed impossible, as the answers to prayers often do
He was looking at rown lovely, child,” he finally said ”You will be the Queen that Egypt deserves”
”I am fourteen now,” I reminded him, in case he had lost track ”I hope I will not be Queen for a long time--may the Pharaoh live for a million years, as the ancients said”