Part 18 (1/2)
”No” Rufio looked surprised that he would even ask Wasn't that enough?
”I have been in Egypt eight months now,” said Caesar slowly ”I came in pursuit of Pompey and became embroiled in another war I have lost much valuable time”
”You were so out of touch with Rome that until December they did not even know of your whereabouts,” said Rufio, al ”There were some who assumed you were dead”
”I was not dead,” he said ”But in some ways entombed” He looked around at the richly furnished staterooypt is like a gigantic toh becomes mummified This is a country of dead men surrounded by er ”Am I a mummy?” I cried ”Is Alexandria--the fore, beauty, and the art of living--a tohed ”Alexandria, as everyone knows, is not Egypt But even it seems remote from everyday life--perhaps because it is so opulent, so civilized”
He had finished with us He was ready to go He was straining at his tether
That night, in our sleeping chahtful, aloblet, which he had uncharacteristically filled ine He had even drunk a cupful, and it seemed to soften his stern features He toyed with its base, running his fingers over the raised decorations
”Long ago I told you I avoided wine because it incited strange syht on the desert, you knohat they are But tonight I do not care”
I stood behind him and put my arms around him ”What will you do? When--must you leave?”
”Soon,” he said ”In a few days”
”A few days? Can you not stay for the birth of our child? It is only a feeeks from now”
”I cannot wait a feeeks” He sounded so certain that it was pointless for me to object
”I see” So I would be left alone to bear this child But there was no arguing with Caesar I tried my best to keep my voice level and betray no tremor of emotion It would serve no purpose but to annoy him But what about Philae? But what about Philae? my ? What did it ? Would it be announced in any way? Would it be announced in any way?
”There is one thing oblet in his hands
”Yes?” My heart leapt up
”You should marry little Ptolemy before my departure You cannot rule alone, and must be nominally married”
”I am married!” I cried I could not help myself ”It is already announced that this child--”
He laughed indulgently ”That is in the divine, mystical sense But the Alexandrians are h at such a story And those we laugh at, we lose fear and respect for Without a husband, foreign princes will co you, and that will be tiresome”
”For me or for the that you would find their attentions tedious, and for ” He stood up and put down the goblet At last he took ht of you with another man This has never happened to me before I excused Pompeia's liaison with Clodius, and frankly I wouldn't care if Calpurnia had been rolling around with Cicero himself the entire time of my absence But youno Syrian princes for you I could not bear it”
”So I aypt is filled with?”
”I will send for you to come to Rome as soon as it is safe”
”Whichsuddenly spread itself out before me To bind myself to Caesar was indeed toforbidden, and no pro but hisis no life at all!”
”Trust s may be different” In an ordinaryBut could Caesar beg?
”How can they be? The laws of Rome are as they are, and your nature is as it is”
”Trust”I have never known another person like you, found a for adventure Wait and see what I can bring about”
”Wait and see,” Ihappens?”
”If it is hu about a future for us and our child, I will,” he promised ”But I must know you ait, and that you trust me”
”I have no choice,” I finally said ”My heart wishes h ,” he said, ”they e, it is a wonder that the heart speaks at all”
In two days ere back in Alexandria From a distance it looked as perfect as ever, but after we had landed and were being transported in litters through the city, I could see the heaps of rubble and the charred timbers that choked the streets There would be much to repair The war had been a costly business--but if that was the price for keeping hted and entered the palace, I are of nancy had advanced to the stage where it was clearly visible We would have to make the Amun announcement imht; such a claim would only cause the Alexandriansand pleasure blended the sophistication of the Greeks with the sensual indulgences of the east; they would knoell enough where this baby had coht fall short of the actual acts Who could believe the old Roman soldier, so austere in all his other physical appetites, would be so inventive and vigorous in his amorous behavior? On the other hand, inventive inventive and and vigorous vigorous were the tords that best described his prowess on the military field as well were the tords that best described his prowess on the military field as well
Much as I hated to leave our private world on the shi+p, I was delighted to see Mardian and Oly to receive us And when I reentered my chambers, Charmian and Iras were there
”Oh, my dear Charmian! My Iras!” I held out my arms and embraced them
”Your Majesty! Welcoypt again, now that the war is over There are new silk hangings for the bed; fresh incense froood Caecuban wine; and roses from Cyrene--both red and white” I could sly sweet Two bunches of thelass vases ”We are so happy you are here,” they said, simply
”What have you done for Caesar's quarters?” I asked
”Made ready a working table,” Charmian said ”Mountains of docuhed He would not care about, or notice, the new silks or the roses Only the documents ”There are undoubtedly documents for me, too,” I said
”Many less,” they said Iras pointed to a table that held a little pyramid of them
Yes, I did not rule the world, but only one country And on this journey I had seen many of the concerns of that country with ypt was the same as it had been for the earliest Pharaohs: crops, harvests, taxes, soldiers It was Caesar's world that was in flux, not mine
”He thanks you for your efforts,” I said I felt tired, and sank down on a chair of citrus wood
”Youryourcondition?” They flopped around, searching for words
”I have had no proble tired easily The journey was restful for me,” I said
”And when is--is--?”