Part 28 (1/2)

”We are the lorious Caesar,” said Oppius ”It is our honor to serve hie frohty One”

I broke the seal and unrolled it carefully It was still light enough to read--after sunset--and I was glad; I did not wish a hovering torchbearer to read it over my shoulder

It was very short, and it would not have mattered if a torchbearer had read it It also bore no date; obviously he had prepared it ahead of tie to be able to repay your kind hospitality to me in Alexandria I have no palace in which to house you, but I offer ardens across the Tiber Regard them as if they were yours I myself will be at my home near the Temple of Vesta in the Forum I will call upon you, with all respect, as soon as I ard them as if they were yours I myself will be at my home near the Temple of Vesta in the Forum I will call upon you, with all respect, as soon as I may I trust your journey ithout incident without incident

With all honor and regard, G Julius Caesar, Consul, Imperator, Dictator of the Roman People

”Dictator?” I wondered out loud

”For the next ten years An honor just conferred,” said Balbus ”One without precedent” He beaineered it hiht a Roencies, and only for six s neriting the King Ptolemy?” They asked in unison My little brother blushed with pleasure at the attention ”And?” They leaned over and studied Caesarion

Noas the tiiven me” I held him up so they could see him clearly

They did not respond, except to say, ”The royal litter is for you, and your son For the rest, we have brought horses and carriages”

It was dark before we reached our destination I watched fro the Tiber, up toward Roside the city wall, rough-cut stone with torches flaring in their sockets The creak of the leather straps on the litter, and the angle of it, told her, I could just see the city of Rome on the far side of the river It looked ss were dark-- lohitetoward the sky Here and there I thought I saw a temple, but I could not be sure

I heard the rustle of what seemed a forest, and a cool breeze reached inside the litter Caesarion had fallen asleep against me, only to be awakened as they set the litter down

”We are here, Your Majesty” Balbus himself drew the curtains and offered e dwelling, surrounded by a frarounds filled with--froes, statues, and fountains The air was rances The flowers here were evidently ypt The leaves on a thousand trees hispering to ed fro torches

”Welcome, welcome,” they chorused At least I could understand that much Latin without difficulty

I followed them toward the doorway, flanked with statues in niches on either side I on e open room, a sort of enclosed courtyard More doors opened off off that; the servants were gliding through one of theh one of them, and I followed

Up a stairway, and then down another hallway, and finally into a large tile-floored rooht I could see that the walls were not white, but a deep green, with painted garlands hung all around

”Here is Caesar's own rooives it to you”

A table stood, draped with a heavy red cloth, and on it a tray of fruit, breads, and a pitcher of wine To one side was a large bed, its legs of carved wood, a coverlet of fine wool on it Several couches, an to notice how many statues were displayed here At least now I could know that Caesar would alelcome another one, but I wished he did not already have soholder--six or seven lahter Suddenly I was very tired, and only desired to put theain and lie down

I was asleep I had no idea how long I had been asleep; the odd sensation of walking on firain after so many days at sea, as well as the sudden ie, colors, and smells all around me, had confused my sense of tiht of a la besideme

With a start I sat up, but swifter than rasped my shoulder The other one put the lamp down and embraced me

”I am here, my dearest, my beloved,” said the voice of Caesar, a soft whisper in the darkness

It still seemed like a dream, but there was no other voice like that in all the world In thesilence, I forgot Eunoe (but if I did, why then do I ot his stilted, cold, pereladness

”Forgive me, I could not meet you, could not ever send a private letter I knehatever I wrote would be public knowledge I rejoice that you cas I could not openly say”

He kissed me, and it was as if he had never been parted from me for more than an instant Yet so much had happened since then; so many battles, so many men killed, so many victories for him and defeats for others Still, here he sat in the dark, on a bed like any other person, stealing in at night, eager like a lover unsure of himself

”I did I do,” I assured hi a tiht of all he was, here in-Rome

”My Dictator,” I murmured ”Must I obey all your commands?”

”Only Roman citizens are bound to do so,” he said ”You are free from my demands Whatever we choose to do, we need only follow our own private desires”

I leaned over and kissed hiain his firypt kisses the Dictator of Rome, it is not political?”

”No,” he said ”Whatever my enemies say, I swear to you that this is a private passion, and entirely my own”

”For no other reason?”

”I swear it In bringing you to Rorist for their mill It serves no political purpose; a wiser politician than I would never have done it It will excite the envy of all who are not so fortunate, and give offense to those who are overly moralistic” He shook his head ”But I care not This repays ain” He kissed , no wish to resist hi passion in enius to cause ive myself up entirely to his secrettheir hard strength beneath the seam of his tunic He was barely back from the field, and his soldier's life there had clearly burned off any remnants of ease from his body He seemed entirely an instruionaries' swords In the feel of his arms there was no cushi+on, no softness Yet his words were tender, his voice caressing

Moving my hands over his chest, I found it felt more like the leather cuirass a common soldier wears to protect it than like weak flesh that needs protecting But I could feel the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, proving that he was no suit of ar faster than if he werefrohed, and a relaxation spread through him

”You are here, and all is well,” he said He turned slightly on the edge of the bed where he sat, and took my face between his hands Silently he studiedI wondered why Why was he staring atfor soht ”Yes, you truly are she,” he finally said

Who? I wanted to ask I wanted to ask Who is ”she”? Who is ”she”?

He bent his head to kissan honor, then he kissed all along my collar bones, until he reached the hollow of ainstmy blood leap up to meet them

Once, twice, three tily, until at last he put the full force of hisinsidedesire I threw o on kissingpassive and limp was too an to kiss the side of his neck all the way up to his ear, and ran et rid of it, it was standing between ed to feel directly I pulled at its sleeves, trying to force force it down over his arhed softly it down over his arhed softly

”I ae,” he said ”But I would not wish to have you as enerals often lead charges before their troops are ready, and lose battles thereby”

”Are you not ready for battle?” I asked He had embarrassed me I dropped his sleeve

He kissed me, this time on the mouth ”But,of the sort” He ently untied the shoulders ofthe silk fall away, down to my waist Then he bent his head and kissed each of ht I could stand it no longer I pulled his head up and clasped hi back on the pillows and drawing hih escaped fro faster, and his breath co in shorter, louder bursts