Part 29 (1/2)
”Greetings, Most Exalted Majesty,” he said in his elegant Greek ”Queen Cleopatra, you do us great honor to journey to Ro arden horacious lines There was only the slightest hint of a s dignitary
”I thank you/' I said, loudly enough that others could hear eneral for preserving ypt when usurpers refused to honor it”
”I have brought a gift that I hope will please you,” he said There was a stirring in the ranks, as they shuffled around to bring the object forward
”I am pleased to receive it,” I said ”But you may speak to me in Latin if you wish I have studied it for this journey”
Now, for an instant, his face registered surprise Why had I not told hi
”You outdo yourself, rateful that I could at least understand that
The attendants brought forward a large rectangular wooden box, which they had lifted off a cart They laid it at ly
It was a mosaic of the finest sort, the kind called opus vermiculatum> vermiculatum> made with minute pieces of colored stone, er floor within a border The tiny size of the stonescould depict al from the seafoam The colors of the sea were exactly those of the waters in the palace harbor at Alexandria It was nificent How had he had it made so quickly? Then I realized he hadn't It had been looted from some site the Romans had taken It must have been part of his own collection made with minute pieces of colored stone, er floor within a border The tiny size of the stonescould depict al from the seafoam The colors of the sea were exactly those of the waters in the palace harbor at Alexandria It was nificent How had he had it made so quickly? Then I realized he hadn't It had been looted from some site the Romans had taken It must have been part of his own collection
”I thank you It is beautiful,” I said I hoped hable
He inclined his head ”I aht you a gift fro toa statue of Pharaoh Cheops in raywacke stone, a treasure that it had hurt me to part with Every plane on it was perfect, buffed to an iain, just for that instant, his face showed an emotion: surprise and pleasure His eyes, covetous of all beauty, widened a bit at the sight of it
”The Queen of Egypt is enerous,” he said ”I thank you with all my heart” He paused ”TTie Dictator of Roratified if the Queen of Egypt would come to his home for dinner in three days This will allow me ti for her to enter It is in the Foruia As Pontifex Maximus, it is my official residence”
Pontifex Maximus? What was that? It sounded priestly, and he scorned all religion, believing only in the Goddess of fortune, who had e of sixteen priests, pontiffs,” he explained ”A ion”
How had he ever been chosen for that? ”I would be pleased,” Iwas over Suddenly I re else to present to hiifts to ht out”
Then we had to re, silent At length--it seeht out the two pirates, shackled and bound to a yoke
”Behold!” I said, and had the pleasure of seeing Caesar finally lose his conized one of the ”May you rot in the ground, s bolt your flesh, you monster! This wos been but a little different, it would be she in chains and you begging for her life!”
”What is this?” asked Caesar ”How did you get these men?”
”Answer me first,” I said ”Who are they? They attacked my shi+p as I journeyed here, and forced us into the Strait of Messina”
”This one here”--he nodded at the big one--”was one of o, when I was held prisoner by pirates He e”
”He kept talking about his brother” Without realizing it, I had lapsed back into Greek
”His brother, the sculeader I slit his throatcrucified He had always been entertaining and courteous to me, as only villains can be The crucifixion was too cruel for him, so I ended it early”
”And what about hi eyes
Caesar walked over to hi his eyes ”Yesthis melts the years away How are you, Philetas?”
”Free me and you'll find out”
”Free you, so you can kill me? I think not” Caesar sounded amused and kindly ”So, you are still at it Aren't you a little old still to be a pirate? It's a strenuous profession”
”Aren't you a little old to be a general?” his adversary sneered ”It's a strenuous profession as well I heard in your last ca some wear And then, all the ene yourself against all those who'd like to put a dagger between your ribs”
”Like you?” He shrugged ”One gets used to it Now, really, Philetas, I would think you'd be ashamed still to be a pirate! And not even a very successful one It sounds as if the high point of your career hen you held o? Now you're reduced to attacking medium-sized shi+ps around Sicily in--what sort of a boat was it?” he asked me
”There were three of them, fast hemiolias,” I said
”Leftovers Outdated,” he said, dis you do, for so little return”
”You're the king of the killers You've killed thousands and thousands in your cans in Gaul--uncountable thousands”
”That ar”
”It was pure a one
”Well, then my ambition has been better rewarded than yours” I detected a slight change in his voice; he was shaken by the sudden appearance of the pirates and their accusations ”And now you will have to write an end to your life, tally up your accounts”
”Still playing a part?” yelled the big one ”Now you're a philosopher? You played the jolly companion with us, then came back and killed us”
”Did I not tell you that hat I would do?” he said ”Be reasonable, gentlemen I merely kept my word”
”Mark you, all of you!” cried Philetas, addressing the entire coerous! He is not what he pretends to be! If ever you feared anyone, fear him!”
”Take them away,” said Caesar ”Take them away” His voice was hard Then he turned to me with a different one ”Thank you for this unlooked-for presentation It gives me faith that in soathered together, and answers are given” He smiled a little uncertainly ”I will expect your company three days froardens for your own pleasure, and do not hesitate to sendyou lack” He turned and stepped smartly down the steps to his horse
The lictors turned to precede hi Soon the whole co out in the distance
When I reentered the room, I saw it had been discreetly tidied, the sheets whisked away and replaced by fresh linens, s opened, floors swept, and bundles of herbs hung to sweeten the air All gone The night had never happened I wondered if any of the servants had seen Caesar coo; probably not He would have made sure of that