Part 31 (2/2)
But he refused to rise to the bait Thethe plates and getting ready for our last course, the mensa secunda mensa secunda--a selection of rich, sweet treats We would drink possum possum with them, a heavy raisin wine with theht out honey custard, made with Attic honey, and a preserve of pears Last they brought a platter heaped high with poranates Caesar took the top knowingly at me
At last I have found soranate, and each section fits perfectly together last I have found soranate, and each section fits perfectly together I remembered those words he had spoken in Alexandria Yet here, in Rome, surrounded by his family-- was he more like them, or more like me? Which was he, truly? I remembered those words he had spoken in Alexandria Yet here, in Rome, surrounded by his family-- was he more like them, or more like me? Which was he, truly?
”What will happen?” I asked, so low that only he could hear it I sa that nothing was settled, nothing safe Thepieces in Egypt with one quick brush of his hand, was just a man at a dinner in Rome, surrounded by cold, unfriendly friends And beyond theenuine animosity I sensed it We don't believe in that in Rome We don't believe in that in Rome What could be Caesar's ultimate place here? What could be Caesar's ultimate place here?
”I know not,” he answered, equally softly
I had thought the dinner was over, but I was surprised to hear thenew tunes, and Caesar said, ”Friends, I wish you to be the first to hear the beginning of a coood friend, the praetor praetor Aulus Hirtius, has begun to recount it, and I invited hi both his account and his faun to recount it, and I invited hi both his account and his famous mulberries in sapa”
Everyone murmured expectantly, and I later was told that Hirtius ell known for his refined tastes in food His ular ones
A pleasant-lookinghi dish I could see the deep reddish purple berries inside
”It isof the war before those who lived it,” he said ”Your Majesties, I beg you to correct anything I say that is wrong As you know full well, I was not there” He nodded to us, looked around at the co ” ( (Bello A/- A/-exandrino conflato Caesar Rhodo atque ex Syria Ciliciaque oe' ”
Caesar frowned He knew Ptolemy and I could not follow it Yet I wished he would just let Hirtius continue It gave me an opportunity to look carefully at the others, to study theuard and responding to coranted Caesar held up his hand ”I pray you, our royal guests are not as practiced in Latin as the rest of the company I believe they could better enjoy it in Greek”
”Oh yes Of course” Hirtius shut his eyes and went back to the beginning ” 'When the Alexandrian War flared up, Caesar summoned every fleet from Rhodes and Syria and Cilicia; from Crete he raised archers, and cavalry from' ”
The berries had been ladled out into slassas an Alexandrian specialty Who had thought of this touch--Caesar or Hirtius? I tasted the berries, finding thehly productive and abundantly supplied as it was, the city furnished equipment of all kinds The people themselves were clever and very shrewd' ” Hirtius's voice droned on I had trouble following hi fro roouely sweet
Octavian started coughing, a high-pitched, fretful hacking It was only then that I realized that his fragile beauty ht be the result of illness He had the transparent look of a consuot control of himself
Then he continued, ” 'Yet, as far as I a the Alexandrians and proving them to be neither deceitful nor foolhardy, it would be a case of ets to know both the breed and its breeding, there can be no doubt whatever that as a race they are extremely prone to treachery' ”
”I object!” said Ptoles?”
”I believe what Hirtius an Caesar
”No, let Hirtius speak for himself!” Ptolemy insisted
Hirtius looked around to be rescued ”It is a well-known fact that the mob of Alexandria is volatile, violent, and fickle,” he said ”Even in peacetime, they riot! Isn't that true?” He turned to me
”Yes,” I had to admit ”They are difficult to rule Ever since they more or less deposed”--how I hated that word!--”Ptolerown ever more strident When I was a child they rioted because a Roman had inadvertently killed a cat When I caot much worse They drove ht theovernable Now they have met their master”
”In other words,” said Brutus, ”Caesar arrived to put down the people, to force so on them they did not wish?”
”You make them sound like heroes,” I said ”These same heroic people are the ones who turned on their benefactor Poe on our shores They are not noble, ard all moral laws”
”It was not the people who killed Pompey,” he insisted, ”but a corrupt palace faction”
”Supported by the people,” I said stubbornly One would have to have grown up in Alexandria to understand it This Brutus had all sorts of s he had never seen
”And this corrupt faction embraced some of the royal fa led a captive in the Triumph, and the other has paid with his life,” said Servilia As she spoke she s swung to and fro
Caesar's eye was caught by them, and his voice softened ”I see you still enjoy the treasures of Britain,” he said
Brutus looked down at his mulberries and fell abruptly silent
”Is it true you invaded Britain just to satisfy Servilia's love of pearls?” asked Octavia Her question was straightforward and see nonetheless
”Who started such stupid gossip?” said Caesar ”People will not desist fro and inane stories about me!”
”I--I did not start it,” said Octavia, her low, pleasing voice tre
”Then don't repeat it!” he barked ”I would never conduct aled to beat his anger down ”I explored Britain and clailory of Ro, then closed it in a hard, straight line
A hot gust of wind came in, followed by a rumble in the distance Hirtius's papers rattled Ga, but a clap of thunder drowned hiht here in the garden
”My friends,” said Caesar, ”perhaps we should cease with the recitation and allow you to return home before the storm comes These summer thunderstor Caesar profuse thanks, they did not linger One by one they said farewell to me as well--Servilia and Octavia kindly, Brutus and Calpurnia curtly Octavian said he would be pleased to show me about, or to answer any questions, whenever I wished I assured hihed his way out the door, accorippa
There remained only Ptolemy, Hirtius, and me Caesar said, ”Dear Hirtius, thank you for your recitation I will send both you and Ptolemy home in the litter; I an Ptole to break any antic clap of thunder boomed out
We were alone in the room; Calpurnialoose leaves, flapped the doors against the wall They hit so hard they chipped so a seaside, behind the the air and illuht
I shi+vered There was coldness wrapped in the ushes of air I had never seen thunderbolts before, even though our Ptolele with thunderbolts in his talons I was not prepared for the power of the
”Thank you for the dinner,” I said ”It was--”
”Unpleasant,” he finished for me ”Yet it was necessary Now all of you have seen one another; curiosity has been satisfied”
”Why did you invite Brutus? He is not of your family”
”No, in spite of idiotic ruusted ”Yet in sorown son, I would wish him to be like Brutus”
”Why?” He had see in any human vivacity
”He has a purity about him that's rare His outside is the sa that one has no desire to get to know his inside,” I said