Part 39 (2/2)
”No, my love, we are far from any field camp” I raised my head up and rested it on my arm
”More's the pity,” he said ”I think we could be happy there”
”Fighting a war?” I asked, surprised ”Arising every ether?”
”It gives a certain heightened sensibility to one's day” He s for his tunic He put it on in one quick movement ”This is how one dresses in the field”
”So quickly that the eye can hardly follow”
I hoped he was not going to leave Yet I expected it His time was so short At least he would be somewhat ive hied But he did not put on his sandals ”To have you here is a great treasure,” he finally said
”I ypt's status as official Ally and Friend of the Ronized There was no reason to stay longer But I had delayed saying the words ”My place is there”
”I know,” he said ”I know Yet Yet if you could just stay longer” Before I could argue, he raised his voice and hurried on ”It is al season You would have to leave tomorrow in order to travel safely And-- I have not wanted to admit this, hardly even to ht another caue, he raised his voice and hurried on ”It is al season You would have to leave tomorrow in order to travel safely And-- I have not wanted to admit this, hardly even to ht another can”
”What?” I could not believe the words I had just heard ”You have just celebrated four Triurim ”For several days I have wrestled with the ale that I will have to take the field in person again This tio” He shook his head ”It seems to be an open sore that collects and spews every disaffection within the Roman world Insurrection, mutinous troops, disloyal towns--and now the remnants of the party of Pompey: the wreck of Scipio's areneral, and Pompey's two sons It is my misfortune that they escaped from Africa And that they have been able to link themselves with an aro,” I said ”You have other field coo,” I said ”You have other field commanders”
”I sent two already, and they cannot hold the territory Their forces are too sed to crawl ashore, has been welcoions hiainst Labienus Only I After all, I taught him what he knows He learned well”
”But you could lose everything--even your life You cannot leave the work in Roenerals; there is only one Caesar with a plan for Roo” He waited an instant before adding, ”Please wait here for me I will return as quickly as I can”
”What if you don't return?” I hated my words, but I feared for him His luck, his fortune, could not favor hio,” he repeated ”Will you stay here while I a? I cannot stay indefinitely”
”If I fight a winter can,” he said, ”by February it could be over”
”Oh, so you have planned it all already!”
”It planned itself Each war has its own boundaries of time and necessity Noill you answer ain in the spring But more than that is not possible” It ith reluctance that I gave this pro on in Rome without him was not pleasant But my as my word
”Thank you” He lifted both my hands and kissed the of you”
”You should never be afraid to ask ”
”I said it was difficult, not that I was afraid It is difficult because I love you, and I know you would hate to refuse me, but you have always the needs of your own country to consider as well as mine” He smiled ”That is what it ood queen, I could not love her”
The clouds of sunset wereacross the , tinted pink and purple Sunset was an expansive, colorful show in Roman skies
”The hours of your days are so different here,” I said, pointing to the clouds ”We never have sunsets like that”
”I should teach you a little about the history of Rome,” he said ”We have a few sacred artifacts that supposedly go back to our founding In fact, I could show theia Perhaps then you'd have respect for our ancient ways!”
I laughed ”Ancient ways!”
”Don't scoff,” he said I could not tell whether he was serious or not ”You know Rome was founded byTroy And he brought some objects--”
”Someone should write it all up in verse You need a Roe hoe feel history does not exist unless it is celebrated in a national poem, or in monumental stone”
”Such is huia tomorrow-- around the ninth hour--I will show you our treasures As Pontifex Maxiuardian And then, afterward, I would like to show you the plans my architect has drawn up for the library and the theater and the te of Rome, and its future--you can see the whole of it” His eyes were shi+ning, and I saw once again that eager love he had for his city
”Certainly I will,” I assured hi for his sandals when a tousled head peeked in the door, his fat little fingers clasping the fraht, and ran across the carpets, tripping over the hills of cushi+ons He flung out his arms to Caesar, who picked him up, and lowered his face to his, nose to nose
Their faces were very alike At eighteen months, Caesarion's profile was a miniature of Caesar's No one could doubt whose son he was
Caesar hugged hi hihed and shrieked
Then Caesar held hile and kick ”Behold,” he said, ”the new ypt, together The west and the east, one One citizen, one birth, one allegiance”
”But not one language,” I said in Latin
”That isn't necessary,” he answered in Greek ”We will be able to understand each other well enough using our own languages”
Chapter 29
I caia at precisely the time he had indicated He had had business with the Senate in the , and appointments with his secretaries, Balbus and Oppius, in the early afternoon, but he pro tiia, with his house nearby, I found
Caesar's as not mentioned between us I did not wish to question him, and evidently he did not wish to reveal what their relations were As long as I did not have to think of her as a real person--a person watching fro over her barrenness, a person who also dreaded Caesar's departure for another battlefield--I could live with the situation She was Caesar's wife, not mine
Go in at the central door, Caesar had told me I saw a heavy wooden door, decorated with brass bosses, opening directly onto the Via Sacra I pushed it open and let myself in
Two chambers opened on either side, and I could see that they both were dimly lit and smelled of recent incense But the room also opened out onto a paved courtyard, bordered with a wooden portico Since Caesar was not here yet, I thought it would be more pleasant to passleaves high into the air and swirling them
On one side of the courtyard was an abandoned altar There was also a bench, and I sat down on it, ainst this wall I leaned ainst the stone and closedwith the leaves, which crackled and rustled, I became aware of an unmistakable noise inside
There were moans and sharp little cries, and excited whispers Then a lot of thrashi+ng and creaking I heard so fall on a floor--a floor just on the other side of the here I was leaning