Part 41 (1/2)
I motioned to him and drew hi surge of people, looking irritated the whole ti ”But no, you cannot be Cleopatra during Saturnalia You must be someone else--take another name”
”Oh, very well,” I said ”I shall be: Queen Hatshepshut”
”No, not a queen Queens cannot be queens You ether”
”Then I shall become--Charmian!” I squeezed her arm ”And she hed ”I would choose Socrates”
Octavian made a face ”Oh, not him! You don't want to take hemlock, do you?”
”No Well, then, Plato”
”What staid longings you have!” said Octavian ”I wish to be Achilles!”
”Why, are you consue?” I asked him That Octavian, as so self-contained, should want to be the ferocious Achilles!
”No, but I wonder what it is to be the greatest warrior in the world”
”Why are you here?” I had thought my eyes mistaken when I had seen him ”Caesar said you were to accoot a fever, and could not leave with hiave a h
”Have you had any word?” I hatedthat I had not
”Yes,” said Octavian proudly ”He has reached Spain safely All is well”
It had taken a month to hear only that he had arrived Battles had already been fought since then--
”Thanks be to all the Gods!” I paused ”What is the situation there? What did he find?”
A raft of celebrants swept past us, stuible chorus of words tumbled off their lips
Octavian moved closer to me ”This is a bad place to talk,” he said ”I can hardly hear you” Another knot of people, co like the current of a river, bu hirabbing his ar audience!” said a woman with ivy vines twined in her hair
”Perhaps,” said Octavian ”Thank you”
”Who was that?” asked Ptolenore theo?” He turned tojust to lie in bed at home!”
”I hardly think their fare would be suitable for you,” said Octavian ”Anything Cytheris is in is filthy” As soon as the words were out of his mouth, and I saw the expression on his face, I knew that he reia
”Cytheris,” I said, trying to smooth out the aard moment I had no wish to cause him embarrassment, or to have him associate me with humiliation ”I think I have yptian entertainave,” I corrected hiave,” I corrected him ”But why should I remember her?”
”In the first place, because she is beautiful In the second, because she is scandalous In the third, because sheon Marc Antony, her lover at the time”
”At the time?”
”Yes, Fulvia has won the battle for hio Now supposedly Antony has reformed himself But I suspect he's out in the crowd soe” He sniffed ”It looks as though Cytheris has consoled herself well enough for her broken heart”
”Can we go?” Ptole first,” I said ”Now--about Spain” I was desperate for any news of the situation I needed to knohat Caesar had found there
Octavian knitted his brows ”It seeone over to the eneions Two of those are veteran ones, left over frouarding Corduba, and the rest are spread out over the countryside Caesar has eight legions--four veteran--and they are better trained than the enemy's So they may be evenly matched--the superior nu of the other's One bright spot--Caesar has eight thousand cavalry, supplied by Bogud, against the other's six thousand”
I felt a coldness take hold of me, as if the December temperature could penetrate under my skin ”Evenly matched,” I said ”I suppose Labienus will duplicate his tactics in Africa and do everything possible to prolong the war and avoid a pitched battle They They are already situated there, after all, under roofs, while Caesar must live in the open field!” I hated Labienus as I despised all disloyal people--in ht, disloyalty is the most heinous of all crimes are already situated there, after all, under roofs, while Caesar must live in the open field!” I hated Labienus as I despised all disloyal people--in ht, disloyalty is the most heinous of all crimes
”Then it will be Caesar's task to duplicate his victory in Africa by drawing them out onto a battlefield,” said Octavian ”He rates--the very area where Caesar had served as governor, and was their patron! No ground was safe, nothing permanently secured, then
”Oh, Cleopatra, dearest sister--can we please please go to the play?” Ptole at me
We went I took the entire household withof Ro her brother's prurient interests Actually I was pleased that so had stirred Ptolemy's interest, for the truly sick are not interested in plays Nor in scandalous actresses
The Romans had a very divided opinion on drama They were not an aesthetic people, and the subtleties of Greek tragedies did not appeal to them--did they not understand them? Perhaps not They preferred the siladiators to the agonizing of Oedipus Theslave--those they understood So their plays revolved around such themes and characters
And, yes, the play as filthy Most likely Ptolemy did not understand the worst parts, but soht a red blush to his cheeks filthy Most likely Ptolemy did not understand the worst parts, but soht a red blush to his cheeks
Cytheris was indeed beautiful, and I understood how she was received-- or sehest circles of Roh we like to deny this
When we left the theater, fluffy white specks were descending fro little hissing noises as they did so TTie paving stones were covered in what looked like a thick frost
”Snow!” I said ”Thisat it The flakes that fell all over us were like chopped feathers--light and floating They caught in folds of our gar, on our lips
”Snow,” said Ptoleht never to see it for myself!”
It stuck on our shoes,coldness When our litter bearers took us home, I could see the path their feet reat deal of snow in Spain, where Caesar had to live under leather tents outdoors
To occupy ht myself much about Rome I saw most of her for reatest ardens of Lucullus laid out on the Esquiline, and,towith its hospital The Greek God of healing had found a ho, muddy Tiber