Part 62 (2/2)
”You are extravagant,” said Antony, his eyes roving fro to another
”Hardly,” I said ”This is modest I kno to spend ten times this much on one dinner”
”Iuests”
”I could do so this very instant,” I said ”With these very guests, and keeping almost the same menu” An idea had come to me, and I meant to use it ”If I can do so, will you relent and co ”Yes But you uests, no expensive presents suddenly added Just this banquet, with these guests, and this food”
”Agreed” Ivinegar,” I said, ”and bring it to ar is hardly very expensive”
I ignored hier I have bet him that I can make this banquet cost over a million sesterces He,says it is impossible for any banquet to cost that uests Ah” I reached out and took the vinegar-filled goblet ”Thank you”
Antony was leaning forward on his elboatching
”Now,” I said, reoblet, where it landed with a plunk and then sank to the bottooblet, and they could all hear the pearl rolling inside ”It will dissolve and I will drink it--the oblet up in both hands, gently shaking it
Everyone was staring, and Antony looked shocked I kept shaking the goblet until I felt it was tiht it to asp
”Bitter!” I said ”Vinegar, even flavored with pearl, is still rough Another goblet, please! All of you ht a second one, and I started to unfasten the other pearl, but Dellius cried out, ”No, stop! It is unnecessary! Do not sacrifice the second one!” and Antony reached out and stayed my hand
”You win,” he said quietly ”No need to repeat it”
I returned the goblet to the servant's hands
”You arethere is no word to describe you 'Extravagant' fades beside all this,” Antony said
I looked at hier
As the banquet proceeded, and the dishes were brought out and set daintily before us, I found that the chaed with erotic splendor for er excited uest ofAntony's ar on his elbow It was thick, hts racing through my mind Even his feet, tucked partially under the couch cushi+on, seemed objects of desire I had sed the pearl, and it see him with an aureole of desirability for me, literally from head to toe
Suddenly I could hardly stand another minute of this banquet Let it be over, so we could descend below
When, at long last, it ended, there was still a part for estured toward the couches ”All this is yours,” I said ”And the vessels and plates you have used, as before”
Since these were finer work and made of more precious material, everyone's mouth fell open
”As before, do not worry about how to transport them My servants will do that But in addition, I wish to present you all with horses which I brought, along with their trappings eold These boys fro into the cha one of the torches fro the horses”
The banquet was now over, and the guests could take their leave But there was oneto do before they departed I took Antony's hand in ht, and farewell Lord Antony and I will now take our leave” I turned and left the cha Antony's hand, and went directly to e on deck and realize that Antony had vanished, and would not be going ashore with them And there was only one place he could be, since no one actually has the power to vanish
Inside the private cabin, I leaned against the door and shut my eyes It was over And I had played my part well One never knows in advance
Antony was standing in theelse to happen--a serpent to glide out frohostly chorus to start wailing
I went over to hiht for this,” I said And it was true
”Then youdown to res that are cold” Gently he unfastened the collar of gems and laid it on a table ”And the braids Take the thele as the blood rushed back into it It took a long tith, all h it with his fingers It ain,” he said, kissinghad had the same effect on hiive in and e off our fever and reduce our desire to a nor beside me in the dark, he said, ”I see you decided to tell the world after all” He was still trying to catch his breath
”Yes,” I said, laying my head on his chest My words were probably er, nor had I any wish to”
He kissed the top of ently ”Then the fat is in the fire, as the cooes”
”It isn't the fat that is in the fire, it is us” And it was true This fire in the bloodould it be banked, die down?
”Yes, much fire” He sounded as if he did not, at this moment, es there, new factors, new contestants I myself did not like it when Octavian arrived to claim his inheritance”
”And set aside my son's” I paused ”For Caesar had a true son, not this adopted interloper”
”Still, it was Caesar's oill that named him,” said Antony ”I think he left you out of it froht your own battles, with no help from him”
My own battles Yes There was one more matter to be settled before I set sail ”Antony ” I hated to interject politics, but Ifor me My sister Arsinoe, in Ephesus, helped the assassins You should have sunized her as Queen of Egypt, and it was she who persuaded Serapion, the governor of Cyprus, to yield my fleet to them I have even received reports that inthe political waters to see if there is any support re for her in Alexandria And then there is a new pretender to be Ptolemy XIII, whom Caesar himself defeated, and who is as dead as it is possible to be All these threaten my throne's stability”
”And?” he asked, his voice soft, still droith amorousness
”Destroy the et his proain ”Promise me Execute them all”
”Yes, my love And I will restore Cyprus to you as well” He knotted his hands in ently pulled my head toward his I opened hts, will never fade from my memory How often we made love, and hoeout in private to relive whenever I feel bereft, or sad, or even wish to divert iven rarely and seldom repeated But it sealed , the joy of the body can equal that of the mind and spirit
When he took his leave, I was not sad This tied and retain its perfection There would be other times, in other places, and they too would be perfect in their own, different, way
”Farewell,hi the shi+p red-gold The la were burnt out, and the dawn revealed theic
”Farewell, ainst his purple cloak ”I will follow as soon as I ,” I said ”Would that you aiting for me when I arrived”
”Only if I could fly would that be possible,” he said ”And that power is not given to man” He broke away, and stood for aall the folds of his garood-bye