Part 63 (1/2)

Alone in my cabin, I sank down in the bed to sleep at last There had certainly been none during the night I pulled the covers over ht strea into the rooifts, had been an enormous expense, but as an investment, it orth it As Mardian and Epaphroditus were both fond of saying, it was part of the cost of doing business But it had not cost a ar cannot dissolve pearls As an apt pupil in Alexandria, that fount of science, I knew that Anything strong enough to dissolve a pearl would dissolve my stomach as well No, the pearl was safe inside h

But for those ere not fortunate enough to have been educated in science in our Museion, well--they had believed it

States master of many areas, even unlikely ones As I drifted off to sleep, I knew I had learned that from Caesar, and that he would be proud of ht He had known I could fight my own battles

HERE ENDS THE FOURTH SCROLL

Chapter 45

THE FIFTH SCROLL

”First Caesar and now Antony!” exclaimed Mardian He raised his eyebrows ”Do you have soo into heat whenever a Ro ones,” put in Oly, they have to be absolute top dog--the rulers,” said Mardian He looked at er

”I think you're cruel!” I said, only half annoyed I had never

”No, we're your friends We're only saying exactly what the Roive you practice in defending yourself”

We were sitting by one of the s overlooking the harbor It inter, and a stor across the sea froed,its deter into its soft depths

”Archelaus was a prince, but you wouldn't have hiht, Olympos, about their position It's the power aspect Archelaus was royal but not powerful, and these Romans are powerful, but not royal Yes, my dear, it's power that excites you”

”Well, what of it?” I bristled

Olyed ”I suppose you wouldn't be a Ptolemy if you didn't lust after power”

”On the other hand, maybe it's married men,” ventured Mardian ”After all, Archelaus--”

”Oh, stop about Archelaus! I liked him, he was a fine man, but--”

”He wasn't a s! You've admitted the power attraction, nohat about the e, of course,” answered Mardian He looked pained

”You are awfully free in interpretingto feel put upon

”It's our hobby,” said Mardian ”We had to do so to a to Alexandria, and I don't want to hear anything about it out of you two!” I said I ht face ”Not us We won't say a word” Then they both collapsed in laughter

After they had left, still laughing, to go to the stables, I sat and stared out at the darkening sky and harbor What they had said was true enough I was hard put to explain it even to myself The political aspects of the situation h I would be ypt safer, with Caesar's successor our guaranteed friend But that could easily have been arranged through diploo to bed with him

I could almost curse the joy of it How much better--better?--it would have been had he turned out to be lackluster, rough, boring, dull, unsavory, even disgusting as a lover Then I would have left with a shudder and no backward glance, reassured that a life of celibacy was preferable to disappointing aer to continue it, I had to aduards Certainly the next night, and the next, I didn't have to have anything to do with hiot myself in an aard situation, to say the least

A cold, spray-laden gust of hipped through theIoff a feeble bit of heat, and warht Thisto hinder what must be and will be The future is veiled from me; I see only what lies directly before me, that Antony will co There would be no sailing for weeks But Antony would come by land

” 'Tis done,before me with a report, which he dutifully presented ”Arsinoe is dead”

His voice was flat I broke the seal on the ed froh altar at the Temple of Artemis, where she had claimed asylum, and killed, by Antony's orders

”Slain on the steps of the temple,” said Mardian prihtly in the dark, had been carried out Caesar had never made such promises, nor would he have allowed himself to be persuaded so easily In that instant I realized the power I had stu nature

”She had no business clai sanctuary,” I said ”Caesar had pardoned her once; she could not expect a second reprieve” People had always taken advantage of that famous clemency But even Caesar had punished second offenders

”They have buried her beside the hthouse of Alexandria,” said Mardian

”She can be as Alexandrian as she wishes now,” I said I went on reading The pretender Ptoleovernor Serapion had fled to Tyre, but it had availed hi He, too, was executed Antony had done as he promised on all three counts

Reports came about Antony's activities in Syria, where Decidius Saxa was appointed governor Next he was in Tyre, and then in Judaea, where hehis way southward, toward Egypt Next he was in Ashkelon, then cauard, across the desert of Sinai to Pelusium It was there that, fourteen years earlier, he had led the cavalry charge that took the city for yptian troops inside that yptians had been fond of him

He arrived in Alexandria on a clear, cold day Messengers had co to announce his arrival, and I had ordered the eastern Gate of the Sun hung with garlands, the wide Canopic Way swept and decorated Along the way I posted guards ould direct hi open upon his arrival Trureat deal of time seeate and the final one at the palace entrance He had been welcomed warmly by the Alexandrians, and his reet hiic Ro your co up the wide stairs of the palace, taking long steps, hurrying toward ht, his curly-haired head high; he fairly gloith strength and exuberance There was no laurel wreath on his head, no helmet, no decorations, not even a soldier's uniform He stepped out in only his own pride and ani everyday clothes He could have been anyone, any colorious future My heart rose at the sight of him

He stopped halfway up the stairs when he saw me, and a radiant sesture of joy and greeting; his cloak swirled around hiracious Queen!” he said Then he sloalked up the few reuest,” I said, extending my hand He took it and pressed it to his lips, and I loved the feel of them

”You return at last to the city that loves you,” I said, bringing hie point we could see , flat porticoes of the Gymnasion, the massive sprawl of the Museion, the solid Temple of Serapis, far away to the south Beyond that, the waters of Lake Mareotis gleamed ”Do you remember?”

”I remember it all,” he said

Everyone but Olympos was lined up to meet him: Mardian, Epaphroditus, the coymnasiarch, the director of the Museion, the chief priests of Isis and Serapis And separate fro in a chair of state, sat Caesarion, wearing his diadem

Antony made his way over to him, and Caesarion said, ”Welcome, cousin Antony”--for they were indeed distant cousins, in the fourth degree How like Caesarion to have known that

Antony bent his knee to hi,” he said Then he reached into the folds of his tunic and swiftly brought out sohten their grips on their swords

”A lizard that haunteda green, buht perhaps he would be a novelty in Alexandria”

Caesarion smiled and stepped down to take the aniister surprise Then he reat friends,” said Antony ”Or she I must confess I cannot tell the difference”

Caesarion laughed like any six-year-old ”Neither can I,” he admitted ”But I will learn!”