Part 66 (2/2)
”I repeatit as mere love-play
”Yes,” I said ”Marry me, join our forces, and I shall never betray or desert you All you want, I can deliver into your hands”
”All I want?” he said ”I have no desire for more than I already have”
”Which you see,” I said ”To retain what you have, you will have to reach for more”
”I am no Caesar,” he finally said ”What made his heart leap up does not tempt me If you ”think to have found a second Caesar, I must disappoint you”
”It isn't a second Caesar I want, but an Antony who attains the stature that he deserves Do not settle for less than your destiny”
”Ah, you rand Destiny Stature Very noble Makes the blood sing But I must look at what it really nant?”
He laughed ”How can you say that?”
”Because you seem to shrink from it But I know that you are actually drawn to it” I paused ”Be careful, or I reedy for glory, no et it”
”I hope you are joking” Antony looked alare with Octavian,” I assured hiuaranteed he would treat me as he did Claudia”
”No chance of that I know he has a lust for you”
That was unexpected ”How do you know that?”
”I could feel it,” said Antony ”And I would rather slay you than let him satisfy his curiosity”
His outburst took me by surprise--both his assertion about Octavian and his possessiveness
”Then take e would not be recognized in Rome,” he said
Yes, I had heard that before But if he only had one wife, it would have to be honored
”So I have offered, and you have refused” I stood up and s” I tried toyou, but politically--”
”I know Our ins”
I paced ht, until Charmian inquired anxiously if I wished a sleep potion But I wanted the opposite: so to sharpen my wits, to unlock ideas I needed to think, thinkoffered an opportunity that comes only once in the lifetime of a man, and not to all men, but only to a very few For all the talk about the Fortune of Caesar, had he not been bold enough to snatch at it as it passed, he would have rerab it, wrestled with it, and a neorld order was born We could not turn back
Rome had taken over the west, and part of the east It was easier to take over such priin lands as Gaul than to take real: Babylon, and Syria, and Arabia And Egypt, oldest and strongest of all What was Rome to do with them? They could never be Roman, speak Latin, think like Romans Yet that is what Rome would try to make them do, I knew it In would come the administrators, the census takers, the tax farhshod over all the ways that had stood since the beginning of ti all the wisdoe
Alexander had known better; he had tried to forge a new race fro all intact Caesar had known better, and his wider views had been part of what killed him Octavian was parochial, local, entirely focused on the country of Rome and Italy Should his vision prevail, the east would wither and die, ground under the hobnail boots of the Ro it
And Antony? In many ways he had Caesar's wider outlook He was not prejudiced against souise was treated with contempt in Rome, but appreciated by his eastern subjects He was sensitive to their outlook and beliefs; he was the one Roone that far
Outside, I could see the beacon of the Lighthouse winking There was so lorious history--the collective intellect and spirit of the Greek world Surely its star could not be setting already Should Octavian prevail, that ould happen
No empire can be ruled by two men One must always, ultimately, make a bid for supreme power That Octavian would do so, I had no doubt But he would need tith If the contest were held today, he would lose
Antony was better suited to follow Caesar, with me as his partner What I said about two people did not apply to husband and wife They could rule jointly: I would speak for the eastern peoples, and Antony for the western And our children would inherit all, heralding a new race of international citizens
Our childrenfor there was to be a child, I had just realized A child that should wear the mantle of both worlds, but be bound by neither
Antony stood highest in all the civilized world now--the avenger of Caesar, the victor of Philippi, the senior partner of Octavian It was all his for the taking It was necessary necessary, for the well-being of all the realms under his protection, that he take over I would be his faithful partner, the balance to the Roht on the other side of the scales Why could I notback and forth He was too ations to Octavian, to the Triumvirate, which was due to expire in only three years Three years in which Octavian would consolidate his gains, grow stronger Then what? Strength is always obtained at soreater unless Antony grew less
Oh, Antony, I thought, awake! Take what fortune is offering you She never offers twice
Chapter 47
”Cos later He had co at me expectantly I hoped to convince his of my country
”I don't understand,” he said, as we rode in a chariot to the docks and dise warehouse owned by Epaphroditus and his co us
”I want you to suspend all judght, you must think about it--think of all it entails Of all it can mean”
We entered the cavernous warehouse, warh ere set in the walls to allow us to see quite well Epaphroditus ca all before hiht he was the handsomest man I had ever beheld--in the flesh Statues did not count, being only a sculptor's wish
Antony was rocking back and forth i the rows of amphorae and sacks of wool, and rolled his eyes
”This is my trusted finance minister, my dioiketes dioiketes, Epaphroditus,” I said ” ”He has a Hebrew nahten theby the remark
Epaphroditus bowed and said, ”It is indeed an honor to ain
”A triple arch,” I said ”But the other two are outflankings This arch could stand alone; the other two could not”
Epaphroditus raised his eyebrows ”To be the support of others can be draining Only the strong can sustain it Welco wished to speak personally with you I trust you are enjoying our city?”
”Yes, indeed ” And so the pleasantries ran on for a few moments
Finally I knew it could be politely ended ”I wish Lord Antony to be apprised of the financial structure of Egypt,” I told Epaphroditus ”And I wish hiranaries for wheat and produce, the oil factories, the merchant fleet, the warehouses of papyrus, wool, salt, natron, the spices And the books to go with them”