Part 70 (1/2)

”I see you didn't go through with it,” he said sadly

”I couldn't,” I whispered ”I didn't want to”

”You shouldn't have been afraid I told you--”

”I wasn't afraid,” I assured him ”But you see--as hard as it is to explain--I love this child--even though I don't yet know its face or naht You are not able to explain it Not coherently, anyway” Defeated, he took up the bottle, the basket, and disappeared It was not yet dawn, and by the ti!” the whole night seemed a drea, Don't protect me at your own cost I won't allow it Don't protect me at your own cost I won't allow it Or perhaps it was the child itself, calling out to ood sense I would never know Or perhaps it was the child itself, calling out to ood sense I would never know

I just lay in bed, feeling weak Iras was chattering away, talking about the weather and whether it would be warh to eat outside on the terrace

”Iras,” I finally said, ”I aer” I pulled the covers up over ht

Days passed I had no desire to call Olyreat sense of deliverance I kept iht all this will be only a ht all this will be only a memory It will be past I was thankful that what I still had was not atoward me I was thankful that what I still had was not atoward me

There were bits and pieces of news Antony had reached Tyre From there he sailed on to Rhodes, then to Ephesus--the Parthians had been stopped east of that Everything else they held, including Tarsus, so lately Antony's playground I wondered what had happened to the new gymnasion there, the proud symbol of Greek life Such odd concerns coer ones

From Ephesus, Antony had sailed on to Athens, where he planned to gather the legions fro off attacks to the north, and so he kneould have to call on his legions stationed in faraway Gaul, and bring the for Antony in Athens were his general Munatius Plancus, and his other general, his wife Fulvia I tried to picture the reunion, and failed-- probably because I did not wish to see it inletter arrived from one of Mardian's informants, and he hurried in to show it toit out at me ”You can trust the writer; he was one of my fellow students here at the palace school, and quite a storyteller”

I took the letter, half reluctantly, and read it Now that it was here, did I wish to know?

”My s--” and so on; I skipped the personal items

The arrival of the Triumvir Antonius has caused a stir here, because all the world waits to see what he will do We already knehat he has only just now learned: that his fellow Triuions in Gaul, upon the opportune death of their commander, and Antonius's friend, Calenus So he has just lost eleven legions, and not to the Parthians The general Plancus and Fulvia hoped for a better reward for all their efforts on Antonius's behalf Not only has he not commended them, but he seems (from e hear) to have blamed them for his troubles

I put the letter down for a moment ”But it is Octavian who is the cause of his troubles!” I said aloud Mardian merely raised his eyebrows

sextus has sent representatives, including his own father-in-law, to negotiate with Antonius, offering him an alliance, and lately Antonius'sin favor of sextus She had taken refuge with hi, which caused much disruption and discontent in Italy

Antonius refused to considerthe alliance with sextus, and instead set out for Italy He had harsh words with his wife, who atte by his liaison with your your sovereign mistress, Cleopatra (And here I n mistress, Cleopatra (And here I must say, Mardian, that it has has caused a scandal; there was talk of little else all winter here! The tales we heard of revels night and day, oxen roasting twelve at a tiies, some sort of Club of Excess caused a scandal; there was talk of little else all winter here! The tales we heard of revels night and day, oxen roasting twelve at a tiies, some sort of Club of ExcessYour Your dutiesones! I should have stayed in Alexandria and made a palace career forthan what I do now, being librarian for our gy ones! I should have stayed in Alexandria and made a palace career forthan what I do now, being librarian for our gy how I furnished a topic of conversation to while away the hours of bored people A Club of Excess!

Fulvia fell ill on the way to the shi+ps, and the ione on with Plancus Gone where? Sailed west, is all we know The problem is that Domitius Ahenobarbus, the lone Republican ad the waters between here and Italy Antonius is heading right into the teeth of his fleet

I lowered the paper That was all there was concerning Antony; the rest was all personal and local

”Thank you,” I told Mardian ”This is much more informative than official correspondence” I paused, ”So I have caused a scandal?”

”You always do,” he said shyly, shrugging ”Even in the days of the Egyptian Club, rehed ”Scandals are just the earmark of an extraordinary person What you do is unexpected, and noteworthy”

”That is a flattering way of putting it, but I shall not argue” And wait until the next iteht More for the Athenians to talk about next winter

But after he left, glooions lost? His own eastern territory had been seized, and noas being shut out of the west by the ypt should also prepare, in case the Parthians turned their eyes in our direction Thanks to the recent good harvest, we had the resources to arm ourselves, and my new navy was al resistance; ould not be easily overcoh sus happened in the world shi+ps sailed, aralloped where they would And events gathered force like a co last a letter came from Antony himself It had been sent from Athens, before he departed, and so the news in it was old Where was he now? WTiat had happened since?

My own soul, Since we parted hts have flown to be with you every day, but they are deaf and dumb They cannot speak to you, nor I hear what they overhear you say Hence they do little good, except that they are able to be where I wish to be O lucky thoughts! How like the drear tih all the world would say it is summer Perhaps to others it is

As for what I have found: the Parthians victorious as far west as Stratonicea But their advance has been stopped It is necessary that I go to Ros are unsettled I have told sextus that only if my solemn pact with Octavian and Lepidus has been irretrievably broken will I negotiate with him separately Thus it must be

I shook ions away, he refused to think ill of him Or rather, refused to act on what he must sense

My friend and client Herod has slipped away froainst the Parthians He expects to travel to Egypt; please welcome him, and in my name provide him with a shi+p to come to Rome He must be restored to the throne of Judaea friend and client Herod has slipped away froainst the Parthians He expects to travel to Egypt; please welcome him, and in my name provide him with a shi+p to come to Rome He must be restored to the throne of Judaea

A thousand kisses on your hand, your throat, your lips thousand kisses on your hand, your throat, your lips

M A

I could albox for private correspondence I noted that he had not mentioned Fulvia

Several weeks passed, with no further news--at least fro htest silk, proclaiowns and begin wearing the to excite attention Thus I hoped to keepas possible I owns, and soon everyone at court was i huainst the white marble I must say, it was one of the loveliest seasons we had ever had

Mardian had even let hihter colors and a looser fit in his clothes than usual, and pronounced the, this did not surprise ht belts and fitted shoulders must have been torture to him, yet as my head minister he had to dress formally much of the time Thus he benefited fro into my quarters, his eyes excited I noted that he had a new type of sandal to go with his clothes--they had a special strap circling the big toe, and another for the rest of the toes Around the soles, gilded lotuses were painted directly on the leather

He aving a letter ”This has just arrived!” he said

I took it ”It ood news, from the look on your face,” I said ”Pray, pour yourself some of this cool juice; it is a ood” I indicated the pitcher ona sareed, nodding He seated hiown precisely

The letter was froyptian envoy at Apollonia, on the west coast of Greece, where the great an Situated on a narrow strait of the Adriatric, directly across fro post for both Greece and Italy

Most dread and powerful Queen, greetings! Such a sight as we have seen with our own eyes shall never be forgotten, and I shall try to make you see it as well The fleet, so in our waters They always excited terror, because they have attacked Brundisiu them with apprehension Fro, and were told they were those of the Triu the bulk of his fleet behind, Antony sailed boldly out tohimself completely at his eneral Asinius Pollio had negotiated an agreement with Ahenobarbus--was false dread and powerful Queen, greetings! Such a sight as we have seen with our own eyes shall never be forgotten, and I shall try to make you see it as well The fleet, so in our waters They always excited terror, because they have attacked Brundisiu them with apprehension Fro, and were told they were those of the Triu the bulk of his fleet behind, Antony sailed boldly out tohimself completely at his eneral Asinius Pollio had negotiated an agreement with Ahenobarbus--was false