Part 78 (1/2)

He cahts, he stood there manfully and extended his hand to take h the gauze of the veil I could see the other , thin face He nodded to ive us roo the street I peered out as best I could The buildings were handsome ones, the streets swept and clean There were no crowds, as none of this was expected or announced

As ung down another street, I glimpsed the fa enig her sheath of wheat We rattled past her

At the Te the pail of sacred water He wore the customary white linen robe, and his head was shaved Behind him rose a beautiful statue of Isis, carved in the whitest marble I had ever seen My lock of hair lay at her feet, a dark, shi+ning offering

Antony and I stood before hirouped around us He prayed to Isis, she who had institutedher to unite us, bless us, preserve us He asked us if we cae, and we each said yes--Antony loudly, I much quieter I found it hard to speak He asked us to vow fidelity to one another, to live as man and wife, to care for each other the rest of our lives--not fleeing before adversity, he said, or relying on prosperity, but standing side by side in all conditions until death, faced together

A ring was not necessary, but Antony produced it and put it onhe took me as his true wife

The statue of Isis was anointed with sacred water, more prayers were said, the hair dedicated, incense lit Hy voice

It was over We were married Antony took the corner of my veil and tried to lift it ” ”May I see my wife's face?” he asked

But I stopped him ”No Not until much later” That, too, was the Greek custoes, but the way back was ht procession walked ahead of us, singing wedding hye, a still-silent Antony took old necklace lay heavy onfeast awaited--heaps of food, hastily prepared but nonetheless succulent There were roasted boar, smoked bass, oysters, eels, and lobsters, salt fish fro with Hymettan honey, and more of the famous Laodicean wine

I met the officers ere to play such an in: Marcus titius, dark, lean, al but with a bushy beard, sharp eyes, and (I had been told) an even sharper tongue He held it tonight, offering only his congratulations There was also Munatius Plancus, a broad-beaain, Canidius Crassus He had not only a long face but a long body as well, and was exceptionally tall, towering over others He had a mournful look on his face, but later Antony told me he always looked like that Certainly he seeh to me; I did not detect any hostility in his eneral who had driven the Parthians back across the Euphrates, and, as Antony put it, ”ht”

Bassus bowed stiffly Older than the others, he was actually of Caesar's generation

”Bassus is departing for Rome for a well-earned Triumph,” said Antony proudly ”And you will be sure to tell everyone in Rome about today's ceremony, will you not?”

Bassus looked surprised ”Why, yes, if youwant ined Antony wanted it kept quiet, not announced in Rome

”Yes Yes, indeed I do In fact, et”

”No, sir”

”Here, here, is ift!” Antony cried loudly He unrolled a scroll and read off to all the co lands: Cyprus, west Cilicia, the coasts and seaports of Phoenicia and Judaea--excepting only Tyre and Sidon--central Syria, Arabia, and the groves of balsahts to the Dead Sea”

Now all conversation ceased, and I could sense the shock and anger in the room Antony rolled the scroll up and placed it in my hands, then folded them over it ”It is yours All is yours”

I realized that he had given hts that were technically not his, such as the ones in Jericho and the Dead Sea, and Arabia He had gone beyond even what I had asked

”I thank you,” I said, and now at last I felt hostility around me

It was time to depart for our chae company, then escorted inside The doors were closed, but just outside the the bridal song, and we stood and listened

Happy groo took place and the wo face is ith love

My bride, your body is a joy, Your eyes as soft as honey, And love pours its light on your perfect features Using all her skill, Aphrodite honored you

No woroom, was like her

The voices faded away, and I could hear the footsteps departing We were truly alone

Now Antony lifted off the veil, freeing my face

”Yes, it is true,” he said, ”No woman who ever was, is like you” He finally kissedbefore the bed, I spoke ”I am scarred I am not what I was” The birth of the twins had left its ed

He took my face in his wide hands ”You earned theht I would have forgotten his body, but I had not The body has a memory of its own and mine remembered his, every aspect of it

How had I passed those four years without it?

Tiether, I would get up and look out at the dark plain stretching beyond the palace, at the starry sky, its constellations ht sky of Antioch, as it holds itself in late autumn, will always be a consecrated memory for me I cannot separate it fro to do e did

Chapter 55

For the first few days I foundin disbelief, I am e it entailed I was almost thirty-three, and had been alone--fiercely alone--allwith Caesar in Alexandria with the palace under fire, living with Antony when he caether those had only added up to a year--one year out of thirty-three I had borne children and raised the Mardian and Epaphroditus for advice and guidance only, but having no conflict between their wishes and e it entailed I was almost thirty-three, and had been alone--fiercely alone--allwith Caesar in Alexandria with the palace under fire, living with Antony when he caether those had only added up to a year--one year out of thirty-three I had borne children and raised the Mardian and Epaphroditus for advice and guidance only, but having no conflict between their wishes and mine

Now I had a partner, politically and personally, and it felt as odd and cu necklace on my neck It was beautiful, it was valuable, it was enviable--but it felt unnatural

Not that Antony was difficult to live with I knew already how accoh spirits could turn any ordinary day into a celebration That was part of his charm But now our plans must meld, our aims must be the same; there was no e could extricate ourselves from each other, no way to say, You do this; it is of no consequence tome We You do this; it is of no consequence tome We were now of immense consequence to each other were now of immense consequence to each other

It hat I wanted, had thought I wanted And his ic alas that when I was actually with him, these doubts and reservations vanished

Winter closed in on Antioch What was a delightful su, torrential rains I wished to return to Alexandria, but Antony needed to stay where he was to ready his army Reluctant to leave him so soon, I stayed There were, of course, the usual festivities that abound wherever soldiers gather, especially in the winter

And there were the nights we spent together--so reports and ies, while I allowedpoetry and philosophical essays--and others passionate, fueled by our long separation, both past and future, heightened by the wonder that we actually possessed one another

And, inevitably, there were quarrels A letter cae could have reached her Antony read it aloud,it sound almost comically dull

” 'and you would certainly have enjoyed the reading by Horace, which he presented at the gathering at the home of Maecenas' Oh yes, I' then7” he a off”

”Oh, is that what got it off7 No wonder Octavia staged Horace readings regularly” No wonder Octavia staged Horace readings regularly”