Part 79 (2/2)

I was half afraid to spread them out I did not want my suspicions confirmed I did not want to let the force of Caesar loose in the roo down their corners with --but with new, unknown thoughts--rose up and hititself to me--the ink, the very letters Hownovel, contain a e from him that was brand new

There were sketches, hastyink, I could see that it was as Antony had said: This was the route he had uaranteed success I felt ashament should it have differed fro me intently He had watchedto penetrate hts I hoped they had not been transparent

”You see?” he said defensively ”It is as I said”

”Of course it is,” I said ”But I gather he planned to garrison Armenia, whereas you--”

”I told you I cannot spare the --”

”Yes, yes, you did I only ions I h Caesar meant to take Ecbatana and thereby cut Babylon off from Parthia proper”

”So shall I But first Ecbatana must be reached, and before that Phraaspa must be taken”

”Of course” Carefully I folded up the papers I hated to close them so soon, but they had toldof old memories and future conquests ”Here” I handed them back

He returned them to their place, like a priest before a shrine Perhaps that hat he was In Rome he served as a priest to the cult of Julius Caesar, but here on the borders of the Ro capacity, as the heir of Caesar and the executor of his last wishes--and what could be a higher act of respect and worshi+p than that?

Snapping the lid shut on the box, he said fiercely, ”The Parthians knew of his plans, and rejoiced in his ent to help the assassins in their last stand at Philippi In doing so they have marked themselves for retribution We cannot let that pass unpunished”

”No We cannot” We hold, as relentlessly as Caesar himself, and in his na In the dark night, in winter's grip, it seemed impossible that eather would return, and that Antony would actually set out for Parthia It was a long journey--over three hundred miles to the spot where he and Canidius would h et, lay another hundred and fifty to the south: a total that approached a thousand Roman miles, and over difficult terrain, infested with enemies A land gering undertaking It would be a miracle if he reached Ecbatana by winter Thepoint in the plans--he could not cross the ti!” I burst out

He turned around and came back to the table ”Yes,” he said ”And it see time already, because year after year I have had to postpone the ca else--attending to his needs, rushi+ng back to Italy at his beck and call, only to be kept waiting and ignored!” His voice grew angry, an unusual thing to hear ”He has put stu to keep n!”

”Yes, and we knohy,” I said ”Because he would not have you attain the position that fate has reserved for you Thanks be to Isis that your eyes have finally seen his ! Now let sextus sink him in their next sea battle When you return fro left of Octavian but an eone, its hull s up the maps ”Have you seen what you wished?” he asked politely

”Yes” I had seen the nitude of the task that lay before him ”I will come with you, at least to Armenia,” I said ”Perhaps farther”

He looked startled ”You are welco the cayptian h to support six legions for a year Antony had had difficulty raising funds in the east, which rung dry by Cassius and then the Parthians Our allies had little left to give ”I will not distract you” I could not resist teasing him

”I would insist that you turn back before we cross the mountains,” he said ” ”One of us must survive the war”

I put my arht of the Ninety-nine Soldiers ”Yes I know”

”Before we set out,” he said, ”please send for our children I wish to see them, in case--in case--”

In case I am one of the Ninety-nine, and not the Hundredth

”Yes Of course”

I wondered if Octavian was even now saying to Livia that the Parthians would take care of Antony for him--just as I had said sextus would take care of Octavian for us

Chapter 56

Surrounded by a hundred shades of green--the deep reen of spring reen of old olive leaves, and far away on the flat plain, the many hues of just-sown crops, and beyond even that, the dancing blue-green of shalloaters in the Gulf of Alexandretta--I felt as though I were in a painting on the wall of a Ro up into the sky, and we stretched out on its flanks, eating our picnic in the warm sunshi+ne

Frooat-bells froher up on the mountain, and fancied they were those of Pan himself, and tht if I strained my ears harder I could hear his pipes

”Here” Antony leaned over and placed a crown of wildflowers on my head Their delicate leaves and petals felt cool on olds was lulling Idly I pulled it off my head and looked at the bands of intertwined flowers

”What is this?” I asked, seeing an unfamiliar pinkish floith twisted, curly leaves

”A wild orchid,” he said

I was areat hts ”Sometimes I have had to survive on what I found there” Hefarther down the hill, holding up two smaller crowns for them

”Crowns for my wife, crowns for hed, see himself

”You will earn yours,” I assured him ”When you conquer Parthia--”

”No talk of that,” he said quickly ”I would not think of anything today but the blue skies and the racing clouds And spring on the hillside with you, and the over the stones that studded the er to play in the open air as any colt or kid

”For you, Your Majesty,” Antony said sole the coronet on Alexander's head, where it was all but lost in his thick curls ”And you” He had one for Selene, this one with ally

”Well done,” he said ”You see, that queenly gesture comes from you,” he said to me ”It's inherited, not learned”

I put my arms around their shoulders Antony seemed inordinately proud of the theether, the resemblance between Alexander and him was quite marked-- Alexander had the same husky frame and wide face--but the true si, exuberant personalities Alexander never brooded, ora tumble

Selene was a bit of a mystery, as befitted a child named for the moon She was not really like either of us, and with her pale coloring she looked as though she came from far to the north She was quiet, but unusually self-possessed, and seldos, either of joy or sorrow

As promised, I had sent for them, and they had been with us for al to confer with me about matters of state, as well as to ascertain my plans for the next few enial to his tastes, enjoying their frivolity and overlooking their renowned tendency toward luxury and quarrelsomeness

”Alexandrians can be described the same way,” he had said

”Antiochenes are less intellectual than Alexandrians,” I had said, defending my city

”When a mob forms in Alexandria, it is not particularly intellectual,” he said ”You kno volatile they are”