Part 123 (1/2)
Antony alrabbed Thyrsus ”So! This is what Octavian sends! A fawning, silly boy! And you!” He rounded onhi hi hi , and spoiled o!”
”Don't take up for him! How dare he take such liberties?” He stuck his face up into Thyrsus's ”Who are you?”
”Octavian's friend and freedman, Thyrsus,” he squeaked out
”A freeder? And a freedypt, sidles up, like a confidant? Oh, the insolence!” here as his ypt, sidles up, like a confidant? Oh, the insolence!”
”Sir,” said Thyrsus, ”I have done no wrong, nor acted disrespectfully The Queen brought me here for her own reasons”
”Is that so?” yelled Antony ”And I suppose she invited you to take her hand? You need to learnthe entrance to the mausoleum came to his call ”Sir?”
”Whip this hly!”
”I am Octavian's official envoy!” he protested ”You dare not--”
He should not have used those words, dare not dare not I attempted to placate Antony I attempted to placate Antony
”Please!” I said ”This violates protocol It is unworthy of you!”
”So now you take his part? I should have known!”
”I only seek to prevent you from rash action that will harm your reputation”
”Tell your et even, he can whip Hipparchus, my old freedman, who deserted me for him!” he shouted at Thyrsus ”Thus I will be doubly satisfied!” He laughed harshly as the soldiers dragged Thyrsus away
”You fool!” I cried ”You've ruined everything!”
”What have I ruined? Your double-dealing with Octavian?” he sneered
”I aypt for my children! It is all we can hope for!”
”So you simper and entertain whomever Octavian sends?” he cried ”I a, the ain of ypt's freedo about our our freedom” freedom”
”I am afraid that is not likely,” I said ”I have limited hopes, not impossible ones”
”What did he say?”
”To my offer, heThyrsus the treasure, so he could comprehend what the offer really meant As for yoursOctavian has rejected it, as I kneould” ”What exactly did he say?” hy I was showing Thyrsus the treasure, so he could comprehend what the offer really meant As for yoursOctavian has rejected it, as I kneould” ”What exactly did he say?”
”That you could find otheraith yourself”
”Perhaps I shall, then!”
”We both shall, when the tiht to soothe hiive the insult to hiainst my offer He would not consider it now
Oh, why did Antony have to co away towith Mardian, I withdrew to think Perhaps I could fix it But Antony must not know I must see Thyrsus before he returned to Octavian's ca Soh to overcouards to go i stopped, if it was still going on, and to detain the man Then notify hi sainst his side, I summoned Olympos, as none too pleased to be hauled from his supper
”Makewounds!” I ordered
He got that superior look on his face ”What kind of wound?” he asked ”They are not all the sa bite? A sword thrust?”
”The stripes fro,” I said
He looked surprised ”Why, who has been whipped?”
”Someone who shouldn't have been!” I said ”Antony has violated every rule of protocol and had Octavian's er whipped!”
Even Olympos looked shocked ”No!” Then, ”What did he do to deserve it?”
”Nothing,” I said ”Nothing, but be young and on the stronger side, and carry hily” That was the truth of it
”Ah” Olympos shook his head ”It is most unlike Antony These are dark days for hiht away I think for raw skin like that, a coar, honey, and bile”
While he was gone, I busiedsome nonsense of a note for Thyrsus to take to Octavian, son withas it pro to open
”Most noble Oct--” No, not that na to lay all e for your soleypt ” Nothing new, but it ords
Holding the precious jar of ointment in my hands and hidden under the shadow of a voluminous hooded mantle, I passed silently down into thethe palace, where Thyrsus was being held
He was slumped on a bench, his thick hair matted with sweat, his head down between his knees In the torchlight I could see the welts on his back, red ruts like miniature cart tracks Little scraps of skin were torn and hanging on each side He was groaning and shi+vering--no longer the proud young envoy
I stood before him and pulled back my hood His eyes had traveled up from the sandals that were no soldier's, all the way tome was evident But he did not rise; perhaps he felt that all rules had gone by the board now
”I cannot erase the stripes froh I wish I had that power But I can give you this--to help heal them” If only it had the power to make them disappear, so Octavian wouldn't see them But that was beyond even Olympos's skill
Before he could respond, I went behind hi thehtly as possible Still he flinched at it, because they were deep and raw