Part 7 (2/2)
”This is better!” he exclaimed ”Ho, there, Narcissus! Ho, there, Horatius! Ha! So you recover, Albinus? What a skull the ave hiain within the week! You may follow me, Narcissus But where is Marcia?”
Marcia called to hih the curtained door that led to the next roo, Commodus”
”By Jupiter, when she calls ument! Are some more of her Christians in the carceres, I wonder? Or has sohwayman-By Juno's breasts, I trehed He made a pass at one of the in the air, then flung hiroup, who broke his fall and set hih to face , passed into the other roorouped themselves around the imperial mistress
”What now?” he denificent, with folded aruiltless istrate
”O Roman Hercules,” she said, ”I spoke in haste, you came so much sooner than expected What wo but Caesar when you s loved, I aer! Co with the caestus; I will listen to your plan for ruling enius to resist your blandishments!”
”Caesar,” she said, ”speak first with esture of i behind Marcia, although she appeared not to notice it, with the sa not to see what she did not wish to seeh the Thermae
”Send your scared women away then,” he retorted ”I trust Narcissus
Youinto another roo curtain
”Do you not trust me?” asked Marcia ”And is it seeladiator?”
”Speak or be silent!” he gru her a black look, but she did not seeenius-the secret of her poas to see
”Let Narcissus bear witness then; since Caesar bids ain I have warned you, Caesar If I were less your slave andyou But none shall say of Marcia that her Caesar met Nero's fate, whose women ran away and left him Not while Marcia lives shall Commodus declare he has no friends”
”Who now?” he derily ”Get me my tablet! Come now, name me your conspirators and they shall die before the sun sets!”
When he scowled his beauty vanished, his eyes seerow closer like an ape's The mania for murder that obsessed him tautened his sinews Cheeks, neck, forearovernable passion shook hi unconsciously for the tablet that none dared thrust into his hand
”Shall I na herself against him ”O Hercules, my Roes on men's eyes? You have turned your back upon the better part of Rome to-”
”Better part?” He shook her by the shoulders, snorting ”Liars, cowards, ingrates, strutting peacocks, bladders of wind boringlick-spittles-they s By Jupiter, Ito a lot of courtiers! If they despise me then as I despise ain! I will get the stench of theht of theht! When I slay lions with a javelin, or gladiators-”
”You but pander to the rabble,” Marcia interrupted ”So did Nero Did they come to his aid when the senate and his friends deserted him?”
”Don't interrupt me, woman! Senate! Court!” he snorted ”I can rout the senate with a gesture! I will fill e my ministers as often as I please-aye, andat her ”Out with the na for my destiny!”
”I know none-not yet,” she said ”I can feel, though I hear the whispers in the Thermae-”
”By Jupiter, then I will close the Therh the streets I read uard shall show thes in Rome The old way is the proper way to deal with mobs! Blood, corn and circuses, but principally blood! By the Dioscuri, I groeary of your warnings, Marcia!”