Part 8 (2/2)
”Not I One of those icians who frequent that Foruh the”Who is the ician? Name him! I will have him thrown into the carceres We'll see whether the charood! Or is he a Christian?” he asked, sneering
”The Christians, you know, don't approve of charms,” Marcia answered
”By Jupiter, there's not in to weary of your Christians I begin to think Nero was right, andChristians as ver, Marcia, to warn your Christians to procure theainst overnyou to keepstatuary in the corridor, and all this talk about the dignity of Roladiator's death than in all Roet you are only a woman I remember that! I am a God! I have the blood of Caesar in my veins And like the unseen Gods, I takemen and women die! I loose my javelins like thunderbolts-like Jupiter himself! Like Hercules-”
He paused He noticed Marcia was laughing Only she, in all the Roman empire, dared to mock him when he boasted Not even she knehy he let her do it He began to shtful frown that rode over his eyes dispersing, leaving his forehead as smooth as marble
”If I shoulddo you think I should last after that? You are clever enough to rule the fools who squawk and jabber in the senate and the Forue of Troy! But remember: You are Caesar's concubine, not empress! Just remember that, will you! When I find a woive you and your Christians a taste of Nero's policy Now-do you love me?”
”If I did not, could I stand before you and receive these insults?” she retorted, trusting to the inspiration of the ly die,” she said, ”if you would give the love you have bestowed onwisely, rather than in killingchariot races One Marcia does not matter much One Commodus can-”
”Can love his Marcia!” he interrupted, with a high-pitched laugh He seized her, nearly crushi+ng out her breath ”A Caius and a Caia we have been! By Jupiter, if not for you and Paulus I would have left Roo to march in Alexander's wake! I would have carved me a new empire that did not stink so of politicians!”
He strode into the anterooladiators waited and Narcissus had to follow hih, for he was lithe and h taller, not to be coood looks and intelligence, who hastened to reappear thelike so beautiful as Marcia
In all the knoorld there were no two finer specimens of human shapeliness than the tyrant who ruled and the wo preserved him from his enemies
”Come to the arena,” he called back to her ”Come and see how Hercules throws javelins from a chariot at full pelt!”
But Marcia did not answer, and he forgot her almost before he reached the entrance of the private tunnel through which he passed to the arena
She had more accurately aimed and nicely balanced work to do than even Coet
VII MARCIA
In everything but title and security of tenure Marcia was empress of the world, and she had what empresses most often lack-the common touch She had been born in slavery She had ascended step by step to fortune, by her oits, learning by experience Each layer of society was known to her-its virtues, prejudices, li almost incredibly beautiful, she had learned very early in life that the desired (not always the desirable) is powerful to sway ins to lose its sway; the habit of possession easily succumbs to boredoly, had never owned her in the sense that men own slaves; she had reserved to herself self-e and a certain ruthlessness, albeit teenerosity
She saw life skeptically, undeceived by the fawning flattery that Ro stroked They said of her that she slept with one eye open
Livius had complained in the Ther to Marcia's head, but he merely expressed the opinion of one man, ould have liked to feel himself superior to her and to use her for his own ends She was not deceived by Livius, or by anybody else She knew that Livius was keeping watch on her, and how he did it, having shrewdly guessed that a present of eight ant not to ns She watched hie that he knew her secret wasthat he had found out could be dangerous to her
The eight ilded litter near a flight of marble steps that descended froarden with a fountain in the midst There was a crowd of servants and four Syrian eunuchs, sleek offensive menials in yellow robes; two lictors besides, with fasces and the Roman civic uniform-a scandalous abuse of ancient cereh the city But they all yawned Marcia and her usual coossip, naturally
A yawning eunuch rearranged the bowknot of his girdle
”What does she ith Livius? He usually gets sent for when so Who do you suppose has fallen foul of her?”
”Hied on palace business I heard her tell the slave to go again and not return without him! Bacchus! But it wouldn't worry me if Livius should lose his head! For an aristocrat he hashis sharp nose into other people's business Marcia may have found him out Let's hope!”
At the foot of the marble stairway, in the hall below Marcia's apart nervous Marcia, dressed in the dignified robes of a Roested the de his breast with her ivory fan, he flinching fro irritation
”If the question is, what I ith you, Livius, the answer is, that I invite you Order your litter brought”