Part 16 (1/2)
”I, too,” said sextus ”All Ro a fine trade They declare it portends evil”
”Evil-but for whom?” Old Galen poured the powder he had scraped into a dish and blinked at him ”Affiliations in the realredients That law is universal Like seeks like, begetting its own like As for instance, sickness flows in channels of unwholesoh a marsh Evil? What is evil but the likeness of a deed-its echo-its result-its aftermath? You see this powder? Marcia has ordered me to poison Commodus! What kind of aftermath should that deed have?”
sextus stared at hi
”Colorless it must be-flavorless-without smell-indetectible These saviors of Rome prepare too much to save themselves! And I take trouble to save ain at sextus, waiting for an answer
”You are worth preserving, Galen”
”I dispute that I ae
But I will not kill him who is superior to any man in Rome”
”Idiocy? You? And you admire that monster?”
”As a monster, yes He is at least wholehearted As a ood looks; he is nificent; he has the fear, the frenzy and the resolution of a splendid animal We have only cowardice, the unenthusiasm and the indecision of base men If we had the virtue of Commodus, no Commodus could ever have ruled Rome for half a day But I am senile I am sentimental Rather than betray Marcia-and Pertinax-ould betray me for their own sakes; rather than submit my own old carcass to the slave who what you see”
”Poison for Commodus?”
”No”
”Not for yourself, Galen?”
”No”
”For whom then?”
”For Pertinax”
sextus seized the plate on which the several ingredients were being mixed
”Put that down,” said Galen ”I will poison part of him-the mean part”
”Speak in plain words, Galen!”
”I will slay his indecision He and Marcia propose; that I shall kill their ht for Marcia to take to him-in case this, and in case that, and perhaps In plain words, Commodus has sent for Livius and none kno much Livius has told Theirproscription lists, and Marcia trembles for her Christians For herself she does not tremble She has ten times Pertinax' ability to rule If Marcia were abetween inertia and doubt and dread of Cornificia's ambition for him; between admiration of his oife and conteuries and co Marcia and you and overnor of Ro Caesar; between doubt of his own ability to rule and the will to restore the republic”
”We all know Pertinax,” said sextus ”He is diffident, that is all He is modest Once he has made his decision-”
Galen interrupted him
”Then let us pray the Gods to make the rest of us immodest! The decision that he makes is this: If Commodus has heard of the conspiracy; if Commodus intends to kill him, he will then allow somebody else to kill Commodus! He will permit me, who am a killer only by professional mistake and not by intention, to be made to kill my former pupil with a poisoned drink! You understand, not even then will Pertinax take resolution by the throat and do his oork”