TW11 The Cleopatra Crisis NEW (16 page)

"I don't want to be general that badly," Steiger said.

"So you say."

They stared at each other for a long moment.

"Is that what it comes down to, John?" asked Steiger, his tone emotionless. "We can't trust each other anymore? Is that what being in the Underground has done to you?"

"It's made me very careful, Creed." Marshall said evenly. "Maybe we're both working toward the same end. But we're really not on the same side anymore, are we?"

"Aren't we?"

Marshall shook his head. "No, Creed. You're still on the inside. I've opted out. That makes me a criminal. You can drop the hammer on me anytime you feel like it. I'm not very comfortable with that idea."

"I'm sorry you feel that way," said Steiger. "But you could always leave Rome. Go deeper underground, in some other time period where I couldn't find you. Of course. you'd have to start all over, but that wouldn't be very hard for a resourceful man like you. If you really believe I'd turn you in, why take the chance of staying?"

"You don't really understand, do you?" Marshall said. "I've got a good life here. A pleasant, simple, comfortable life. For the first time, I've found a sense of permanence. I don't want to run, Creed. I don't want to spend the rest of my life looking over my shoulder.”

“Then you shouldn't have deserted." Steiger said. "What do you want me to say. John? That after all this is over, I'll go back to Plus Time and forget all about you? Fine. You got it. Is that what you want to hear?"

"I wish it were that simple."

"Yeah, so do I, but it isn't, is it? Because you don't trust me. If that's the way you feel, then nothing I say will make any difference. You see, that's what happens when you run, John. Sooner or later, you always wind up looking over your shoulder. If it's not me back there, it could be someone else. You'll never really know for sure. So you can keep running. Or you can stop and face the music."

"I'm not going back, Creed. That part of my life is finished. "

"Then I guess you'll have to live with your decision," Steiger said. "I'm sorry there's nothing I can say or do to make that easier for you. but that's the way it is..

"I'm sorry, too." said Marshall. He sighed. "Hell, let's go get drunk."

The dinner Travers had planned was a large one and he had invited some of the most influential citizens of Rome. Though he had not invited Caesar. One did not simply invite the Emperor to dinner, even if one was a close friend of his. And there was a reason why they did not want to have Caesar present at this occasion. They wanted to be able to talk about him in a manner that his presence would not have allowed. It was to be the occasion for Delaney, in his identity as "Fabius Quintullus," to make his first move in trying to insinuate himself into the conspiracy against Caesar.

Cassius and Marcus Brutus had been invited, as Travers knew them and many of the others from the Senate. as well as Antony and a number of his friends, at least one of whom, Trebonius, was known to them to be involved in the conspiracy. By this point, less than two weeks before the Ides of March, the conspirators would be well advanced in their plans. The thing to do was see to it that nothing changed them.

It seemed difficult for Delaney to believe that a conspiracy with so many people in it could have been effectively kept a secret, but then such was the character of life in Rome among the powerful. Everyone seemed to have two faces. The public face, which was worn from day to day, in the Senate and on social occasions, and the secret, private face, which was glimpsed only during moments of clandestine intriguing. Rome had seen many conspiracies and would see many more.

Travers had organized an entertaining party. His kitchen slaves had been at work throughout the day, preparing the many dishes that were served, and he had hired musicians to play throughout the evening, as well as dancers, wrestlers, acrobatic dwarves, and several magicians. It was mixed company, some of the men having brought their wives, others having brought their mistresses, and there were single women in attendance as well as a bevy of attractive slaves. It wasn't quite the decadent "Roman orgy" of legend, but as the evening wore on, things loosened up considerably and people started to drift off together to explore the house or "walk' in the gardens.

Marcian had come, as well, along with a number of the charioteers who had raced the previous day. Clocillus seemed quite comfortable rubbing elbows with Rome's upper crust. He knew that he was a celebrity. Some of the others, particularly the young Cassinus. seemed a little awkward, though Cassinus gradually grew more and more at ease as he was repeatedly complimented upon his win over Clocillus, who took the attentions paid his rival with good grace and added his own supportive sentiments to those of the others.

There was another man who came with Marcian, not one of the charioteers, whom Travers did not know. Marcian had introduced him as Creon Sabinus, a horse breeder from Ilerda whose farm and estate he was attempting to buy.

Antony seemed to be friends with him, as well. They had dined with Caesar the previous evening. It turned out that Antony, an inveterate gambler, had lost a fortune at the races to Sabinus. who had been losing steadily until he had placed a daring bet on Cassinus during the final race. That made Lucas and Andre pay particular attention to him. It turned out that Caesar had been impressed by Sabinus, as well. He had offered him a commission in his cavalry for his campaign against Parthia. A campaign that, if history ran true to course. Caesar would not live to embark upon.

Talk of Caesar's upcoming campaigns gave Delaney the opening that he was looking for to turn the conversation toward politics.

“I had not heard that Caesar was leaving for the wars once again," he said.

"All Rome speaks of little else," said Trebonius. "He plans to set out first for Parthia, to avenge his old friend Crassus, and then to press on for the Orient, as his hero, Alexander, had once done. The army is already gathering in the provinces."

"Then he will be gone for a long time," Delaney said. "Who will govern Rome in his absence?"

"His aides and secretaries, Oppius and Balbus," said Cassius, "if you can believe it. And they are not even senators. WE are to be dictated to by mere functionaries while our Emperor pursues his dreams of glory in the East."

"But it is for the glory of Rome that Caesar embarks on these new campaigns." protested Antony. "Think of the wealth the empire shall acquire."

"I am thinking of the wealth that Caesar will acquire," Cassius said dryly. "And I am thinking of the days when Rome was a republic, not an empire governed by one man who appoints mere secretaries to carry out the duties of his office while he goes adventuring abroad in an attempt to recapture the faded glory of his youth."

"A sentiment one could expect from someone who supported Pompey," Antony said derisively.

"Pompey never had himself proclaimed emperor." said Cassius. "If a man wishes to be king, then it would seem that the least he could do was stay and rule his kingdom as wisely as he can, not chase off to the far ends of the earth in a pointless quest to rival the exploits of a long dead general."

"It is Rome's destiny to rule the world." said Antony.

"As it was Caesar's to rule Rome?" said Cassius. "Well, I think it may be safely said that both those destinies have been realized. Rome does rule the world and Caesar now rules Rome. What need have we of further territories of dubious value? Rome prospers. I tell you, it is not for Rome's sake that Caesar goes to war again, but for his own. His hunger for power is one that can never be appeased. Already he is a king in all but name. What more can he want?"

"To extend Rome's glory," Antony persisted.

“More likely, to extend his own." Cassius replied.

"You would not speak so if Caesar were here himself." Antony said stiffly.

"Ah, but the Emperor does not mingle with us mere mortals, except to dictate to us from his throne in the Senate. Only queens are fit company for kings," said Cassius with a smile, referring obviously to Cleopatra.

"Are these secretaries to sit upon the throne in his place?" Delaney asked before Antony could reply. "It seems an incredible insult to the Senate."

"It is an insult, Quintullus," Cassius said. "Yet it is one that we are all expected to suffer."

"It is not Oppius and Balbus who will rule in Rome, but Caesar," Antony replied. "They will merely act for him in his absence."

"But why must they, Antony?" Brutus asked reasonably. "Is the Senate not capable of governing Rome as it did in the days of the republic? Has Caesar not increased the House in order to enable it to better bear the burden? Or does he believe the House so incapable that it must be guided in its actions by his secretaries?"

“It would seem that he does not wish the House to govern in his absence because he fears that they might make decisions of which he will not approve," Delaney said.

"I think Quintullus has struck upon it," said Cassius. "It is not Rome's power that Caesar seeks to increase, but his own that he wishes to protect."

"How can you speak this way?" asked Travers. "Look at all the good Caesar has done for Rome! He has restored Rome to prosperity and peace, from which we have all benefitted."

“Caesar most of all," Delaney said.

"I'm surprised at you, Fabius." said Travers.”You do not know Caesar as I do. What you say is not only unfair, it is untrue.”

"Is it untrue that he has become an autocrat?" Delaney asked. "As Cassius has said, a king in all but name? Never has one man ruled all of Rome as dictator for life. How can Rome preserve her freedoms if all power is vested in one man? It seems dangerous to me.”

"You can't seriously believe that Caesar would deprive Romans of their freedom," Lucas said.

"I know this is a subject on which we do not agree. Marcus," said Delaney. "but I also know that your perceptions have been colored by your brother's correspondence over all these many years. You have studied Caesar's campaigns and fought them over in your mind until you know every step that every soldier took. Caesar has become a hero to you, as to many others. I do not dispute that Caesar is a great man, perhaps even a good man, but he is still a man and not a god. And men can be corrupted. Especially by power."

"Quintullus speaks the truth," said Brutus. "Power is seductive."

“And we all know that Caesar is easily seduced,” added Cassius with a smile.

"You are merely envious." said Antony.

"Of Caesar's sharing Cleopatra's bed?" asked Cassius. "There is no shortage of beautiful women in Rome, Antony. I have no need of foreign diversions."

“That is still another matter." said Delaney. "I have heard it said that Cleopatra has great influence with Caesar. Is it right that a foreign queen should hold such influence in Rome? Especially a queen that holds no respect for Rome's traditions. Is Egypt Rome's possession or is Rome Egypt's? Why must Rome's ruler be protected by an Egyptian bodyguard? Are there no Romans suited to the task?"

“The bodyguard was a gift front Cleopatra," Antony replied. "Caesar keeps them merely to please her."

"Or perhaps he does not trust his fellow Romans?" said Delaney.

"You are speaking like a fool, Fabius!" said Lucas.

"I am only speaking as one who is concerned," Delaney replied. "Concerned about so much power invested in one man. Concerned that autocracy is not compatible with freedom. There is a danger here, Marcus. I sometimes fear for Rome."

"I think perhaps that what you fear is greatness," Antony said. "Most men are not capable of greatness. They are little men and they do not understand it. What little men do not understand, they fear. I do not fear greatness, Quintullus. And I have no use for fearful little men. Good night to you.”

"Spoken like a true lackey," Cassius said wryly as Antony departed. "But it grows late and I am weary of the evening's entertainment. I would be interested to hear more of your views, Quintullus. We should continue this discussion. Will you be at the baths tomorrow?"

"Yes. I had planned to go sometime in the morning," said Delaney.

"Good. Then perhaps we shall see each other there. Good night to you, Quintullus."

"And to you." Delaney said. Most of the guests had already left. He waited till Cassius had left with Brutus and then turned to Lucas and Travers.

"I think the fish just bit.”

“Just be careful," Travers said. "Don't seem too eager. Cassius is nobody's fool."

"Neither am I," Delaney said.

"What did you think of Marcian and Sabinus?” asked Andre.

"I didn't get much chance to talk to them," Delaney said.

"Marcian didn't seem very interested in conversation," Lucas said. He disappeared somewhere with a couple of the women. And Sabinus spent most of his time talking with the charioteers. Of course, him being a horse breeder, that's not really surprising?”

"He was the big winner at the races the other day," said Andre. "He took Antony and his friends for over one hundred thousand sesterces." She turned to Travers. "You said that Marcian was probably the only one who could have fixed the race and Sabinus was with him."

Travers nodded. "It's possible that they were in collusion. Marcian said that he was trying to purchase Sabinus' farm and estate. Maybe he set up the win to help his business deal. I can't see where such a risk would have been justified, but some men will do almost anything to win when it comes to business dealings. However, if that's the case. I don't see any connection to our mission."

"No, neither do I." said Lucas. "They don't seem like men who are interested in politics. But I think we made good progress tonight with the conspirators. Delaney can follow up on that and tomorrow, when you take me to meet Caesar. I'll see what I can do to get into his confidence. That still leaves Cleopatra."

"I'll figure something out." said Andre. She frowned. "Still, there's something about that Sabinus that bothers me. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I'd swear there's something familiar about him."