Steven Saylor - The judgement of Caesar

"And heard the curses he was shouting against his sister and Caesar!" added Mopsus.

"Anyway, the soldiers fell into a tortoise formation around the king-shields up all around and overhead, and spear points poking out-and went marching out, taking the king with them. Heading back to the palace, I suppose. We stayed out of sight and followed them as far as the foyer, and then who do you think we ran into?"

"Merianis," I said.

"Exactly! And she told us that you'd been with her, but somehow you were separated, and with everything going on in the square, there was no telling what might happen to you. So we sent Rupa and Merianis to look for you, while Mopsus and I decided to stay right here, so as to be ready to take you straight back to the palace through the secret tunnel."

"Actually," said Mopsus, "we stayed here because Androcles was afraid to go out into the square. He said we might get trampled on, being so small, and it was better to send Rupa out looking for you, because Rupa is big enough to take care of himself."

"I was not afraid," insisted Androcles. "Staying here was just part of my plan, and now you can see how cleverly it all worked out."

"Indeed," I said. "But what happened to Merianis?"

I looked at Rupa, who shrugged.

"I suppose you lost her rather quickly in the crowd?"

He frowned and nodded.

"No need to look sheepish, Rupa. If finding me was her priority, Merianis would have been doing that instead of ducking into the foyer to see what was happening with Ptolemy and the Roman soldiers sent to fetch him. It was good of her to let you know that I might be in danger, but I'm not surprised she slipped off on her own instead of helping Rupa search for me. No doubt she's eager to run ahead of that Roman tortoise and report back to her mistress about everything that took place here. Curious; Merianis must not know about this tunnel leading back to the palace, or else she'd have gone that way." I frowned. "Merianis has been a good friend to us, boys-helpful, thoughtful, full of good humor-but we mustn't forget that her true allegiance lies elsewhere."

"You make her sound like a soldier, Master."

"Because I think she is one, Mopsus, no less than a man who carries a sword and shield."

"She'd never hurt you, Master!" said Androcles.

"I'm sure she won't-as long as I don't run afoul of her mistress. What a joke the gods have played on me this time! I've managed to survive one bloody civil war, only to find myself dropped into the midst of another, about which I care nothing. But from my experience of these conflicts, I know that even the most uncommitted bystander is seldom allowed to remain neutral. The palace is a battleground. Cleopatra and Ptolemy are rival generals, marshaling their forces. Caesar is the strategic stronghold they're both eager to claim; all other battles will count for nothing if one or the other can win over Caesar and the Roman might behind him."

"But, Master, you should have heard the curses the king was screaming against Caesar when the soldiers took him away!" said Androcles. "The king must hate Caesar with all his might."

"I suspect the exact opposite is true. The king may be a Ptolemy to his fingertips, with a regal bearing and a certainty of his own divine place in the world; but he's still a boy not in control of his emotions. When he railed against Caesar, he sounded less like a general rallying his troops, and more like a spurned suitor. As for Caesar, he'd like very much for the siblings to patch up their differences and get on with the business of ruling Egypt and repaying their debts to Rome; then he could congratulate himself on settling the Egyptian Question and go wrap up the loose ends left over from his own civil war. But neither the king nor the queen may be willing to settle for half of Egypt-or half of Caesar. Caesar may finally have to choose one over the other. Before that happens, we may all be forced to takes sides, whether we want to or-"

All four of us abruptly turned toward the alabaster antechamber that led up to the foyer, from whence came the sounds of footsteps, a scuffle, and loud shouting.

"Looters?" said Mopsus.

"Soldiers?" said Androcles.

"Or mere sightseers?" I suggested. "In any case, I think it's time for us to head back to the palace. Androcles, show me the passageway."

"Certainly, Master. Step around to the back of the statue."

I gazed into a black void at the foot of the statue. "Is there no light at all in the passage? No air?"

"The first part is rather dark," said Androcles, "but farther on there are grates and vents that let in little patches of light and puffs of fresh air. Here, I'll go first, and lead you by the hand. Mopsus can follow. Rupa can come last and close the panel behind us; it's rather heavy. Just be careful, Master, not to hit…"

"Ouch!"

"… your head!"

"People are still rioting all over the city," said Merianis. "Days have passed since the king threw his tantrum, and yet the people remain in a fury. The rabble-rousers claim that Caesar is holding the king captive against his will-"

"A squadron of Roman soldiers did march Ptolemy back to the palace," I observed.

"But they never laid a finger on him! The king returned of his own volition-"

"After one of his guards was slain in the Tomb of Alexander!" "Someone had to protect the king's person on the way back to the palace; that crowd had turned into a rioting mob, as you saw for yourself, Gordianus. Anyway, once the king was back in the palace, safe and sound, Caesar and Pothinus together managed to calm him. Negotiations between the queen and the king continue, under Caesar's supervision. But the city is in chaos."

"Alexandrians are famous for this sort of thing," I observed. "The Alexandrian mob drove the previous king out of the city; it took a Roman army to get him back in."

"Which is why Ptolemy should have known better than to incite the mob's fury. Most of their anger is directed against the Romans, of course, but even the palace guards are afraid to venture out into the streets. Alexandria is utterly lawless! The Museum is shut up tight-all those scholars afraid to even look out a window! — and so is the Library. No new books for you, Gordianus! You shall have to reread the ones I already brought."

"Yes, do, Master!" said Mopsus, flinging himself on the bed beside me. "Read the part about Alexander and the Gordian knot again. Is it true that's the origin of your family name? 'In the land of Phrygia there reigned King Gordian, who was born a peasant but became the king because of an oracle-' "

"I see no need to read the tale again if you've memorized it," I said. "As for the origin of the name Gordianus-"

But there was no stopping Mopsus. " 'And many years later, Alexander passed through Phrygia and the city of Gordium, named for King Gordian, and he was presented with the Gordian knot; for the oracles claimed that no man could conquer Asia unless first he undid the Gordian knot, which was so deviously tied that even the cleverest man could not undo it, and so tightly tied that even the strongest man could not undo it. Whereupon Alexander-' "

Androcles interrupted, jumping into the middle of the room and pantomiming the action he described. "Whereupon Alexander took out his sword, and with a great whack and a whoosh, he chopped it right in two, and the knot fell apart at his feet, and everyone bowed down to the new king of Asia-hooray! — Alexander, the only man strong enough and clever enough to undo the Gordian knot!"

"That's not how it goes!" complained Mopsus.

"Close enough."

"But you left out the part about-"

"I didn't leave out anything important."

"You're just jealous that you don't remember the words."

"It's the story that matters, not the words." Androcles again mimed hacking at a knot with a sword. "With a great whack and a whoosh, he chopped it right in two!"