annr.pandora-第12节
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and glistening child。
I wondered wearily if I were so old at thirty…five that everyone young looked beautiful to me。
He cried； 〃My family； too； has been betrayed。 My Mother made me leave！〃
〃To whom do we owe this shared catastrophe'？〃 I asked。 I put my hands on his wet cheeks。 He had a baby's mouth； but the shaven beard was rough。 He had broad strong shoulders； and wore only a light； simple tunic。 Why wasn't he cold out here on the water？ Perhaps he was。
He shook his head。 He was pretty still and would be handsome later。 He had a nice curl to his dark hair。 He didn't fear his tears； or apologize for them。
〃My Mother stayed alive to tell me。 She lay gasping until I came。 When the Delatores had told my Father that he plotted against the Emperor； my Father had laughed。 He had actually laughed。 They had accused him of plotting with Germanicus！ My Mother wouldn't die until she'd told me。 She said that all my Father was accused of doing was talking with other men about how he would serve under Germanicus again if they were sent North。〃
I nodded wearily。 〃I see。 My brothers probably said the same thing。 And Germanicus is the Emperor's heir and Imperium Maius of the East。 Yet this is treason； to speak of serving Rome under a pretty general。〃
I turned to go。 To understand gave no consolation。
〃We are taking you to different cities；〃 said Jacob； 〃to different friends。 Better that we not say。〃
〃Don't leave me；〃 said the boy。 〃Not tonight。〃
〃All right；〃 I said。 I took him into the cabin and closed the door； with a polite nod to Jacob； who was watching all with a guardian's conscience。
〃What do you want？〃 I asked。
The boy stared at me。 He shook his head。 He flung his hands out。 He turned and drew dose to me and kissed me。 We went into a rampage of kisses。
I took off my shift and sank into the bed with him。 He was a man all right； tender face or no。
And when I came to the moment of ecstasy； which was quite easy； given his phenomenal stamina； I tasted blood。 I was the blood drinker in the dream。 I went limp； but it didn't matter。 He had all he needed to finish the rites to his satisfaction。
He rose up。 〃You're a goddess；〃 he said。
〃No；〃 I whispered。 The dream was rising。 I heard the wind on the sand。 I smelled the river。 〃I am a god。。。 a god who drinks blood。〃
We did the rites of love until we could do them no more。
〃Be circumspect and very proper with our Hebrew hosts；〃 I said。 〃They will never understand this sort of thing。〃
He nodded。 〃I adore you。〃
〃Not necessary。 What is your name'？〃
〃Marcellus。〃
〃Fine； Marcellus； go to sleep。〃
Marcellus and I made a night of every night after that until we finally saw the famous lighthouse of Pharos and knew we had e to Egypt。
It was perfectly obvious that Marcellus was being left in Alexandria。 He explained to me that his maternal grandmother was still alive； a Greek； and indeed her whole dan。
〃Don't tell me so much； just go；〃 I said。 〃And be wise and safe。〃
He begged me to e with him。 He said he had fallen in love with me。 He would marry me。 He didn't care if I bore no children。 He didn't care that I was thirty…five。 I laughed softly； mercifully。
Jacob noted all this with lowered eyes。 And David looked away。
Quite a few trunks followed Marcellus into Alexandria。
〃Now；〃 I said to Jacob； 〃will you tell me where I'm being taken？ I might have some thoughts on the matter； though I doubt I could improve on my Father's plan。〃
I still wondered。 Would they deal honestly with me？ What about now that they had seen me play the whore with the boy？ They were such religious men。
〃You're headed to a great city；〃 Jacob said。 〃It couldn't be a better place。 Your Father has Greek friends there！〃
〃How could it be better than Alexandria？〃 I said。
〃Oh； it is far and away better；〃 Jacob said。 〃Let me talk to my Father before I talk to you further。〃
We had put out to sea。 The land was going away。 Egypt。 It was growing dark。
〃Don't be afraid；〃 Jacob said。 〃You look as though you are terrified。〃
〃I'm not afraid；〃 I said。 〃It's only that I have to lie in my bed and think and remember and dream。〃 I looked at him； as he shyly looked away。 〃I held the boy like a Mother； against me； night after night。〃
This was about the biggest lie I've told in my life。
〃He was a child in my arms。〃 Some child！ 〃And now I fear nightmares。 You must tell me … what is our destination？ What is our fate？〃
3
〃Antioch；〃 said Jacob； 〃Antioch on the Orontes。 Greek friends of your Father await you。 And they are friends with Germanicus。 Perhaps in time 。。。 but they will be loyal to you。 You are to be married to a Greek of breeding and means。〃
Married！ To a Greek； a provincial Greek？ A Greek in Asia！ I stifled my laughter and my tears。 That was not going to happen to me。 Poor man！ If he really was a provincial Greek； he was going to have to experience the conquest of Rome all over again。
We sailed on； from port to port。 I mulled all this over。
It was nauseating trivia like this which of course protected me from my full and inevitable grief and shock over what happened。 Worry about whether your dress is properly girdled。 Don't see your Father lying dead with his own dagger in his chest。
As for Antioch； I had been far too embroiled in the life of Rome to know or hear much about this city。 If Tiberius had stationed his 〃heir；〃 Germanicus； there to get him away from Roman popularity； then I thought： Antioch must be the end of the civilized world。
Why in the name of the gods had I not run away in Alexandria； I thought？ Alexandria was the greatest city in the Empire； next to Rome。 It was a young city； built by Alexander； for whom it was named； but it was a marvelous port。 No one would ever dare raze the Temple of Isis in Alexandria。 Isis was an Egyptian goddess； wife of the powerful Osiris。
But what had that to do with things？ I must have been plotting in the back of my mind already； but I didn't allow any conscious plot to surface and blemish my highborn Roman moral character。
I quietly thanked my Hebrew guardians for this intelligence； for keeping it even from the young Roman Marcellus； the other man they had rescued from the Emperor's assassins； and I asked for frank answers to my questions regarding my brothers。
〃All taken by surprise；〃 said Jacob。 〃The Delatores； those spies of the Praetorian Guard； are so swift。 And your Father had so many sons。 It was your eldest brother's slaves who jumped the wall at their Master's mand and ran to warn your Father。〃
Antony。 I hope you shed their blood。 I know you fought with your last breath。 And my niece； my little niece Flora； had she run screaming from them； or did they do it with mercy'？ The Praetorian Guard doing anything with mercy！ Stupid to even think so。
I didn't say anything aloud。 Just sighed。
After all； when they looked at me； these two Jewish merchants beheld the body and face of a woman； naturally my protectors should think a woman was inside of me。 The disparity between outward appearances and inner disposition had disturbed me all my life。 Why disturb Jacob and David？ On to Antioch。
But I had no intention of living in any oldfashioned Greek family； if such still existed in the Greek city of Antioch； a family in which women lived apart from the men； and wove wool all day； never going out； having no part in the life of the world whatsoever。
I'd been taught all the virtuous female arts by my nurses and I could indeed do anything with yarn or thread or loom that any other woman could do； but I knew well what the 〃Old Greek Ways〃 had been； and I remembered vaguely my Father's Mother； who had died when I was very young … a virtuous Roman matron who was always making wool。 So they had said of her in her Epitaph； and in fact； they had said in my Mother's Epitaph： 〃She kept the House。 She made wool。〃
And so they had said of my Mother！ The very same tiresome words。
Well； no one was going to say that on mine。 （How humorous to reflect on the fact now； thousands of years later； that I have no Epitaph！）
What I failed to realize in my overall dejection was that the Roman world was enormous； and the Eastern portion of it differed dramatically from the Northern barbarian lands； where my brothers had fought。
The entire of Asia Minor； towards which we sailed； had been conquered by Alexander of Macedon hundreds of years before。 As you know； Alexander had been the pupil of Aristotle。 Alexander had wanted to spread Greek culture everywhere。 And in Asia Minor Greek ideas and styles found not mere country towns or farmers； but ancient cultures； like the Empire of Syria； willing to receive the new ideas； the grace and beauty of the Greek enlightenment； and willing to bring in tune with it their own centuries…old literature； religion； styles of life and dress。
Antioch had been built by a general of Alexander the Great who sought to rival the beauty of other Hellenistic cities； with splendid Temples； administrative buildings and libraries of books in the Greek language； its schools where Greek philosophy was taught。 A Hellenistic government was established … quite enlightened pared to ancient Eastern despotism； and yet there lay beneath all this the know
