The Cleopatra Crisis (TimeWars 11)

“I understand that, sir, but it was a matter of priorities.Look, you know I was never involved with the Network. And the Underground isjust as concerned as we are about temporal disruption. A disruption threatensthem. too. They might be criminals from the purely legal standpoint, but they’renot the real danger and they never have been. So when it came to a choicebetween busting some members of the Underground or enlisting them as sub rosaoperatives, or trading information with them, okay, we didn’t worry about theline points of the law. There was a lot more than that at stake. I know you don’tthink there’s a place for the way we used to do things. sir, but with all due respect,I think you’re wrong.”

The lift tube stopped at Forester’s floor, but he made nomove to get out. Steiger wondered if he’d gone too far.

“All right,” said Forrester. “Prove it.”

“Sir’? Does that mean you’re authorizing-”

“I’m authorizing nothing, Colonel. All it means is that you’rebeing placed on inactive status as soon as I can have the orders cut. You canconsider yourself officially relieved of duty as of now. You’ve earned someR amp;R. What you do with it is entirely up to you.”

“Thank you, sir. I promise you, you won’t regret this.”

“I hope not. Creed,” said Forrester. “And I hope you won’t regretit. either. Because if you fuck up. it’s your ass.”

Alexandria, the palace of the Ptolemys, 47 B.C.

“It is not the victory that I had hoped for,” Caesar said asthey rested in their apartments in the palace. And a poor, ignoble death for abrave and noble soldier.”

Travers thought that Caesar was being charitable, but he didnot say it. Pompey the Great might once have been a brave and noble soldier, butin the end, his leadership and courage had both failed him.

When news of Caesar’s crossing of the Rubicon reached Rome.the Senate was thrown into a panic. Caesar’s army moved with their usualdevastating efficiency and speed, immediately taking the town of Ariminum andmarching ahead without encountering any opposition whatsoever.

People from the outlying towns began flooding into Rome,fleeing front the advancing legions, not having any idea what to expect. Theircontagious fear began to spread throughout the city like a wildfire. Pompeydeclared Rome to be in a state of anarchy and, desperate to have enough time tomarshal his forces, he left the city and went east. giving orders for theentire Senate to follow him. Many did, but most senators remained behind inRome, concerned about their homes and their possessions. With so many refugeesstreaming into Rome. crime had increased dramatically and there was a lot oflooting.

As Caesar’s army approached the city, many of Pompey’stroops joined with Caesar’s forces and within sixty days of crossing theRubicon, Caesar had effectively seized power without any bloodshed. But therestill remained

Pompey and his loyal legions. and though he was in commandof the city, it was a threat that Caesar could not disregard.

He pursued Pompey to Brundisium, but us soon as he heardthat Caesar was approaching. Pompey escaped to sea. Lacking the vessels topursue him. Caesar then returned to Rome and appeared before the Senate. Withthe rank of praetor. Travis was entitled to attend and he sat in the Temple ofJupiter (the Curia. which would become the permanent home of the Senate, hadnot yet been built) and listened as Caesar addressed the House courteously. requestingthat they send word to Pompey so that negotiations could be started toward areasonable peace. However, the senators could not agree on what to do. Theirposition was precarious. To appear to give support to one general could provedisastrous if the other proved victorious. so the Senate did what politicianshave been doing ever since. They procrastinated to avoid taking any stand.

Caesar left the temple in disgust. He did not have thepatience to wait for their deliberations. His response to the Senate’s stallingwas to seize the public treasury. so that he could supply himself with thenecessary funds to finish what he’d started. Then he left for Spain, where heengaged the forces of Afranius and Varro, Pompey’s loyal generals, and afterdefeating them decisively, he returned once more to Rome, where the Senate,realizing the growing futility of Pompey’s position, voted Caesar the title ofdictator. In the event that Pompey still somehow managed to prevail, they couldalways claim that Caesar forced it on them. And with Caesar holding theposition of dictator, it absolved them of the responsibility of making anychoices.

Travers had remained at Caesar’s side throughout it all andhad observed firsthand that Caesar was not only a brilliant general. capable ofinspiring fanatical devotion in his men. but also a skillful diplomat. Hisfirst act was to call back all those Romans who had gone into exile. He gavethem back their rights as citizens and incurred the favor of many influentialaristocrats by relieving them of their debts. He then made himself look betterstill by resigning the dictatorship that the fearful members of the Senate hadconferred on him, having held the post for only eleven days, and declaringhimself consul. That done, he immediately left Rome once more, on the trail ofPompey. The two armies met at Pharsalia in the largest and bloodiest battleever fought between Romans. Caesar proved himself the better general and theman once hailed as Pompey the Great fled the scene of haute and retired to histent, totally demoralized. When Caesar’s troops had routed his army and startedstorming his camp. Pompey recovered his senses long enough to escape and fleeto Egypt. where his fate awaited him. he had hoped to find an ally in the youngKing Ptolemy, who had backed him in the civil war, but the Egyptians haddecided that they’d rather back a winner. As soon as he arrived, Pompey was putto death.

The war was over. More than six thousand of Pompey’s troopshad died. Gracious in victory, Caesar pardoned the prisoners and took them intohis own legions. Then he pursued Pompey to Egypt. only to discover that the Egyptianshad finished the job for him.

“At least now our men can rest awhile and recover,” Traverssaid, “even if the best Egypt can do for them is that unwholesome corn thatPothinus has seen fit to distribute.”

Caesar tightened his jaw muscles in anger. “He adds insultto injury by telling them to be content with it. Since they are fed at another’scost. They deserve far better. Septimus, and by the gods. I shall see that theyreceive it! No general could hope for a more brave and loyal army.”

“No army could hope for a better general than Caesar saidTravers, not intending it as mere flattery, but meaning every word of it.

“Thank you, my friend.” said Caesar. “Nor shall I forgetyou. either. You have served me well through all these many years. But our workis not yet done. Egypt is a ripe fruit ready for the plucking. Tell me. what doyou think of this oily eunuch, Pothinus? He seems to hold more influence withthe king than do any of his ministers.”

“Pothinus does seem to be the power behind the throne,” saidTravers. “The young king plainly defers to him. I have observed that theministers take pains to ingratiate themselves with him. Or at least to avoidhis displeasure.”

“Yes, that is my opinion, too,” said Caesar, frowning. “Itis Pothinus who rules here and not Ptolemy. who is little more than a child.And the ministers all fear him. I have been told that it was Pothinus himselfwho assassinated Pompey.”

“You have been told?” asked Travers, instantly on guard. Bywhom?”

Caesar smiled. “There are those here who are well disposedtoward Rome, if only because they are ill disposed toward Pothinus. That craftyeunuch sees us as a threat to the power he has managed to accumulate throughhis manipulation of the king. We must have a care. Septimus. not to sleep toosoundly so long as we remain here.”

“You think that Pothinus would try to have us murdered? Withour legions here?”

“He might well serve us as he did Pompey and then protesthis innocence,” Caesar said. “It would win him no small favor among our enemiesin Rome. Although perhaps I worry needlessly. It is not yet the Ides of March.”He smiled and Travers felt suddenly uneasy.

“Still,” Caesar continued, “our influence in Egypt is notwhat it once was. Pompey has mismanaged things. I must take steps to remedythat situation. We must make the power of Rome felt here once again. Tomorrow.I will begin by demanding the tribute that is due to Rome. so that we mightreward our army. And we must see to it that a more benign influence is setbehind the throne. What do you know of the king’s sister, the one who wasexiled when Pompey was in power?”

Travers replied evasively. “Cleopatra? I fear that I knowvery little of her. Caesar. It is said that she is young and very beautiful.Also ambitious, which is why Pompey had banished her.”