The Cleopatra Crisis (TimeWars 11)

“I must be slowing down,” said Steiger flatly. “I suppose Ishould’ve seen it coming. I just never expected it from you.”

There was an awkward pause. Marshall felt fear knotting hisstomach. He wanted to run, but he was afraid that if he did, he’d never make itto the door. Sweat stood out on his forehead.

“What are you going to do’?” he asked anxiously.

“Nothing, John,” said Steiger, turning away from him. Hestood at the window, looking out into the street. He sounded suddenly weary. “Youcaught me with my guard down and you had me, but you didn’t do it. I guess thatcounts for something:

“Creed,!.. Hell, I wish …” His voice trailed off.”Isimply don’t know what to say.”

“There’s nothing to be said.” Steiger replied in the sameflat tone. He shook his head. “You’ve changed, John. You used to be one of thebest. Now you’ve become a frightened little man.”

“Creed … try to understand. I didn’t want to do it. Andwhen it came right down to it. I-”

“Spare me, John. all right? Look. I appreciate the help you’vegiven me, but I don’t really need you anymore. Go back to your house and yourteenaged female slaves. Go live your fantasy. Don’t worry. I won’t turn you in.I don’t really give a damn about the Underground. Besides, you’re just notworth the trouble.”

Marshall looked down at the floor. “Creed, look.. I wasjust scared, that’s all. I didn’t know if you were going to-”

“I don’t really want to hear it. John, all right’?”

Marshall sighed. “Okay. Look … you can stay here as longas you like. Do what you have to do, I won’t come around and bother you. But ifthere’s anything you need, money or-”

“Get out. John,” said Steiger, without looking at him. “Justgo away. I don’t want to see you anymore. The minute you walk out that door. I’mgoing to forget that you exist.”

Marshall moistened his lips nervously and nodded. “Allright.” He felt enormously relieved. “For whatever it’s worth, Creed, I’m Indysorry things had to turn out this way.”

“So am I. John. So am I.”

“We’re making good progress,” Travers said, coming into theroom. “That was a messenger from Caesar. We’ve been invited to dine with himand Cleopatra at her house tomorrow night.” He glanced at Andre and grinned. “Cleopatramust have told him about how you managed to gain entry to her house. He said tobe sure my brother brings his clever and audacious wife.”

“Great,” said Lucas. “I’ve been wanting to have a lookinside that house. Good work. Andre. You got us in.”

“The invitation did not include you. I’m afraid,” Traverstold Delaney.

“That’s just as well,” Delaney said. “I’m supposed to meetwith the conspirators again tomorrow night.

“So then you’re in?” asked Travers.

“For what it’s worth, I guess I am.” Delaney replied. “Butif I didn’t know that these guys actually pulled it off. I’d say they were apretty sorry bunch of assassins. They seem to be all talk and no action. Lessthan two weeks to go before the Ides of March and they still haven’t really gota plan.”

“Disorganized?” asked Lucas.

“You’d have to see it to believe it,” said Delaney with aderisive snort. “They’re like a damn sorority trying to decide what decorationsto put up for the dance. The leaders get together during the day, usually atthe baths, where they huddle in a corner in a little group and whisper, then atnight, they meet at Cassius’ house for a long, leisurely dinner and gallons ofmulsum. I don’t know how they stomach the damn stuff. They just sit arounddrinking and trying to psych one another up. They say they have a plan and they’rerefining it, but there isn’t any plan that I can see. It’s just a bunch of guystossing around wild ideas. And all during the night. other conspirators keepdrifting in and wandering out, as if they were dropping into some lodgemeeting. I can believe that there were about sixty people in on this thing. It’slike a damned convention. These people are rank amateurs. They haven’t got anysecurity to speak of. just a couple of guards at the door who pass people inand out. The way they’re going about it. if Caesar hasn’t heard about thisso-called conspiracy by now, he must be off in some other world.”

“Well, according to history, there were many rumors of conspiraciesagainst his life.” said Travers. but Caesar simply discounted them. There havealways been conspiracies in Rome of one sort or another, but few of them evercame to anything. Caesar was even involved in several aborted conspiracieshimself, such as the one with Crassus. He knows there’s opposition against him.but the people support him and he’s got the Senate cowed. If word has reachedhim about this conspiracy, maybe he feels the same way about it as you do. Thatthey’re all talk and no action.

“But would he just ignore them like that?” Andre asked withsurprise.

“If he were anybody else, he probably wouldn’t.” Travers replied.“But he’s Caesar. He’s survived more bloody wars than any other general inRome. The man simply has no fear. Maybe he really believes that he’sinvulnerable.”

“According to your report, he didn’t seem to believe it thenight he heard the oracle’s prophecy.” said Lucas.

“A lot’s happened since that night.” Travers replied. “TheCaesar who was about to cross the Rubicon was full of doubt and indecision. He’dalways bucked the odds before, but for the first time in his life, he reallywasn’t sure. No Roman general had ever marched on Rome before. Even for Caesar.it seemed like going much too far. But he pulled it off. And he hasn’t lookedback since. After he defeated the great Pompey, he didn’t think that there wasanything he couldn’t do.” Travers paused. “After his death. Caesar was deified,but in his own mind, he’s halfway there already.”

You mean he actually thinks of himself as a god?” asked Andre.

“No. I doubt that. I’m sure he doesn’t, not in the literalsense. But with all he’s managed to accomplish, it’s clearly gone to his head.You know the old saying. Absolute power corrupts. absolutely. Caesar hasn’treally been corrupted. at least not in the same sense as Tiberius. Caligula.and Nero were. but be really does believe that he’s infallible. Besides, hismind isn’t really on what’s happening in Rome. Being emperor doesn’t seem tointerest him anymore. He’s bored.”

“Bored’?” said Lucas, raising his eyebrows. he’s run out ofchallenges. Since he became emperor. Rome has been at peace. And peace is notCaesar’s milieu. he’s a soldier. He’s not really alive unless he’s in the fieldwith his troops. It’s what he does best. He can’t wait to leave on that campaign.The old war dog wants one last taste of battle. He’s not a young man anymore.This is his last chance to go down in history as the greatest general who everlived, the man who surpassed even Hannibal and Alexander. ‘There’s a world toconquer out there.” Travers shook his head. “He?