“The problem is how to arrange a meeting with her.’ Traverssaid. “I couldn’t exactly invite her over for dinner.”
“I’ll figure something out.-said Andre.
Be careful: Travers cautioned her.”Once inside those walls,you might as well be in Egypt. And though she seems very personable. Cleopatracould have you killed instantly, merely on a whim.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” said Andre.
“All right. then.” Lucas said, “for now, that’ll be our planof action. We’ll try to get Delaney in with the conspirators. Andre’sassignment will be Cleopatra. As your brother whom you haven’t seen in years. I’llbe introduced to Caesar and see if I can’t make myself fascinating enough forhim to want to socialize with me. How much have you told him about yourimaginary brother’?”
“Not very much, really.” Travers said.”I wanted to leaveroom for you to improvise. All I’ve told him is that we were always very closeand that you stayed behind to run the estate when I went off to the wars.”
“So I was never a soldier?”
“No. Why?”
“Just thinking. Did you write to me regularly’?”
“Yes, as part of my own cover and to give me an excuse formaking extensive notes on the campaigns. Castelli actually received the lettersand he’s been keeping them for me, for my use when I clock back to Plus Timeand start working on my book.”
“Good,” said Lucas.”I think I’ve just figured out how tomake myself interesting to Caesar.”
“What do you have in mind?”
“Let’s say that your brother. Marcus. always had a scholarlybent. An interest in philosophy and so forth. I’ll be an armchair strategist.Well say that I became so fascinated with your detailed letters about the warsthat I’ve decided to write a study of military strategy, using Caesar’scampaigns for my model.”
“But you’ve never read those letters.” Travers said. ‘I’vegot them at the villa now, but I doubt there’s enough time for you to gothrough all of them.”
“I won’t have to,” Lucas said with a smile. “I can skim themquickly, but I’ve been a student of military history for years. One of myfavorite books was Caesar’s Commentaries. I’ve read it several times and I tookan implant download on it before we left Plus Time, so I’ll be able to discussthe Gallic Wars with Caesar from his own observations.”
“My apologies.” said Travers. “I should have known you’dcome prepared.”
“One can never prepare too well for an adjustment mission.”Lucas said. “The only trouble is, more often than not, all the preparation inthe world simply isn’t enough. Those Egyptians worry me. If, as you suspect.they’re undercover S.O.G. commandos, we’re really going to have our hands full.And if they’re not, it still won’t be easy getting them out of the way. I hopeyou can convince Caesar to get rid of them.
“What if I can’t?”
“Then we may have no other choice but to get rid of them ourselves.In order for Caesar to be assassinated, we might just have to assassinate hisbodyguards.”
“All twelve of them?”
“All twelve. That means timing will be absolutely crucial.If we take them out too soon, it will give the conspiracy away and Caesar willprobably surround himself with legionaries. If we take them out too late …”He took a deep breath and exhaled heavily. “Either way, it’s going to be realtricky.”
“But if there are sixty conspirators,” said Andre, “couldn’tthey simply overwhelm the bodyguard?”
“One would think so,” Travers said, “except there weren’tsixty men involved in the assassination itself. Only a handful of them did theactual killing. Besides, it’s one thing to attack a single unarmed man, hut it’ssomething else entirely to go up against a dozen armed and well-trainedsoldiers. Even if the conspirators could get through them, the bodyguard wouldprobably slow them down long enough for the Senate House Guard to intervene.What made the assassination possible was the speed with which it was accomplished.In the confusion that followed, the assassins were able to escape, though theywere all condemned afterward and some took their own lives with the samedaggers they had used to murder Caesar.”
“Here’s a thought,” said Delaney. “What would happen ifthere was an attempt on Cleopatra’s life? Wouldn’t Caesar be concerned enoughto insist that she take the bodyguard for herself?”
“He might,” said Lucas. “On the other hand, he might simplyassign Roman legionaries to protect her.”
Wouldn’t it make more sense for her to be protected by herown people’?” Delaney persisted. “I don’t know, but from everything I’ve heardabout Caesar. it makes sense that he’d want her to take them back, to guard herin the house, and maybe assign additional troops to protect the grounds. Itwould seem that she’d want her own people around her, rather than a hunch ofRoman soldiers who wouldn’t know how to treat her properly.”
“Only what if Cleopatra isn’t really Cleopatra?” Traversasked.
“The way she reacts to an attempt on her life might tell uswhether she is or not,” Delaney said.
“You may have a point,” said Lucas. “It might be worth atry. Only if we’re dealing with the S.O.G.. that could tip our hand.”
“Maybe,” Delaney replied.”But it would also tell us what weneed to know, wouldn’t it?”
“That’s like standing up in the trench to find out if thesnipers on the other side are paying attention,” Lucas said.
“So? Since when were you afraid of snipers?”
Lucas gave him a sour look.
“Sorry. Bad joke.”
“Did I miss something?” Travers said.
“It’s another long story,” Lucas replied. “I’d tell you,except I still don’t know how it’s going to turn out.”
“I’m hoping for a happy ending,” Andre said.
“So am I,” said Lucas with a tight grimace. “So am I.”
Dinner in the Imperial Palace, Steiger thought. I’m movingup in the world. Caesar had been so amused at Antony losing a fortune to him atthe races that he had invited “Creon Sabinus” to dine with him that evening.Being an excellent rider, Caesar was also interested in talking abouthorsemanship. Fortunately. Steiger was qualified to discuss the subjectknowledgeably. Not only was he a member of the Pendleton Base Polo Club, butduring various assignments in Minus Time, he had also served with some of thefinest cavalry detachments in history, from the Mongol hordes of Genghis Khanto Jeb Stuart’s 1st. Virginia Cavalry. The only thing that gave him any troubleWas the Roman custom of eating in the prone position while lying on a couch. Hekept wanting to sit up.
“You should have been a soldier. Sabinus,” said Caesar. laughingas he watched him shift his position uncomfortably. “Like me, you havedifficulty keeping still. I can see that you are not one who is accustomed topampered luxury. A fit. strong man such as yourself, it is a pity that younever joined the legions. You understand a great deal about horses and you seemto have an instinctive grasp of cavalry maneuvers. I could have used a man likeyou in my campaigns.”
“I would have been proud to serve with Caesar,” Steigersaid. “But my father died young and it fell to me to manage the estate.Besides, I am undoubtedly more useful as a breeder of fine horses for Rome’slegions than I would have been as a ordinary soldier in the cavalry.”
“I do not believe that you would have been merely anordinary soldier.” Caesar said. “You have intelligence and wit, all the makingsof a fine officer.”
“I thank Caesar for the compliment. However, my destiny tooka different course. I could not change it now.”
“I have heard it said that a man could change his destiny.”said Caesar. smiling. “Now that Marcian is purchasing your estate perhaps youwill have the chance to alter yours. I will soon be embarking upon newcampaigns of conquest, adding to Rome’s territories. I will require able men.Why not come with me? I promise you that you would not be an ordinary soldier.For your knowledge and ability, I would make you a tribune with my cavalry.”
“I am indeed honored,” Steiger said. “When do you intend toleave on your next campaign?”
“I have an old debt to pay the Parthians, to avenge thedeath of my old friend, Crassus. I plan to depart from Rome on the eighteenthof the month. That should give you sufficient time to conclude your business withMarcian.”
“But I had planned to engage Sabinus to manage the estate,”Marshall protested.
