empire! It's nothing more than a hindrance now, another obstacle in Caesar's way. A rotten limb that needs to be pruned. All this judicial haggling, politicians constantly dragging each other into court-this nonsense has to stop sooner or later. From what you've said, this trial of Caelius is just one more example of how far the standard has fallen.' 'But what's the alternative?' said Eco.
Meto looked at his brother blandly. 'Caesar, of course.'
'You're talking about a dictator, like Sulla,' I said, shaking my head.
'Or worse,' said Eco, 'an outright king, like Ptolemy.'
'I'm talking about a man who can lead. I've seen with my own eyes what Caesar can do. All this petty squabbling in Rome seems quite absurd when you're up in Gaul, watching Romans conquer the world.'
'Pompey and Crassus are hardly petty,' I said.
'That's why a triumvirate is the answer,' said Meto. 'Temporarily, anyway. But you never heard me say that.'
'What about men like Clodius and Milo?' said Eco. 'Or Cicero, for that matter? Or Caelius?'
Meto made an expression to show that such men were beneath contempt. What had his service to Caesar done to my son?
I had only a moment to ponder the question, for the twins suddenly rushed into the room in a burst of laughter and golden hair. Meto might know a thing or two about military strategy, but he was no match for his niece and nephew. Titania advanced from the left, Titus from the right. Each grabbed hold of an arm and climbed onto him.
'When did they get so big? And so strong!' Meto laughed.
'They intend to wrestle you, I think,' said Eco, chagrined.
'Or at least immobilize you,' I said.
'They've succeeded.' Meto grunted. The twins squealed with triumph.
'You'd better give up now, while you can,' I suggested. 'Gaul-fighting Uncle Meto can take a lot rougher treatment than their delicate old grandpa, and they know it.'
'I give up!' gasped Meto. The twins released him at once and then turned to mount a skirmish against me. Their attack turned out to be an assault of harmless hugs and kisses, to which I submitted without a struggle.
'But what's this?' I said.
'What?' said Titania.
'This piece of jewelry pinned on your tunic?'
'A gorgon's eye!' cried Titus. 'It gives her magical powers, and I have to get it away from her, even if I have to chop her head off!'
'But where did it come from?' My mouth was suddenly dry. It was an earring of simple design, a silver crook with a green glass bead-the twin of the earring which had been used to force the lock of my strongbox, and which had been carelessly dropped inside when the poison was taken.
'It came from the land of Libya, where the Gorgons live,' said Titania. 'It can make you invisible. That's what Titus says.'
'Yes, but how did you come to have it?' From the tone of my voice she knew I wanted a serious answer.
'She gave it to me,' said Titania. 'She told me she'd lost the other one and she didn't want it anymore.'
'Who gave it to you?'
Titania told me. My heart sped up.
'And will it really make me invisible?' she said.
'No.' My voice shook. 'I mean, yes. Why not? The other earring made her invisible. To my eyes, anyway. It made me think I saw the truth, when I couldn't begin to see it. Oh, Cybele!'
Eco furrowed his brow. 'Papa, what are you talking about?'
'I have to go home now. I think I may have been very, very wrong about something.'
Belbo answered the front door. At the sight of me he broke into a grin. 'Master! Thank the gods you're here!' 'Is something wrong?'
'No, nothing at all… now that you're back.' 'Has her mood been that terrible?'
Belbo rolled his eyes in answer, then jumped at the voice from behind him.
'Whose mood?' Bethesda's voice was like frost in the springtime.
I nodded to dismiss Belbo, who quickly disappeared. Bethesda and I looked at each other in silence for a long moment. 'Where have you been?' she finally said.
'I spent the night at Eco's house.'
'And the night before that?'
'I was in bed with a drunken poet, actually.'
She snorted. 'Did you see the trial yesterday?'
'Yes.'
'Quite a spectacle, wasn't it?' 'You were there?'
'Of course. Belbo held me a place at the very front. I never saw you, though.'
'I was standing at the back. I never saw you either.' 'Strange, isn't it, that we could be so close and yet not see each other.' Her gaze softened a bit.
'Caelius was acquitted. I was glad.' 'So was I, I suppose.'
'But what they did to Clodia was horrible.' 'Yes, it was appalling.'
'I wanted to stop them. I would have stopped them, if I could have.'
'I felt the same.'
'Now she's left the city,' said Bethesda. 'How did you know that?'
Bethesda saw the look on my face and scowled. 'Don't be so suspicious. Do you imagine there's some sort of secret conspiracy of women? A slave brought a note from Clodia this morning. I was supposed to visit her tomorrow, and she wanted to let me know that she wouldn't be home. She didn't say where she was going, only that she was leaving Rome at once.'
She crossed her arms and walked into the garden. I followed. She kept her back to me. 'I apologize for deceiving you, husband. You know the truth, don't you?'
'I think I do.'
'I should explain. That man — Dio — I can hardly say his name. Back in Alexandria, before you bought me — ' 'I know.' 'How could you?'
'I overheard you talking to Clodia the other day, in the garden at the back of the house.'
She looked over her shoulder. Her eyes lit up as she comprehended, then became clouded. 'But I never said his name! I made a point of not saying his name to Clodia.'
'Even so…'
She nodded and turned her face away.
'You should have told me, Bethesda. You should have told me long ago.' I stepped closer and put my hand on the back of her neck.
She reached up and touched my fingers. 'Then you understand?'
'I can't be sorry that Dio's dead. When I think of what he did to you and your mother, and to who knows how many others… '
'Then say you forgive me.'
'Forgive me first, Bethesda, for having had less faith in you than I should have.'
'I forgive you, husband.'
'And I forgive you, wife, for deceiving me.'
'And for poisoning a guest in your house?' 'You confess?'
She took a deep breath. 'Yes.'
I shook my head. 'No. I can't forgive you for poisoning Dio.' She stiffened.
'But I will forgive you for continuing to deceive me with a false confession.'
She turned. From the way she looked up at me, searching my face for signs of what I knew, I was satisfied that I had found the truth at
last.
A little while later I was sitting in my library, looking out the open windows onto the garden. The vines and flowers were in bloom. Bees and butterflies flitted in the bright sunshine.
