annr.pandora-第31部分

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　was　my　brother！
　〃That　is　an　unforgivable　impertinence；〃　I　said。　〃Are　not　magicians　and　mind　readers　bound　by　manners？〃　I　looked　to　the　Priest　and　Priestess。　〃Who　is　this　man？〃
　I　went　out　and　they　followed　me。　I　hurried　to　the　door。
　In　the　light　I　saw　the　Priestess's　face。　〃We　know　only　that　he's　our　friend。　Please　listen　to　his　advice。　He　has　never　done　anything　but　good　for　the　Temple；　He　es　to　read　the　Egyptian　books　we　have　here。　He　buys　them　up　from　the　shops　as　soon　as　the　sea　brings　them　to　us。　He　is　wise。　He　can　read　minds；　as　you　see。〃　
　〃You　promised　an　escort　of　guards；〃　I　said。
　And　I　will　be　with　you。　The　voice　came　from　the　Roman；　though　I　did　not　know　where　he　was　now　at　all。　He　was　not　in　the　great　hall。
　〃e；　live　within　the　Temple　of　Isis；　and　nothing　can　harm　you；〃　said　the　Priest。
　〃I'm　not　quite　the　woman　for　living　in　the　Temple　pound；〃　I　said；　trying　to　sound　as　humble　and　grateful　as　I　could。　〃I'd　drive　you　mad　in　a　week。　Please　open　the　door。〃
　I　slipped　out。　I　felt　I　had　escaped　from　a　dark　corridor　of　spiderwebs；　back　into　the　Roman　night；　among　Roman　columns　and　Roman　temples。
　I　discovered　Flavius　pressed　against　the　column　beside　me；　staring　down　into　the　stairs。　Our　four　torchbearers　were　gathered　next　to　us；　very　much　alarmed。
　There　were　men　who　were　obviously　Temple　guards；　but　they　stood　cleaving　to　the　doors；　as　did　Flavius。
　〃Madam；　go　back　in！〃　whispered　Flavius。
　At　the　foot　of　the　stairs　stood　a　group　of　helmeted　Roman　soldiers　in　full　military　dress　with　polished　muscled　breastplates　and　short　red　cloaks　and　tunics。　They　carried　their　deadly　swords　as　if　they　were　in　battle。　Their　bronze　helmets　shone　in　the　light　of　the　Temple　braziers。
　Battle　dress　within　the　city。　Everything　but　shields。　And　who　was　the　leader？
　Lucius；　my　brother；　stood　beside　the　leader。　Lucius　wore　his　battle　tunic　of　red；　but　no　breastplate　or　sword。　His　toga　was　doubled　and　redoubled　over　his　left　arm。　He　was　clean；　with　shining　hair；　exuding　money。　A　jeweled　dagger　was　on　his　forearm；　another　dagger　was　in　his　belt。
　Trembling；　he　pointed　at　me。
　〃There　she　is；〃　said　Lucius。　〃Of　the　entire　family；　she　escaped　the　order　of　Sejanus。　It　was　a　plot　to　kill　Tiberius　and　somehow　she　bribed　her　way　out　of　Rome！〃
　I　quickly　sized　up　the　soldiers。　There　were　two　young　Asiatics　but　the　others　were　old　and　Roman；　six　in　number。　Yea　gods；　they　must　have　thought　I　was　Circe！
　〃Go　back　in；〃　said　my　beloved　and　loyal　Flavius；　〃seek　sanctuary。〃
　〃Be　still；〃　I　said。　〃There's　always　time　for　that。〃
　The　leader；　he　was　the　key；　and　I　saw　that　he　was　an　older　man；　older　than　my　brother　Antony；　yet　not　as　old　as　my　Father。　He　had　thick　gray　eyebrows　and　was　impeccably　dean　shaven。
　He　wore　battle　scars　proudly；　one　on　his　cheek；　another　on　his　thigh。　He　was　exhausted。　His　eyes　were　red　and　he　shook　his　head　as　if　to　clear　his　vision。
　This　man's　arms　were　very　tanned；　yet　he　was　well　muscled。　This　meant　war　…　lots　and　lots　of　war。
　Lucius　declared；　〃The　entire　family　stands　condemned。　She　should　be　executed　on　the　spot！〃
　I　decided　my　strategy　as　if　I　were　Caesar　himself。　I　spoke　up　at　once；　proceeding　two　steps　down：
　〃You　are　the　Legate；　are　you　not？　How　tired　you　must　be！〃　I　took　his　hand　in　both　of　mine。　〃Were　you　under　the　mand　of　Germanicus？〃
　He　nodded。
　First　blow　struck！
　〃My　brothers　fought　with　Germanicus　in　the　North；〃　I　said。　〃And　Antony；　the　eldest；　after　the　Triumphal　March　in　Rome；　lived　long　enough　to　tell　us　of　the　bones　found　in　the　Teutoburg　Forest。〃
　〃Ah；　Madam；　to　see　that　field　of　bones；　an　entire　army　ambushed　and　the　bodies　left　to　rot！〃
　〃Two　of　my　brothers　died　in　the　battle。　It　was　in　a　storm；　in　the　North　Sea。〃
　〃Madam；　you　never　saw　such　a　disaster；　but　do　you　think　the　Barbarian　God；　Thor；　could　frighten　our　Germanicus？〃
　〃Never。　And　you　came　here　with　the　General？〃
　〃Went　everywhere　with　him；　from　the　banks　of　the　Elbe　in　the　North　to　the　South　end　of　the　River　Nile。〃
　〃How　marvelous；　and　you　are　so　tired；　Tribune；　look　at　you；　you　need　sleep。　Where　is　the　famous　Governor　Gnaeus　Calpurnius　Piso？　Why　did　it　take　him　so　long　to　quiet　the　city？〃
　〃Because　he's　not　here；　Madam；　and　he　doesn't　dare　to　e　back。　Some　say　he　makes　a　mutiny　in　Greece；　others　that　he　flees　for　his　life。〃
　〃Stop　listening　to　her！〃　shouted　Lucius。
　〃He　was　never　much　loved　in　Rome；　either；〃　I　said。　〃It　was　Germanicus　whom　my　brothers　loved　and　my　Father　praised。〃
　〃Indeed；　and　if　we　had　been　given　one　more　year　…　one　more　year；　Madam　…　we　could　have　extinguished　the　fire　of　that　bloody　upstart　King　Arminius　forever！　We　didn't　even　need　that　long！　You　spoke　of　the　North　Sea。　We　fought　on　all　terrain。〃
　〃Oh；　yes；　in　the　thick　of　the　forest；　and　tell　me　this；　were　you　there；　Sir；　when　they　found　the　lost　standard　of　General　Varus's　legions？　Is　the　story　true！〃
　〃Ah；　Madam；　when　that　golden　eagle　was　raised；　you　never　heard　such　cries　as　from　the　soldiers。〃
　〃This　woman　is　a　liar　and　a　traitor；〃　shouted　Lucius。
　I　turned　on　him。　〃Don't　push　me　too　far！　You're　past　all　patience　now。　Do　you　even　know　the　numbers　of　the　Legions　of　General　Varus　who　were　ambushed　in　the　Teutoburg　Forest？　I　thought　not！　They　were　the　Seventh；　the　Eighth　and　the　Ninth。〃
　〃Right；　correct；〃　said　the　Legate。　〃And　we　could　have　wiped　out　those　tribes　pletely。　The　Empire　would　reach　to　the　Elbe！　But　for　some　reason；　and　mine　is　not　the　place　to　question；　our　Emperor　Tiberius　called　us　back。〃
　〃Hmmm；　and　then　condemns　your　beloved　leader　for　going　to　Egypt。〃
　〃Madam；　it　was　no　trip　to　seize　power；　Germanicus's　trip　to　Egypt。　It　was　because　of　a　famine。〃
　〃Yes；　and　Germanicus　had　been　declared　Imperium　Maius　of　all　the　Eastern　provinces；〃　I　said。
　〃And　there　was　so　much　trouble！〃　said　the　Legate。　〃You　can　not　imagine　the　morale；　the　habits　of　the　soldiers　here；　but　our　General　never　slept！　He　went　directly　when　he　heard　of　the　famine。〃
　〃And　you　with　him？〃
　〃All　of　us；　his　cohorts。　In　Egypt　he　delighted　in　seeing　the　old　monuments。　So　did　I。〃
　〃Ah；　how　marvelous　for　him。　You　must　tell　me　about　Egypt！　You　know　that　I；　as　a　Senator's　daughter；　cannot　go　to　Egypt　any　more　than　can　a　Senator。　I　would　so　love　…〃
　〃Why　is　that；　Madam？〃　asked　the　Legate。
　〃She's　lying　to　you！〃　roared　Lucius。　〃Her　whole　family　was　murdered。〃
　'Very　simple　reason；　Tribune；〃　I　said　to　the　Legate。　〃It's　no　state　secret。　Rome　is　so　dependent　upon　Egypt　for　corn　that　the　Emperor　wants　to　prevent　the　country　from　ever　falling　under　the　control　of　a　powerful　traitor。　Surely　you　grew　up　as　I　did　in　dread　of　another　Civil　War。〃
　〃I　put　my　faith　in　our　Generals；〃　said　the　Legate。
　〃You　are　right　to　do　so。　And　you　saw　nothing　from　Germanicus　but　loyalty；　is　that　not　so？〃
　〃It　is　absolutely　so。　Ah；　Egypt。　We　saw　such　Temples　and　statues！〃
　〃The　singing　statues；〃　I　asked；　〃did　you　see　them；　the　colossal　man　and　woman　who　wail　in　the　rising　of　the　sun。〃
　〃Yes；　I　heard　it；　Madam；〃　he　said；　nodding　furiously。　〃I　heard　the　sound！　It　is　magical。　Egypt　is　full　of　magic！〃
　〃Hmmm。〃　A　tremor　ran　through　me。　I　banished　it。　In　a　flash　I　saw　two　images　mixed：　that　of　the　tall　Roman　in　his　toga；　and　that　of　a　burnt　and　cunning　creature！　Think　straight；　Pandora！
　〃And　in　the　Temple　of　Ramses　the　Great；〃　said　the　Legate；　〃one　of　the　Priests　read　the　writing　on　the　walls。　All　about　victory'？　All　about　battle？　We　laughed　because　nothing　really　changes；　Madam。〃
　〃And　Governor　Piso；　do　you　believe　these　rumors'？　Can　we　not　speak　safely　of　them；　of　rumors　as　if　rumors　were　not　things？〃
　〃Everyone　here　despises　him！〃　said　the　Legate。　〃He　was　a　bad　soldier；　plain　and　simple！　And　Agrippina　the　Elder；　Germanicus's　beloved　wife；　is　on　her　way　to　Rome　now　with　the　General's　ashes。　She　will　officially　accuse　the　Governor　before　the　Senate！〃
　〃Yes；　how　courageous　of　her；　and　that　is　how　it　should　be　done。　If　families　are　judged　without　trial；　then　we　have　fallen　into　tyranny；　haven't　we'？　Here；　our　friendly　lunatic；　don't　you　agree　to　that？〃
　Lucius　was　speechless。　He　turned　red。
　〃And　in　the　Teutoburg　Forest；〃　I　said　tenderly；　〃that　gloomy　arena　for　our　doom；　did　you　see　all　the　bones　of　our　lost　legion