TW11 The Cleopatra Crisis NEW (15 page)

“So you think that Brutus would be the most approachable?" asked Lucas.

“Yes, he'd probably be the easiest to get to know, but if you're planning to infiltrate the conspiracy, Cassius and Casca are the ones you'll need to convince. That won't be easy. They don't know you. You're only a visitor in Rome and your cover identity as my brother will practically guarantee that he won't trust you. Of course, we could still pass you off as someone else."

"No. you've already told Caesar about me and it could complicate things if we changed our story. Besides. I wasn't thinking of myself." said Lucas. "I was thinking of Delaney. True, we all supposedly grew up together, but he hasn't seen you in years and people grow apart. We could easily stage a public confrontation of some sort between you, an argument about Caesar's autocracy or something."

"Yes, I suppose that could work." said Travers.

"If possible. I'd also like to figure out some way to get Andre next to Cleopatra," Lucas said. "What do you think the chances of that are?"

Travers pursed his lips thoughtfully. "Probably much better than your chances of infiltrating the conspiracy. Cleopatra hasn't exactly been embraced by Roman society. She acts as if she doesn't seem to care, but I'm not sure if I buy that. It's not that anyone would actively speak out against her, because of Caesar, but she's been widely blamed for Caesar's autocratic tendencies. She's a daughter of the pharaohs. after all, and as such, she doesn't share the republican sensibilities of most Romans. She's a Ptolemy and she can't understand or appreciate the freedoms most Romans enjoy. Nor has she made any secret of her opinions on the subject."

"What's she like?" asked Andre.

"Well, the most obvious thing about her is her beauty," Travers said.

Then he corrected himself. "No, that isn't really true. The most obvious thing about her is her sex appeal. She practically radiates sexuality. She knows the effect she has on men and she certainly uses it to her best advantage. She lives in relative isolation in the house that Caesar gave her, along with her son, whom she claims is Caesar's. She was married to young Ptolemy XIII when they ruled together, then after his death, she married his brother Ptolemy XIV. Hardly what I'd call a loving family. They all hated one another. Ptolemy XIV was supposedly poisoned on her orders."

"Nice lady," said Delaney wryly.

"Merely a product of her time, her culture, and her position," Travers said. "She's a compelling woman. Sharp, intelligent, and very willful. Which is only to be expected from the Queen of Egypt. That's her house right there.” They slowly passed an elegant, white-faced villa behind a high stone wall. There were Roman guards stationed outside it and several Egyptians watched them carefully from just inside the gates as they drove by.

"The problem is how to arrange a meeting with her.' Travers said. "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, Cleopatra could 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 plan of action. We'll try to get Delaney in with the conspirators. Andre's assignment will be Cleopatra. As your brother whom you haven't seen in years. I'll be introduced to Caesar and see if I can't make myself fascinating enough for him to want to socialize with me. How much have you told him about your imaginary brother?"

"Not very much, really." Travers said.”I wanted to leave room for you to improvise. All I've told him is that we were always very close and 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 for making extensive notes on the campaigns. Castelli actually received the letters and he's been keeping them for me, for my use when I clock back to Plus Time and start working on my book."

"Good," said Lucas.”I think I've just figured out how to make myself interesting to Caesar."

"What do you have in mind?"

"Let's say that your brother, Marcus, always had a scholarly bent. 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 wars that I've decided to write a study of military strategy, using Caesar's campaigns for my model."

“But you've never read those letters." Travers said. “I've got them at the villa now, but I doubt there's enough time for you to go through all of them."

"I won't have to," Lucas said with a smile. "I can skim them quickly, but I've been a student of military history for years. One of my favorite books was Caesar's Commentaries. I've read it several times and I took an implant download on it before we left Plus Time, so I'll be able to discuss the Gallic Wars with Caesar from his own observations."

"My apologies," said Travers. "I should have known you'd come prepared."

"One can never prepare too well for an adjustment mission.” Lucas said. "The only trouble is, more often than not, all the preparation in the 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 hope you 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 his bodyguards."

"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 will probably 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 real tricky."

"But if there are sixty conspirators," said Andre, "couldn't they simply overwhelm the bodyguard?"

"One would think so," Travers said, "except there weren't sixty men involved in the assassination itself. Only a handful of them did the actual killing. Besides, it's one thing to attack a single unarmed man, but it's something else entirely to go up against a dozen armed and well-trained soldiers. Even if the conspirators could get through them, the bodyguard would probably 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 they were all condemned afterward and some took their own lives with the same daggers they had used to murder Caesar."

"Here's a thought," said Delaney. "What would happen if there was an attempt on Cleopatra's life? Wouldn't Caesar be concerned enough to insist that she take the bodyguard for herself?"

"He might," said Lucas. "On the other hand, he might simply assign Roman legionaries to protect her.”

“Wouldn't it make more sense for her to be protected by her own people?" Delaney persisted. "I don't know, but from everything I've heard about Caesar, it makes sense that he'd want her to take them back, to guard her in the house, and maybe assign additional troops to protect the grounds. It would seem that she'd want her own people around her, rather than a bunch of Roman soldiers who wouldn't know how to treat her properly."

"Only what if Cleopatra isn't really Cleopatra?" Travers asked.

"The way she reacts to an attempt on her life might tell us whether she is or not," Delaney said.

"You may have a point," said Lucas. "It might be worth a try. 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 we need to know, wouldn't it?"

"That's like standing up in the trench to find out if the snipers 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 moving up in the world.

Caesar had been so amused at Antony losing a fortune to him at the races that he had invited "Creon Sabinus" to dine with him that evening. Being an excellent rider, Caesar was also interested in talking about horsemanship.

Fortunately. Steiger was qualified to discuss the subject knowledgeably. Not only was he a member of the Pendleton Base Polo Club, but during various assignments in Minus Time, he had also served with some of the finest cavalry detachments in history, from the Mongol hordes of Genghis Khan to Jeb Stuart's 1st. Virginia Cavalry. The only thing that gave him any trouble was the Roman custom of eating in the prone position while lying on a couch. He kept wanting to sit up.

"You should have been a soldier, Sabinus," said Caesar. laughing as he watched him shift his position uncomfortably. "Like me, you have difficulty keeping still. I can see that you are not one who is accustomed to pampered luxury. A fit, strong man such as yourself, it is a pity that you never joined the legions. You understand a great deal about horses and you seem to have an instinctive grasp of cavalry maneuvers. I could have used a man like you in my campaigns."

"I would have been proud to serve with Caesar," Steiger said. "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's legions than I would have been as a ordinary soldier in the cavalry."

"I do not believe that you would have been merely an ordinary soldier," Caesar said. "You have intelligence and wit, all the makings of a fine officer."

"I thank Caesar for the compliment. However, my destiny took a 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 you will have the chance to alter yours. I will soon be embarking upon new campaigns 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 to leave on your next campaign?"

"I have an old debt to pay the Parthians, to avenge the death of my old friend, Crassus. I plan to depart from Rome on the eighteenth of the month. That should give you sufficient time to conclude your business with Marcian."

"But I had planned to engage Sabinus to manage the estate," Marshall protested.

"I am certain that Sabinus has slaves and freedmen overseers who could manage it for you equally well. Marcian," said Caesar. "And doubtless you could pay them less. I have greater need of able men than you. What say you, Sabinus? You have already increased your fortune at my friend Marc Antony's expense, and you shall increase it further when your business with Marcian is concluded. Once that is done, you shall be relieved of your responsibilities and there will be nothing to prevent you from enlisting with my forces. You could arrange for your money to be invested wisely and when you return, you will be a rich man. And you shall have your choice of properties from the lands that we shall conquer. You may build a villa, start a farm and live there, or you could live in Rome and hire a freedman to manage your property for you, along with the slaves you shall receive from among our prisoners. I treat my soldiers well and reward them for their service. A man such as yourself could do well in the wars."

"Such inducements would seem impossible to refuse," said Steiger. He smiled. "As it would be impossible to refuse Caesar.”

"Splendid! Then let us drink a toast to your new destiny!"

“To Parthia?" said Steiger.

Caesar smiled and raised his goblet. "To Parthia!"

"What the hell was that all about?" asked Marshall. after the evening was concluded and they had left the palace. “There's no need for you to join the legions. By the eighteenth, Caesar will be dead."

"But what if he isn't?" Steiger countered. "Suppose this anomaly with the Egyptians turns into a disruption and the conspirators fail to kill him? Then there will be nothing to prevent him from leaving on his new campaign against Parthia.”

"And you intend to be with him." Marshall said. "So that the first chance you get . . ."

"You got it."

Marshall snorted. "Just like old times. huh? Cloak-and-dagger wet work."

"Yeah. A tribune's cloak and a Roman dagger,” Steiger said.

"You're actually hoping it'll happen, aren't you? Christ, you really want the conspiracy to fail, so that you can take Caesar out yourself."

"I'll do whatever I have to do," said Steiger, "depending on how things turn out. But it would be a hell of a thing, wouldn't it?"

"Yes, I guess it would at that. You'd be the man who sanctioned Julius Caesar. Not even Mongoose ever pulled off anything that big."

"It would convince Forrester that there's a place for the covert field section," Steiger said.

"With you as senior section chief, no doubt." said Marshall.

Steiger glanced at him. “Why not? I'd be the logical choice. And I'll need good, experienced agents."

"Forget about it," Marshall said. "I told you. I'm all through with that. I've got a good thing going here. I'd like to keep it." he gave Steiger a long look. "I am going to get to keep it, aren't I?"

Steiger shrugged. "It's your choice. John."

"Is it?"

Steiger met his gaze. "What are you saying. John? You think I'd turn you in?"

"You'd only be doing your duty if you did," said Marshall flatly. "It would be another feather in your cap, wouldn't it? Busting a renegade agent and using him to nail all his Underground connections. Might even net you a promotion."