Caesar Dies

n his official toga. She was herself in disarray. Her woman had tried to dress her hair on the

via Titiana?"

lf discuss his wife's activities. The peasant in him, and

fires in their depths, looking for signs of spirit that should rise

omes. He is sulking. He has his tablets with him-writes and writes, then scra

og," said Pertinax, which bro

unteered. "If you had murdered Livius the crisis

y I am not afraid of him. This time he turned my strength to water. He yelled 'Christians!' at me, 'Christians! You and your Christians!' He was unba

e mad," Gal

trike. He swore it was another of my plans to keep him out of the arena. I began to think it might be wiser to admit that. Even in his worst moods he is sometimes softened by the thought that I take care of him and love him enough to risk his anger. But not this time! He flew

extus?" Per

here is

glared

for Sextus! You persua

rtinax per

t remedy the matter. You foresaw the crisis long ago. Sextus has been very useful to you. He has kept you

d old Galen, but she did not relish being told the

ord about the murder yet. Commodus has had the bodies t

d. He was clicking the rings on his fingers-sympt

and began to pace the floor. "Severus and his troops are in Pannonia. Pescennius Niger is in Syria. Clodius Albinus is in Britain. The senators are all so jealous and afraid for their own skins that they are as likely as not to be

ns and to clear us. None of the others would be grateful to him. That Carthaginian Severus, for instance, is invariably spit

Marcia's scorn interru

for Bultius Livius.

tin

ent, but she did not deceive Galen, although Pertinax w

en. "It is now or never. Ma

for me; and whatever he feels, he will pretend he loves me. When the raging fear is on him he will never drink from any one but me. He will take a cup of wine from my hands, making me taste it first. Then he will go alone i

interr

e before the outbreak, being burned up by the generating process, which is like a slow fire. But if they survive until the explosion, it is more vio

n," said Marcia. "I love him in spite of his

ou can't think for yourself, do you ex

finger-nails, which were the everlasting subject of his proud wife's indignation; he never kept his fine hands properly; the peasant in him tho

Marcia, sittin

and irrevocable. He clenched his fingers and his

ns. What do you know abo

ought as I did, that I gave them something for their health. My methods have changed with experience.

it, but will kill whoever drinks a quantity? Something without flavor? Some

ill not be made a victim of it. Who shal

rti

ed, stroking his beard

" said Galen. "Rome is full of pois

em. I will not resist. But let there be no doubt on this point: I will not slay Commodus. I will not draw sword against the man to whom I owe my fortune. I am not an ingrate. Sextus lives for his revenge. If you should ask me I would answer, Sextus planned this murder in the tunnel and the blow was meant for Commodus himself. I am

d Marcia, her accent tart with sarcasm.

man needing outlets for his energy and fuel for his pride. If he were sent to Parthia, in secret, as

Galen. "And if made to go, h

his minute, as for instance: 'It is he who acts who is responsible.' To kill an emperor is easy, Galen. To replace him is as difficult as to fit a new head to a body. We have

inter

es Cornificia endure such peasant talk? Or do you keep it to impose on us as a relief from her more noble conversation? Dea

e place where he could be stirred to spite

e ten times worse! Where Commodus is merely crazy, Lucius Severus is a calculating, ice-cold monster of cruelty! He has no emotions except those aroused by venom! He w

s, or else you!" said Mar

folded

Rome from Severus. But you go too f

will be alive tomorrow morning? Who knows what Sextus is doing? If Sextus has heard of this crisis he will seize the moment and either arouse the praetorian guard

ffer up himself if he might bring back the Augustan days-if he might win the warfare that Tiberius lost. One Pertinax is nothing in the life of Rome. One life, three- quarters spent, is but a poor pledge to the gods-yet too much to be thrown away

esit

demanded

e. What else does any man receive who serves Rom

keeps your resolution. Let her come and l

ffer that indignity. Cornifi

him as had the name of Lucius Severus. He began to bite his finger- nai

Marcia, remembering a phrase of Cornificia's. And since the words were Cornificia's,

cia said, goading him. Bu

Rome from Severus. Dioscuri!-do you realize, this plo

rcia. "Yourself included there

m this one chance," said Pertinax. "I will protect him, unless and until I sha

to understand him and looked satisfied. "Come tonight to the

gaze and shut

her you will do this or

too risky to send one

ome tonight and brin

e-you un

prehensible!" said Gal

will

r or his inclination. Pertinax, eyeing him doubtfully, seemed tor

ked. He laid a hand on Galen'

. "In any event I have not long t

on in his mind. He bade farewell to Marcia, t

ould lose this main, we two can d

ar last night," said Pe

d his face a

sun tomorrow!" she ret

Play th