Soon after CLEOP and TONY, I will be posting up the prelude it; the LIEUTENANTS.....and it will be awhile soon after when I do another tale. I am still recovering from my surgery and need to get my thoughts in place.
So hang in there, I may come up soon with another tale soon after.....
Act Three
Scene Thirteen
Sub-Scene Two
Caesar’s crowing
“What does Caesar want?” The
Queen asked.
“Please listen to my message
in private.” Thidias said.
“Enobarbus is a friend of
mine. Say what you have to say.” The Queen looked at Enobarbus.
“It may be that they are
friends with Antony.” Thidias looked at Enobarbus.
“Antony needs as many
friends as Caesar, sir, and if things are very bad, even we would not be of any
use to him. If Caesar is willing, our boss will willingly be his friend. As for
you, you know that we obey whomever Antony obeys, and that is even towards
Caesar.” Enobarbus looked towards Thidias.
“So be it. Here is the
situation, then, oh most renowned Queen of Egypt: Caesar asks that you not
concern yourself with your current situation, given that you know his
reputation as a generous man.” Thidias bowed to the Queen. “He knows that you
took Antony as your lover not because you loved him, but because you feared
him.”
“Oh! Do I? I thought it was
his prick I feared.” The Queen laughed.
“Therefore, he pities the
damage done to your honour as a blemish you were forced to endure, not as
something you deserved.” Thidias relayed the machine.”
“Blemished? No, I giggle
like a virgin. And moan louder too.” The Queen laughed, then she mellowed down.
“Caesar is a god, and he knows what is just. I did not yield to Antony
voluntarily; I was merely overpowered. I was in love. Love conquers all.”
“I will ask Antony to make
sure that that is true.” Enobarbus said to himself. “Mark Antony, if you hear
this, heed it well. You have fallen so low that we must abandon you to your
disgrace, for even those who love you most are deserting you.”
“I must leave, Queen. Bad
headache.” Enobarbus took his leave without waiting for approval.
“Shall I tell Caesar what
you want from him? For he likes to be asked to give.” Thidias continued his
message. “It would please him greatly if you would show your support by
appealing to his power. But it would make him truly happy to hear from me
that you had abandoned Antony and turned to him, the ruler of the world, for
shelter.”
“What's your name?” The Queen
asked the messenger.
“My name is Thidias.” The
messenger gave his name. “I am the messenger of...”
“Most kind messenger named
Thidias, tell this to Caesar as my reply: I kiss his conquering hand. Tell
him I am ready immediately to lay my crown at his feet and to kneel there. Tell
him that I will obey him and let him decide the fate of Egypt.” The Queen told
the messenger.
“That is the most honourable
course of action. When wisdom fights against fortune, so long as wisdom does
everything it can, no bad luck can defeat it. Give me permission to show my
faithfulness by kissing your hand.” Thidias leaned forward. The Queen offered
her right hand.
“Julius Caesar, father of
your master Octavius, while he thought about conquering kingdoms, often put his
lips on my unworthy hand and rained kisses on it.” The Queen smiled. “He claims
it will consolidate his strength to battle the enemy.”
Mark Antony and Enobarbus
returned to meet the Queen. He saw Thidias kiss the Queen’s hand.
“Kisses? By thundering
Jove! Who are you, my man?” Mark Antony was enraged.
“I obey the commands of
Caesar, who is the most powerful and who most deserves to have his commands
obeyed.” Thidias pulled him away and looked at Mark Antony.
“You will be whipped for
such insolence.” Enobarbus approached the messenger. “The Queen is scared of
Egypt.”
“Queen, how could you
degrade yourself so low? To be kissed by a minion of Rome. You acted like a
slut. No, you are a whore! Now, I lose all my authority. Not long ago,
when I cried "Ho!" the other gangs’ leaders would dart forward like
boys towards a meal and cry, "What do you wish?". Now you are even
the”
“Do you have no ears? I
am still Mark Antony.” Mark shouted out in anger. “Take this scoundrel out of
here and whip him.”
The servants rushed in and
took leave with Thidias.
“Madness, Boss. He is
Caesar's messenger. He holds influence. If we hurt him, Caesar will rage.”
Enobarbus tried to reason with Mark Antony.
“Who is he? Even if there
were twenty of the greatest monarchs who paid tribute to Caesar, if I found
them to be so intimately familiar with the hand of this woman here, they would
be whipped too.”
“Mark Antony, this will not
end today.” Thidias shouted from the corridor.
“Whip him and bring him back
again. This scoundrel of Caesar's will take a message to him for me.” Mark shouted.
“Woman, you were half-dead
before I met you! Ha! Have I abandoned my home in Rome, neglected the chance to
beget a family of legitimate children with a noble woman, only to be abused by
someone who bestows favours on servants?” Mark Antony looked at the Queen.
“My love…...” The Queen
looked at Mark.
“You have always been a
fickle woman. But when we grow set in our vicious ways, what misery is it? ……
The wise God closes our eyes, clouds our good judgment through our own bad
behaviour makes us love our mistakes, and laughs at us as we bring about our
own ruin.” Mark laughed. “My life is ruined.”
“Mark Antony, is this what
you think of me now?” The Queen took her anger.
“When I met you, you had
been used up by the dead Caesar. No, you had been used up even more by Genius
Pompey. Even by other men, too, that you wantonly went after in lustful moments
that gossip never picked up on. Who dares to speak at the Queen, but behind her
back, they gossip through the night?” Mark walked to the table, where he took
the glass in his left hand.
“How many times has this
glass served others? Washed, dried, and then used to serve once more.” Mark threw
the glass at the wall. It broke on impact. “Broken you are. For I am sure that
although you can guess how a mild woman ought to behave, you have never been
pleasant to yourself but pleased by others.”
“How dare you speak like
that?” The Queen shouted. “I am the Queen.”
Act Three
Scene Thirteen
Sub-Scene One
Defeat is hard.
The Queen sat by herself at
the library. She was thinking of the war and Mark Antony’s surrender. She felt
the loss in herself—once the mighty Queen and now a weakling to submit to the
new Caesar. She recalled once asking Julius Caesar what it was like to win.
““Be not afraid of
greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have
greatness thrust upon them.” (William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night.) Julius
told her.
“You were born to be the Queen.
You will die as one.”
Her thoughts were then
disturbed by the arrival of the maid, who told Enobarbus to seek her attention.
The Romans entered and bowed to the Queen.
“What can or will we do,
Enobarbus?” The Queen asked.
“Given the situation, we
could die.”
“Is Mark Antony at fault for
this, or am I?” The Queen asked then.
“I …...” Enobarbus thought
of his reply. “Mark Antony, who allowed his appetite to overcome his reason, He
was overzealous, thinking he could win the battle at sea. He had not fought one
before, or even if he did, it was on still water or the rivers. I cautioned
him, but he would not listen.”
“On me, your wiser words,
please? I fled when I was in battle.” The Queen looked at the Roman.
“What does it matter that
you fled from the dangerous battlefield, where ranks of ships frightened both
sides? What could you do? Your ships are under armed, and more to it, you know
it was suicide to battle.”
“Why should he have followed
you? His affection for you should not have undermined his skill as captain; he
was lost. While one half of the world opposed the other, and when he
himself was the reason for this fight, he disliked Caesar, and he fought. His
shame of defeat was as great as his loss when he followed the flags of your
fleeing ships and left his navy watching him go.”
“It was no cowardice but a
lack of leadership.” Enobarbus sighed.
“Please, be quiet. I hear
him coming.” The Queen hushed the others.
Mark Antony arrived with a
messenger. Mark Antony saw Enobarbus and ignored the others.
“Is that Caesar's answer? Do
tell it to the Queen.”
“Yes, my lord. Caesar said,”
“He will treat the Queen
favourably, so long as she hands me over to him.” Mark spoke to the Queen.
“That's what he says.” The
messenger continued. “He …...”
“If you send my old body to
that young boy Caesar, he will give you all the kingdoms you wish.” Mark Antony
laughed.
“Your body, my love?” The Queen
was shocked.
“Go to Caesar. Tell him that
he is still in the first bloom of youth, and the world should expect things
from him.” Mark told the messenger. “The last Caesar left him money, ships, and
legions of boys, just as well as belonging to a coward. His boys may be so
gifted that they would win under the command of a child just as well as under
Caesar.”
“If he dares, leave aside
his flashy decorations and answer my challenge, even though I am well past the
prime of my youth, to fight a duel of guns or swords, just the two of us.”
“I will convey the message.”
The messenger bowed and left. Mark took his leave without a glance at
Enobarbus.
“Yes, I am sure. It is very
unlikely that Caesar, with all his armies, will give up his advantage and agree
to show himself in public and fight against a trained man.” Enobarbus burst
out. “Foolish of Mark Antony.”
“What does he think? A duel
of gentlemen? That has died years ago.” Enobarbus sighed. “Does he not see that
men's judgment improves or declines in accordance with their luck? External
events shape our inner qualities, so if we suffer externally, we suffer
internally too.”
“How could he dream, having
known both good and bad fortune, that Caesar, with all his good fortune, would
answer a challenge from a man in such bad condition? Caesar, you have destroyed
his judgment too. Mark Antony is...” Enobarbus was upset.
“A messenger from Caesar.”
The servant called from the doorway.
“He calls from the door. Am
I a leper that he fears to step in? Why do they not treat me with more
respect?” The Queen burst out.
“See here, Enobarbus. When a
great person has fallen low, the people who once kneeled before her instead
turn their noses up at her. Let him in, sir.”
“Let the man in.” Enobarbus
called out. He then whispered to himself.
“My mind was clouded with
many judgments; they began to come into conflict with my honour. Am I the fool
who thinks he is wise? But the wise man knows himself to be a fool. The bard
was right.” (Extract from William Shakespeare, As You Like It.).
“The perseverance to follow
his lord faithfully even after his lord has fallen proves that he is stronger
even than the person who conquered his master, and so makes a great name for
himself.” Enobarbus held his respect for Mark Antony.
The messenger was Thidias.
Act Three
Scene Twelve
Sub-Scene One
Rules are set by the victor.
The word of the victory
reached the mansion. It was a celebration for Caesar when he returned. He
brought Agrippa and two others to the library for a discussion.
“Call in Antony's messenger.
Do you know him, Dolabella?” Caesar enquired.
“Caesar, it is his
children's tutor. It is a sign that Antony is in bad shape that he sends such a
lowly person here as his messenger. Not long ago, he had so many lieutenants in
his power that he could afford to send them as messengers.” Dolabella is a loyal
lieutenant of Caesar assigned to guard the mansion. He saw no action there and
was eagerly awaiting Caesar.
The tutor soon arrived. An
old man was once on the academic team at the university and was lured by money
or threats to be the tutor for the children.
“Come forward and speak,
tutor. That is your line now.” Caesar said.
“I am a lowly person to
greet you, Caesar, but my call came from Antony. Lately, I have been as
insignificant and useless to him as a drop of morning dew on a myrtle leaf
would be to the large sea. He is only a tutor to his children in math and other
subjects.”
“Put that aside. Tell us
what you came here for.” Caesar was not keen to listen to the rabbling of an
old tutor.
“Mark Antony salutes you;
you now have control over his fate, and he asks to be allowed to live in Egypt.
If you do not grant this request, he asks for a smaller favour and asks you to
let him live out his remaining days as a private citizen in Athens. These are
his requests.” The tutor said.
“Next, Queen Cleop
acknowledges your greatness, submits herself to your power, and asks that the
kingdom of Egypt, which is now at your mercy, might be given to her children.”
“For Antony, I will not
listen to his requests. The Queen will get to meet me and get what she wants,
so long as she drives her completely disgraced lover out of Egypt or else kills
him there. If she does this, her requests will not go unheard. Tell this to
them. Now be gone.” Caesar dismissed the tutor.
“May you have good fortune,
Caesar.”
“Now it is time to see what
your eloquence can accomplish, Thidias. Get going.”
“I am...” Thidias was to say
before he cut off.
“Win over Cleopatra from
Antony. Promise her in my name that she will be given what she asks
for. Promise her more than that, whatever you can think of. Women cannot
stick to their word even at the best of times, but when they are in need, even
the most devout virgin will break her vows. See
what your cunning can accomplish, Thidias. Decide what reward you would like
for your trouble, and I will supply it as if commanded by Rome’s law.”
“Caesar, I will go.” Thidias
bowed to Caesar.
“And observe how Antony
reacts to his disgrace, and tell me what you think his actions reveal about him
in every move that he makes.” Caesar told the other. “I do not trust him.”
“Caesar, I will.”
Act Three
Scene Eleven
Sub-Scene One
Egypt will negotiate.
The Queen was seated in her
chamber. She felt it was more comfortable than the library on the barge. She
has the sentries posted, and her maids are near her. Eros, the loyal one who
served Mark Antony, was there.
“Queen, please go to him;
comfort him.” Eros looked at the Queen. “He needs...”
“To whom shall my Queen do?”
Iras cut in.
“Do. Why, what else would
you do?” Charmian looked at Eros.
“I loved him.” Eros
declared. “Like my...”
“Bend over, fag. I got
the...” Iras snapped at Eros, but the Queen stopped her.
“Let me rest now. Go all of
you.” The Queen waved her hand and saw the arrival of her lover. “No, no, no,
no, no... why are you here?”
“Do you see this woman here,
sir? She taunts me.” Eros pointed at Iras.
“Oh, shame on you! Shame,
shame, shame! All of you.” Mark said this to the maids.
“My Queen!” Charmian took
offense.
“Queen, he...” Iras added.
“Boss…...” Eros voiced out
his words.
“Yes, my Queen... yes. At
Philly, Caesar used his gun as a decoration while I fought thin. I also
wrinkled Casius there, and it was I who defeated the insane Brutus later, but I
did not kill him. He did it himself in shame. Caesar was the one who had others
fight for him, and he had no experience in the proper battle formations, but
now, well, it does not matter. I was outwitted.” Mark smiled.
“Leave us. All of you.” The Queen
told the maids. “You too, Mark Antony. I will speak to you later. Alone?”
“Boss, I will not leave
until I am heard.” Eros took his stand. “Go to him, Queen; speak to him. He is
so ashamed that he has lost all sense of who he is.”
“Well then, support me. I
will not be looked upon from above.” The Queen stood up.
“Boss, the Queen is
approaching. Her head is bowed, and she will die unless you save her by
comforting her.
“Comfort? I have betrayed my
good name... in a most dishonourable departure from the right path.” Mark y
looked towards the Queen.
“What have you led me to do,
Queen of Egypt? See how I steal away in shame out of your sight, remembering
what I left behind, destroyed in dishonour. Widows and children without their
father.”
“Oh, my love! Forgive me for
sailing away in fear! I did not think then. Why did you not follow me?”
“Queen of Egypt, you knew
all too well that my heart was tied to the battle. Our ships were many and
could have defeated them. But you left, and confusion reigned then. Your action
made us retreat, then. Whatever you did, you would draw me after you. You knew that
you had full control over my will and that your summons would call me away even
from what God had ordered me to do.” Mark sighed. “I am your servant.”
“Oh, please forgive me!” The
Queen was to fall if not for her maids.
“Now I must send humble
petitions to that young Caesar, make excuses, and play tricks like a man of low
status, who once did as I pleased with half of the world's territory, raising,
and destroying people's fortunes. You knew how much you had conquered me, and
that in battle, since my affection for you made me weak, I would obey you no
matter what.”
“Forgive me, forgive me, my
love.” The Queen shed her tears.
“Do not cry one tear, I say.
One tear makes up for everything I have won and lost. Give me a kiss. Even one
kiss repays me for what I have lost.” Mark kissed her. “One great man once
said, the real and lasting victories are those of peace and not of war.” (Ralph
Waldo Emerson, 1803–1884, American philosopher.)
“I will do mine later.” Mark
embraces the Queen.
“I am touched.” Eros
overheard the boss.
“Up your arse, you were.”
Iras said.
“Yes, he called out, Oh,
God.” Charmian added.
“I did too.” Iras smiled.
Act Three
Scene Ten
Sub-Scene One
I am defeated.
Mark Antony arrived at the
small inlet on the coast. It was almost empty of his boys, with the few
surviving boats moored there. Earlier, it was piled with boats on the open sea.
The tides were not able to ripple at the inlet; they were held at bay at sea.
King Canute would have been proud to see the tides obedient then, but the tides
still flowed in regardless. Like the fuck, the climax will end with the limp.
“The sea itself tells me not
to halt the tides. My lieutenant also told me the same: do not fight the tide.
It shames me now that I did not listen.” Mark Antony, the defeated leader,
addressed the boys there.
“Boys, Napoleon once said,
He who fears being conquered is sure of defeat.” Mark quoted the great leader.
“Yup, till he met the
Englishman. Damn froggies they were.” Trust the English boys to speak out.
“He was Irish. My mother
told me so.” The Irish spoke up.
“I thought he made those
Wellington boots." Another roused up the mood.
“He did not. It was his
tailor who did it. Toby was the name. Cut the tassel and shorten it.” The Welsh
called out. “So, he would not pee on them.”
“Thank you, boys, but I am
going to talk about anyone’s boots. We were booted today. Boys, I was so
overtaken by night that I have lost my way forever in this world. However, I
have a ship full of gold. Take the gold and divide it amongst yourselves. Abandon
me and make peace with Caesar. He may give his boots.” Mark summed it up for
the boys.
“Abandon you? Not us. We are
your boys.” The boys declared then.
“I have abandoned myself,
and by retreating, I have set an example for other cowards to run away and turn
their backs on their enemies.” Mark continued his call.
“If there is a violent riot
tonight in Philadelphia, then we would not really know if it is in protest or
celebration. But I can tell you for sure, Jonas’ mother-in-law is there, and he
has not paid a cent to her.” One voiced out. “God bail my friend out before he
is made into a cheesecake.”
The boys there roared. Jonas
was popular as he was their mascot for the battle.
Boys, please lend me your
ears. I have resolved to follow a course of action that does not require your
assistance. Be gone now.” Mark looked to the boys, whose years of service to
him were too numerous to count.
“My treasure is in the
harbour. Take it.” Mark sighed. “I will be glad if you do. If you were to join
Caesar, please do shoot me in the head when you see me.”
“Boys, be gone. I will write
letters for you to some friends of mine that will clear your path if you decide
to go somewhere else. Please, do not be sad or say that you do not want to do
this. Take your cue from my despair. You should abandon someone who abandons
himself.”
"Go to the ships
immediately! I will give you the ships and the treasure. Leave me alone,
please, for a little while. I ask you: do not protest; leave me, please. I have
lost the right to command you, so I can only ask you. I will see you depart
safely.”
The boys took to their feet
and walked to the ship. Mark took off soon after. He went to Egypt.
Act Three
Scene Nine
Sub-Scene Two
The turning tide
Caesar learned of Mark
Antony’s boys at the city limit. It was open country, and with little cover, Mark
Antony had selected the best areas to mount the ambush. He knew of this from
his own messengers and infiltrated into the other side. He read the report of Mark
Antony’s so-named fleet to attack from sea. Caesar’s fleet was still
unassembled and some ships were inbounded along the coasts, which he had then
told them to sail to two ports that he knew were able to fortify. He had
learned that the Queen’s fleet of river boats, most of which were ready by the
river mouths,
“We are not a naval fleet.”
Caesar told his boys. “Heck, the only time we ever went to sea was to fish or
hold parties.”
“The battle has called us to
battle there. I have no frigates or battleships. The admirals of the navy may
have, but unknown to him, I have able sailors. Say you are, bloody pillages
from the sea.” Caesar looked at the group on the smaller boats. Those were
pirates, if such a rank existed then; they raided the ships on the high sea
and, most times, took the loot of money there. Or extorted from the ship owner
the ransom. Yes, they dumped a few hostages into the sea, but they were the
defiant ones, or they may think they outswim the sharks.
“Boys, or rather, you prefer
to be called seamen. I need to see your colors on the sea today.” Caesar
launched his ragtag fleet, but they were armed with something new.
Howitzers.
The United Kingdom's
preparations were largely guided by its experience in the Second Boer War of
1899–1902. The British purchased the field guns that the Boers had used against
them and used them as prototypes for their own weapons. Soon the British mounted
the guns for merchant ships in the Great War against the U-Boats by the
Germans. The 76mm 12 pounders were to be used, or the 4.7-inch guns preferred.
“Good old Churchill. Bless
that fat man to be the Prime Minister one day with his foresight.” Boom! The
cannon roared on the deck of a small ship named Pompous.
On the land, Caesar split
his group of boys into two. Thirty-five followed him on the T-Ford, armed with
Tommy Guns. He had some old army types with the experience of handling the
grenades there.
The grenade's effectiveness
in attacking enemy positions during the trench warfare of the Great War led to it
becoming a standard part of the war. These grenades were made of brass, iron,
and steel, some with handles made of wood and even cardboard. They went by many
names: Battye bombs, Citron Foug, Newton-Pippin, Petard, Besozzi, Kugel,
Cigaro, and Sigwart, and took on many shapes. But in Rome, they were named
‘Caesar’s Love.”
It was love at last heard,
of the grenade dropped at the feet.
All of these were the
leftovers of Pompey’s goods at the Sea Port.
Taurus, based on the
instructions of Caesar, took the other direction to flank the enemies. He had
41 boys who were similarly armed.
“Boys, we are playing the
Seventh Calvary now.” Taurus told them. “We drive in fast, shoot them, and then
get the heck out of Dodger City.”
It all went well, or rather,
too bloody well.
“Lost, lost, all is lost!”
Enobarbus retreated on the T-Ford, with his driver stepping on the pedal then.
“Can you not drive any faster?”
“I am, Boss.”
“I cannot watch it any
longer," Enobarbus screamed. He had seen the sea battle report. Mark
Antony’s fleet was destroyed when Egypt’s fleet, led by the eunuch, withdrew on
sight of the guns.
“Bloody cowards they were!’ Mark
had cursed at them. But who cares then? Mardian on the Antoniad, the Egyptian
flagship, along with the sixty other ships, have turned around and fled the
battle.
“We are destroyed. It
destroys my eyes to see it.” Enobarbus shouted. He saw the other T-Ford, which
pulled up alongside. It was another lieutenant of Mark Antony, Scarus.
“What is troubling you?
Crocodile bit your arse?” Scarus heard the other. He was driving the T-Ford;
his driver was dead back at the ambush. He is a short figure, slim, but had a
bad temper and a stronger knife, fighting kills.
“The whole battle was
screwed up due to poor intelligence or extreme ignorance. We have lost our
kingdoms and provinces.” Scarus shouted above the noise of the vehicle's
engine. “Fuck the Queen!”
“Get in line. How did you
fare?” Enobarbus asked.
“On our side, it is as if we
have been struck with the plague, which means that death is sure to come.”
Scarus cursed. “Dark plague it was.”
“That lustful old Egyptian
mare for a slut—let leprosy strike her down! In the very midst of the fight,
when the advantage appeared to be even, or rather greater, on our side, her
boys acted like cows in June, driven by a slight wind, and hoisted sail and
fled the battle. I was down to one-third of the strength, and our arses were
split by the grenades.”
“Whoever thought they would
bring the grenades to a fight?” Scarus cursed. “I might as well bring my ladies
knickers to the fight. Enobarbus, there are rules.”
“I saw that. It made me sick
to watch it happen, and I could not counter, so I called for the retreat. It
was hard to watch it any longer.”
“Once the Queen had prepared
her ships to leave, Antony... our noble boss, who has been destroyed by her
charm... hoisted his sails as well and, like an overfuck duck, left the battle
at its very height and flew after her.” Scarus cursed. “I had never seen such
shameful behaviour. Never has any man betrayed his better knowledge, his
manhood; that was probably taken away, and honour so severely lost.”
“Alas... alas... we are to
our hideaway now.” The T-Fords pulled into the café by the road.
It was the assembled area
for the ambush and retreat point in the event of a failure.
Massacre was more of a term.
Candidius was there, and he
was fuming mad.
“We came, we saw, and we
fucking lost two-thirds of our boys. I was told they have lost their advantage
at sea too. They were blown off the tides by those howitzers.” Candidius tossed
the empty clip from the Tommy Gun.
“We had them in our sight,
and then our prospects for success went backwards to decrease depressingly
quickly. If our boss had been true to himself, the battle would have gone
well for us. He knew nothing and did nothing to help us.”
“Oh, he has set an example
for us to abandon him, as he so disgustingly abandoned us!” Candidius tossed
the gun then.
“Ah, are you thinking that
too? Well, then, it really is over now.” Enobarbus sighed. “Widows will cry
tonight.”
“The other boys fled toward
Philly.” Candidius said.
"Philly, it is then. It
is easy to get there, and I will wait there to see what comes next.” Scarus
saluted Enobarbus and drove off.
“I am off from Mark Antony.
I will offer my services to Caesar's service. If I stay on, I will be dead. It
is better to yield than to die.” Candidius then left, leaving Enobarbus
standing there. He saw more vehicles taking off from there.
“O, why should nature build
so foul a den unless the gods delight in tragedies?” (Titus Andronicus, Act 4,
Scene 1). Enobarbus sighed. It was the passage when Titus was sad that Lavinia
was raped. He felt so let down that the boys had to die in the battle. “Victory
has a thousand fathers, but defeat is an orphan.”
“My mind may not agree with
my older bones'; it is one soft tissue compared to the two hundred of the bones
in me, but I will stick with Antony and his diminished chances for now, even
though I'm acting against my better judgment.” Enobarbus sighed.
Act Three
Scene Nine
Sub-Scene One
Are you farting at me?
“Enobarbus, I can see you
are upset with me. Why? Just because I did not listen to you on the
strategies?”
“No, Boss. I was...”
“You listen to me. What I
tell you is my instruction. No one is...”
“Boss, are you listening at
all? I think you are bewitched by the Queen.” Enobarbus had enough of it then.
“I am not. I had returned
here to consolidate her position, as Julius would have wanted. The previous
Caesar had plans for her to have the empire here. One that is not under Rome
but dictated by him. He had enough of the consultants. He wanted to be free of
them. He won them battles and expended the territory, and yet they squabble
over his role.”
“Boss …...” Enobarbus was
trying to set things in perspective.
“Enobarbus, Julius Caesar,
returned to Rome without me as he wanted me to protect Egypt. I did it to the
best of my ability.”
“By fucking the Queen too?”
Then Enobarbus burst out. “I am sorry, Boss.”
“Literally, yes. After the
death of Julius, The Caesar was murdered by them, including Brutus, who
believed that Octavius, the new Caesar, was ready to do his bidding. I did not
kill Brutus. It was current Caesar who did that. The very one that Brutus
supported to be.”
“I know.” Enobarbus nodded.
“So, let me set the records
right. The current Caesar cannot be trusted.” Mark told the other. “He is not
of us but against us.”
“Yes, Boss.”
“So, do not fart on me. Now,
let us see our forces on the far side of the city limits. If we charge in, we
will be outnumbered. We need to plan the ambush here and there. It will be
hit-and-run. No long battles. While the other group is at the coast, he has
many ships and plans accordingly.”
“He has Pompey Jr’s boys
with him.”
“I am aware, but his act
toward Pompey Jr may have eroded his association with them. They loved Pompey Jr
as we did for Julius.”
Act Three
Scene Eight
Sub-Scene One
The bull is here.
“Taurus!” Caesar met his
lieutenant at the old warehouse on Tenth Street. It was an abandoned warehouse
that once housed the huge machinery parts for the farms and factories, prior to
them being shipped by trucks or rails. Then, when abandoned, it was used to
store the Romans tools, such as guns and wines. The occasion was hostage, as
seen by the five animal cages on the far side. No one goes there unless they
want to gag at the smell and sight of blood.
“Caesar.” Taurus approached
the other. He is a tough figure, an ex-ring fighter, and after that, in the
Great War, near the end of it, he saw action and killed two dozen enemies. He
was the Roman’s tough guy to oversee the Tongs; they hated him for being rude
and, above all, vicious with the fists.
“You are looking for me,
Caesar?” Taurus looked at the boss. He held a cut above his left eye from some
fights in the Great War.
“Yes, I am checking on the
readiness of the boys.” Caesar said.
“Good. They are all good.”
Taurus said it with a Brooklyn accent. “Some idiots were put in place when they
said we were doing a civil war here.”
“Do not send out any boys to
attack them just yet; stay in reserve. Do not start to fight until we have
finished fighting at sea. Mark Antony fancies taking us there.” Caesar told
Taurus.
“It makes no difference to
me, boss. I will fight anywhere.
“Settle down, fighter. I
have other work for you. Read this report. You were a sailor before the Great
War. Intelligence counts between win and lose. Do not go beyond the
instructions written in this report.”
“Yes, Boss.” Taurus loyalty
was to Caesar. He had taken instructions in the war, and despite the
disagreement with the contents, he had not gone against the instructions. His
trainer told him at the drills: You followed orders, and if it was to hell, you
did so. Do not ever question the order.
“The pre-script of this
report outlines our fortune.” Caesar reminded the others.
Act Three
Scene Seven
Sub-Scene Two
Advices Axed
Mark and Candidus walked
into the chamber then. He saw Enobarbus with the Queen.
“I am done talking with you,
Queen. Let me greet the boss." Enobarbus turned to see Mark.
“I did not expect you here.
You were on holidays.” Mark embraced his loyal friend. “You know Candidus?”
“And Cleop, I was looking
for you. I am sorry to barge, but we were talking about the war initiated by
Caesar. For some reasons, he disliked me and waged war now on me. And Egypt. I
was told by Candidus.”
“Yes, Boss. Caesar had
called war onto you. He was told you that were planning a revolt against him.”
Enobarbus looked at Mark. “I had come here to see you. I was to Athens.”
“I was there but the urgency
of the matter made me come here. I am glad you are here. What is with Caesar?”
“He is …… paranoia with
almost everyone. He had locked Lepidus accusing the other of conspiring with
Pompey Jr. He had Pompey Jr killed in Sicily and retake all the territory. He
now accuses you of conspiring against him.”
“Mark Antony, your enemy is
mine too.” Cleop cut in. “Egypt fights for you too.”
“No offense, Queen. Please
put a seat for all to sit in. We can discuss this here." Mark Antony smiled
at Enobarbus.
“May I be excused?" It
was a long journey.” Enobarbus looked at Mark.
“Soon, my friend. I need you
to hear this.” Mark told the other before he turned to Candidus.
“Candidus told me that
Caesar intends to invade Egypt now. He is assembling Pompey Jr’s boys and
getting he ships to sail here. The next battle will be on the coast. Or the
sea.”
“By sea, how else would we
do it? Your boys are not sailors.” The Queen cut in.
“Pompey Jr’ boys are
sailors. They will rally to Caesar’s call.” Candidus reported then.
“We could wait inland for
them.” Candidius added.
“Boss, you could challenge
Caesar to single combat.” Enobarbus, in turn, said. “In the Council. Show your
loyalty to the Romans there. They will trust your honourable words.”
“I would have, but Caesar
was without honour." Mark replied, “We could face Caesar at sea.”
“By sea, your boys do not
take the helm to the starboard; they are not good sailors. Your crew consists
of mule drivers, farmers, and other people that you got together quickly
through drafting. Caesar's fleet has Pompey Jr’s boys, who often fight for
Pompey Jr on the ships. Their ships are light and agile; yours... You have
skiffs and what not to hold parties. There would be no shame in refusing to
fight him at sea, since you are better prepared to fight him on land.”
Enobarbus laid out the facts.
“Boss, by doing that, you
would throw away the advantage of the excellent boys you have on land; reroute
your boys, which consist of trained shooters; make no use of your own
considerable knowledge; abandon the strategy that promises success; and give up
a highly secure position to leave yourself at the mercy of chance and fortune.”
Enobarbus pleaded.
“I will fight at
sea. If not to be, on the skies.” Mark was adamant not to back down.
“They did that in the Great
War. They flew those cart boards up there and even bombed the enemies.” Mark was
justifying his move.
“I have ships …… more ships
than Caesar; he has nothing better than that.”
“From where?” Enobarbus
asked.
“From Egypt. If we fail at
sea, then we can fight on land.” Mark told them.
“I bear messages. Caesar has
taken to sea with his ships.” The messenger had arrived to tell the news.
“When has my chamber been
entered without permission?” The Queen was upset. “Where are the servants?
Leave now before I shoot you.”
The messenger left in a
hurry.
“It was my calling. I told
them to find me if there were messages.” Mark smiled at the Queen. He then
turned to Candidius.
“Candidius, you will command
the boys... Get twenty... No, fifty of them. Go by the trucks to... What is the
name again? …... The Nile. I will secure the ships and reach them there
by sea.”
“Come with me, my sea
goddess!” Mark reached for the Queen. It was Enobarbus who moved the
subject matter.
“Boss, do not fight at sea!
Do not trust the ships. Can you not see our boys’ view and their wounds? Let
Egypt fight on the water. We are used to conquering our enemies on land.”
“Well, well, away. We will
battle at both.” Mark took leave with the Queen.
“I swear by Hercules, I think I am right.” Enobarbus
sighed. He was still concerned about the battle.
“Enobarbus, if I may address
you by name, sir, Mark Antony makes all his plans without considering what he
has the power to accomplish. So, the boss leader is led astray, and we, the
boys, felt like we were led by a woman.” Candidius sighed.
“Are the boys ready for
battle?” Enobarbus was keen to know. In his absence, Candidius oversaw the boys
in Egypt.
“As I was told, Mark Antony
will take Marcus Octavius, Marcus Justeius, Publicola, and Caelius to sea, but
the other group of boys will be kept together in reserve on land. It is
unbelievable how fast Caesar has moved.”
“While he was still in Rome,
Caesar may have had his boys deployed out in so many different directions that
none of our spies could keep track of them.” Enobarbus said. “Have you heard
who his lieutenant on land is?”
“As I was told, his name is
Taurus. Like his name, he is a bull.” Candidius said. “A bull in the glass
shop.”
A messenger arrived then.
“The boss sent for
Candidius, sir.”
“I must go, sir."
Candidius smiled at Enobarbus.
Act Three
Scene Seven
Sub-Scene One
Who dares
Enobarbus went to Egypt and
met the Queen. He was invited to her chamber. She was on the van alone; her
maids were sent away. The Roman approached her and asked.
“May I know about the war
that you waged for Mark Antony?”
“I will get even with you; I
have no doubts about that if anyone waged war on Mark Antony, will battle me in
person.”
“I just want to …….”
“You are invited to my
chamber and accuse me of the war which have not taken place yet.” The Queen
looked at Enobarbus. “Did the holidays dull your mind?”
“But why, why, why? We were
at peace with the Romans.” Enobarbus said. “You must not get involved. Let the
Romans settle their own conflicts…… peacefully.”
“Peace was the intention.
Now you tell me, I should not take part in this war and that it is not
appropriate. They threaten Mark Antony.” The Queen said. “Does the mate not
stand with its lover in the fight? Or turned onto the lover like a mantis?”
“My Queen, I do not know of
any creature by that name.” Enobarbus said.
“Mantis is an insect. The
female praying mantis devours her mate. It does not seem to deter them from
trying to reproduce. To the contrary, the continuation of the species is proof
positive that death by sex is a successful evolutionary strategy. Though sexual
cannibalism is a taxonomically rare phenomenon,” The Queen explained. “The
black widow spider does that too. The male places part of its body between the
fangs of the female. Obviously, this leaves it open to being eaten. However,
some studies have shown that black widows rarely eat their mates in the wild
and that this occurs more frequently in captivity.”
“Does it remind you of the
male action? All males, irrespective of where and what’ they all need sex, and
who else provides them the avenue. Us, the females.” The Queen squared off her
explanation. “There is a reason we open our legs.”
“Oh, I studied hard at the
workings of sex.” The Queen smiled.
“Sex
was once the consummation at marriage, but over the years of being married, or
was not, the needs of sex took prominence with need to be pleasured. Sex is
pleasing, and men for one found it most rewarding. The women were mostly the
recipient of it, or the fallacy that we must achieve orgasm. Not all of us did,
we carve the art of faking it. I could squirt but …...”
“Please,
Queen. Spare me the details.” Enobarbus cut her off.
“Okay,
you may not do it like us. Anyway, the work of sex soon evolved into a trade
named prostitution; it was seen as a "necessary evil" that aided in
marital fidelity, especially as a system that would allow men to obtain sex
when their wives did not desire it. That
trade has been around since Man discover there was other modes of getting it.
The women perfected it by demanding favours or gifts. Darn, do you know how
tedious is it for us to be moved and hauled like a baggage on a storm hit
ship.”
“Please,
Queen. Spare me the details, please.” Enobarbus cut her off once more. He felt
his libido was dwindling to mere trickles then in his pants.
“Sex
as in prostitution; men tend to brand us to that when we open our legs for
others, was not a crime in the part of the century, and thus brothels, in some
men’s terms bawdy houses; drunks get bawdy when they had one too many at the
taverns but they get called names. It was tolerated in the cities and the laws
against individual prostitutes were enforced only occasionally. The wives did
not protest. It was better to feign a headache.”
“Well, is it appropriate, is
it?” Enobarbus looked at the Queen. “We were to discuss the war? Or was it
peace.”
“Yes, it was. And to the war
that was declared against me or Mark Antony? Why shouldn't I be there in
person?” The Queen moved on to the subject matter.
“Well, if I may or could, I
will say leave the fighting to the... boys. If the ladies were to go to
war with both men and women, like the name ladies, the men would be undone by
the women. The women would seduce the male soldiers. Or ….” Enobarbus was
trying to deter the Queen from being involved.
“What are you
saying? Male masculinity or plain pork ham chauvinistic ego?” The Queen
asked.
“I am trying to protect Mark
Antony. If you were there, your presence would inevitably distract Antony. You
had taken his heart and his mind off the war at hand, which we certainly could
not afford.”
“After the frenzy of a
fight, Mark Antony may need to be relieved of his anger by me. I am his saviour.”
The Queen said.
“Acceptable risks…...”
Enobarbus found himself losing the debate; however, he was not to give up.
“The boss,” Enobarbus said,
drawing on rank. “He has already been criticized for being frivolous, and it is
said in Rome that Mardian the eunuch...”
“Do not call him by name and
that degrading term together. He is my boy.”
“Yes, Mardian and your maids
control this war.” Enobarbus said.
“So, the ladies here are
soldiers. If they cannot shoot well, they can sure fuck them
to hell." The Queen roared out. “
“To hell with Rome! And let
them rot, those who criticize us! I will do my duty in the war, and as the
ruler of my kingdom, I will appear there just as a man would. Do not oppose my
plan. I would not be left behind.”
