the snake was paralyzing her. Ramses! In panic, she'd called out; she could hear her own call. But he hadn't turned from the window. And the women around her, they pleaded with him. Ramses!
"Liar!" she hissed." You could have given it to me! You let me die!"
"No." He shook his head." Never."
But wait. She was confusing two different crucial events. Those women. They hadn't been there when he said the prayers. She'd been alone ... forever and ever." I'd been sleeping, in a dark place. And then you came. And I felt pain again. Pain and hunger, and I knew you. I knew who you were! And I hated you!"
"Cleopatra!" He came towards her.
"No, stay back. I know what you've done! I knew it before. You've brought me back from the dead!" she whispered." That's what you've done. From the grave, you raised me. And this is the evidence of it, these wounds!" Her voice had almost dried in her throat from pure bitterness. Then she felt the scream coming; she gasped, unable to hold it off.
He grabbed her by the arms, shook her.
"Let me go!" she cried. Calm now. No scream.
For a moment, he held on to her and she allowed it; after all, fighting him was useless. But then she smiled slowly. The thing was to use her wits. To understand all this once and for all.
"Oh, but you are very handsome, aren't you?" she said." Were you always so beautiful? When I knew you before, we made love, didn't we?" She lifted her fingers and touched his lip. "I like your mouth. I like the mouths of men. Women's mouths are too soft. I like the silkiness of your skin."
Slowly she kissed him. Before it had happened; before it had been so heated that all other men had meant nothing to her. If only he had given her the freedom, the patience, she would have always renamed to him; why hadn't he understood? She had to live and breathe as the Queen of Egypt. Hmmmmm, kissing him, hot as it had been then,
"Don't stop," she moaned.
"Is it you?" he said. Such pain in his voice." Is it really you?"
She smiled again. That was the horror, wasn't it? She didn't know the answer herself! She laughed. Ah, it was very funny. She threw back her head laughing, and she felt his lips on her throat.
"Yes, kiss me, take me," she said. His mourn moved down her throat, his fingers opening her dress, his mouth closing on her nipple." Aaaaah!" She could scarcely stand it, the searing pleasure of it. He held her captive suddenly, his mouth clamped to her, tongue stroking the nipple, pulling on her with the ferocity of a suckling child.
Love you? I've always loved you. But how can I leave my world? How can I leave behind everything that I cherish? You speak of immortality. I can't grasp such a thing. I know only that here I am Queen, and you 're moving away from me, threatening to leave me forever...
She pulled away from him. "Please," she begged him. Where and when had she spoken those words?
"What is it?" he said.
"I don't know ... I can't ... I see things and then they vanish!"
"There's so much I must tell you, so much to be revealed. If only you'll try to understand."
She struggled to her feet and walked away from him. Then looking down, she ripped off the dress, tore the fabric of the skirt to its hem. Pulling it back, she pivoted and faced him.
"Yes! Cast your blue eyes on what you've done! This is what I understand!" She touched the wound in her side." I was a Queen. And now I am this horror. What is this that you brought back to life with your mysterious elixir! Your medicine!"
She lowered her head slowly, hands up once more to her temples. A thousand times she did it, but it didn't stop the pain inside her mind. Moaning, she rocked back and forth. Her moaning was like a singing. Did that soothe the pain? She hummed with her lips sealed, that strange soft song," Celeste Aida."
Then she felt his hand on her shoulder. He was turning her around. Like waking it was to look up at him. Handsome Ramses.
Only slowly did she lower her eyes and see the shining vial in his hand.