and heir, away to hide from Octavian. Kiya convinced Cleopatra that she should spare a little of her treasure to make certain her heir was safe and had enough funds to fight Rome. Then Kiya magnanimously volunteered to risk her own life to take the treasure to Caesarion.” She sighed. “But unfortunately, Octavian found Caesarion and murdered him before she was able to get to him. What a pity. The only good thing was that Cleopatra had already killed herself and didn’t have to hear the sad news.” She shook her head. “But what could Kiya do with this huge fortune in the back of her wagon? What a conundrum.”
“The Great Journey,” Eve said.
“Well, she obviously had to leave Alexandria or Octavian would kill her. The only solution was to go somewhere far away, a wild, mysterious place that she had been hearing about in the market.” She nodded. “The Great Journey.”
Eve chuckled. “You’re a much better Scheherazade than Gideon. How much do we believe?”
“As much as you like. It’s a great story, so I prefer to believe it all. Particularly since Kiya was such a scheming bitch that she reminds me of Zahra. If she was that clever, couldn’t she have found a way out for Cleopatra? Was this her master plan from the beginning, or was she making it up as she went along?”
“Probably a little of both.”
“I believe you’re right.” Jill got to her feet and went over to the coffeemaker. “She had been waiting for a long time, but when the opportunity came, she was ready. She even knew where she was going.” She made the coffee and leaned back against the cabinet. “But after that first journal about the Great Journey, the treasure isn’t mentioned. I found that interesting.”
“Dispersed by her heirs through the centuries?”
“Not much to buy in primitive Maldara. It seemed to disappear when they reached the border.” She shrugged. “A mystery to solve. But, then, the entire story is something of a mystery all bound up in True or False.” She suddenly smiled. “And, speaking of True or False, that story about the way Cleopatra died wasn’t entirely true, according to Kiya. She didn’t die of the poisonous bite of an asp though she wanted everyone to think she did. The snake was a symbol for royalty, and Cleopatra liked the idea for that reason. But she wanted her death to be as perfect as her life, so she wasn’t going to take any chances. Kiya said that she did extensive research by having several slaves bitten by asps so that she could study the effects before she made her decision.”
“Charming.”
“Entirely practical from Cleopatra’s viewpoint. When a goddess dies, it must be with glory and dignity. But she found when an asp bites, it causes swelling and ugly discharge and intense pain that lasts up to six hours or longer. It’s a horrible death. There was no way she was going to put up with that agony and loss of dignity. So she opted to have the snake brought to the mausoleum for effect, but she arranged to have her jeweled hair comb coated with a fast-acting poison. She pressed the prongs of the comb into her arm when the time was right.”
Eve’s brows rose skeptically. “Definitely another True or False.”
“But think about it. Consider what we know about the era and Cleopatra herself. It’s possible.” Jill shrugged. “And, if you believe in Kiya, then it’s more than possible.” She smiled quizzically. “Anyway, did I manage to help you to get a glimpse of Zahra’s character by studying Kiya?”
“With a few major differences. Kiya was a survivor. Everything she did was because she had to fight or die. Zahra doesn’t have that excuse. It’s pure ambition.”
“How very perceptive.” Jill poured coffee into a cup and took it back to Eve. She mockingly inclined her head. “Your after-dinner coffee, madam.” She looked at the scant remains of the food. “And you managed to get most of your dinner down. That’s good.” She took the sacks, plastic plates and utensils and tossed them into the trash can in the corner. “That should hold you until I get back. I have to go now. I’ll see you about midnight.”
Eve stiffened, her eyes widening. “You’re going with Novak? Neither of you mentioned it.”
“It’s my story,” she said simply. “In more ways than one. Novak would have just argued with me. It’s better if I just present him with a fait accompli.” She headed for the door.