you hear that. All the fountains are contaminated,” one said.
“Does that mean we have no fresh water?” another asked.
“I hope not because we won’t last long trapped in here.”
“Keep your voices down!” a nearby centurion shouted.
“But sir you heard what was being said.”
“Yes I did but until we know for sure there is no need to spread panic.”
“Well there is nothing else I can do,” Scato said, “I’m going to have to tell Sejanus and he’s going to have to tell Caesar.”
“Caesar will have to sort it out. We can’t go on without water,” someone shouted.
“WHO SAID THAT?” Falco roared.
No one came forward.
“It is true sir,” Marcus Iunius said, “We can’t go on.”
“Do you stand alone here Iunius?” Scato asked.
There was a long pause. Then others of Iunius’ group stepped forward.
“I’m with Marcus. We can’t go on without water sir.”
They looked at Gaius Domitius. Slowly he got to his feet. He stepped forward and swallowed hard. It was the bravest thing he’d ever done. Falco stared at him. Gaius couldn’t hold the big man’s gaze. At one point he looked up and Falco half smiled and nodded slowly to him. Then he swung around and in his deep voice, he bellowed.
“Who else among you refuses to carry on without water to drink?”
Slowly legionaries began rising. Falco and Scato looked out over a sea of heads. Now everyone was standing.
Marcus Sejanus suddenly appeared alongside his two officers. The noise of shouting voices had woken him though he hadn’t slept long. He was now rubbing his stiff neck.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
Falco and Scato turned to face him.
“Sir I think we have a problem.”
Julius Caesar, Germanicus and his honour guard marched along the corridor from his bedroom. They turned the corner. At the end was Cleopatra’s bathroom. The Egyptian guards stiffened when they saw the Roman party approaching. Caesar merely brushed them aside with a wave of his hand and entered the royal bath house. The door closed with a quiet click. Once inside he realised he was in a long hall with rooms branching off on both sides. The walls were covered in Egyptian art. A statue of the Pharaoh Ramses the great dominated the centre of the floor. Large terracotta pots were placed at intervals. Caesar walked over to the statue and stood for a moment gazing up at it. Then the sound of laughter came to him and he went off in pursuit of it. Through another door Caesar stopped behind see through curtains. He could see people moving and sitting and talking and laughing and the sound of someone playing a stringed instrument. The sound of running water was near. On a couch two women were kissing, their tongues touching, their hands caressing, exploring each other’s oiled bodies. One of them threw her head back as her neck was now being kissed, her long dark hair hanging down over her shoulder. She rolled her head towards him as a little shudder went through her. Then she opened her eyes and saw him and a small smile spread across her lips. She opened her mouth and touched her teeth with her tongue which he found very erotic. She whispered something and now the other was looking at him. Their cheeks pressed together. Both were seducing him with their eyes and he imagined them on him, loving each other. After a few more moments they giggled and turned their attention back to each other again. Caesar shook his head vigorously to clear his thoughts. He stepped through the light blue curtains and a female servant, wearing very little, and carrying a tray with little cups on it, gasped when she saw him. Others heard the gasp and now he was in full view of them all. They stopped what they were doing to stare at him. The eunuch playing the lyre stopped.
Cleopatra was in her large, circular bath, laying on a sunken seat with only her head above the water which was covered in floating, pink rose petals. Her eyes were closed. She was dozing in the hot water.
“Mardian why do you stop?”
“There is a man in the room highness.”
“Men are not allowed in my bathroom,” she replied, the heat of the water sapping her strength, “You know the rules.”
“I don’t think this one cares my queen.”
She opened her eyes. The light was bright. The man in front of her in silhouette. She shielded her eyes with her hand. Now she could see the expensive red tunic, luxury boots, gold