Julius was growing impatient. He planted his fists on his hips.
“How is the water?”
She raised a shapely leg out of the water and ran her fingers up it, from the ankle to the knee.
“Lovely,” she replied blissfully.
“Good,” he said, “I’m pleased. I can now return to my men and tell them that while they fight a war to reinstate Cleopatra as queen of Egypt and have nothing to drink the queen at least can bathe in luxury.”
“What are you talking about Caesar?” she asked, her eyes closed again, irritation in her voice, “have your men thought about going to the wells for water?” she asked sarcastically.
“The wells, the fountains, the very pipes are contaminated, flooded with sea water.”
“Inside the palace is fine.”
“So I see.”
She opened her eyes again and reached for a wooden boat drifting on the ripples. She opened it’s top and dipped her fingers in and proceeded to rub her arms with scented oil. He glared at her in disbelief. She caught his gaze.
“It’s a model of my royal barge, to scale of course. Not the real thing. Perhaps you would like a guided tour.”
“Some other time. Things are more pressing at the moment.”
She pushed the barge across the bath as though it were a toy then stopped it with her toe.
“If only my brother would sail away so easily,” she said more to herself. Only Caesar heard.
“Cleopatra please!” he said loudly making her look up, “I need blueprints, plans, whatever you have of the palace irrigation system and I need it now before my men discover the pollution and we have a full scale mutiny on our hands.”
She stopped what she was doing to glance up at him.
“Oh very well!”
She stood in the bath and modestly covered her large breasts with one arm and hand. He felt excitement rush through his tummy.
“Well don’t just stand there Caesar. Pass me a towel.”
He passed her one that was too small. It barely covered her. She stepped up out of the bath and onto a small mat that had been placed for her. Serving girls rushed to her with towels and began drying her legs and feet. Two others began brushing her hair. Caesar watched with amusement.
When Cleopatra was dressed she slipped into a sheer, almost see through pink dress and gold, thronged, slippers. She was handed a glass of fresh water. Caesar waited patiently for her. Then finally she said.
“It was water you wanted to talk about.”
“Yes. My men have reserves but they are getting low.”
“If you would like to come with me. The best and most accurate records are kept in the library but the palace has copies. My architect Theophrastus will have copies. I will have them brought to us.”
Thirty minutes later and Julius Caesar had the best copies of Alexandria’s water supply system on the table in front of him.
“Where is the most likely point for Achillas to flood the conduit system?”
“The main pipe from the Nile runs underground from here,” she pointed on the map, “It passes the southern suburbs of Alexandria here and then runs very close to the harbour here. From here he could stop the freshwater, cap it and flood with seawater instead. This half of the palace runs off this pipe. Your half runs off this pipe. It’s this pipe that he’s sabotaged….Why do you smile?”
“Because it’s ingenious. He’s a worthy adversary. He sabotages my half of the palace and not yours why?”
She searched for the answer.
“Because if he defeats you and I he will want to move straight back into this side of the palace which is not contaminated.”
“Clever girl.”
She leaned forward over the table.
“All your men have to do is dig.”
He was looking at her buttocks through the thin material.
“Dig?”
“Yes. If they dig down they can penetrate the pipe network and reach water.”
“That’s a very good idea.”
He reached a hand out and placed it on her right buttock. This action stopped her and she turned up to look at him.
“Now Caesar are you trying to take advantage of me?”
“No. This is my reward to you for helping me.”
He pulled her close and kissed her hard on the mouth. She responded. There was a polite cough from behind. They both turned. Dolabella was standing ten paces away looking awkward.
“I’m sorry to interrupt Caesar but the men have discovered the sabotage.”
Julius wasn’t surprised. It could only have been a