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We must respect literature； Rufio。
RUFIO （raging）。 Folly on folly's head！ I believe if you could
bring back all the dead of Spain； Gaul and Thessaly to life； you
would do it that we might have the trouble of fighting them over
again。
CAESAR。 Might not the gods destroy the world if their only
thought were to be at peace next year？ （Rufio； out of all
patience； turns away in anger。 Caesar suddenly grips his
sleeve； and adds slyly in his ear。） Besides； my friend： every
Egyptian we imprison means imprisoning two Roman soldiers to
guard him。 Eh？
RUFIO。 Agh！ I might have known there was some fox's trick behind
your fine talking。 （He gets away from Caesar with an ill…humored
shrug； and goes to the balcony for another look at the
preparations； finally goes out。）
CAESAR。 Is Britannus asleep？ I sent him for my armor an hour ago。
（Calling） Britannicus； thou British islander。 Britannicus！
Cleopatra； runs in through the loggia with Caesar's helmet and
sword； snatched from Britannus； who follows her with a cuirass
and greaves。 They come down to Caesar； she to his left hand；
Britannus to his right。
CLEOPATRA。 I am going to dress you； Caesar。 Sit down。 （He obeys。）
These Roman helmets are so becoming！ （She takes off his wreath。）
Oh！ （She bursts out laughing at him。）
CAESAR。 What are you laughing at？
CLEOPATRA。 You're bald （beginning with a big B； and ending with a
splutter）。
CAESAR （almost annoyed）。 Cleopatra！ （He rises； for the
convenience of Britannus； who puts the cuirass on him。）
CLEOPATRA。 So that is why you wear the wreathto hide it。
BRITANNUS。 Peace； Egyptian： they are the bays of the conqueror。
（He buckles the cuirass。）
CLEOPATRA。 Peace； thou： islander！ （To Caesar） You should rub your
head with strong spirits of sugar； Caesar。 That will make it
grow。
CAESAR （with a wry face）。 Cleopatra： do you like to be reminded
that you are very young？
CLEOPATRA （pouting）。 No。
CAESAR （sitting down again； and setting out his leg for
Britannus； who kneels to put on his greaves）。 Neither do I like
to be reminded that I ammiddle aged。 Let me give you ten of my
superfluous years。 That will make you 26 and leave me onlyno
matter。 Is it a bargain？
CLEOPATRA。 Agreed。 26； mind。 （She puts the helmet on him。） Oh！
How nice！ You look only about 50 in it！
BRITANNUS （Looking up severely at Cleopatra）。 You must not speak
in this manner to Caesar。
CLEOPATRA。 Is it true that when Caesar caught you on that island；
you were painted all over blue？
BRITANNUS。 Blue is the color worn by all Britons of good
standing。 In war we stain our bodies blue； so that though our
enemies may strip us of our clothes and our lives； they cannot
strip us of our respectability。 （He rises。）
CLEOPATRA （with Caesar's sword）。 Let me hang this on。 Now you
look splendid。 Have they made any statues of you in Rome？
CAESAR。 Yes； many statues。
CLEOPATRA。 You must send for one and give it to me。
RUFIO （coming back into the loggia； more impatient than ever）。
Now Caesar： have you done talking？ The moment your foot is aboard
there will be no holding our men back： the boats will race one
another for the lighthouse。
CAESAR （drawing his sword and trying the edge）。 Is this well set
to…day； Britannicus？ At Pharsalia it was as blunt as a
barrel…hoop。
BRITANNUS。 It will split one of the Egyptian's hairs to…day；
Caesar。 I have set it myself。
CLEOPATRA （suddenly throwing her arms in terror round Caesar）。
Oh； you are not really going into battle to be killed？
CAESAR。 No； Cleopatra。 No man goes to battle to be killed。
CLEOPATRA。 But they DO get killed。 My sister's husband was killed
in battle。 You must not go。 Let HIM go （pointing to Rufio。 They
all laugh at her）。 Oh please； PLEASE don't go。 What will happen
to ME if you never come back？
CAESAR （gravely）。 Are you afraid？
CLEOPATRA （shrinking）。 No。
CAESAR （with quiet authority）。 Go to the balcony； and you shall
see us take the Pharos。 You must learn to look on battles。 Go。
（She goes； downcast； and looks out from the balcony。） That is
well。 Now； Rufio。 March。
CLEOPATRA （suddenly clapping her hands）。 Oh； you will not be able
to go！
CAESAR。 Why？ What now？
CLEOPATRA。 They are drying up the harbor with bucketsa
multitude of soldiersover there （pointing out across the sea to
her left）they are dipping up the water。
RUFIO （hastening to look）。 It is true。 The Egyptian army！
Crawling over the edge of the west harbor like locusts。 （With
sudden anger he strides down to Caesar。） This is your accursed
clemency； Caesar。 Theodotus has brought them。
CAESAR （delighted at his own cleverness）。 I meant him to； Rufio。
They have come to put out the fire。 The library will keep them
busy whilst we seize the lighthouse。 Eh？ （He rushes out buoyantly
through the loggia； followed by Britannus。）
RUFIO （disgustedly）。 More foxing！ Agh！ （He rushes off。 A shout
from the soldiers announces the appearance of Caesar below）。
CENTURION （below）。 All aboard。 Give way there。 （Another shout。）
CLEOPATRA （waving her scarf through the loggia arch）。 Goodbye；
goodbye； dear Caesar。 Come back safe。 Goodbye！
ACT III
The edge of the quay in front of the palace； looking out west
over the east harbor of Alexandria to Pharos island； just
off the end of which； and connected with it by a narrow mole；
is the famous lighthouse； a gigantic square tower of white
marble diminishing in size storey by storey to the top； on which
stands a cresset beacon。 The island is joined to the main land
by the Heptastadium； a great mole or causeway five miles long
bounding the harbor on the south。
In the middle of the quay a Roman sentinel stands on guard； pilum
in hand； looking out to the lighthouse with strained attention；
his left hand shading his eyes。 The pilum is a stout wooden shaft
41 feet long； with an iron spit about three feet long fixed in
it。 The sentinel is so absorbed that he does not notice the
approach from the north end of the quay of four Egyptian market
porters carrying rolls of carpet； preceded by Ftatateeta and
Apollodorus the Sicilian。 Apollodorus is a dashing young man of
about 24； handsome and debonair； dressed with deliberate
astheticism in the most delicate purples and dove greys； with
ornaments of bronze； oxydized silver； and stones of jade and
agate。 His sword； designed as carefully as a medieval cross； has
a blued blade showing through an openwork scabbard of purple
leather and filagree。 The porters； conducted by Ftatateeta； pass
along the quay behind the sentinel to the steps of the palace；
where they put down their bales and squat on the ground。
Apollodorus does not pass along with them： he halts； amused by
the preoccupation of the sentinel。
APOLLODORUS （calling to the sentinel）。 Who goes there； eh？
SENTINEL （starting violently and turning with his pilum at the
charge； revealing himself as a small； wiry； sandy…haired；
conscientious young man with an elderly face）。 What's this？
Stand。 Who are you？
APOLLODORUS。 I am Apollodorus the Sicilian。 Why； man； what are
you dreaming of？ Since I came through the lines beyond the
theatre there； I have brought my caravan past three sentinels；
all so busy staring at the lighthouse that not one of them
challenged me。 Is this Roman discipline？
SENTINEL。 We are not here to watch the land but the water。 Caesar
has just landed on the Pharos。 （Looking at Ftatateeta） What have
you here？ Who is this piece of Egyptian crockery？
FTATATEETA。 Apollodorus： rebuke this Roman dog； and bid him
bridle his tongue in the presence of Ftatateeta； the mistress of
the Queen's household。
APOLLODORUS。 My friend： this is a great lady； who stands high
with Caesar。
SENTINEL （not at all impressed； pointing to the carpets）。 And
what is all this truck？
APOLLODORUS。 Carpets for the furnishing of the Queen's apartments
in the palace。 I have picked them from the best carpets in the
world； and the Queen shall choose the best of my choosing。
SENTINEL。 So you are the carpet merchant？
APOLLODORUS （hurt）。 My friend： I am a patrician。
SENTINEL。 A patrician！ A patrician keeping a shop instead of
following arms！
APOLLODORUS。 I do not keep a shop。 Mine is a temple of the arts。
I am a worshipper of beauty。 My calling is to choose beautiful
things for beautiful Queens。 My motto is Art for Art's sake。
SENTINEL。 That is not the password。
APOLLODORUS。 It is a universal password。
SENTINEL。 I know nothing about universal passwords。 Either give
me the password for the day or get back to your shop。
Ftatateeta； roused by his hostile tone； steals towards the edge
of the quay with the step of a panther； and gets behind him。
APOLLODORUS。 How if I do neither？
SENTINEL。 Then I will drive this pilum through you。
APOLLODORUS。 At your service； my friend。 （He draws his sword； and
springs to his guard with unruffled grace。）
FTATATEETA （suddenly seizing the sentinel's arms from behind）。
Thrust your knife into the dog's throat； Apollodorus。 （The
chivalrous Apollodorus laughingly shakes his head； breaks ground
away from the sentinel towards the palace； and lowers his point。）
SENTINEL （struggling vainly）。 Curse on you！ Let me go。 Help ho！
FTATATEETA （lifting