"Must you practice at swords in your best dress uniform?" she asked, exasperated. "Well, never mind. Just make the best show you can. We are going to perform before the court. I am going out there now. You be ready to come at my summons." Amid a flurry of serving girls and fan wavers, she strode out into the vast room and took her seat next to her brother. A hundred courtiers and foreign dignitaries bowed deeply and made sounds of worshipful admiration.
"What's it to be, do you think?" Flaccus asked. "A treaty or our execution?"
Marcus gave it some thought. "I don't think she'd have inquired about my helmet if she planned to have us killed."
A few minutes later the steward summoned them and they followed him into the throne room. They passed between lines of dignitaries, many of them attended by their own retinues, most of whom watched the Romans with calculation as they made their way toward the dais that held the twin thrones.
Not quite twins, though. Selene's throne, to the right of her brother's, was slightly higher. Ptolemy, still no more than a boy, sat sullenly, watching the Romans with no favor. They had eliminated his counselors and set his sister above him. She had made him dress decently in Greek fashion, without the wigs and cosmetics with which his former handlers had adorned him.
The Romans halted before the dais and bowed in the only fashion approved by Roman etiquette: a slight inclination of the head.
"I wish it to be known to the people of Egypt," Selene began, "to the Senate and people of Rome, and to all the world, that Hamilcar of Carthage is a menace to the lives and liberties of all people who dwell around the Middle Sea. In all the world, there are only two nations capable of resisting his vicious aggression: the glorious kingdom of Egypt and the Republic of Rome with its dauntless legions. To this end, I proclaim a treaty of alliance and friendship between the nations of Egypt and Rome." She held a hand out to one side and an official placed a scroll into her upturned palm. With a hieratic gesture she brought it before her and unrolled it, with her arms at full extension. It looked impressive, made of parchment from Pergamum instead of the more common papyrus. It bore a great deal of gold leaf, lavishly applied, and carried a large waxen seal stamped with the Ptolemaic device and a somewhat smaller seal stamped with Selene's personal cartouche, with her Egyptian reign-name in hieroglyphics. The text was written in austere Attic Greek letters.
"This document," she announced, "makes official and lasting the relationship between our nations. It specifies trade relations, mutual rights to port facilities, the aid and repatriation of shipwrecked mariners and so forth. It spells out the relative values of goods and spheres of trade influence. These are very simple, because Rome is not a commercial power arid there is almost no problem of competition.
"In the military sphere, our armed forces are to operate as one in the war with Hamilcar of Carthage. Rome's army is formidable, but her navy is in its infancy, small and untried against the naval might of Carthage. Egypt's navy is great, and I shall call upon the ships of our sister kingdom of Cyprus and our allies of Rhodes, Crete and the Greek cities of Asia. Together, we will prove more than a match for Hamilcar.
"Our land formations will be commanded at the unit level by our professional officer corps, under the overall direction of our good and trusted friend, Marcus Cornelius Scipio of Rome." She looked at the Romans. "Marcus Cornelius Scipio, approach."
He took the few steps forward. With an efficient gesture she rerolled the treaty and handed it to him. He accepted it with the same minuscule bow. She held her hand to one side again and a different official gave her a massive collar of gold. This she placed over Marcus's head, forcing him to bend his neck a bit more.
"Show a little humility," she whispered, "you arrogant twit!"
This ceremony accomplished, Marcus backed away a few steps. "On behalf of the Senate and People of Rome, I accept this document for the Senate's approval, which, I have no doubt, will be granted wholeheartedly. This signals a new era for Rome, for Egypt and for the world. Not for many lifetimes have two great powers sworn friendship and cooperation. Never before have two such united to resist the depredations of a would-be conqueror.
"When Egypt and Rome together have eliminated for all time the threat of Carthage, all the world that borders the Middle Sea may look forward to a golden age, for Rome and Egypt together will protect them from any who henceforth would aspire to the crown and empire and reputation of Alexander."
To this Selene said nothing, but her look, and that of the onlookers, said it alclass="underline" And who will protect the world from you Romans?
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
"A ship," the signals officer announced. The massive army of Titus Norbanus the younger was encamped outside the walls of Massilia, an old Greek colony established on the southern coast of Gaul, where it had prospered mightily. Norbanus had demanded their immediate surrender, but the citizens feared Roman reprisal because they had contributed troops to Mastanabal's army.
Norbanus looked up from where he stood on his command platform. The city was not yet formally under siege, pending a decision of its council, but Norbanus liked to keep control from a position that left no one in doubt of his military preeminence.
"What sort of ship, and is it alone?" he asked.
The signals officer stood with the rest of his staff to one side of the platform. He was squinting toward a small headland to the southeast, where lights flashed from mirrors of polished silver. "A single vessel of unknown type," he reported.
"Unknown type? How many are there? Is it military or a merchant vessel?"
From where they stood the sun was at the wrong angle for mirror signaling, and there was too much wind for smoke, so the signals officer ordered certain flags raised on long poles and waved according to his direction. More flashes answered. "Says he doesn't know."
"Doesn't know, eh?" Norbanus said. "If it turns out to be some common vessel, I'll have his balls for lunch."
"My staff know their work, General," the signals officer replied stiffly.
Norbanus had lost interest. He studied the walls opposite him, assault plans running through his head. He did not want to lay siege to this place, but he would if necessary. He had several reasons for reluctance. One was delay. He was impatient to come to grips with Hamilcar before some other Roman commander, even his father, should have a chance to. Another was a certain proposal he had in mind to put before the Massiliotes; one he thought would surprise them. But barring a favorable outcome, he would massacre them all. He did not really wish to slaughter civilized Greeks, particularly the inhabitants of a city that had sided with Rome in the wars with Carthage. But if an example had to be made, he would make it here.
"There it is!" someone shouted later. Norbanus looked to see a bizarre little ship rounding the cape. Actually, he thought, the ship itself was not especially odd. But its long, triangular sail was unlike anything he had seen before. Not that his nautical experience was vast. Like most Romans, he had never laid eyes upon the sea until crossing south of the Alps less than three years previously. Only a few Romans who had traveled or soldiered as far as the Northern Sea had seen such a body of water, and seafaring was utterly new to them. Still, all the sails Norbanus had laid eyes on before were square.
"Go get the fleet master," he ordered, and a messenger hurried off. Norbanus's fleet filled Massilia's splendid harbor, and while Roman officers commanded it, most of the ships had Greek sailing masters under the direction of a Greek fleet master. The Romans were still too new on the water to trust their own skills. The weather-beaten Greek climbed to the platform and saluted.