Antony and Cleopatra_Part I ~ Antony by R. W. Peake

Author:R. W. Peake [Peake, R. W.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: rome legions warfare legionary civil war mark antony cleopatra
Goodreads: 18923582
Publisher: R.W. Peake
Published: 2013-03-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 5- Parthia

Antonius finally arrived in the East for the third, and what would turn out to be the final time, it being his destiny never to see Rome again. He came just after the beginning of the same year as the Battle of Naulochus, which at the time of his arrival was still several months in the future, bringing with him levies of fresh troops and a huge surprise for me. Antonius installed himself at Antioch, giving immediate orders for our part of the army in Damascus to relocate there, in preparation for the invasion, which appeared finally to be moving forward. The news that we would be leaving Damascus was not the kind of thing that could stay secret for long, even for the time it took me to walk from the camp to the market where Miriam was working that day. I approached the stall, where she was standing at the front of it as if she were waiting for me. Drawing closer, I could see that she was trembling, obviously struggling to keep her composure. Hashem was standing in the stall, holding the knife he used to slice off hunks of meat, his face clearly showing a desire to use it to slice something off of me.

Not seeing any point in denying or avoiding the subject, I said, “I suppose you’ve heard.”

She did not say anything, just nodded her head, looking up at me with eyes full of unshed tears, and I felt horrible.

“Miriam,” I said gently, “you knew this day was going to come, that I would have to leave. I’ve never hidden that from you, have I?”

“No,” she said sadly, dropping her head so I could not see her face, which somehow made it worse. “You have always been honest that you would be leaving. It does not make it any easier, though.”

“No, it doesn’t,” as I realized with some surprise that I actually meant it and was not just saying what she wanted to hear.

I would genuinely miss Miriam, and I was not ready to lose her from my life.

“Why don’t you come with me?” I asked suddenly.

She lifted her head sharply to look me in the eyes. I saw happiness there, but only for a moment, then her head dropped again and she shook her head.

“I cannot, Titus Pullus,” she said softly. “If I left with you, it would only postpone the end of . . . us,” she finished. “But you would still leave, and every day we are together, I love you more.”

That was the first time she had ever said she loved me, and despite not knowing what to say, I could see that she was right.

“Besides,” she went on, “if I were to leave with you, I could never come back to my people. Naomi and Hashem would never accept me back in their home.”

This made absolutely no sense to me, and I said as much.

“They’re all right with you living with me as long as it's here

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