Collected Works. GEORGE BERNARD SHAW

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ (impatiently). Cyprus is of no use to anybody.

      CAESAR. No matter: you shall have it for the sake of peace.

      BRITANNUS (unconsciously anticipating a later statesman). Peace with honor, Pothinus.

      POTHINUS (mutinously). Caesar: be honest. The money you demand is the price of our freedom. Take it; and leave us to settle our own affairs.

      THE BOLDER COURTIERS (encouraged by Pothinus’s tone and Caesar’s quietness). Yes, yes. Egypt for the Egyptians!

      The conference now becomes an altercation, the Egyptians becoming more and more heated. Caesar remains unruffled; but Rufio grows fiercer and doggeder, and Britannus haughtily indignant.

      RUFIO (contemptuously). Egypt for the Egyptians! Do you forget that there is a Roman army of occupation here, left by Aulus Gabinius when he set up your toy king for you?

      ACHILLAS (suddenly asserting himself). And now under my command. I am the Roman general here, Caesar.

      CAESAR (tickled by the humor of the situation). And also the Egyptian general, eh?

      POTHINUS (triumphantly). That is so, Caesar.

      CAESAR (to Achillas). So you can make war on the Egyptians in the name of Rome, and on the Romans—on me, if necessary—in the name of Egypt?

      ACHILLAS. That is so, Caesar.

      CAESAR. And which side are you on at present, if I may presume to ask, general?

      ACHILLAS. On the side of the right and of the gods.

      CAESAR. Hm! How many men have you?

      ACHILLAS. That will appear when I take the field.

      RUFIO (truculently). Are your men Romans? If not, it matters not how many there are, provided you are no stronger than 500 to ten.

      POTHINUS. It is useless to try to bluff us, Rufio. Caesar has been defeated before and may be defeated again. A few weeks ago Caesar was flying for his life before Pompey: a few months hence he may be flying for his life before Cato and Juba of Numidia, the African King.

      ACHILLAS (following up Pothinus’s speech menacingly). What can you do with 4,000 men?

      THEODOTUS (following up Achillas’s speech with a raucous squeak). And without money? Away with you.

      ALL THE COURTIERS (shouting fiercely and crowding towards Caesar). Away with you. Egypt for the Egyptians! Begone.

      Rufio bites his beard, too angry to speak. Caesar sits on comfortably as if he were at breakfast, and the cat were clamoring for a piece of Finnan-haddie.

      CLEOPATRA. Why do you let them talk to you like that, Caesar? Are you afraid?

      CAESAR. Why, my dear, what they say is quite true.

      CLEOPATRA. But if you go away, I shall not be Queen.

      CAESAR. I shall not go away until you are Queen.

      POTHINUS. Achillas: if you are not a fool, you will take that girl whilst she is under your hand.

      RUFIO (daring them). Why not take Caesar as well, Achillas?

      POTHINUS (retorting the defiance with interest). Well said, Rufio. Why not?

      RUFIO. Try, Achillas. (Calling) Guard there.

      The loggia immediately fills with Caesar’s soldiers, who stand, sword in hand, at the top of the steps, waiting the word to charge from their centurion, who carries a cudgel. For a moment the Egyptians face them proudly: then they retire sullenly to their former places.

      BRITANNUS. You are Caesar’s prisoners, all of you.

      CAESAR (benevolently). Oh no, no, no. By no means. Caesar’s guests, gentlemen.

      CLEOPATRA. Won’t you cut their heads off?

      CAESAR. What! Cut off your brother’s head?

      CLEOPATRA. Why not? He would cut off mine, if he got the chance. Wouldn’t you, Ptolemy?

      PTOLEMY (pale and obstinate). I would. I will, too, when I grow up.

      Cleopatra is rent by a struggle between her newly-acquired dignity as a queen, and a strong impulse to put out her tongue at him. She takes no part in the scene which follows, but watches it with curiosity and wonder, fidgeting with the restlessness of a child, and sitting down on Caesar’s tripod when he rises.

      POTHINUS. Caesar: if you attempt to detain us——

      RUFIO. He will succeed, Egyptian: make up your mind to that. We hold the palace, the beach, and the eastern harbor. The road to Rome is open; and you shall travel it if Caesar chooses.

      CAESAR (courteously). I could do no less, Pothinus, to secure the retreat of my own soldiers. I am accountable for every life among them. But you are free to go. So are all here, and in the palace.

      RUFIO (aghast at this clemency). What! Renegades and all?

      CAESAR (softening the expression). Roman army of occupation and all, Rufio.

      POTHINUS (desperately). Then I make a last appeal to Caesar’s justice. I shall call a witness to prove that but for us, the Roman army of occupation, led by the greatest soldier in the world, would now have Caesar at its mercy. (Calling through the loggia) Ho, there, Lucius Septimius (Caesar starts, deeply moved): if my voice can reach you, come forth and testify before Caesar.

      CAESAR (shrinking). No, no.

      THEODOTUS. Yes, I say. Let the military tribune bear witness.

      Lucius Septimius, a clean shaven, trim athlete of about 40, with symmetrical features, resolute mouth, and handsome, thin Roman nose, in the dress of a Roman officer, comes in through the loggia and confronts Caesar, who hides his face with his robe for a moment; then, mastering himself, drops it, and confronts the tribune with dignity.

      POTHINUS. Bear witness, Lucius Septimius. Caesar came hither in pursuit of his foe. Did we shelter his foe?

      LUCIUS. As Pompey’s foot touched the Egyptian shore, his head fell by the stroke of my sword.

      THEODOTUS (with viperish relish). Under the eyes of his wife and child! Remember that, Caesar! They saw it from the ship he had just left. We have given you a full and sweet measure of vengeance.

      CAESAR (with horror). Vengeance!

      POTHINUS. Our first gift to you, as your galley came into the roadstead, was the head of your rival for the empire of the world. Bear witness, Lucius Septimius: is it not so?

      LUCIUS. It is so. With this hand, that slew Pompey, I placed his head at the feet of Caesar.

      CAESAR. Murderer! So would you have slain Caesar, had Pompey been victorious at Pharsalia.

      LUCIUS. СКАЧАТЬ