Adventure Story Page #8

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anything about his son.

Of course not.

And the Queen Mother,

she's still determined

to punish me for the death of Darius?

She says I'm to tell you that

her feelings for you have not changed.

But she will not speak to me,

write to me or ever see me again?

Has she forgotten I can command her

to do all these things?

No. She is still the mother of Darius.

Well, perhaps,

I'd better teach her who I am.

-Sit down, Philotas.

-Yes, it might be as well.

(SIGHING) Some of your interrogations

recently have been a little severe.

They are not my interrogations.

You're in the hands

of the High Council of the army.

It has nothing to do with me.

Oh, hasn't it?

-Have some wine.

-Have you ever known me to refuse?

Thank you.

You know I've been trying lately

to remember what wine tasted like.

I'm glad to find that the reality

is better than my imagination made it.

Yes, I've no doubt

the same is true of other pleasures.

How is my sweet Antigone, by the way?

She's well, I believe.

I think you might have

allowed her to see me.

The council refused permission.

She's a witness against you.

(SCOFFING) And I loved that b*tch.

Philotas, I want to help you.

Well, help me then. Set me free.

Give me back my commands,

punish my accusers.

You are your own chief accuser.

Shall I read you some of the things,

you're reported to have said about me?

Ah, what a man says in bed

should never be held against him.

These things weren't only said in bed,

nor only to Antigone.

-You want me to read them?

-If you must.

Uh, let me have

another cup of wine, meanwhile.

I better make

the best of these few minutes.

"The greatness of a man,

is to be measured not by what he does,

"but by what he is.

"On that premise, Alexander is

about as great as my little finger."

Yes, yes, I remember when I said that.

It was at a banquet in Egypt,

I was drunk.

Not too drunk to remember

having said it.

"People see Alexander as a God.

"Surely the place

for a God is on Olympus

"not on the throne of Asia."

Hmm, an unexceptionable sentiment,

I should have thought, from an atheist.

The council may not find it so.

-Is it a crime to make a joke?

-Was it a joke?

As much of a joke

as people saying you're a god.

"We began as the companions

of a Macedonian adventurer.

"We've ended as the slaves

of an Oriental despot."

Was that too a joke?

No, I think that was true.

See, Hephaestion, what can I do?

He's bent on self-murder.

Philotas! It is you who are making

an Oriental despot of me.

Can't you forget for a moment

who and what I am now?

And think of me as the simple

Greek soldier who was once your friend?

Yes, Alexander, I can.

A little too easily, perhaps,

for my peace of mind.

For all that, I'm still your friend,

and determined, if I can,

to save you from yourself.

But...

What I have done

I shall not allow to be destroyed,

either by the actions of my enemies

or the taunts and jeers of my friends.

Which is why, in a few days' time,

you, my dear friend, may have to die.

That document will be your death

warrant, if I give it to the council.

Oh, then why give it to them?

I'll burn it,

if you fulfil one small condition.

That I fall down in public

and worship you as a god?

No! But you make a speech at your trial

in which will retract

every word you've said against me.

And that you'll give me

your most solemn oath now

that you'll never say another

as long as you live.

But that's just what I said, Alexander.

That I fall down in public

and worship you as a god.

Thank you for the wine. Guard!

-Take the assassin back to his jail.

-Philotas, I beg of you.

-Think before you do this.

-Oh, I've thought, Alexander.

I've thought quite long enough.

What else do you suppose I do

in my cell all day and all night?

I'm tired of thinking.

What I ask of you is not a great thing

to ask of a friend.

If you were Darius,

I should be a fool

not to save my life on such terms.

But you're not,

you're Alexander.

What you ask is greater

than the world we've conquered together.

-And you expect me to have mercy on you?

-No, I understand what you must do.

Then have pity on me,

if not for yourself.

I have, strange to say.

Pity on both of... Oh.

(GROANING) I shouldn't have had

that second cup of wine.

It's a mistake on an empty stomach.

Goodbye.

I've enjoyed the adventure.

I wish I could've seen how it ended.

Goodbye, Hephaestion.

Philotas, I beg you,

do what Alexander wants.

I'm not Alexander, that's the trouble.

I can't do the impossible.

Come on, my friend! Forward march!

I didn't try to kill you, you know.

But if you should be fool enough

to pardon me now, I would.

And I wouldn't bungle it either.

Hephaestion, I'm giving you an order.

Yes, Alexander?

You will return to Babylon,

take a battalion of foot guards

and put Parmenion under arrest.

-Parmenion?

-Yes, Parmenion!

-Why, what has he done?

-Nothing...yet.

Then on what charge am I to arrest him?

Protective custody.

The men's anger will be so great

when they hear of Philotas's treachery,

that they may turn on Philotas's father.

But you don't believe that, do you?

Parmenion is worshipped by his men.

It's not good for a mortal

to be worshipped.

Did you not hear Philotas say that?

And Parmenion has far too many men

to worship him.

-But you're not afraid of Parmenion.

-He controls the heart of my empire.

Damn all the Gods,

why did I leave him there?

I must've been mad.

I'd stake my life

on Parmenion's loyalty.

You'd better not.

Your life is too precious to me.

But why must you think...

Oh, in the name of the Gods,

Hephaestion, you enrage me sometimes!

I am not trying to shirk the duty.

Let me go to him alone,

unarmed, without an escort

until I break the news.

And present a prospective rebel

with the most valuable hostage

I have to give?

I don't believe

he's a prospective rebel.

I don't intend to wait to find that out.

I shall declare I have definite proof

that Parmenion, like his son,

had been plotting against me.

Had been!

He must die resisting arrest.

-(SHOCKED) No.

-There's no other way.

-No, Alexander.

-You think I like to give this order?

How can I risk an open trial

when I have no evidence?

How can I have him

guarded by one battalion

in a town where 15,000

of his own men are under arms?

He must be killed on the spot,

it's the only possible thing to do.

Then you must find

someone else to do it.

-Not myself.

-You must.

You're the only one I can trust.

-In this, you can't trust me.

-But I'll take that risk.

I won't.

What, you'll disobey an order?

This order...

Why don't you have me killed too?

I must leave that to the Gods.

Surely they must envy

such...dazzling virtue?

Such nobility of character

in a mere mortal.

It's a wonder

they let you live so long, Hephaestion.

I must remember this moment.

This is the moment

Alexander first discovered

he hadn't a friend in all the world.

And that, from this moment,

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