Alexander Page #9

How can you, so young,

compare yourself to Herakles?

Why not?

I've achieved more in my years.

Traveled as far.

Probably farther.

Herakles did it by himself.

Did you conquer Asia

by yourself, Alexander?

Who planned the Asian invasion...

...when you were still being spanked

on your bottom by my sister Lanice?

Was it not your father?

Or is his blood no longer good enough?

-Zeus-Amon, is it?

-You insult me, Cleitus.

You mock my family. Be careful.

Never would your father have taken

barbarians as his friends...

...asked us to fight with them

as equals in war.

Are we not good enough any longer?

I remember a time...

...when we could talk as men,

straight to the eye.

None of this scraping, groveling.

I remember a time when we hunted...

...when we wrestled

on the gymnasium floor.

Now you kiss them?

Take a barbarian, childless wife

and dare call her queen?

Go quickly, Cleitus,

before you ruin your life.

Doesn't your great pride

fear the gods any longer?

This army...

This army is your blood, boy!

Without it, you're nothing!

You no longer serve the purpose

of this march!

-Get him from my sight!

-I don't serve your purpose?!

What was I serving when I saved

your puppy life at Gaugamela?

Were you Zeus' boy?

What if I left you to die in the dust there?

Do you think we'd be forced now

to mate with brown apes?

Alexander!

Turn out the guards!

Arrest him for treason!

-I'll go with him.

-Alexander.

-Who's with him?

-No.

Who's with him?

I call Father Zeus to witness.

I call you to trial before him!

And we'll see how deep

this conspiracy cuts!

-Take him!

-In the name of the gods, get him out!

Now look at you!

Great white ass, Alexander.

Hiding behind his fairy god!

Or are you too great to remember

whose life was saved by me?!

-I am more a man than you'll ever be! Ever!

-Get him out!

-He's gone. He's gone.

-Alexander.

Come on!

What a tyrant you are!

An evil tyrant you've become, Alexander.

You speak of plots against you?

What about poor Parmenion?

Get out!

He served you well.

Look how you repaid him.

You made me do your foul deed.

Have you no shame?

You ungrateful wretch! No one, not my

vilest enemy, has spoken like you to me.

Getting what I say?!

Despot. False king.

You and your barbarian mother

live in shame.

Cleitus.

Oh, my Cleitus. Cleitus.

-Let me pass.

-None can enter.

I am the queen.

I want to see him.

I've waited three days.

He says none, not even you.

-He needs me.

-No, he doesn't.

And he needs you?

Hephaistion, you make a mistake.

The army grows restless, questioning.

Alexander.

They need your reassurance.

Heinous.

Like an old lover they forgive,

but they will never forget.

-He was an aging drunk.

-He was my friend.

His sister Lanice nursed me.

And how did I repay her?

Two brothers dead,

fighting him by my own hands.

Her last remaining blood.

What will she do but weep

on the day of my birth?

Come. You know more than any...

...great deeds are done by men

who took and never regretted.

You're Alexander.

Pity and grief will only destroy you.

Have I become so arrogant

that I am blind?

Sometimes, to expect

the best of everyone is...

...arrogance.

Then Cleitus spoke true.

I have become a tyrant.

No.

But perhaps a stranger.

You've gone too far.

They don't understand you anymore.

They speak of Philip now...

...as if I were a passing cloud...

...soon to be forgotten.

I've failed...

...utterly.

You're mortal.

And they know it.

And they forgive you because

you make them proud of themselves.

Philip once said...

...that there's a Titan in all of us.

That they wait, mixed in our ashes.

It wasn't because of the wine, I killed.

It was because I wanted to.

Philip, King of Macedonia...

...and leader of the Greeks.

All my life, I've waited to see Greeks

grovel with respect for Macedonia.

Today is that day.

They say already,

"Philip was a great general...

...but Alexander is simply great. "

But if you ever insult me again...

...I'll kill you.

I've missed you.

In the spring, Persia.

You'll command my horse from the right.

I'm honored, Father. I wouldn't miss it...

...for all the gold in the world.

Which, one day, you'll have.

Making himself a 13th god.

He's drunk so much wine,

my poor Philip, he's lost his mind.

-Your Majesty.

-Attalus.

I hope the prince

is enjoying the spectacle...

...as much as our regent.

He's very tired.

Hey.

-Pausanias, bring the rest of the guard.

-Royal guard!

To the arena! March!

No guard, Your Majesty?

In all this crowd?

-Greeks all over the place.

-Cleitus, Cleitus.

My Cleitus.

This man you can

always trust, Alexander.

Treat him as you would me.

He'll guard your back for you.

Yes, Father.

My people are guard enough today.

Let these Greeks see for themselves

how I can walk through my people.

Then let them call me tyrant.

Bring the main guard in

after my entry only.

Cleitus, make sure the wine

flows steady all day.

I want them to like me.

Weren't you told? I go in alone.

Follow with the main guard.

Go on.

-Go on.

-Father, it's best I go with you.

You want the world to see

you're my successor.

Is that what she wants?

Don't look so hurt all the time,

Alexander. Be a man.

You count yourself lucky you were here

at all today, after your public display.

By Herakles, by Zeus, by all the gods...

...obey me this once!

Have courage, Father.

And go on your way

rejoicing that at each step...

...you may recall your valor.

And now, our beloved King Philip...

...in whose honor

these wedding games begin.

Pausanias, I told you-

Who's your new friend?

There's your new friend.

No! Please, don't! No!

The king lives!

Alexander, son of Philip!

May the gods bless the king!

Alexander is king!

You're king now. You're king.

Long live Alexander!

-Alexander!

-King Alexander!

Alexander!

Alexander is king!

May the gods bless Alexander!

May the gods bless the king!

Alexander!

You break my heart, you men.

Afraid.

Of course you have fears.

We all have fears...

...because no one has ever

gone this far before.

And now we are weeks from

the encircling ocean, our route home.

We'll build a fleet of ships...

...and sail all the way

back down the Nile to Egypt.

And from Alexandria,

we shall be home within weeks.

There to be reunited with our loved ones.

To share our great treasures

and tales of Asia.

And to enjoy our imperishable glory

to the ends of time.

-Follow Alexander.

-I'll follow you.

What?

-Silence?

-We're with you, Alexander!

Crateros.

Crateros.

And another one.

My king.

I'm a fighting man.

I don't like no bellyaching.

I won't tolerate it in any of my units.

I lost many a man.

Young ones, never been with a woman.

Some died of disease.

Some were butchered in Scythia

by the banks of the Oxus.

Some died good.

Some just didn't get no luck.

But they died.

Forty thousand I come over with

eight years ago.

And we march after you

more than 10,000 miles.

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