Cleopatra Page #9

I'll send you to her.

- Order her to come.

- If I order, I need not journey.

- Then summon her.

- Even worse.

Then beg, entreat,

find the word you like...

...pour perfume, whinny like a stallion.

But see that she comes to me.

I understand your position, Rufio.

Surely you must understand mine.

I do not intend to join

that long list of queens...

...who have quivered happily

at being summoned by Lord Antony.

But surely I didn't say "summoned."

You said "invite." He meant "summon."

In any case, I am the queen of Egypt.

And I choose to remain

on Egyptian soil.

Tarsus is not the other end

of the world, Your Majesty.

If it were one step from Egypt,

that would be too far.

I will meet with Lord Antony...

...but only on Egyptian soil.

My lady, a way must be found,

a time, a place to satisfy you both.

Must it, Rufio?

Cleopatra.

Cleopatra!

It is.

It must be.

She said never,

except on Egyptian soil.

"Never." Something

women say to begin with.

Welcome Queen Cleopatra on my behalf.

Extend my invitation

to a banquet in her honor.

- Don't you think...?

- Still not convinced?

Hurry back, there's much to be done.

Have the cooks sent to me.

Forgive me, noble Rufio.

It is you who do not understand.

Queen Cleopatra, at present in her

chamber, is on Egyptian territory...

...and intends to remain on it.

Most learned Sisogenes, forgive me...

...but this is Tarsus, not Alexandria.

You are on Tarsus, noble Rufio.

I am on Egypt.

Tonight and tomorrow night, if Lord

Antony desires to meet Her Majesty...

...he will come to her, to Egypt.

I shall do my best

to prevail upon Lord Antony to attend.

Marc Antony, how prompt you are.

If I had not been,

it would be unforgivable of me.

I hoped to be here

as you came aboard.

If you had, it would be

unforgivable of me.

Be more tolerant.

Forgive yourself now and then.

Almost three years. Have you

possibly become more beautiful?

Almost three? That long?

The time has passed so quickly.

Your necklace.

It seems to be made of gold coins.

Coins of Caesar.

- Do you find it attractive?

- Very.

And I find what you're wearing

most becoming.

Greek, isn't it?

I have a fondness

for almost all Greek things.

As an almost all-Greek thing,

I'm flattered.

An unusual necklace.

Nothing but gold coins of Caesar.

- How did you come by it?

- I had it made.

I wear it always.

A fabulous feast.

One is so limited

when one travels by ship.

This fabulous ship...

...together with its queen,

the fabulous Cleopatra.

The name of Marc Antony

is not exactly unknown to the world.

- In the last year or so since we met...

- Almost three.

By now you have become

one-third the master of Rome.

You don't permit yourself

to forget him?

That's an odd way of putting it.

"Don't permit myself?"

Is it necessary

to wear him around your neck?

You forget, Antony,

in these almost three years...

...how full your own life has been.

They can't have been uneventful

for you. You rule Egypt alone.

Oh, they have been busy, but not full.

There's a difference.

There cannot be enough hours

in the days of a queen...

...and her nights have too many.

- So I fill them with memories.

- Of Caesar?

And of a dream...

...that almost came true.

You may remember.

I remember that night in Rome,

saying it could still come true.

You said so much that night

to so many.

Let me get rid of them all.

Why? I have arranged

an entertainment.

A dance in the Greek fashion

to welcome the god Bacchus.

If I make a great show of going,

they'll have to leave too.

Then I can return...

...and we can talk alone, you and I.

- When would you return?

- In an hour, no more than two.

- How long would you stay?

- Until we had nothing more to say.

Are you a strong swimmer?

We sail at sunrise.

I don't understand.

Home to Alexandria, to Egypt.

You've come all this way for one

night. All to make a fool of me.

Perhaps you would feel less a fool...

...if you stayed the night with me,

is that it?

I've told you before.

With you, words do not

come easily to me.

There is too much unsaid

within me that I cannot say.

Then I cannot know it.

There is much unsaid within you too.

That is probably true of everybody.

Stay for a while.

I have known you so long

but so little. Give me time.

Not I. Not Egypt and Rome together.

Not even the gods

have time to give you.

But, Antony, use what you have.

Don't waste it by playing

at god here in Tarsus...

...while Octavian in Rome

becomes a god.

The dance, I take it, is over.

Sit up.

I want to see whether you sleep

with your memories.

With so much left unsaid

within you...

...it must be a relief

to break and tear things.

- I want to say something now.

- Perhaps some other time.

Now!

Caesar.

Conquer and conquer.

Bring the world to its knees.

"You're not a Caesar.

Did you know that?

Be braver than the bravest...

...stronger than the strongest.

Still no Caesar.

Caesar's done it first and better.

Ruled better, loved better.

Run where you will, you can't get out.

There's no way out.

The shadow of Caesar will cover you

and the universe for all of time."

"Whenever you like," you said in Rome.

"Come to Alexandria

whenever you like."

"Now, tonight," I said.

To bow to the throne

upon which Caesar put you.

To talk of a new treaty.

Caesar's can't be improved. Copy it.

Of Caesar's son. Of the dream

you shared that still fills your life.

Alexander's design for a world

to be ruled by you and Caesar.

Where is Antony?

Where is Marc Antony?

Antony the Great! The divine Antony!

Here.

He's...

...here.

One step behind Caesar.

At the right hand of Caesar.

In the shadow of Caesar.

Tell me, how many

have loved you since him?

One? Ten? Anyone? No one?

Have they kissed you with Caesar's

lips? Is it his name you cry out?

Afterwards, has he reproached you

and have you begged forgiveness?

You've come here, then, running over

with wine and self-pity...

...to conquer Caesar.

For so long now,

you've filled my life...

...like a great noise

I hear everywhere in my heart.

I want to be free of you,

of wanting you...

...of being afraid.

Yet, Caesar would not permit it.

But I will never...

...be free of you.

From the first instant I saw you...

...entering Rome

on that monstrous stone beast...

...shining in the sun...

...like a little gold toy.

...how I envied Caesar.

Went suddenly sick with it.

Not his conquests or his triumphs.

Not his titles

or the roaring of the mob.

I envied him you.

When we first met in Rome,

I remembered you.

I wondered that I could

ever have forgotten.

Remembered me?

Years ago, when you were

a young cavalry officer...

...stationed at the palace in

Alexandria under that Roman general.

- What was his name?

- Gabinius.

Gabinius.

I was 12 years old, and I loved you.

- Nonsense.

- It's true.

Lovers always want so much

never to have loved before.

It's possible, you know.

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