Spartacus Page #5

It may take a year. We don't know.

Once we're strong, we're gonna fiight

our way south to the sea.

We're going to arrange for ships

with the Cilician pirates.

Then the sea will be a road

back home for all of us.

If you agree, you may join us.

If you don't agree, go back

before your escape is discovered.

Too many women.

What's wrong with women?

Where would you be now,

you lout...

if some woman hadn't fought

all the pains of hell...

to get you

into this accursed world?

I can handle a knife

in the dark as well as anyone.

I can cast spells

and brew poisons.

I have made the death shrouds

for seven Roman masters in my time.

- You lout! I want to see Spartacus.

- All right, grandmother.

I'm Spartacus. Stay with us.

We'll need a million Roman shrouds

before we're through.

Where do you people come from?

Most of us come

from the estate of Lillius.

- What kind of work did you do there?

- Sixteen years a carpenter and mason.

Good. We can use carpenters.

- What kind of work did you do?

- I was a chief steward.

You'll help with the food supplies.

You'll report to the man Patullus.

What kind of work did you do?

Singer of songs.

Singer of songs?

But what work did you do?

That's my work.

I also juggle.

Juggle. What else do you do?

I can do feats of magic.

Magic?

Maybe he can make

the Romans disappear.

I'll need one volunteer,

man or woman. How about you?

Here we have a likely subject.

You'll notice there is

nothing in my hand, true?

- How many fiingers do you see?

- Three.

- How many fiingers do you see?

- Three!

I make a bowl.

My hand is upside down,

and I ask you to blow at it.

No, not hard enough. Hard!

Thank you.

Would you like to try?

Hit it against the rock, gently.

Poet, I haven't had

an egg in days.

You haven't?

- Here.

- Thank you.

I'm not going

to let mine get away.

- Sing us a song.

- Sing us a song, Antoninus.

Sing, Antoninus.

When the blazing sun

hangs low in the western sky...

when the wind dies away

on the mountain...

when the song

of the meadowlark turns still...

when the fiield locust clicks

no more in the fiield...

and the sea foam sleeps

like a maiden at rest...

and twilight touches the shape

of the wandering earth...

I turn home.

Through blue shadows

and purple woods...

I turn home.

I turn to the place

that I was born...

to the mother who bore me

and the father who taught me...

Iong ago. Iong ago...

Iong ago.

Alone am I now. Iost and alone.

in a far. wide. wandering world.

Yet still when

the blazing sun hangs low...

when the wind dies away

and the sea foam sleeps...

and twilight touches

the wandering earth...

I turn home.

Where'd you learn that song?

My father taught it to me.

I was wrong about you, poet.

You won't learn to kill.

You'll teach us songs.

I came here to fiight.

Anyone can learn to fiight.

I joined to fiight!

- What's your name?

- Antoninus.

There's a time for fiighting,

and there's a time for singing.

Now you teach us to sing.

Sing, Antoninus.

When the blazing sun

hangs low in the western sky--

You like him, don't you?

Who wants to fiight?

An animal can learn to fiight.

But to sing beautiful things...

and make people believe them--

What are you thinking about?

I'm free.

And what do I know?

I don't even know

how to read.

You know things

that can't be taught.

I know nothing.

Nothing!

And I want to know.

I want to--

I want to know.

Know what?

Everything.

Why a star falls

and a bird doesn't.

Where the sun goes at night.

Why the moon changes shape.

I want to know

where the wind comes from.

The wind begins in a cave.

Far to the north,

a young god sleeps in that cave.

He dreams of a girl...

and he sighs...

and the night wind

stirs with his breath.

I want to know all about you.

Every line...

every curve.

I want to know

every part of you.

Every beat of your heart.

Go on about the city

of Metapontum.

What garrisons

will we fiind there?

There are two legions in the garrison.

Some have been sent south--

Set the litter down there.

Where is this slave general?

Dionysius, get the litter bearers

out of the rain.

Give them food, bread,

and their freedom.

- All right, follow me.

- We'll pay you for them.

We have no slaves

in this camp.

Tigranes Levantus at your service.

My credentials.

Come in.

"To the general of the ltalian slaves

called Spartacus...

from lbar M'hali, Cilician governor

of the island of Delos."

- Sit down.

- "Greetings.

Word has been received that you wish

to embark your armies...

on the Cilician ships

from the ltalian port of Brundusium.

- Receive now my agent, Tigranes--"

- Levantus.

"who bargains in my name.

May lsis and Serapis bring victory

to your cause. The governor of Delos."

- Who are lsis and Serapis?

- Gods of the east.

Why should they want us to win?

Because they favour Cilicia...

and Cilicia, like you,

fiights against the Romans.

Would you like some wine?

I drink only after the bargain

has been concluded...

never before.

How many ships

do these Cilicians have?

Five hundred at least.

But no deal is too small,

I assure you.

We'll need them all.

- All?

- What is the price?

Price is 100,000 sesterces

per ship.

For 500 ships that would be...

- You have such a sum?

- We will have.

See for yourself.

- Beautiful.

- When will the ships be ready?

Beautiful.

I love to see such beauty.

When will the ships be ready?

My friend...

when will you be ready?

How long will it take you...

to cross one-third

the length of ltaly...

fiighting a major battle

in every town?

One year? Two years?

If we're not in Brundusium

seven months from now...

we'll never be there.

What if we assemble the ships...

and there is no longer

a slave army to board them?

We'll give you a chest of treasure now,

the rest when we get to Brundusium.

- This one?

- Yes.

Done! Seven months from now,

the ships will be assembled.

Arrange to have the chest loaded.

Now, with your permission, I should

like to have the wine you offered me.

- Will you join me?

- I will.

Excellent workmanship.

It came from the estate

of a wealthy nobleman.

I've heard that you are

of noble birth yourself.

I'm the son

and grandson of slaves.

I knew that

when I saw you couldn't read.

Of course, it pleases Roman vanity

to think that you are noble.

They shrink from the idea

of fiighting mere slaves...

especially a man like Crassus.

- You know him?

- I entertained him one afternoon.

- You?

- In the arena.

Excellent wine.

- May I ask you something?

- You can ask.

Surely you know

you're going to lose, don't you?

You have no chance.

At this very moment, six cohorts

of the garrison of Rome...

are approaching this position.

What are you going to do?

We'll decide that

when they get here.

Let me put it differently.

If you looked

into a magic crystal...

and you saw your army destroyed

and yourself dead...

if you saw that in the future...

as I'm sure

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