Free Cleopatra's Moon by Vicky Alvear Shecter Page B

conversations. Date palms ruffled in the breeze, gray and mysterious in the dark. Occasional gusts of wind, rich with the smells of the sea, teased the scents out of sleeping lotus, jasmine, rose, and honeysuckle blooms. I never again smelled a combination so achingly beautiful — the cool salt of the sea intermingling with the heady perfume of Egyptian blossoms. I filled my lungs with the richness of it, trying to suppress the maddening hiccups that sometimes followed my tears.
    “You must understand,” Charmion said, her tall, willowy body bending to sit on a marble bench. I sat down next to her. “Your mother has been planning a way to save all our lives, but she only today discovered that one of the kings of Arabia destroyed everything.”
    I looked at her, not comprehending.
    “Let me back up. Octavianus, as you know, is on his way to capture Alexandria.” She paused, searching my face. “Did you know?”
    I shook my head. This was a surprise, as I had thought that the worst was over. After all, Mother was home safe.
    “It appears Octavianus has not come after us right away because he intends on sweeping through all of the kingdoms and provinces of the East to bring them under his sole control first. Then he will attack.”
    I swallowed, trying to accept the idea that we were in terrible danger. “Why isn’t Father stopping him?” I asked.
    “He cannot. He went to Libya to marshal his land forces, only to discover his general in command there — indeed, all of his generals and legions — defected to Octavianus. He has no army left except his forces here in Alexandria.”
    All his men abandoned him?
Gods
! Poor Tata. “Is he all right? Where is he now?”
    “He is still in Libya. But although your father cannot fight, your mother has not given up hope. She planned to save us all by sailing to India. King Porus agreed to provide protection.”
    “You mean we would leave Alexandria and Egypt to Octavianus?” I stood up. Impossible! “Mother would never abandon Egypt.
I
would never do so!”
    “Not ‘abandon,’ no. See, it was all part of the plan. She hoped that with the House of Ptolemy out of Alexandria, Octavianus would be merciful and not destroy the city. Then, with sufficient money and time, she would attempt to negotiate an agreement with him — perhaps to stay in exile and allow Caesarion to rule in her stead.”
    For Mother, for all of us, to be exiled from our beloved Egypt — unimaginable! To leave it for Rome to pick over like a vulture? I shuddered and sat back down heavily. Until that moment, I had not understood the severity of our situation.
    “So why can we not do what she planned?”
    “King Malchus of Nabatea burned her entire fleet. We could not sail on the Mediterranean, which Octavianus now controls. So your mother had her fleet pulled overland toward the Red Sea. We would sail to India from there. But the Nabateans of Arabia — hoping to score points with Octavianus — intercepted the fleet and destroyed it all. Your mother only learned today that her escape is burning on the desert sands.”
    “But Octavianus declared war on Mother, right? So if she abdicates the throne, then he will leave us alone, yes?”
    Charmion snorted. “Octavianus wants only two things: the death of your father and Egypt’s wealth. Greedy Romans have been waiting for the chance to seize Egypt for decades. And now he has the excuse to dojust that. So you see, when Hekate attacked your mother … Well, it was as if Bastet herself was smiting her.”
    I shivered as a sense of dread sunk into my bones. We sat in silence, the little oil lamp’s flame sputtering with the occasional sea breeze. I did not know what to say.
    As the sky lightened, I turned to see a young gazelle, mouth full of a bright red hibiscus flower, enter our alcove. The tame animal stopped at the sight of us.
    “Don’t move,” whispered Charmion. “Amisi,” she called in a soft voice. “Do not be afraid. We will not hurt