Free Tomb of the Lost by Julian Noyce

dress today which revealed much of her cleavage. She wore a simple head dress of black and gold squares. He took his eyes off her chest to look at her face.
    “ How is this possible? To keep him preserved I mean. ”
    “ When the tomb was made and Alexander laid to rest inside its designers used bellows in those holes you can see that have been plugged. The bellows created a vacuum leaving absolutely no air to allow the corpse to deteriorate.
    Caesar turned back to look at the body of his hero.
    “ Ingenious. ”
    “ Of course Alexander also had the best embalmers Egypt had to offer to attend him. ”
    Caesar turned back to her.
    “ Yes of course. Only the best. ”
    “ Would you like me to continue the story Caesar? About Alexander and my ancestors and my family. ”
    He smiled.
    ’ She looks so beautiful today ’
    “ Please Do, ” he said turning back to the sarcophagus.
    Cleopatra began telling the story that she loved to tell. The story her father had told her time and time again. She could remember it word for word.
    “ Alexander could not have imagined the city Alexandria would become. From his marking the city out with rocks, sticks and string to the commercial port and chief trading city of the Mediterranean. Jewish immigrants arrived in their droves, traders from Africa, Arabia and as far away as India. Alexander would never again see the great city he founded. Did you know he founded over twenty Alexandria ’ s throughout his world. ”
    Caesar nodded.
    “ Ptolemy brought him back here, eleven years later, after he died in Babylon. It was the proudest day in the history of this city. Everyone attended the funeral procession. From the richest noble to the lowliest peasant. Everyone wanted to see him, some for their first, others for the last time. The Pharaoh had returned. Though now Egypt was without a ruler. Ptolemy! Alexander ’ s general was welcomed as a hero. There were many days of mourning. When it finished Ptolemy gave huge amounts of gold and money to the city, Persian gold. And it was all spent on Alexandria. Palaces, temples,
    baths and monuments were built Caesar. Egypt became once again the richest country in the world. Not since Ramses the great did we have so much wealth. I think this is why Rome is so interested in Egypt is it not? ”
    “ You couldn ’ t be farther from the truth, ” Julius lied.
    “ Mighty Rome built on Egypt ’ s gold. ”
    Caesar ignored this comment. He continued staring through the glass at the man on the bed, wishing he was like him, was him. He suddenly felt a great sadness come over him.
    “ We have a line of unbroken Kings descended from one Macedonian. From the first Ptolemy to my father Ptolemy Auletes. Twelve Ptolemies and now my brother, the thirteenth. My father died three years ago. It was he not Pompey who kept Egypt her independence. Do you know how much gold he had to pay Rome as a tribute just to keep his throne, even after his exile.? ”
    “ Considerable! ”
    “ Yes considerable amounts, but you Caesar, you supported my father did you not? ”
    Julius turned to face her again.
    “ Ten years ago when I was in Gaul, as a consul, I restored your father to his throne. I grieve his passing. ”
    “ Or grieve the money he promised you. ”
    “ It ’ s not about the money Cleopatra. It never was. ”
    “ For Pompey it was. Did he not send Gabinius of Syria to collect his share. But Gabinius did not collect did he? So his soldiers deserted didn ’ t they. They married locals, became mercenaries. ”
    “ Yes. ”
    “ Are those the men that Pompey came looking for? ”
    “ Yes. ”
    “ To fight you with? ”
    “ Yes. ”
    “ But you would have beaten them. ”
    “ Possibly. I hoped to reconcile with Pompey. ”
    “ They thought killing him would please you didn ’ t they? But it didn ’ t did it? ”
    “ No. ”
    “ To be like Alexander would please you wouldn ’ t it? ”
    Julius turned back to the gold clad figure. When he turned