"Morning, Consul." "How goes your day?" "Stop!" "I am so proud of you." "Our name is redeemed." "The Republic is safe." "It was horrible, mother." "He wouldn't die." "But he is dead now, eh?" "He tried to speak to me." "But no words came out." "We must be strong now." "Yes." "The senate will look to us for leadership." "The people will need a firm hand." "Are you up to the task?" "Dominus." "Who are you?" "Whose child is this?" "What did you do?" "Let him go, let him go!" "No, no, don't!" "Please have mercy." "I curse you." "Curse you." "I curse you all!" "By all the gods below." "I curse you to damnation." "Caesar is dead!" "Caesar is dead!" "He's dead!" "He's dead!" "Caesar is dead!" "Leave it, forget it." "You heard what I said!" "Mother?" "Leave me alone." "Gods, not you as well?" "Crying will not help us." "I'm not crying." "I'm angry." "May Dis devour that bitch pig Servilia." "What a fool I was." "If I'd not told her of Vorenus and his wife..." "Listen to me." "We must never speak of our part in this." "It may be mistaken for complicity." "Do you understand?" " I'll see her eaten by dogs." " We may hope." "Dominus, Timon is here." "Timon, good of you to come." "I grieve with you." " Bad business." " It is." " Your mother's all right, is she?" " She's not receiving visitors." "But she's well enough." "Have you men with you?" "Ten." "So, she's all right, then?" "As I said." "How's the city?" "All's indoors." "Everywhere's dead quiet." "Timon, thank you for coming." "I am so happy to see you." "I came as soon as I heard." "I grieve with you." "You're a good friend, thank you." "Are the streets safe?" "Can we get out of the city?" " We can." " We should wait a while before taking any action." "We do not have a clear view of the position." " Antony may..." " If Antony were alive, he would come to me." "Or send word, at least." "I must assume Antony is dead." "It is quite possible, but we cannot know that as yet." "Perhaps he's fled the city." "And leave me here?" "Never." "Put on your traveling clothes." " Nothing fancy." " Mother, think." "You heard what Servilia said." "She wants you to run away." "More fool her." "Let her try and find me." "She will find you." "You have no talent for hiding." "Castor, pack the money and the household gods." "Immediately, domina." "Come along, no time to waste." "Antony." "I swear on the black stone that I will kill them all." "Brutus and Cassius and Casca and the whole damn lot of them." "They're just Servilia's minions." "This is all her doing." "I told Caesar." "I told him this would happen." "I swear, I will piss on them as they die." "That I should have to run and hide from those... those worms." "Are you certain?" "Are you certain sure he's dead?" "Oh, yeah." "He's dead all right." "I was there, I saw him." "You were there?" "But then why didn't you stop them?" "No, I wasn't there." "I was..." "They delayed me outside on the steps." "By the time I got inside the deed had been done." "And the lictors had all run off like rabbits." "That treacherous bastard Vorenus, he must have been paid off." "He'd left before we got to the Senate House." "He was lured away." "The witch Servilia's woman told him an evil tale about his wife." " What did you do then?" " What did I do?" "Why, nothing I could do." "Caesar was dead." "I was unarmed." "Well, I would have ripped them to pieces with my bare hands." "That's easy for you to say." "You know nothing of violence." "12 mangy dogs can kill a lion." "Well, if you say so." "What shall we do now?" "You can do as you like." "I will go north and raise an army of monsters." "Then I will come back here and I will crucify every last one of those sons of bitches." "What do you mean, I may do as I like?" "Why are you here if I may do as I like?" "I meant nothing." "Of course I want you to come with me." "Please, if you'd rather take some other lover, I will not protest." "No, I meant only that..." "That I cannot force you to come with me." "That's where you were these last hours, I suppose?" "Putting your whores into..." "into baggage carts." "I have no stomach for a fight with you." "Not now, eh?" "I don't want to go north." "The north is ghastly." " What's your name again?" " Timon." "We're going north." "You and your men will protect the family until I can gather my own people together." " It'll cost you." " Of course." "I expect no public service from a Jew." "We shall be taking Calpurnia with us, so we must leave via the Subura." "Calpurnia?" "But why do we need to take her?" "We must be sure that she is safe." "Well, I don't see her rushing to see that we're safe." "My dear, we cannot leave Caesar's widow behind." "It would look ill with the people, as if we'd abandoned her." "What a bore." "Father." "Father, wake me." " Hush." " Wake me." "Hush now, be calm." "I will wake you if you will let me go." "Promise me." "On the fire of Vesta, I promise." "Lovely." "Thank you." "I know I didn't get us started off on the right foot..." "Killing your man and all, and I'm sorry for that." "But, va, I'll just come straight out with it." "I have a question." "With permission of Venus and Mars..." "I ask you to be my wife." "Your wife?" "Married?" "Married." "You and me." "If..." "If you wish it so, master." "No, I'm not your master anymore." "You're a free woman." "You can refuse me, I won't be angry." "Well, I won't be best pleased, but you know," "I won't beat you or anything." "A man like me can always make good money." "You'll have a roof over your head, food." "I'll buy you anything you want, dresses, shoes." "Is that a yes?" "Yes." "You won't regret it, I promise." "Done." "Thank you, my dear." "Visitors, domina." "Bring them." "Mark Antony, Atia." "How good of you to come, and the children." "Calpurnia, we grieve with you." "My husband is glad to receive you." "You're the first to pay respects." "None of our friends or family have come." "They're afraid." "Ah, yes, that may be so." "We are going to leave the city now." "It's best you come with us." "Leaving?" "Why?" "It is not safe." "Well, that's no matter." "I'm glad to die." "My dear lady..." "But now that you're here to stand witness, we must read his will." "His will?" "No, I'm sorry." "We haven't time." " It is the proper form." " We haven't time." "It is the will... of a dictator of the Roman Republic." "Having made due provision for the well-being and security of my honest and dutiful wife, Calpurnia, et cetera," "I leave the sum of 75 denarii to every enrolled citizen..." "Ridiculous." "What a waste." "My name and the remainder of my estate with all legal obligations and benefits, all property, gold, silver and other monies," "I leave to Gaius Octavian, who is henceforth to be regarded for all intents and purposes as my lawful son and sole heir." "Octavian?" "My Octavian?" "What else?" "He stipulates that the slave known as Posca... that is I... am to be given my liberty with an appropriate stipend." "I give you joy of your freedom." "What else?" "There are no further bequests." "I see." "Well, congratulations, boy." "Thank you, Posca." "Octavian gets everything?" "All of it?" "He'll get nothing." "It's all wax for scraping." "It's a will." "It's his by law." "The law is now Brutus and his minions." "Caesar's land and money will go to them." "That is so." "They will declare his death a rightful tyrannicide, his will and all his acts become null and void, his property will be intestate." " They cannot take the name." " Oh, no." "That's all yours." "Much good may it do you." "Away now." "I may have to take Calpurnia along by force, so don't be alarmed if she makes a clamor." "Hey, send for your mistress." "Tell her we're leaving." "Mother, I must stay in Rome." " Eh?" " I must stay in Rome." "I am Caesar's son." "I must protect my status and rights." "There's blood." "A proper little Spartan." "You shall have to stay also, Mother." "The family must appear united." "Oh, my strange, brave, pompous little boy, we're going north." "I'm head of the family." "Strictly speaking, it is for me to say where we go." "I know you're only trying to be manly and that's lovely." "But now is not the time." "We are going and there's an end on it." "Antony, listen." "Brutus is in a legal bind." "I think we can force him into making a deal with us." "Go on." "Brutus must declare Caesar a tyrant, else the act of killing Caesar is murder." "But all the acts of a tyrant are unlawful," "Including those appointing Brutus as Praetor," "Cassius as Proconsul," " and so forth." " And then so?" "If Brutus honors the law, he loses all rank and position." "It's lawyers' prattle." "I don't think so." "If you offer them amnesty" " in return..." " Amnesty?" "I'm gonna eat their livers." "Amnesty?" "You're not following me." "Enough!" "You think you know better than Antony?" " But you don't understand." " Juno's cunt, must I slap you?" "If the will stands, and it might, you are mother to the richest man in Rome." "If the will is broken, Servilia has that honor." "No." "Where is this damn woman?" "When I give you the nod, I want you to help me seize the old lady and get her outside quick." "She trusts you, nay?" " Sir, with all respect..." " What?" "With all respect, until the will is ratified," "I am bound to serve the house of Caesar." "With that in mind, I must beg you not to take my mistress by force." " With all respect." " Respect?" "You impudent toad." "You'll do as I say, and I will do as I please with your damn mistress." "Antony?" "We're staying." "No, thank you, master." "You've got to stop calling me that." "What shall I call you, then?" "Anything you want." "Husband?" "Honey?" "Caesar is dead!" "Caesar is dead!" "Caesar is dead." "Caesar is dead!" "Don't worry." "If he comes back, he comes back." "There." "See how fine she looks?" "She'll be well respected." "A woman from good people." "Hello, children." "Immortals!" "Immortals, I say." "You noblemen have carved your names deep in the eternal stone." "That is very high praise indeed." "I would embrace you all but I'm desolated that you did not enlist me in your cohort of heroes." "To wield the liberators' knife... what joy you have denied me." "Forgive us." "But we rather thought you'd prefer not to know." "It is done." "I cannot share in your glory." "I can only applaud." "Now tell me, is the city secure?" "We have 2,000 men under arms." " Caesar's people have fled." " The city is ours." "Excellent, and Mark Antony?" "The dog is dead I hope?" " He is not." " Mark Antony is alive?" "An error!" "I think, a deep error." "We are senators, not hired thugs." "Kill him yourself if you want it so." "Well, well, you know best what is the right thing to do." "I must go." "I'm away to the country." "Another tedious lawsuit." "I just wanted to salute you before I left." "Immortal liberators." "Friend Cicero." "Why so pale?" "Brother?" "Vorenus?" " Legionary Pullo, Second Century..." " What's happened?" "...First Cohort, First Cohort." "Brother Vorenus, what's happened?" "She's mother to the boy Lucius." "I was... going to kill her." "I had the knife in my hand." "She did it herself." "Miseria." " Where are the children?" " Gone." "Gone where?" "I cursed them." "I cursed them to Hades." "Get some water." "Brother Vorenus." "Brother Vorenus." "Come sit down." "Let's get you cleaned up." "Consul Antony, I am here strictly as an impartial arbiter." "I knew nothing of this disturbing act." "I was as surprised and..." "and shocked as you were." "As Brutus can confirm." "Cicero knew nothing." "You have lost a good friend and patron today." "We are sorry." "If that monkey remains I shall have to open his neck." "He tried to kill me this morning." "His presence is an insult." "You're mistaken." "No one tried to kill you." "It was my express order that you be spared." "Am I, Cassius?" "Mistaken?" "We do apologize if this man's been overzealous." "Go, Quintus." "Tell us, Antony... to what do we owe this unexpected pleasure?" "Listen." "Why so quiet?" "A tyrant is dead." "Surely the people should be happy." "Where is the cheering throng at your door?" "Where are the joyous cries of liberty?" "The people fear change." "A somber mood is only... natural." "When they realize they are free from tyranny, the people will be glad." "The people loved Caesar." "And they will hate you for what you've done." "They loved him once." "As I did." "Some have turned against him, no doubt." "It cannot be denied he was something of a tyrant." "But a great many people will worship Caesar until they die." "A great many." "And those people are mine now." "We do not need such people." "Our men-at-arms have secured the city." "We've received representatives from the best elements." "The Senate is with us, the knights." "The pontiffs, the urban cohorts, the lictors' guild." "Oh, the lictors' guild, very good." "Only rally the bakers and the flute-players, and you can put on a festival." "Best wait till after the elections, though." "What elections?" "Surely you've thought this through." "If Caesar was, as you insist, a tyrant, then all his acts and appointments are nullified." "I am no longer consul, you're no longer praetor, you're no longer proconsul." "Elections will have to be held." "That is so." "Messy things, elections." "You spoke of helping us?" "I did." "All those that loved Caesar, but hate tyranny..." "I may be able to bring to your side." "Why would you do that?" "Neither of us can win outright." "Not without much blood spilled to prove the issue." "I want no more blood." "I want peace and stability." "How?" "First, a general amnesty." "Caesar is not declared tyrant, nor you declared killers." "All Caesar's acts, and his will, shall stand." "We shall all keep our posts." "It will be as if he were struck by lightning." "A natural death." "Go on." "Then a show of unity." "A public funeral for Caesar, led by you and I together." "We shall mourn the man and burn the tyrant." "And then?" "I shall serve out the rest of my term as consul, and then retire quietly to the provinces where I will plough my fields and fuck my slaves." "Just like old Cincinnatus." "And the Republic shall roll on without me." "I swear on the black stone," "I am done with politics." "You people play too rough for a simple soldier like me." "Knives in the Senate House?" "Didn't think you had it in you." "And if we do not wish to be reconciled with you?" "Well, if we cannot be friends, then we shall be enemies." "And I will do my very best to annihilate you." "Perhaps you would give us some time to talk this over?" "You can talk all you like." "I shall wait outside." "You tried to kill him despite everything I said?" "Forgive me." "Your scruples do you credit, but without your knowledge his death could not have dishonored you..." "To the contrary, I will be twice dishonored." "A killer and a fool." "Is your honor worth more than the Republic?" "It is not too late." "He's here, in your hands." "I'm simply stating the facts." "I do not urge you to any particular course of action." "Nor will I take the course you do not urge." "Brother." "It is the only rational thing to do." "He's broken no capital law." "And he offers a truce which will preserve the public order." " We have no right to take his life." " Damn the law!" "He's too dangerous to live." "You exaggerate him." "He is a vulgar beast." "Without Caesar he will destroy himself soon enough." " He is..." " He is a guest in my house." "He is not in the house." "He is on the street." "You too, Mother?" "Consul Antony... we shall be friends." "Friends, eh?" "My god." "There." "That's better." " I shouldn't have done it." " What's that?" "I cursed my own children, Pullo." "It wasn't their fault." "Don't worry, they'll be back." "You can lift the curse then, no trouble." "You didn't kill an animal on it, did you?" " No." " There you go, then." "The curse isn't sealed." "And when they come back, you can lift it." "No harm done." "What if they don't come back?" "Where else they gonna go?" "Course they're coming back." "Tomorrow, at the fourth hour, a funeral service will be held for Gaius Julius Caesar." "Under terms of truth and in the spirit of unity and forgiveness, eulogies will be delivered by Praetor Marcus Junius Brutus and Consul Mark Antony." "No prostitutes, actors or unclean tradesmen may attend." "I am come to pay my respects to your husband." "I understand you are grieving." "Show her what she's done." "So Vorenus went home to confront his wife and Caesar went to the Senate alone and unprotected." "Bastards." "What I don't understand is how they knew about Niobe and all that in the first place." "You and I were the only ones that knew the truth." "I told my sister." "And she told Servilia." "My sister was..." "It doesn't matter." "The jug is broken, I cannot mend it with regret." "I ask for your forgiveness." "Of course." "I can't expect a young lad like yourself to be... to be..." "Anyway, it's done, as you say." "You should not repeat what I have told you." "It's not that I'm ashamed, though I am." "It's only that it will not look good with the people." "It's forgotten already." "Sorry about your uncle." "I am made his son by will." "Congratulations?" "You'll be wanting vengeance, then?" "At some point." "I'll be up for the duty, of course." "Oh, come on, get up." "Have you forgotten what day it is?" "What day is it?" "Don't play with me." "I'm not up for it today." "Relax." "It's gonna be my day." "I can feel it." "I don't think I've ever fucked a woman in a funeral dress before." "Nor shall you now." "That's a shame." "It'll have to be Merula, then." "Come here, old girl." "Jump on." "She'd eat you alive." "Come on, this is no morning for foolery." "Just get up." "Come here." "Stop fooling around and just get up!" "I am not rising from this bed until I've fucked someone." "Fine." "Merula, fetch that German slut from the kitchen." "Come on, get it right this time or you'll be next for the "King of Goats" over there." "Undertaker's here." "We're ready to go." "We must wait for the children." "They'll be back, brother." "I shouldn't have done it." "I shouldn't have cursed them." "They'll be back." "I'm sure of it." "Sooner or later." "I shouldn't have done it." "I shouldn't have done it." "We've got to send Niobe on her way now." "We can't leave it any longer, can we?" "Else them below will be vexed." "Please." "Please." "Grain monitor?" "Why on Gaia's earth would I want to be grain monitor?" "It would give you reason to leave with dignity." "I have no intention of leaving the city." "A tour of the Asian supply ports would be the most natural thing in the world." "Nobody could possibly accuse you of running away." "I have no intention of leaving the city!" "Servilia, my dear..." "Sorry about all this." "Got a bit carried away." "You gave an excellent speech, incidentally." "It was perhaps a touch too cerebral for that audience, but..." "Have you been offered any refreshment?" "Some water will be lovely." "Thank you." "Please, speak sense to your son." "Him and his friends must leave the city." "I cannot answer for their safety." "Do not look so pleased with yourself." "You're a liar and a breaker of oaths, and you've roused your rabble, nothing more." "A pantomime actor might have done what you did today." "Lucky then it was me that did it, eh?" "Else you would now be on your knees sucking pantomime cock." "I have no wish to abuse or humiliate you." "I only wish you gone." "We're going nowhere." "No, not you, at least." "The men shall leave." "You will stay here in the city with me as my guest." " Hostage, you mean." " As you like." "You may wish as you will." "We yet have all the Senate behind us and all the men of quality." "And I have an angry mob... that will roast and eat your "men of quality"" "in the ashes of the Senate House!" "Children?" "Eldest?" "Vorena?" "They're not here." "Never mind." "Just have to be patient." "How about you make us a nice pot of porridge?" "We'll all feel better with some food inside us." " Vorena?" " Anyone here?" "I'm sorry." "I was only taking back things I lent." "Hush, it doesn't matter." "Do you know where the children are run to?" "I swear, only things I lent." "Do you know where the children are?" "Speak!" "Erastes' foreman took them." "Porca Juno." "I'm very sorry for your loss." "The place is fucking packed, yeah?" "Takes me half an hour to fight me way to the front and up steps Brutus." "Right?" "And he goes, "Blah, blah, blah." ""The law this and the Republic that." ""And the 12 bloody tables."" "I couldn't understand half of it." "Yeah, yeah, then what happened?" "Then, Antony's up." "But he gives Brutus a hug." "He starts talking all calm and gentle like he's not bothered." "And I'm thinking, "Bollocks, we'll be away for a bevvy."" "But then... he pulls out Caesar's toga, all covered in blood." "Everyone goes, "Whoa!"" "Disgusting." "No fucking dignity, that man." "But now, Antony's stalking up and down with the toga and he's crying about "What a good man was Caesar"" "and how much he loves him and what a great leader we've lost until the crowd..." "half of them are crying... they're sobbing like babies." "And then what does he do?" "He takes the bloody toga... and throws it into the crowd." "Whoosh!" "The whole fucking place went up like a tar barrel." "The whole fucking crowd went mad." "Brutus and them are lucky to be alive." "If they are." "It's a disgrace." "No fucking respect." " Yeah, well people get angry, don't they?" " No excuse." "It's a consular fucking funeral, isn't it?" "Supposed to show some fucking respect." "Not run around looting and burning." "Animals." "That Antony's a cunt, too." "Mark me, now." "Any one of you cunnies join in this disgrace, you'll be disjointed quick as Pan." "We observe the fucking decencies." " Right?" " Right." "Fucking slaves and foreigners to blame." "Send them back to Bithynia, or wherever the fuck you come from." "Rome for fucking Romans, eh?" "Flavio?" "Tell those damn scurras to shut that up!" "They want to fight, take it outside." "Keep your hands above it!" "Flavio!" "Fucking useless." "You have my children." "You have my children." "Eh?" "What the fuck you talking about?" "You have my children." "Someone's misled you, friend." "Where are they?" "I don't know." "Where are they?" "Flavio!" "Flavio's not coming." "Here we are, then." "Where are they?" "Where are my children?" "Will you have a little wine with me?" "No?" "Well... kiss my arse." "Tell him." "If they're not harmed, you may yet live." "You think so?" "Tell him." "Nothing like a good Falernian grape, is there?" "You're not a bad sort of man, Vorenus." "You just have too much anger in you." "Tell him!" "I took your children in payment for your many slights to me." "I fucked them, then I killed them." "And then I threw them in the river."