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.It will happen, Olivia.When it does, try not to feel contumely.Intimacy like ours is frightening to those who have never known it.Olivia,” he said in another, deeper tone, “I had meant to be with you when you woke, but it may not be possible.If I am not there—""Saint-Germain.” she said quickly, wanting to stop what he would say next."If I am not there, remember that there is no shame in your desires.And remember that the blood is so much chaff if there is nothing more than blood."She could not keep her misery out of her voice.“The only lover I want is you.” She knew there were tears on her face and smudged them away with grimy fingers."You will want others,” he said with a wise, sad smile.“It is our nature.""But now?” She knew his mouth was torn, but she kissed it as deeply as she knew.“Don't you want this?""Infinitely,” he said wryly.“I have had no.nourishment since our last night in your garden.” He smiled at her shock.“I want that strength from you, I admit it.But more, I want your love.” He swung his arms, grimacing at the pain it gave him.“I can't take you in my arms.I can't caress you.If that is repugnant to you, kiss me again, and then go.I don't think I can stand to have you so near and not hunger for you."Olivia looked at him, her face possessing a new serenity that she had never had before.“Love me, then.” She stepped next to him and loosened her paenula.The long cape fell to the floor and left her dressed only in a light sapparum, as if she were going to enter in a race or other sporting contest.She saw his brows lift quizzically and glowered at him.“I had to get in here unnoticed,” she said severely.“I thought I'd dress as if I belonged here.""Very wise,” he agreed.“It becomes you."Her chin went up, though there were tears in her eyes.“What now?” she asked."Come closer, so you can lean against me.” His voice had deepened and some of his private grandeur had returned."Lean against you?” she whispered.“But your wrists.I can't, Saint-Germain.""My wrists will not trouble me,” he lied.“It's because of them that I'm not likely to fall.” He set his jaw and moved his arms in proof of this.He could feel the chafing of his wrists and the hot wetness as the burrs scraped.She took one more step, and her body touched his.“I want to hold you,” she confessed softly.“But your shoulders.""Put your arms around my waist,” he told her, his lips against her hair.She turned her head and their mouths met, this time with fire and reckless abandon.It seemed he had breathed his very soul into her with that kiss, enfolding her in the whole glory of his desire as surely as if he clasped her in his bleeding arms.TEXT OF AN ORDER FROM THE SENATE AUTHORIZING THE SEIZURE AND DETAINMENT OF ATTA OLIVIA CLEMENS, DOMITA SILIUS.To the Watch and the Praetorian Guard, greetings:You are hereby authorized and mandated to find and hold Atta Olivia Clemens, Domita Silius.The woman has left the house of her husband and the house of her father and her present location is not known to us.There are grave charges laid against this woman, that will be heard in court as soon as she is found and can appear to speak for herself.Of the nature of the charges we are not at liberty to reveal except to inform you that the crimes are capital.For this reason we ask that you treat this woman with great circumspection.Upon the finding and seizing of this woman, the Senate is to be notified at once, and there will be proper provision for her made at once.If you fail to treat this woman with the honor and respect due to her station and lineage, you will be punished for such actions to the full limit of the law.For the Senate, by hand and messenger,AlastorProcurator Senior[Back to Table of Contents]20* * * *WHILE THE THOUSANDS of Romans jammed into the Circus Maximus paused for an hour, the Master of the Games and many of his slaves were busy putting the last of the tarred beams into place so that the arena could be flooded.The Master of the Games had had a difficult day, what with a disastrous chariot race where three of the four chariots had ended up tangled together, horses screaming, men moaning, while the fourth chariot made all seven circles of the spina.The battle between pygmies and ostriches had gone well, but had not been long enough, which had annoyed the people watching.Three women condemned for murdering their children were staked spread-eagled on the sands and raped by carefully trained leopards.Now there was little more than an hour to get the arena ready for the aquatic venation.He sighed deeply and turned to shout orders at his assistants.In the imperial box, musicians were playing to the Emperor and his family while they ate a light meal of pork ribs cooked with honey and spices, fruit, and scallops broiled with bacon.Titus and Domitianus sat as far away from each other as they possibly could, saying little."You're not being wise, my sons,” Vespasianus said as he licked his fingers.“Rome watches you here, and if they see behavior like this, word will have it by tomorrow that there are plots being laid against both of you.Rome does not like civil wars.” He poured himself a generous amount of wine diluted with pomegranate juice."It's awkward, being here today,” Titus said to no one in particular.Sun had browned his body and bleached his hair so that in the softened light under the Circus awning, he seemed to be made of gold, an illusion he chose to enhance by wearing a short sleeveless tunica of brass-colored silk.“Franciscus has been something of a friend to me.""Clever of him,” Domitianus said with an insinuating smile."Because he didn't befriend you—” Titus snapped back, turning on his brother."Stop it, both of you,” Vespasianus interrupted them patiently.“The man is a foreigner and there is reason to believe that he could be a danger to Rome—""But most of those allegations are unsupported,” Titus protested with a vehemence unusual in him.“If he's guilty, let's find out and settle it quickly, otherwise we're executing him on Domi's whim.""That's it, isn't it,” Domitianus said, flushing slightly.“It's that I want it done, because I think he's dangerous.If our father had decided that Franciscus was a threat to Rome, you would have gone along with it, but when your younger brother is the one to bring the charge."Titus was glaring now.“No matter what he's done, throwing him to the crocodiles is unnecessary.He's not a slave.""I wish,” the Emperor said plaintively, “that you would find something else to argue about.You're both being fools [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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