y!

CAESAR. Come! the popinjay is an amusing dog--tells a story; sings a
song; and saves us the trouble of flattering the Queen. What does she
care for old politicians and campfed bears like us? No: Apollodorus is
good company, Rufio, good company.

RUFIO. Well, he can swim a bit and fence a bit: he might be worse, if he
only knew how to hold his tongue.

CAESAR. The gods forbid he should ever learn! Oh, this military life!
this tedious, brutal life of action! That is the worst of us Romans: we
are mere doers and drudgers: a swarm of bees turned into men. Give me
a good talker--one with wit and imagination enough to live without
continually doing something!

RUFIO. Ay! a nice time he would have of it with you when dinner was
over! Have you noticed that I am before my time?

CAESAR. Aha! I thought that meant something. What is it?

RUFIO. Can we be overheard here?

CAESAR. Our privacy invites eavesdropping. I can remedy that. (He claps
his hands twice. The curtains are drawn, revealing the roof garden with
a banqueting table set across in the middle for four persons, one
at each end, and two side by side. The side next Caesar and Rufio is
blocked with golden wine vessels and basins. A gorgeous major-domo
is superintending the laying of the table by a staff of slaves. The
colonnade goes round the garden at both sides to the further end, where
a gap in it, like a great gateway, leaves the view open to the sky
beyond the western edge of the roof, except in the middle, where a life
size image of Ra, seated on a huge plinth, towers up, with hawk head and
crown of asp and disk. His altar, which stands at his feet, is a single
white stone.) Now everybody can see us, nobody will think of listening
to us. (He sits down on the bench left by the two slaves.)

RUFIO (sitting down on his stool). Pothinus wants to speak to you. I
advise you to see him: there is some plotting going on here among the
women.

CAESAR. Who is Pothinus?

RUFIO. The fellow with hair like squirrel's fur--the little King's bear
leader, whom you kept prisoner.

CAESAR (annoyed). And has he not escaped?

RUFIO. No.

CAESAR (rising imperiously). Why not? You have been guarding this
man instead of watching the enemy. Have I not told you always to let
prisoners escape unless there are special orders to the contrary? Are
there not enough mouths to be fed without him?

RUFIO. Yes; and if you would have a little sense and let me cut his
throat, you