r makes a bound and manages
to catch her and hold her while Ftatateeta escapes.)

CAESAR. You scratch, kitten, do you?

CLEOPATRA (breaking from him). I will beat somebody. I will beat him.
(She attacks the slave.) There, there, there! (The slave flies for his
life up the corridor and vanishes. She throws the snake-skin away and
jumps on the step of the throne with her arms waving, crying) I am a
real Queen at last--a real, real Queen! Cleopatra the Queen! (Caesar
shakes his head dubiously, the advantage of the change seeming open to
question from the point of view of the general welfare of Egypt. She
turns and looks at him exultantly. Then she jumps down from the step,
runs to him, and flings her arms round him rapturously, crying) Oh, I
love you for making me a Queen.

CAESAR. But queens love only kings.

CLEOPATRA. I will make all the men I love kings. I will make you a king.
I will have many young kings, with round, strong arms; and when I am
tired of them I will whip them to death; but you shall always be my
king: my nice, kind, wise, proud old king.

CAESAR. Oh, my wrinkles, my wrinkles! And my child's heart! You will be
the most dangerous of all Caesar's conguests.

CLEOPATRA (appalled). Caesar! I forgot Caesar. (Anxiously) You will tell
him that I am a Queen, will you not? a real Queen. Listen! (stealthily
coaxing him) let us run away and hide until Caesar is gone.

CAESAR. If you fear Caesar, you are no true Queen; and though you were
to hide beneath a pyramid, he would go straight to it and lift it with
one hand. And then--! (He chops his teeth together.)

CLEOPATRA (trembling). Oh!

CAESAR. Be afraid if you dare. (The note of the bucina resounds again in
the distance. She moans with fear. Caesar exalts in it, exclaiming) Aha!
Caesar approaches the throne of Cleopatra. Come: take your place. (He
takes her hand and leads her to the throne. She is too downcast to
speak.) Ho, there, Teetatota. How do you call your slaves?

CLEOPATRA (spiritlessly, as she sinks on the throne and cowers there,
shaking). Clap your hands.

He claps his hands. Ftatateeta returns.

CAESAR. Bring the Queen's robes, and her crown, and her women; and
prepare her.

CLEOPATRA (eagerly--recovering herself a little). Yes, the Crown,
Ftatateeta: I shall wear the crown.

FTATATEETA. For whom must the Queen put on her state?

CAESAR. For a citizen of Rome. A king of kings, Totateeta.

CLEOPATRA (stamping at her). How dare you