inst either of those three,
that would be the signal for civil war. All three would march on Rome."

"Caesar is much more likely to learn of the plotting through his own
informers, and to try to terrify the generals by killing their
supporters here in Rome," said Marcia. "What does Sextus intend? To
kill Caesar himself?"

Narcissus nodded.

"Well, when Sextus thinks that time has come, you kill him! Let that be
your task. We must save the life of Commodus as long as possible. When
nothing further can be done, we must involve Pertinax so that he won't
dare to back out. It was he, you know, who persuaded me to save
Maternus the highwayman's life; it was he who told me Maternus is
really Sextus, son of Maximus. His knowledge of that secret gives me a
certain hold on Pertinax! Caesar would have his head off at a word from
me. But the best way with Pertinax is to stroke the honest side of him
--the charcoal-burner side of him--the peasant side, if that can be done
without making him too diffident. He is perfectly capable of offering
the throne to some one else at the last minute!"

A step sounded on the other side of the curtain. "Caesar!" Narcissus
whispered. As excuse for being seen in conversation with her he began
to show her a charm against all kinds of treachery that he had bought
from an Egyptian. She snatched it from him.

"Caesar!" she exclaimed, bounding toward Commodus and standing in his
way. Not even she dared lay a hand on him when he was in that volcanic
mood. "As you love me, will you wear this?"

"For love of you, what have I not done?" he retorted, smiling at her.
"What now?"

She advanced another half-step, but no nearer. There was laughter on
his lips, but in his eye cold cruelty.

"My Caesar, wear it! It protects against conspiracy."

He showed her a new sword that he had girded on along with the short
tunic of a gladiator.

"Against the bellyache, use Galen's pills; but this is the right
medicine against conspiracy!" he answered. Then he took the little
golden charm into his left hand, tossing it on his palm and looked at
her, still smiling.

"Where did you get this bauble?"

"Not I. One of those magicians who frequent that Forum sold it to
Narcissus."

"Bah!" He flung it through the window. "Who is the magician? Name him!
I will have him thrown into the carceres. We'll see whether the charms
he sells so cheap are any good! Or is he a Christian?" he asked,
snee