Continued from "The Restored Cleopatra", page 7 - From Cleopatra's bed, and her promise to bear him a son, the scene dissolves to Caesar's apartment. There, the chief members of Caesar's staff are anxious to return to Rome.

Flavius stops polishing a piece of Caesar's armor and pantomimes...

[Here, just a line - but doesn't it speak volumes about Flavius? Doesn't this give you a greater appreciation and respect for him? Not to mention letting us know how Flavius became mute? Won't this information make you feel even more for the heartbroken, sobbing, Flavius at Caesar's funeral? But, deleting this information deprives us, once more, of the fuller, deeper, character empathy and development we were meant to experience.]

Germanicus leaps to his feet, his hand to his sword. Agrippa turns to the challenge. Rufio rises:

Caesar speaks from the door. He has entered in time to overhear Rufio's speech...

Agrippa is silent. Caesar looks at the others...

A pause. Caesar is ashamed and upset...

Agrippa regards him unwaveringly. He salutes formally and walks out. Caesar turns to the rest:

The officers salute and file out. Caesar crosses thoughtfully to Flavius. For a moment he watches as Flavius polishes the armor assiduously...

[The intention here is not one of ego. As will be touched upon with greater clarity in the next scene, Caesar is having concerns about his reluctance to leave Egypt and Cleopatra. He fears he may be loosing himself to her, something a "Caesar" is not permitted to do. Wanting to see his reflection is his way of reminding himself of his position and duties.]

He turns, pacing slowly toward the windows looking to the sea. The scene dissolves to Cleopatra's apartment that night. It is after dinner and music is playing. Present are Cleopatra, Caesar, Sosigenes, Rufio, Germanicus and Ramos. Eiras is playing backgammon with Germanicus. Handmaidens are serving various wines and sweetmeats, under the supervision of Charmian. We see the moving image created by a Zoetrope. It is a flickering image, drawn in the Egyptian style, of a Pharaoh driving two horses hitched to a war chariot. The reins are tied around his waist. The horses seem to move, the chariot surges past some pyramids, the Pharaoh reaches over his shoulder to a quiver, draws an arrow to his bow and lets it fly. It repeats again and again. Turning the crank is Caesar, staring though the slits in the drum at the candle-lit image within. His is astonished and delighted...

He lifts his head, stares wonderingly at Cleopatra and Sosigenes. He passes the Zoetrope on to Rufio who examines it with Ramos...

Caesar throws her a sharp look. Cleopatra doesn't see it but Sosigenes does...

She indicates the next mechanism and Apollodorus sets before Caesar a system of three bronze interlocking rings, a globe within a globe, within a globe...

Caesar looks grimly at the astrolabe, then to Cleopatra:

She indicates for the next "wonder" to be shown. He brings a simple arrangement of three rods holding two pieces of glass a short distance apart...

From Caesar's perspective, we see his enlarged hand. He plays with the instrument, moving his hand back and forth - from normal to enlarged size. Then, in apparent casualness, he looks to Cleopatra...

Caesar nods, as if in agreement. Then, deliberately, he raises the telescope and looks through it at Cleopatra.

Through the telescope we see Cleopatra's smile vanish. She is hurt and dismayed by his action. She rises to her feet, as do all the others, except Caesar, who remains seated...

[Here we have something close to a confession, and an extension of his wanting to see his reflected image in the previous scene. The riches and wonders of Egypt, and the allure of Cleopatra, have him close to "surrender". He makes a connection to Cleopatra's "parade" of scientific wonders and his own tactic of parading his might before his enemies as having the same conclusion - surrender. In this case, his surrender to Cleopatra. But, he has put a rein on himself. Earlier in the day, he wanted to stay. Now, suddenly, he realizes he must go. His loyalty to Rome forbids him to stay any longer in the presence of such temptation.  By deleting the two scenes on this page, we lose yet another facet of Caesar - he is still human enough to be tempted by matters of the heart, but his responsibility and duty as a Roman leader will always come first. At this point he has, in essence, chosen Rome over Cleopatra. When Cleopatra suggested Caesar could see the enemy from a distance with the telescope, and he looks at her through it, he is looking at his enemy - not in the battle sense, but in the sense that someone could gain a foothold on him through his heart.]

He nods to Rufio and Germanicus. They bow to Cleopatra and start out. Ramos, Eiras and Charmian escort them. Apollodorus and Sosigenes see to the removal of the devices. Throughout this activity, Cleopatra's gaze remains fixed on Caesar. He smiles in a friendly fashion...

Caesar hesitates, turns, walks away a few steps. Only Apollodorus remains, standing near the entrance door, he bows:

Cleopatra merely nods. He goes out. She turns to Caesar, standing with his back to her, some distance removed...

Suddenly young and defenseless, she starts to cry. Caesar is touched and disturbed...

Cleopatra, seemingly reconciled to it...

She brings her lips to his and they kiss. The scene dissolves to Alexander's Tomb. The film continues uncut through the scene in Alexander's tomb, where Cleopatra reveals she is carrying Caesar's child...a son, "...by Isis I swear it". He agrees to stay in Egypt until the child is born. From there, to Rome, and the scene between Antony and the barren Calpurnia, Caesar's Roman wife. He has come to tell her Caesar has married Cleopatra, according to Egyptian religion. She already knows this, as well as knowing Caesar has been declared an Egyptian god, "Officially divine, at last." She is heartbroken.

[Cleopatra and Egypt have given Caesar what she and Rome could not.]

The scene dissolves back to Egypt, to the temple of Isis in Cleopatra's apartment. There, the High Priestess divines that a son will be born to Cleopatra, and that, "Rome will know him in cloth of gold! The son of Egypt and of Rome - here shall he find his destiny...!"

[For the second time, the "fire incantation" is used. This time, with more certain revelations.]

The scene dissolves to the Palace Forecourt. The populace, awaiting the birth of their Queen's child, is in joyous celebration. Free food and drink abound and there is much dancing, carousing, and drunken activity of an amatory nature. Roman Sentries guard the entrance to the Palace. The scene switches to Cleopatra's apartment. She is in labor. She instructs Charmian to take her son to Caesar and, "...lay him at Caesar's feet." Charmian promises to do exactly as told. The scene dissolves to the Throne Room where Caesar and his officers have gathered to await the birth of his child. Charmian enters, carrying the child. Rufio reminds Caesar that, "...according to Roman law...if you pick up this child before witnesses, you acknowledge it as yours - and a citizen of Rome! As your heir...". It is a son, indeed. With ecstatic happiness, Caesar holds his child high above his head, exclaiming with unbounded pride, "A son! I have a son!" Still holding his son above his head, he parades out to the Palace Forecourt where the crowd is massed before the Royal platform, waiting expectantly. Caesar arrives and roars triumphantly, "A son! Caesar has a son!" And, with a great smack, he kisses the baby's behind. The crowd goes mad with approval. The scene switches back to Cleopatra's bedroom. Here, there is a quieter jubilation. The roar of the crowd outside can be heard. Making her way to Cleopatra's bed, Charmian finds the Queen exhausted by her ordeal. As Charmian bends over her...

Cleopatra smiles and nods...her eyes fill with tears. Peacefully, she turns away while the roar of the crowd continues. The scene dissolves to the Roman Forum.