Continued from "The Restored Cleopatra", page 12 - The second part of the film opens with Antony over the dead body of Brutus. Two years have passed since Caesar's assassination, and Antony has used them to track down the assassins. We are in Phillipi, where Octavian, Agrippa, and Antony, have been successful in defeating the assassins' armies. With Brutus dead, the mission is complete. Antony gives the legions a congratulatory gesture, then Rufio reminds him he must meet with Octavian, who has been ill and is in bed. Inside Octavian's tent, Octavian, who now refers to himself as 'Caesar' - much to Antony's disdain, tells Antony, "I think it best to continue the triumvirate. You and I - and Lepidus." They come to terms on who shall be over which territories - Lepidus is given Africa and the islands - Octavian, Spain and Gaul - and Antony, the East. All three will share Rome and Italy. Octavian says, "Done." To seal the deal, Antony spits into his own hand, as would a peasant, and clasps hands with Octavian.

OCTAVIAN
With Lepidus. We three...

ANTONY
(grins)
We two-and-a-half...

He spills his wine of the floor...

ANTONY
If nothing else, Gaul should
improve your taste in wines...
 

He leaves. Instantly, Octavian throws aside his cover and gets out of bed. He holds the hand which Antony shook as if it ran with blood. He hurries to a water jar and washes the contaminated hand:

OCTAVIAN
Only one. Only one can rule
as one...

Doggedly, he scrubs the hand with sand...

Arriving at Antony's tent, Antony is in high good humor. Rufio, following, comes in. Antony removes his armor - dropping it where he stands - and pours wine both for himself and Rufio.

ANTONY
Brave men do not fight their battles
in bed. Military battles, that is...

RUFIO
A cleaver one would - with an Antony
to fight for him in the field...

ANTONY
Then let him think I won it for him
if he likes - I've taken the meat of
the empire and left him the bone...

RUFIO
(disagreeing)
The heart. Rome...

ANTONY
Scarcely beating. Political chaos,
the treasury bankrupt - now there's
a battle to put Octavian to bed and
 keep him there...

RUFIO
And if he wins it? Rome is his...
 

Antony, wine in hand, has his mind on other matters. He stands before an enormous campaign map of the countries to the East...

ANTONY
The East, Rufio - we have all of it!

RUFIO
What was it Caesar said once - 'Rome
is best not left unwatched for too
long - like one of your mistresses...'?

ANTONY
(smiling)
Which Caesar?

RUFIO
The only one.
 

He drinks. Antony drinks with him...

ANTONY
(indicating)
Greece - beautiful dark women with
white teeth - then across the
Hellespont and into Asia Minor.
More beautiful dark women with
white teeth...

RUFIO
And where do we find that beautiful
gold metal - called gold...?

ANTONY
Persia is covered with it. We'll
take it from the Parthians. And on
the way - Galatia, Cappadocia,
Cilicia - there's a palace in Tarsus...

RUFIO
There's a palace in Alexandria...
 

Antony turns and looks at him. Rufio is drinking his wine casually...

RUFIO
Women or gold, gold or women -
Alexandria has more and better of
both than any place on earth...

ANTONY
So I've heard...

RUFIO
Egypt needs Rome - us - to
guarantee her security. Rome -
we - need Egypt's gold and wheat...

ANTONY
I'm aware of that...

RUFIO
Egypt's queen has a son. His name
is Caesarion...

ANTONY
I haven't forgotten...

RUFIO
I didn't think you had...

Antony pours more wine...

ANTONY
Would she come, do you think - if
I summoned her to me?
 

Rufio shrugs and finishes his wine. Antony flares with sudden anger:

ANTONY
She came when Caesar summoned her!

RUFIO
There was always some doubt about
that...
 

Antony stares down into his cup...

ANTONY
(thoughtfully)
A lancer came at me today - and
as he drew back, I cut off his arm
at the shoulder. 'Like Caesar!',
I heard someone shout behind me,
'Just like Caesar!' At that
moment I hated him...

RUFIO
Hated whom?

ANTONY
The enemy. Who else?
 

Then, angry again...

ANTONY
If she has to be dragged in
chains, Cleopatra will come when
and where I call her!

RUFIO
You speak as if she were that
enemy -

ANTONY
The world is full of queens!

RUFIO
(nods)
And some of them beautiful and
dark - with white teeth. But only
one Cleopatra. Sleep well...

He goes out. Antony, alone, paces moodily. Goblet in hand, he crosses to his campaign trunk and opens it. He takes out the kerchief which Cleopatra left with him in Rome. He fondles it for a moment, then smells it...

ANTONY
Gone. The scent...
 

He takes a swallow of wine...

ANTONY
And the taste. Gone...
 

Savagely, he throws the goblet against the tent wall. The scene dissolves to the exterior of the Temple of Isis in Alexandria. A short religious procession is emerging from it. On the porch of the temple is a golden statue of Caesar, a thin black veil draped across its face. Before the statue, a ceremonial brazier. As the procession, led by the High Priest and High Priestess, passes by the statue, each participant drops an offering into the brazier. It puffs into a colored blaze. Cleopatra follows immediately behind. At her side is Caesarion, now seven. Then, Sosigenes, Apollodorus and Ramos. Then Charmian and Eiras. The religious and military part of the procession continues on toward the Palace in the background. Caesarion with Charmian and Eiras . Apollodorus escorts them. Sosigenes joins Cleopatra before the statue of Caesar. Cleopatra is wearing a gold necklace made of coins with Caesar's head on them. She indicates the statue...

CLEOPATRA
Would he have approved, do you
think?

SOSIGENES
Definitely. Perhaps the veil of
Isis would have bothered him
just a bit -
 

The scene continues and we learn that Antony did, indeed, keep his promise to present Caesarion's claim before the Roman Senate. Cleopatra says Antony will keep his other promise, to, "...talk with her...", as well. She and Sosigenes head toward the construction site of her mausoleum. Work is in full progress. At the approach of Cleopatra, the workmen prostrate themselves - then manage to efface themselves completely. Cleopatra indicates a spot to Sosigenes:

CLEOPATRA
Here Caesar will be. With my
statue opposite him, looking
toward the sea...

SOSIGENES
(smiles)
Waiting, throughout eternity -
for Antony to arrive?

Cleopatra whirls on him suddenly, sharply...

CLEOPATRA
For some time now - you have
quietly but obviously disapproved
of me! All right, you have my
permission and my forgiveness -
why?

SOSIGENES
Disapproving is too harsh a word.
I have been perhaps - made sad -
by what seems to be your - dedication
to a dead past, and to your future
dying...

CLEOPATRA
Dying...?

SOSIGENES
This mausoleum - to which you come
each day and speak of death as if
it were a lover on his way to you...

CLEOPATRA
(smiles)
Of all men, you should know better.
What I build here is not an end -
but a beginning. This tomb shall
mark it. The start of a new
history - one world, one people -
with Alexandria its capital. Ruled
by my son - and his sons - and
theirs...

SOSIGENES
Cleopatra's dream...

CLEOPATRA
Alexander's. Caesar's...

SOSIGENES
Yours, now, alone...

CLEOPATRA
And - Mark Antony's...

SOSIGENES
It is my belief Antony is not
one for dreams...

CLEOPATRA
You don't consider him capable of
conquering a world - ?

SOSIGENES
(nods)
And incapable of resisting a
pleasure...

CLEOPATRA
He's a man...

SOSIGENES
Too much a man. Too little the
god you wait for...

CLEOPATRA
(smiles)
From all reports, Antony can't
decide which god he is. In
Greece, he had himself worshipped
as Bacchus...

SOSIGENES
And now, in Asia Minor - he claims
descent from Hercules...

CLEOPATRA
Let him pose as any god he chooses.
I know that Antony has worshipped at
one shrine. That there is one god
he dare not play at being - until
I say he may. Caesar...

They are at the low unfinished wall facing the sea. She looks out at it...

CLEOPATRA
It's an expensive game - playing
at god. More gold is needed than
can be squeezed out of conquered
territories. Gods require many
legions...
(she sits)
Antony will come. He will need Egypt...

SOSIGENES
Egypt is you.

CLEOPATRA
That's what I meant, of course.
Antony will need me...
 

[In the film, this last portion of dialog in green (correctly placed above), is used out of order, as a voice over, when Cleopatra and Sosigenes leave Caesar's statue and mount the steps heading toward her mausoleum.] The scene dissolves to the bedroom of Antony's palace in Tarsus, which overlooks the harbor. Antony stands looking out over the water. In the center of the room, seated on a large ottoman, is an aristocratic Eastern Lady. She weeps. Without hesitation. Antony turns to stare at her and curiously circles her as she agonizes...

ANTONY
Have you any idea how long you
have been weeping? Fantastic.
You started this morning, it is
almost sundown - you have not
eaten or drunk, simply squatted
there wailing like a cat. No
one has ever wept like you. Are
you prepared to stop?
(she does not stop)
Then help me to understand. For
someone - even a queen - to
blubber on like this, there must
be a very special reason. Is it
because I don't want you any more?
(she shakes her head)
Because I wanted you in the first
place?
 (She shakes her head)
Because I am returning you to your
husband?
(She shakes her head)
He can keep his throne, tell him -
even his horse - rule under Roman
mandate - he should be proud of you,
you've accomplished your mission...
(she doesn't stop)
You feel degraded, is that it?
You can never wash my touch from
your Royal skin, you will always
feel dirtied by it? Or - perhaps
you weep because you will never
forget and always want me - ?

Rufio comes in, quietly. Antony looks over to him.

 RUFIO
I don't mean to disturb. But
there are matters -

ANTONY
We're just finishing. Finished,
in fact.

The lady stops weeping. She rises and crosses to a door, turning back to Antony...

LADY
Lord Antony, women weep for many
things at once - but mostly for
themselves. Today I have wept
because I could not kill you.
And because when you die, I will
not be there - to laugh...
 

She goes out. Antony drinks, and smiles...

ANTONY
When I die, the world - from one
end to the other - will echo with
the sound of giggling...

RUFIO
You returned her husband's army -
and the horses?

ANTONY
We don't need them.

RUFIO
We can't feed those we have.
Horses - or men...

ANTONY
If the matters you've come to
discuss are to be more reproaches -

RUFIO
(breaking in)
Last night because you liked the
food, you presented the cook with
a house!

ANTONY
(breaking in)
If I'm to listen to wailing, I'll
bring that woman back in!

RUFIO
(breaking in)
A house you don't even own!

ANTONY
Then buy it!

RUFIO
With what?

ANTONY
Finances. You make my head hurt
when you talk of money - change
the subject...
 

The scene continues with Rufio's plea that Antony find the funds to pay his army. He suggests Cleopatra, but Antony will not, "...crawl to her, hand held out like a beggar!" Antony orders Rufio to Alexandria to "command" Cleopatra to, "...come to me!" The scene dissolves to the bath in Cleopatra's apartment.
 
 

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