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throat。）
BEL AFFRIS （laying a hand on Ftatateeta's left shoulder）。 Forbear
her yet a moment； Persian。 （To Ftatateeta； very significantly）
Mother： your gods are asleep or away hunting； and the sword is at
your throat。 Bring us to where the Queen is hid； and you shall
live。
FTATATEETA （contemptuously）。 Who shall stay the sword in the hand
of a fool； if the high gods put it there？ Listen to me； ye young
men without understanding。 Cleopatra fears me； but she fears the
Romans more。 There is but one power greater in her eyes than the
wrath of the Queen's nurse and the cruelty of Caesar； and that is
the power of the Sphinx that sits in the desert watching the way
to the sea。 What she would have it know； she tells into the ears
of the sacred cats； and on her birthday she sacrifices to it and
decks it with poppies。 Go ye therefore into the desert and seek
Cleopatra in the shadow of the Sphinx； and on your heads see to
it that no harm comes to her。
BEL AFFRIS （to the Persian）。 May we believe this； O subtle one？
PERSIAN。 Which way come the Romans？
BEL AFFRIS。 Over the desert； from the sea； by this very Sphinx。
PERSIAN （to Ftatateeta）。 O mother of guile！ O aspic's tongue！ You
have made up this tale so that we two may go into the desert and
perish on the spears of the Romans。 （Lifting his knife） Taste
death。
FTATATEETA。 Not from thee； baby。 （She snatches his ankle from
under him and flies stooping along the palace wall vanishing in
the darkness within its precinct。 Bel Affris roars with laughter
as the Persian tumbles。 The guardsmen rush out of the palace with
Belzanor and a mob of fugitives； mostly carrying bundles。）
PERSIAN。 Have you found Cleopatra？
BELZANOR。 She is gone。 We have searched every corner。
THE NUBIAN SENTINEL （appearing at the door of the palace）。 Woe！
Alas！ Fly； fly！
BELZANOR。 What is the matter now？
THE NUBIAN SENTINEL。 The sacred white cat has been stolen。 Woe！
Woe！ （General panic。 They all fly with cries of consternation。
The torch is thrown down and extinguished in the rush。 Darkness。
The noise of the fugitives dies away。 Dead silence。 Suspense。
Then the blackness and stillness breaks softly into silver mist
and strange airs as the windswept harp of Memnon plays at the
dawning of the moon。 It rises full over the desert； and a vast
horizon comes into relief； broken by a huge shape which soon
reveals itself in the spreading radiance as a Sphinx pedestalled
on the sands。 The light still clears； until the upraised eyes of
the image are distinguished looking straight forward and upward
in infinite fearless vigil； and a mass of color between its great
paws defines itself as a heap of red poppies on which a girl
lies motionless； her silken vest heaving gently and regularly
with the breathing of a dreamless sleeper； and her braided hair
glittering in a shaft of moonlight like a bird's wing。
Suddenly there comes from afar a vaguely fearful sound （it
might be the bellow of a Minotaur softened by great distance） and
Memnon's music stops。 Silence： then a few faint high…ringing
trumpet notes。 Then silence again。 Then a man comes from
the south with stealing steps； ravished by the mystery of the
night； all wonder； and halts； lost in contemplation； opposite the
left flank of the Sphinx； whose bosom； with its burden； is hidden
from him by its massive shoulder。）
THE MAN。 Hail； Sphinx： salutation from Julius Caesar！ I have
wandered in many lands； seeking the lost regions from which my
birth into this world exiled me； and the company of creatures
such as I myself。 I have found flocks and pastures； men and
cities； but no other Caesar； no air native to me； no man kindred
to me； none who can do my day's deed； and think my night's
thought。 In the little world yonder； Sphinx； my place is as high
as yours in this great desert； only I wander； and you sit still；
I conquer； and you endure； I work and wonder； you watch and wait；
I look up and am dazzled； look down and am darkened； look round
and am puzzled； whilst your eyes never turn from looking outout
of the worldto the lost regionthe home from which we have
strayed。 Sphinx； you and I； strangers to the race of men； are no
strangers to one another： have I not been conscious of you and of
this place since I was born？ Rome is a madman's dream： this is my
Reality。 These starry lamps of yours I have seen from afar in
Gaul； in Britain； in Spain； in Thessaly； signalling great secrets
to some eternal sentinel below； whose post I never could find。
And here at last is their sentinelan image of the constant and
immortal part of my life； silent； full of thoughts； alone in the
silver desert。 Sphinx； Sphinx： I have climbed mountains at night
to hear in the distance the stealthy footfall of the winds that
chase your sands in forbidden playour invisible children； O
Sphinx； laughing in whispers。 My way hither was the way of
destiny； for I am he of whose genius you are the symbol： part
brute； part woman； and part Godnothing of man in me at all。
Have I read your riddle； Sphinx？
THE GIRL （who has wakened； and peeped cautiously from her nest to
see who is speaking）。 Old gentleman。
CAESAR （starting violently； and clutching his sword）。 Immortal
gods！
THE GIRL。 Old gentleman： don't run away。
CAESAR （stupefied）。 〃Old gentleman： don't run away！！！〃 This！ To
Julius Caesar！
THE GIRL （urgently）。 Old gentleman。
CAESAR。 Sphinx： you presume on your centuries。 I am younger than
you； though your voice is but a girl's voice as yet。
THE GIRL。 Climb up here； quickly； or the Romans will come and eat
you。
CAESAR （running forward past the Sphinx's shoulder； and seeing
her）。 A child at its breast！ A divine child！
THE GIRL。 Come up quickly。 You must get up at its side and creep
round。
CAESAR （amazed）。 Who are you？
THE GIRL。 Cleopatra； Queen of Egypt。
CAESAR。 Queen of the Gypsies； you mean。
CLEOPATRA。 You must not be disrespectful to me； or the Sphinx
will let the Romans eat you。 Come up。 It is quite cosy here。
CAESAR （to himself）。 What a dream！ What a magnificent dream！ Only
let me not wake； and I will conquer ten continents to pay for
dreaming it out to the end。 （He climbs to the Sphinx's flank； and
presently reappears to her on the pedestal； stepping round its
right shoulder。）
CLEOPATRA。 Take care。 That's right。 Now sit down： you may have
its other paw。 （She seats herself comfortably on its left paw。）
It is very powerful and will protect us； but （shivering； and with
plaintive loneliness） it would not take any notice of me or keep
me company。 I am glad you have come： I was very lonely。 Did you
happen to see a white cat anywhere？
CAESAR （sitting slowly down on the right paw in extreme
wonderment）。 Have you lost one？
CLEOPATRA。 Yes： the sacred white cat： is it not dreadful？ I
brought him here to sacrifice him to the Sphinx； but when we got
a little way from the city a black cat called him； and he jumped
out of my arms and ran away to it。 Do you think that the black
cat can have been my great…great…great…grandmother？
CAESAR （staring at her）。 Your great…great…great…grandmother！
Well； why not？ Nothing would surprise me on this night of nights。
CLEOPATRA。 I think it must have been。 My great…grandmother's
great…grandmother was a black kitten of the sacred white cat； and
the river Nile made her his seventh wife。 That is why my hair is
so wavy。 And I always want to be let do as I like； no matter
whether it is the will of the gods or not： that is because my
blood is made with Nile water。
CAESAR。 What are you doing here at this time of night？ Do you
live here？
CLEOPATRA。 Of course not： I am the Queen； and I shall live in the
palace at Alexandria when I have killed my brother； who drove me
out of it。 When I am old enough I shall do just what I like。 I
shall be able to poison the slaves and see them wriggle； and
pretend to Ftatateeta that she is going to be put into the fiery
furnace。
CAESAR。 Hm！ Meanwhile why are you not at home and in bed？
CLEOPATRA。 Because the Romans are coming to eat us all。 YOU are
not at home and in bed either。
CAESAR （with conviction）。 Yes I am。 I live in a tent； and I am
now in that tent； fast asleep and dreaming。 Do you suppose that I
believe you are real； you impossible little dream witch？
CLEOPATRA （giggling and leaning trustfully towards him）。 You are
a funny old gentleman。 I like you。
CAESAR。 Ah； that spoils the dream。 Why don't you dream that I am
young？
CLEOPATRA。 I wish you were； only I think I should be more afraid
of you。 I like men； especially young men with round strong arms；
but I am afraid of them。 You are old and rather thin and stringy；
but you have a nice voice； and I like to have somebody to talk
to； though I think you are a little mad。 It is the moon that
makes you talk to yourself in that silly way。
CAESAR。 What！ you heard that； did you？ I was saying my prayers to
the great Sphinx。
CLEOPATRA。 But this isn't the great Sphinx。
CAESAR （much disappointed； looking up at the statue）。 What！
CLEOPATRA。 This is only a dear little kitten of the Sphinx。 Why；
the great Sphinx is so big that it has a temple between its paws。
This is my pet Sphinx。 Tell me： do you think the Romans