Page 120 of Cleopatra

The pieces moved on the game board once more.

—

The next day we departed to go fishing on the Nile.

Antonius and I stood on the bow of the boat, watching Caesarion cast the first line. The boy giggled as a fish immediately darted towards the hook but did not latch.

“You do this every month?” Antonius asked.

“Yes, I think it is good for Caesarion to learn how to live off the land.”

Antonius laughed. “Surely he will always have someone to do that for him?”

“It is not about the outcome, but the act. Hunting teaches him to respect the land. And he must respect Egypt to be Egypt.”

“How can one embody a country?” As I have said before, Antonius knew me for me, before all else.

“Egypt is more than a country, and Alexandria is its beating heart. There is no greater city in the world.”

“Except Rome,” Antonius said.

I shook my head. “You are wrong.”

“Mama, Antonius, it is your turn,” Caesarion demanded, interrupting what had surely been going to be a lively argument. I felt a pang of disappointment.

“I have an idea,” Antonius said. “Let us enter a wager. Whoever catches the most fish wins.”

“And what is the prize?” I asked cautiously.

“If I am victorious, then it is settled: Rome is the greatest city in the world. And if you win, then Alexandria is.”

“A worthy battle.” I cast out my line before he could call “start.”

There was a reason I chose fishing that day. Of all the hunting skills, it was the only one in which I had bested Arsinoe. I knew these waters like I knew my own blood, and it wasn’t long before I was reeling in fish after fish.

At first Antonius had poor luck, but he quickly improved and soon his bucket was filling up too.

Then he was overtaking me. I was astounded. I had been fishing in these waters all my life. But then I saw, from the corner of my eye, one of his servants retrieve a fish from my bucket and slip it into his.

The Roman is stealing from me. It was a simple trick, and one he would surely reveal at the end, but I was not going to give him the satisfaction of a false win.

“Charmion,” I called out.

She came to my side and I whispered my plan.

When the evening came to an end and Antonius brandished his teeming bucket with triumph, I looked at him sincerely. “An adept fisherman you have proven to be: show us your bounty.”

He tipped the contents of the bucket onto the deck.

“Caesarion, come, help me identify the fish,” I said.

My son, keen to be of service and prove his knowledge of all things, began to list the fish in Antonius’s catch. “Catfish, carp, eel, perch…Mama, what is this? I haven’t seen this one before.”

Caesarion held up a small silver fish.

“Charmion, do you recognise it?” I asked lightly.

Charmion pointed to an empty platter next to my bucket. “It must be the salted herring I served earlier, my queen. I did not mean for it to fall into your catch.” She did well at looking abashed.