“we will no doubt become more familiar with one another in time.” he shrugged then seemed to consider for a moment.”i could accomplish the consummation while invisible should you like, if the sight of a naked male makes you uneasy.”
“what a horrid suggestion!” polly said. “that would be positively uncanny,”
“i beg your pardon,” albinus said. ”my other wives like it.”
“well, i find it distasteful,” polly told him.”i want to see you, while, while i’m doing it.”
colonel albinus blinked. “i believe doing is my purview,” he said, bending to bring his face close to hers.
“well, that’s dull,” polly said forgetting her indignation to keep her arms over her breast.
“You, stupid. You’re a menace to womankind. Whatever it is you put in them, sooner or later it’s deadly. Not so different than Stephen, except you take longer, so there’s more suffering. You think he’s defective, but you’re no better than he is. At least he bloody cares if he hurts people,” Polly said, grabbing Titus by his collar.
“I never,” Titus said, his eyes wide and his skin beginning to shimmer and fade, but Polly kept her grip tight on the cloth.” I never forced...anyone. I have never forced my myself on you.”
“You couldn’t force me if you tried, Titus Albinus,” Polly said her brain speeding like a train. “But as for the others, you do realize they had no choice, don’t you? Or do you think the women of the Empire have nothing better to do than die to make sure Titus Albinus has a baby? What’ll you do if you get one and it doesn’t go with the decor? Women, babies, wallpaper, other people; what’s the difference? We’re all just things to you. The only reason you want a baby of your own is because you haven’t got one and it’s hard to go out and buy one that’ll look good beside you in a portrait. It might as well be a diamond stick pin.”
“Only this woman, who was two and has been made one by a Commoner’s hand, will bear fruit for the tree, the roots of which feed the Nile floods its banks. There must be a husband for each wife and a wife for each husband, else the rags run red. The seeds of the dying tree will mix or the great house will become a tomb. The God Has Spoken,” Nefrit said.
And Titus felt an urge to vomit. He fell to his knees as he had been taught from childhood and kissed the hem of the oracle’s gown.
“Blessed is the instrument of Apollo…” Titus began to say through his tears, only to be interrupted by Polly.
“TE-DI-OUS,” she sang out. ”Now that’s been sorted, let us go home and let me have my merry way with the two of you as the God commands.”