CLEOPATRA. Apollodorus: you are my perfect knight; and I will always buy my carpets through you. (_Apollodorus bows joyously. An oar appears above the quay; and the boatman, a bullet-headed, vivacious, grinning fellow, burnt almost black by the sun, comes up a flight of steps from the water on the sentinel's right, oar in hand, and waits at the top._) Can you row, Apollodorus? APOLLODORUS. My oars shall be your majesty's wings. Whither shall I row my Queen? CLEOPATRA. To the lighthouse. Come. (_She makes for the steps._) SENTINEL (_opposing her with his pilum at the charge_). Stand. You cannot pass. CLEOPATRA (_flushing angrily_). How dare you? Do you know that I am the Queen? SENTINEL. I have my orders. You cannot pass. CLEOPATRA. I will make Caesar have you killed if you do not obey me. SENTINEL. He will do worse to me if I disobey my officer. Stand back. CLEOPATRA. Ftatateeta: strangle him. SENTINEL (_alarmed--looking apprehensively at Ftatateeta, and brandishing his pilum_). Keep off, there. CLEOPATRA (_running to Apollodorus_). Apollodorus: make your slaves help us. APOLLODORUS. I shall not need their help, lady. (_He draws his sword._) Now soldier: choose which weapon you will defend yourself with. Shall it be sword against pilum, or sword against sword? SENTINEL. Roman against Sicilian, curse you. Take that. (_He hurls his pilum at Apollodorus, who drops expertly on one knee. The pilum passes whizzing over his head and falls harmless. Apollodorus, with a cry of triumph, springs up and attacks the sentinel, who draws his sword and defends himself, crying_) Ho there, guard. Help! _Cleopatra, half frightened, half delighted, takes refuge near the palace, where the porters are squatting among the bales. The boatman, alarmed, hurries down the steps out of harm's way, but stops, with his head just visible above the edge of the quay, to watch the fight. The sentinel is handicapped by his fear of an attack in the rear from Ftatateeta. His swordsmanship, which is of a rough and ready sort, is heavily taxed, as he has occasionally to strike at her to keep her off between a blow and a guard with Apollodorus. The Centurion returns with several soldiers. Apollodorus springs back towards Cleopatra as this reinforcement confronts him._ CENTURION (_coming to the sentinel's right hand_). What is this? What now? SENTINEL (_panting_). I could do well enough for myself if it weren't for the old woman. Keep her off me: that is all the help I need. CENTURION. Make your report, soldier. What has happened? FTATATEETA. Centurion: he would have slain the Queen. SENTINEL (_bluntly_). I would, sooner than let her pass. She wanted to take boat, and go--so she said--to the lighthouse. I stopped her, as I was ordered to; and she set this fellow on me. (_He goes to pick up his pilum and returns to his place with it._)