PRISCILLA came back into the house and headed towards her room. Once there, she found herself interrupting a meeting between Calpurnia and McFlius.
“You’re busy.” she said.
“No we’re through.” said Calpurnia, “I was telling McFlius about his being on the rescue mission for me.”
“And…?” asked Priscilla.
“I told him not to do it again.” said Calpurnia, “Until at least after you two have kids.”
“That’s why I came back.” said Priscilla. She turned to McFlius and threw her arms around him saying “I’ll never leave you again never.”
“Then it’s settled, then.” said Calpurnia, “Priscilla, you shall be the consort of McFlius through thick and thin.”
Turning to her mistress, she said “I will.”
“And you McFlius,” said Calpurnia, “you will be faithful to her no matter who stands in your way.”
“I will.” said McFlius.
“Good.” said Calpurnia, “Priscilla, I want you to join me in on a deer hunt that I am planning with Clara and Jennifer. I want you to become more acquainted with these two shepherdesses.”
“You do?” asked Priscilla.
“Yes.” said Calpurnia, “I want you to apologize to Jennifer and vise versa. But go easy on her. She has a beloved who has been injured and she doesn’t know what condition he’s in.”
“Mistress.” said McFlius, “You’re talking like you know a lot about her already. Why is that?”
“McFlius.” said Calpurnia, “There are certain things that you shouldn’t know about me.”
McFlius paused for a minute. And then he said “I beg forgiveness.” and bowed.
“As do I.” said Priscilla who also bowed.
“Good.” said Calpurnia, “Now Priscilla follow me to the two shepherdesses. McFlius, if Mark Antony or Octavius arrive tell them I’m busy.”
“Yes mistress.” said McFlius.
++++++
Calpurnia rejoined Clara and Jennifer. This time she had one of the servants with her.
“Jennifer.” she said, “This is Priscilla. McFlius’s betrothed. She has something to say.”
“She does?” asked Jennifer.
“Yes.” said Calpurnia, “And I appreciate it if you listen to her.”
“Alright.” said Jennifer, “Hello Priscilla, my name is Jennifer. I’m glad to meet you.”
“And I you.” said Priscilla, “Listen, I would like to apologize for my behavior towards you as I forgot that you’re a newcomer here and didn’t know that McFlius has already a beloved that is betrothed to him.”
“I would like to apologize too.” said Jennifer, “It’s not my business to flirt with someone who I just met.”
“Well with all that settled.” said Calpurnia, “I would like to invite you to a deer hunt in the woods.”
“A deer hunt?” asked Jennifer.
“Yes.” said Calpurnia, “It’s a tradition among women. It’s to honor Diana, the goddess of the hunt. She’s Artemis to the Greeks.”
Both time travelers looked at each other before Jennifer said “I’m game.”
“As am I” said Clara.
“Alright.” said Calpurnia, “Go to the quartermaster and he’ll give you the clothing you need for the hunt. Priscilla, show them.”
“Yes mistress.” said Priscilla. She bowed to her and went with Clara and Jennifer.
++++++
The hunt started with a ritual. A woman wearing a lion’s head as a headdress stood on a rock and praised the goddess Diana giving Jennifer and Clara the notion that the woman on the rock was the goddess’s priestess.
“This is far out.” said Jennifer.
Calpurnia gave Jennifer a nudge saying “Quiet. This is a solemn moment.”
“Sorry.” whispered Jennifer.
After the ritual was over, a horn was blown. And the hunt began. Through the woods they hunted.
Meanwhile, Priscilla told Jennifer “It used to be that it was the men who did the hunting. But then came the wars and they left their wives behind so they could do battle. So the wives took up hunting since it’s believe that Diana was a woman who was a huntress and the goddess of the hunt.”
“That’s interesting.” said Jennifer. Actually, she heard about the story of Diana a long time ago when she was a girl but had to pretend that this was the first time she heard about it.
Just then, Jennifer spotted a deer.
“Alright.” whispered Priscilla, “You’ve got to be quiet.”
“Right.” said Jennifer as she took an arrow and put it on a crossbow that she was given.
Taking aim, Jennifer let fly the bow. Bulls-eye! It hit the deer in the heart. The deer collapsed. The other huntresses were amazed at this.
“This is what I call perfect.” said Calpurnia.
One of huntresses asked Jennifer “Where did you learn to shoot like that?”
“Seven-eleven.” said Jennifer as she recalled the time Marty tried to get her play Wild Gunman at that convenience store.
Another huntress put her hands on Jennifer’s shoulder saying “Priscilla doesn’t deserve McFlius, shepherdess. You do.”
“But she can’t have him.” said Priscilla, “He’s mine.”
“Why, because Caesar arranged that betrothal?” asked the huntress who put her hand on Jennifer’s shoulder, “He’s dead. He should choose whatever girl he should fall in love with now. And you should choose any man you want.”
“Yes.” said another huntress, “And it looks to me that McFlius and this shepherdess is a match made in Olympus.”
Priscilla didn’t like what she was hearing. She gave Jennifer a hard stare and then started charging her. However, the other huntresses intercepted her and kept her from Jennifer laughing all the while. Then, a horn was heard and Calpurnia, accompanied by Clara, stepped in.
“What is going on?” she demanded.
“The huntresses suggested that the shepherdess Jennifer is a better match for McFlius.” said Priscilla.
Calpurnia turned to the others asking “Is that true?”
There was silent before one of them said “We saw the shepherdess slay a deer with such accuracy that we never seen before.”
Calpurnia saw the deer and said “Alright then. Let’s discuss this later. Meanwhile, pick up the deer before the ants get them and take it back to the house.”
At her instruction, the horn was sounded heralding the end of the hunt. The deer was tied to a rod by the hooves and were taken by four huntresses back to the house.
++++++
Once back, Calpurnia invited Clara and Jennifer for a mud bath in the back. The mud bath itself was under a board between the pool and the house.
Once in the bath, Calpurnia said “I see that you’re a celebrity now, Jennifer.”
“I didn’t mean to get celebrity status.” said Jennifer as Lorrainia came in with a water jar, “I was just doing what I learned from Marty when he got me to play those video games.”
Lorrainia looked at Jennifer as she was pouring water into the bath and asked “What is a video game?”
Jennifer stopped for a minute. Both Clara and Calpurnia were looking at her as if she did something wrong.
“Well, it’s…” said Jennifer before saying, “You’ll find out.”
“Lorrainia,” asked Calpurnia, “are you done?”
‘”Not yet.” said Lorrainia, “I’ll just…”
“You made leave.” said Calpurnia.
“But…” protested Lorrainia.
“Please.” insisted Calpurnia.
Lorrainia bowed and said “Yes ma’am.”
“And go summon the musicians.” said Calpurnia, “We want some music.”
After Lorrainia left, Clara asked “Jennifer, are you crazy? You can’t tell people who live in the past about video games or anything that hasn’t existed yet.”
“I’m sorry, Clara.” said Jennifer.
“I’m surprised that she didn’t ask who Marty is.” said Calpurnia, “The last thing I want is to explain that he’s Charlton Heston.”
++++++
While Lorrainia was going to fetch the musician, she was wondering who Marty is.
“Penny for your thoughts, Lorrainia.”
Lorriania turned to see McFlius coming from the other way.
“McFlius.” she said, “I’m sorry, I was thinking about what that shepherdess said.”
“What did she say?” asked McFlius.
“She mentioned about someone named Marty.” said Lorrainia. Then, she noticed a startled look in McFlius’s face and asked “Is something wrong.”
“Nothing.” said McFlius, “Perhaps it’s some beloved of hers.”
“If that’s so, you should avoid this shepherdess.” said Lorrainia, “McFlius, I heard today that during the hunt, the huntresses saw her make a perfect shot at that deer and said that she, not Priscilla, deserves you. But now…”
“But now everybody is certain that I can’t have her.” said McFlius, “I still belong to Priscilla as if the future depends on it.”
There was no further discussion on the subject. Lorriania went on to fetch the musicians.
++++++
The three women were still in the mud bath when Calpurnia was pointing out where Marty came in with the chariot he stole when he was escaping Brutus.
“…and he fell in the pool and I screamed.” she said. Both Clara and Jennifer laughed. “And he said ‘I’m sorry I disturbed your skinny-dipping.’ He got out and started to run only to slip land near that coconut tree.” she went onto say. There was more laughter as Calpurnia continued. “He tried to get up and bumped into the tree and a coconut fell and hit him in the head knocking him out.” Behind a curtain, music was heard. “The musicians.” said Calpurnia, “We’ll discuss this later.”
Jennifer mused at this music. “This is interesting music.”
“It sure is.” said Calpurnia. Jennifer hummed to the tune. “You seem to like this tune.” Calpurnia went onto say.
“I sure do.” said Jennifer, “And I think that there’s some lyrics that go with this.”
“What lyrics?” asked Calpurnia
At this, Jennifer began to sing:
Tall and tan and young and lovely
the girl from Ipanema goes walking
and when she passes
each one she passes
goes "Ahhh!"
“Those words.” said Calpurnia, “I’ve heard them before. From those talking boxes called…”
“Radio.” said Clara, “We call them a radio.”
“Of course.” said Calpurnia, “Invented by or should I say will be invented a man born in the same country that Rome is in.”
“His name was Marconi.” said Clara, “Guglielmo Marconi.”
“Anyway.” Calpurnia, “I heard this song that Jennifer’s singing on this radio that you call.”
“Well, care to join in?” asked Jennifer.
Calpurnia smiled. Then, she said “I’ll give it a try.”
“That’s good.” said Jennifer, “Now let’s sing duet.”When she walks she's like a samba
that swings so cool and sways so gently
that when she passes
each one she passes
goes "Ahhh!"
Oh, but he watches so sadly
How can he tell her he loves her?
Yes, he would give his heart gladly.
But each day when she walks to the sea
she looks straight ahead
not at he.
Turning to Clara, Jennifer said “Come on, Clara. Join us in the singing.”
Clara did.
Tall and tan and young and lovely
the girl from Ipanema goes walking
and when she passes
he smiles
but she doesn't see.
She just doesn't see.
No, she doesn't see....
As they were singing, Lorrainia accompanied by the servant girls helped the three out of the mud bath, pour water on them as to get the mud off of them and toweled them off.
“Jennifer.” said Lorrainia, “That was an interesting song.”
“Why, thank you.” said Jennifer, “But you see…”
“Priscilla doesn’t deserve McFlius.” said one of the other servant girls, “You should have him, shepherdess.”
“I’m flattered.” said Jennifer, “But…”
“Flattered?”
All eyes turned to see Priscilla standing there with anger in her eyes.