Dear Journal:
The Palace . . . that’s it!
My mind was racing with new ideas as I contemplated all the possibilities for storage of our stolen . . . er, borrowed scrolls. Why not convert part of that drafty, half empty building above me into a new Alexandrian/Roman antiquarian library. So thinking, I headed back upstairs, followed by a confused mob of officials and Praetorians. I could just imagine their thoughts. Caesar has finally cracked! Too much job related stress etc . . .
Well I’d show them! We Caesars loved to build and I was not about to be left out.
Once back in my study I ordered the original plans for the palace, plus renovations, brought to me. First snag. Nobody knew where they were kept. I then ordered the palace to be turned upside down and shaken, if necessary, but FIND THOSE PLANS!!
After waiting for what seemed like eternity, the plans arrived. Not the way I’d expected though. Trooping in, their mouths clamped onto large pieces of parchment, came the Wrinkly family. Six canines dropped their bundles in front of me, then sat back, smiling and wagging. It seems the Mutts and Pups had sniffed out the misplaced documents, much to the embarrassment, and relief, of the palace staff. Nothing quite like doggie drool on important papers to spice up my day.
Having cleared that hurdle, I sat down to determine the feasibility of my plan. A thorough study convinced me that it could be done. All we needed to do was close off half of the building, put in an outside library entrance, and post guards to ensure that nothing ‘walked away’.
An interior door would be included to allow access by myself, palace staff, and Government officials. That door would also be guarded. Same reason. We Romans tend to have sticky fingers, plus, I didn’t want the Egyptians stealing back the Alexandrian scrolls.
Simple, neat, and uncomplicated. Riiight! Being the guarded optomist that I am, I should have known better. What happened next was the mother of all discoveries and a creeping paranoia.
Again!
The Roman View 
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