CHAPTER42

duringthetimethatpablohadriddenbackfromthehillstothecaveandthetimethebandhaddroppeddowntowheretheyhadleftthehorsesandréshadmaderapidprogresstowardgolz’sheadquarters.wheretheycameontothemainhighroadtonavacerradaonwhichthetruckswererollingbackfromthemountaintherewasacontrol.butwhengomezshowedthesentryatthecontrolhissafe-conductfromthelieutenant-colonelmirandathesentryputthelightfromaflashlightonit,showedittotheothersentrywithhim,thenhandeditbackandsaluted.

“siga,”hesaid.“continue.butwithoutlights.”themotorcycleroaredagainandandréswasholdingtightontotheforwardseatandtheyweremovingalongthehighway,gomezridingcarefullyinthetraffic.noneofthetruckshadlightsandtheyweremovingdowntheroadinalongconvoy.therewereloadedtrucksmovinguptheroadtoo,andallofthemraisedadustthatandréscouldnotseeinthatdarkbutcouldonlyfeelasacloudthatblewinhisfaceandthathecouldbitebetweenhisteeth.

theywereclosebehindthetailboardofatrucknow,themotorcycleing,thengomezspeededupandpasseditandanother,andanother,andanotherwiththeothertrucksroaringandrollingdownpastthemontheleft.therewasamotorcarbehindthemnowanditblastedintothetrucknoiseandthedustwithitsklaxonagainandagain;thenflashedonlightsthatshowedthedustlikeasolidyellowcloudandsurgedpasttheminawhiningriseofgearsandademanding,threatening,bludgeoningofklaxoning.

thenaheadallthetruckswerestoppedandridingon,workinghiswayaheadpastambulances,staffcars,anarmoredcar,another,andathird,allhalted,likeheavy,metal,gun-juttingturtlesinthehotyetsettleddust,theyfoundanothercontrolwheretherehadbeenasmash-up.atruck,halting,hadnotbeenseenbythetruckwhichfolloweditandthefollowingtruckhadrunintoitsmashingtherearofthefirsttruckinandscatteringcasesofsmall-armsammunitionovertheroad.onecasehadburstopenonlandingandasgomezandandréstoppedandwheeledthemotorcycleforwardthroughthestalledvehiclestoshowtheirsafe-conductatthecontrolandréswalkedoverthebrasshullsofthethousandofcartridgesscatteredacrosstheroadinthedust.thesecondtruckhaditsradiatorcompletelysmashedin.thetruckbehinditwastouchingitstailgate.ahundredmorewerepilingupbehindandanoverbootedofficerwasrunningbackalongtheroadshoutingtothedriverstobacksothatthesmashedtruckcouldbegottenofftheroad.

thereweretoomanytrucksforthemtobeabletobackunlesstheofficerreachedtheendoftheevermountinglineandstoppeditfromincreasingandandréssawhimrunning,stumbling,withhisflashlight,shoutingandcursingand,inthedark,thetruckskeptcomingup.

themanatthecontrolwouldnotgivethesafe-conductback.thereweretwoofthem,withriflesslungontheirbacksandflashlightsintheirhandsandtheywereshoutingtoo.theonecarryingthesafe-conductinhishandcrossedtheroadtoatruckgoinginthedownhilldirectiontotellittoproceedtothenextcontrolandtellthemtheretoholdalltrucksuntilhisjamwasstraightenedout.thetruckdriverlistenedandwenton.then,stillholdingthesafeconduct,thecontrolpatrolcameover,shouting,tothetruckdriverwhoseloadwasspilled.

“leaveitandgetaheadfortheloveofgodsowecanclearthis!”heshoutedatthedriver.

“mytransmissionissmashed,”thedriver,whowasbentoverbytherearofhistruck,said.

“obsceneyourtransmission.goahead,isay.”

“theydonotgoaheadwhenthedifferentialissmashed,”thedrivertoldhimandbentdownagain.

“getthyselfpulledthen,getaheadsothatwecangetthisotherobscenityofftheroad.”

thedriverlookedathimsullenlyasthecontrolmanshonetheelectrictorchonthesmashedrearofthetruck.

“getahead.getahead,”themanshouted,stillholdingthesafeconductpassinhishand.

“andmypaper,”gomezspoketohim.“mysafe-conduct.weareinahurry.”

“takethysafe-conducttohell,”themansaidandhandingittohimranacrosstheroadtohaltadown-comingtruck.

“turnthyselfatthecrossroadsandputthyselfinpositiontopullthiswreckforward,”hesaidtothedriver.

“myordersare—”

“obscenitythyorders.doasisay.”

thedriverlethistruckintogearandrolledstraightaheaddowntheroadandwasgoneinthedust.

asgomezstartedthemotorcycleaheadontothenowclearright-handsideoftheroadpastthewreckedtruck,andrés,holdingtightagain,sawthecontrolguardhaltinganothertruckandthedriverleaningfromthecabandlisteningtohim.

nowtheywentfast,swoopingalongtheroadthatmountedsteadilytowardthemountain.allforwardtraffichadbeenstalledatthecontrolandtherewereonlythedescendingtruckspassing,passingandpassingontheirleftasthemotorcycleclimbedfastandsteadilynowuntilitbegantoovertakethemountingtrafficwhichhadgoneonaheadbeforethedisasteratthecontrol.

stillwithoutlightstheypassedfourmorearmoredcars,thenalonglineoftrucksloadedwithtroops.thetroopsweresilentinthedarkandatfirstandrésonlyfelttheirpresencerisingabovehim,bulkingabovethetruckbodiesthroughthedustastheypassed.thenanotherstaffcamebehindthemblastingwithitsklaxonandflickingitslightsoffandon,andeachtimethelightsshoneandréssawthetroops,steelhelmeted,theirriflesvertical,theirmachinegunspointedupagainstthedarksky,etchedsharpagainstthenightthattheydroppedintowhenthelightflickedoff.onceashepassedclosetoatrooptruckandthelightsflashedhesawtheirfacesfixedandsadinthesuddenlight.intheirsteelhelmets,ridinginthetrucksinthedarktowardsomethingthattheyonlyknewwasanattack,theirfacesweredrawnwitheachman’sownprobleminthedarkandthelightrevealedthemastheywouldnothavelookedinday,fromshametoshowittoeachother,untilthebombardmentandtheattackwouldcommence,andnomanwouldthinkabouthisface.

andrésnowpassingthemtruckaftertruck,gomezstillkeepingessfullyaheadofthefollowingstaffcar,didnotthinkanyofthisabouttheirfaces.heonlythought,“whatanarmy.whatequipment.whatamechanization.vayagente!lookatsuchpeople.herewehavethearmyoftherepublic.lookatthem.camionaftercamion.alluniformedalike.allwithcasquesofsteelontheirheads.lookatthemáquinasrisingfromthetrucksagainstthecomingofplanes.lookatthearmythathasbeenbuilded!”

andasthemotorcyclepassedthehighgraytrucksfulloftroops,graytruckswithhighsquarecabsandsquareuglyradiators,steadilymountingtheroadinthedustandtheflickinglightsofthepursuingstaffcar,theredstarofthearmyshowinginthelightwhenitpassedoverthetailgates,showingwhenthelightcameontothesidesofthedustytruckbodies,astheypassed,climbingsteadilynow,theaircolderandtheroadstartingtoturninbendsandswitchbacksnow,thetruckslaboringandgrinding,somesteaminginthelightflashes,themotorcyclelaboringnowtoo,andandrésclingingtighttothefrontseatastheyclimbed,andrésthoughtthisrideonamotorcyclewasmucho,mucho.hehadneverbeenonamotorcyclebeforeandnowtheywereclimbingamountaininthemidstofallthemovementthatwasgoingtoanattackand,astheyclimbed,heknewnowtherewasnoproblemofeverbeingbackintimefortheassaultontheposts.inthismovementandconfusionhewouldbeluckytogetbackbythenextnight.hehadneverseenanoffensiveoranyofthepreparationsforonebeforeandastheyrodeuptheroadhemarvelledatthesizeandpowerofthisarmythattherepublichadbuilt.

nowtheyrodeonalongslanting,risingstretchofroadthatranacrossthefaceofthemountainandthegradewassosteepastheynearedthetopthatgomeztoldhimtogetdownandtogethertheypushedthemotorcycleupthelaststeepgradeofthepass.attheleft,justpastthetop,therewasaloopofroadwherecarscouldturnandtherewerelightswinkinginfrontofabigstonebuildingthatbulkedlonganddarkagainstthenightsky.

“letusgotoasktherewheretheheadquartersis,”gomezsaidtoandrésandtheywheeledthemotorcycleovertowheretwosentriesstoodinfrontofthecloseddoorofthegreatstonebuilding.gomezleanedthemotorcycleagainstthewallasamotorcyclistinaleathersuit,showingagainstthelightfrominsidethebuildingasthedooropened,cameoutofthedoorwithadispatchcasehungoverhisshoulder,awooden-holsteredmauserpistolswungagainsthiship.asthelightwentoff,hefoundhismotorcycleinthedarkbythedoor,pushedituntilitsputteredandcaught,thenroaredoffuptheroad.

atthedoorgomezspoketooneofthesentries.“captaingomezofthesixty-fifthbrigade,”hesaid.“canyoutellmewheretofindtheheadquartersofgeneralgolzcommandingthethirtyfifthdivision?”

“itisn’there,”thesentrysaid.

“whatishere?”

“thecomandancia.”

“whatcomandancia?”

“well,thecomandancia.”

“thecomandanciaofwhat?”

“whoartthoutoasksomanyquestions?”thesentrysaidtogomezinthedark.hereonthetopofthepasstheskywasveryclearwiththestarsoutandandrés,outofthedustnow,couldseequiteclearlyinthedark.belowthem,wheretheroadturnedtotheright,hecouldseeclearlytheoutlineofthetrucksandcarsthatpassedagainsttheskyline.

“iamcaptainrogeliogomezofthefirstbattalionofthesixty-fifthbrigadeandiaskwhereistheheadquartersofgeneralgolz,”gomezsaid.

thesentryopenedthedooralittleway.“callthecorporaloftheguard,”heshoutedinside.

justthenabigstaffcarcameupovertheturnoftheroadandcircledtowardthebigstonebuildingwhereandrésandgomezwerestandingwaitingforthecorporaloftheguard.itcametowardthemandstoppedoutsidethedoor.

alargeman,oldandheavy,inanoversizedkhakiberet,suchaschasseursapiedwearinthefrencharmy,wearinganovercoat,carryingamapcaseandwearingapistolstrappedaroundhisgreatcoat,gotoutofthebackofthecarwithtwoothermenintheuniformoftheinternationalbrigades.

hespokeinfrench,whichandrésdidnotunderstandandofwhichgomez,whohadbeenabarber,knewonlyafewwords,tohischauffeurtellinghimtogetthecarawayfromthedoorandintoshelter.

ashecameintothedoorwiththeothertwoofficers,gomezsawhisfaceclearlyinthelightandrecognizedhim.hehadseenhimatpoliticalmeetingsandhehadoftenreadarticlesbyhiminmundoobrerotranslatedfromthefrench.herecognizedhisbushyeyebrows,hiswaterygrayeyes,hischinandthedoublechinunderit,andheknewhimforoneoffrance’sgreatmodernrevolutionaryfigureswhohadledthemutinyofthefrenchnavyintheblacksea.gomezknewthisman’shighpoliticalplaceintheinternationalbrigadesandheknewthismanwouldknowwheregolz’sheadquarterswereandbeabletodirecthimthere.hedidnotknowwhatthismanhadbecomewithtime,disappointment,bitternessbothdomesticandpolitical,andthwartedambitionandthattoquestionhimwasoneofthemostdangerousthingsthatanymancoulddo.knowingnothingofthishesteppedforwardintothepathofthisman,salutedwithhisclenchedfistandsaid,“comrademarssart,wearethebearersofadispatchforgeneralgolz.canyoudirectustohisheadquarters?itisurgent.”

thetall,heavyoldmanlookedatgomezwithhisoutthrustheadandconsideredhimcarefullywithhiswateryeyes.evenhereatthefrontinthelightofabareelectricbulb,hehavingjustcomeinfromdrivinginanopencaronabrisknight,hisgrayfacehadalookofdecay.hisfacelookedasthoughitweremodelledfromthewastematerialyoufindundertheclawsofaveryoldlion.

“youhavewhat,comrade?”heaskedgomez,speakingspanishwithastrongcatalanaccent.hiseyesglancedsidewaysatandrés,slidoverhim,andwentbacktogomez.

“adispatchforgeneralgolztobedeliveredathisheadquarters,comrademarssart.”

“whereisitfrom,comrade?”

“frombehindthefascistlines,”gomezsaid.

andrémassartextendedhishandforthedispatchandtheotherpapers.heglancedatthemandputtheminhispocket.

“arrestthemboth,”hesaidtothecorporaloftheguard.“havethemsearchedandbringthemtomewhenisendforthem.”

withthedispatchinhispockethestrodeonintotheinteriorofthebigstonehouse.

outsideintheguardroomgomezandandréswerebeingsearchedbytheguard.

“whatpasseswiththatman?”gomezsaidtooneoftheguards.