CHAPTER39

inthedarktheycameupthehillthroughthetimbertothenarrowpassatthetop.theywereallloadedheavilyandtheyclimbedslowly.thehorseshadloadstoo,packedoverthesaddles.

“wecancutthemlooseifitisnecessary,”pilarhadsaid.“butwiththat,ifwecankeepit,wecanmakeanothercamp.”“andtherestoftheammunition?”robertjordanhadaskedastheylashedthepacks.

“inthosesaddlebags.”

robertjordanfelttheweightofhisheavypack,theingonhisneckfromthepullofhisjacketwithitspocketsfullofgrenades,theweightofhispistolagainsthisthigh,andthebulgingofhistrouserpocketswheretheclipsforthesubmachinegunwere.inhismouthwasthetasteofthecoffee,inhisrighthandhecarriedthesubmachinegunandwithhislefthandhereachedandpulledupthecollarofhisjackettoeasethepullofthepackstraps.

“inglés,”pablosaidtohim,walkingclosebesidehiminthedark.

“what,man?”

“theseihavebroughtthinkthisistobeessfulbecauseihavebroughtthem,”pablosaid.“donotsayanythingtodisillusionthem.”

“good,”robertjordansaid.“butletusmakeitessful.”

“theyhavefivehorses,sabes?”pablosaidcautiously.

“good,”saidrobertjordan.“wewillkeepallthehorsestogether.”

“good,”saidpablo,andnothingmore.

ididn’tthinkyouhadexperiencedanycompleteconversionontheroadtotarsus,oldpablo,robertjordanthought.no.yourcomingbackwasmiracleenough.idon’tthinktherewilleverbeanyproblemaboutcanonizingyou.

“withthosefiveiwilldealwiththelowerpostaswellassordowouldhave,”pablosaid.“iwillcutthewireandfallbackuponthebridgeasweconvened.”

wewentoverthisalltenminutesago,robertjordanthought.iwonderwhythisnow—

“thereisapossibilityofmakingittogredos,”pablosaid.“truly,ihavethoughtmuchofit.”

ibelieveyou’vehadanotherflashinthelastfewminutes,robertjordansaidtohimself.youhavehadanotherrevelation.butyou’renotgoingtoconvincemethatiaminvited.no,pablo.donotaskmetobelievetoomuch.

eversincepablohadcomeintothecaveandsaidhehadfivemenrobertjordanfeltincreasinglybetter.seeingpabloagainhadbrokenthepatternoftragedyintowhichthewholeoperationhadseemedgroovedeversincethesnow,andsincepablohadbeenbackhefeltnotthathisluckhadturned,sincehedidnotbelieveinluck,butthatthewholethinghadturnedforthebetterandthatnowitwaspossible.insteadofthesuretyoffailurehefeltconfidencerisinginhimasatirebeginstofillwithairfromaslowpump.therewaslittledifferenceatfirst,althoughtherewasadefinitebeginning,aswhenthepumpstartsandtherubberofthetubecrawlsalittle,butitcamenowassteadilyasatiderisingorthesaprisinginatreeuntilhebegantofeelthefirstedgeofthatnegationofapprehensionthatoftenturnedintoactualhappinessbeforeaction.

thiswasthegreatestgiftthathehad,thetalentthatfittedhimforwar;thatabilitynottoignorebuttodespisewhateverbadendingtherecouldbe.thisqualitywasdestroyedbytoomuchresponsibilityforothersorthenecessityofundertakingsomethingillplannedorbadlyconceived.forinsuchthingsthebadending,failure,couldnotbeignored.itwasnotsimplyapossibilityofharmtoone’sself,whichcouldbeignored.heknewhehimselfwasnothing,andheknewdeathwasnothing.heknewthattruly,astrulyasheknewanything.inthelastfewdayshehadlearnedthathehimself,withanotherperson,couldbeeverything.butinsidehimselfheknewthatthiswastheexception.thatwehavehad,hethought.inthatihavebeenmostfortunate.thatwasgiventome,perhaps,becauseineveraskedforit.thatcannotbetakenawaynorlost.butthatisoveranddonewithnowonthismorningandwhatthereistodonowisourwork.

andyou,hesaidtohimself,iamgladtoseeyougettingalittlesomethingbackthatwasbadlymissingforatime.butyouwereprettybadbackthere.iwasashamedenoughofyou,thereforawhile.onlyiwasyou.therewasn’tanymetojudgeyou.wewereallinbadshape.youandmeandbothofus.comeonnow.quitthinkinglikeaschizophrenic.oneatatime,now.you’reallrightagainnow.butlisten,youmustnotthinkofthegirlalldayever.youcandonothingnowtoprotectherexcepttokeepheroutofit,andthatyouaredoing.thereareevidentlygoingtobeplentyofhorsesifyoucanbelievethesigns.thebestthingyoucandoforheristodothejobwellandfastandgetout,andthinkingofherwillonlyhandicapyouinthis.sodonotthinkofherever.

havingthoughtthisouthewaiteduntilmariacameupwalkingwithpilarandrafaelandthehorses.

“hi,guapa,”hesaidtoherinthedark,“howareyou?”

“iamwell,roberto,”shesaid.

“don’tworryaboutanything,”hesaidtoherandshiftingtheguntohislefthandheputahandonhershoulder.

“idonot,”shesaid.

“itisallverywellorganized,”hetoldher.“rafaelwillbewiththeewiththehorses.”

“iwouldratherbewiththee.”

“nay.thehorsesiswherethouartmostuseful.”

“good,”shesaid.“thereiwillbe.”

justthenoneofthehorseswhinniedandfromtheopenplacebelowtheopeningthroughtherocksahorseanswered,theneighrisingintoashrillsharplybrokenquaver.

robertjordansawthebulkofthenewhorsesaheadinthedark.hepressedforwardandcameuptothemwithpablo.themenwerestandingbytheirmounts.

“salud,”robertjordansaid.

“salud,”theyansweredinthedark.hecouldnotseetheirfaces.

“thisistheingléswhocomeswithus,”pablosaid.“thedynamiter.”

noonesaidanythingtothat.perhapstheynoddedinthedark.

“letusgetgoing,pablo,”onemansaid.“soonwewillhavethedaylightonus.”

“didyoubringanymoregrenades?”anotherasked.

“plenty,”saidpablo.“supplyyourselveswhenweleavetheanimals.”

“thenletusgo,”anothersaid.“we’vebeenwaitingherehalfthenight.”

“hola,pilar,”anothersaidasthewomancameup.

“quémematen,ifitisnotpepe,”pilarsaidhuskily.“howareyou,shepherd?”

“good,”saidtheman.“dentrodelagravedad.”

“whatareyouriding?”pilaraskedhim.

“thegrayofpablo,”themansaid.“itismuchhorse.”

“comeon,”anothermansaid.“letusgo.thereisnogoodingossipinghere.”

“howartthou,elicio?”pilarsaidtohimashemounted.

“howwouldibe?”hesaidrudely.“comeon,woman,wehaveworktodo.”

无一错一首一发一内一容一在一6一9一书一吧一看！

pablomountedthebigbayhorse.

“keepthymouthsshutandfollowme,”hesaid.“iwillleadyoutotheplacewherewewillleavethehorses.”