CHAPTER27

elsordowasmakinghisfightonahilltop.hedidnotlikethishillandwhenhesawithethoughtithadtheshapeofachancre.buthehadhadnochoiceexceptthishillandhehadpickeditasfarawayashecouldseeitandgallopedforit,theautomaticrifleheavyonhisback,thehorselaboring,barrelheavingbetweenhisthighs,thesackofgrenadesswingingagainstoneside,thesackofautomaticriflepansbangingagainsttheother,andjoaquinandignaciohaltingandfiring,haltingandfiringtogivehimtimetogettheguninplace.

therehadstillbeensnowthen,thesnowthathadruinedthem,andwhenhishorsewashitsothathewheezedinaslow,jerking,climbingerupthelastpartofthecrest,splatteringthesnowwithabright,pulsingjet,sordohadhauledhimalongbythebridle,thereinsoverhisshoulderasheclimbed.heclimbedashardashecouldwiththebulletsspattingontherocks,withthetwosacksheavyonhisshoulders,andthen,holdingthehorsebythemane,hadshothimquickly,expertly,andtenderlyjustwherehehadneededhim,sothatthehorsepitched,headforwarddowntoplugagapbetweentworocks.hehadgottentheguntofiringoverthehorse’sbackandhefiredtwopans,thegunclattering,theemptyshellspitchingintothesnow,thesmellofburnthairfromtheburnthidewherethehotmuzzlerested,himfiringatwhatcameuptothehill,forcingthemtoscatterforcover,whileallthetimetherewasachillinhisbackfromnotknowingwhatwasbehindhim.oncethelastofthefivemenhadreachedthehilltopthechillwentoutofhisbackandhehadsavedthepanshehadleftuntilhewouldneedthem.

thereweretwomorehorsesdeadalongtheslopeandthreemoreweredeadhereonthehilltop.hehadonlyeededinstealingthreehorseslastnightandonehadboltedwhentheytriedtomounthimbarebackinthecorralatthecampwhenthefirstshootinghadstarted.

ofthefivemenwhohadreachedthehilltopthreewerewounded.sordowaswoundedinthecalfofhislegandintwoplacesinhisleftarm.hewasverythirsty,hiswoundshadstiffened,andoneofthewoundsinhisleftarmwasverypainful.healsohadabadheadacheandashelaywaitingfortheplanestocomehethoughtofajokeinspanish.itwas,“hayquetomarlamuertecomosifueraaspirina,”whichmeans,“youwillhavetotakedeathasanaspirin.”buthedidnotmakethejokealoud.hegrinnedsomewhereinsidethepaininhisheadandinsidethenauseathatcamewheneverhemovedhisarmandlookedaroundatwhattherewasleftofhisband.

thefivemenwerespreadoutlikethepointsofafive-pointedstar.theyhaddugwiththeirkneesandhandsandmademoundsinfrontoftheirheadsandshoulderswiththedirtandpilesofstones.usingthiscover,theywerelinkingtheindividualmoundsupwithstonesanddirt.joaquin,whowaseighteenyearsold,hadasteelhelmetthathedugwithandhepasseddirtinit.

hehadgottenthishelmetattheblowingupofthetrain.ithadabulletholethroughitandeveryonehadalwaysjokedathimforkeepingit.buthehadhammeredtheededgesofthebulletholesmoothanddrivenawoodenplugintoitandthencuttheplugoffandsmootheditevenwiththemetalinsidethehelmet.

whentheshootingstartedhehadclappedthishelmetonhisheadsoharditbangedhisheadasthoughhehadbeenhitwithacasseroleand,inthelastlung-aching,legdead,mouth-dry,bulletspatting,bullet-cracking,bullet-singingrunupthefinalslopeofthehillafterhishorsewaskilled,thehelmethadseemedtoweighagreatamountandtoringhisburstingforeheadwithanironband.buthehadkeptit.nowhedugwithitinasteady,almostmachinelikedesperation.hehadnotyetbeenhit.

“itservesforsomethingfinally,”sordosaidtohiminhisdeep,throatyvoice.

“resistiryfortificaresvencer,”joaquinsaid,hismouthstiffwiththedrynessoffearwhichsurpassedthenormalthirstofbattle.itwasoneoftheslogansofthecommunistpartyanditmeant,“holdoutandfortify,andyouwillwin.”sordolookedawayanddowntheslopeatwhereacavalrymanwassnipingfrombehindaboulder.hewasveryfondofthisboyandhewasinnomoodforslogans.

“whatdidyousay?”

oneofthementurnedfromthebuildingthathewasdoing.thismanwaslyingflatonhisface,reachingcarefullyupwithhishandstoputarockinplacewhilekeepinghischinflatagainsttheground.

joaquinrepeatedthesloganinhisdried-upboy’svoicewithoutcheckinghisingforamoment.

“whatwasthelastword?”themanwithhischinonthegroundasked.

“vencer,”theboysaid.“win.”

“mierda,”themanwithhischinonthegroundsaid.

“thereisanotherthatappliestohere,”joaquinsaid,bringingthemoutasthoughtheyweretalismans,“pasionariasaysitisbettertodieonyourfeetthantoliveonyourknees.”

“mierdaagain,”themansaidandanothermansaid,overhisshoulder,“we’reonourbellies,notourknees.”

“thou.communist.doyouknowyourpasionariahasasonthyageinrussiasincethestartofthemovement?”

“it’salie,”joaquinsaid.

“quéva,it’salie,”theothersaid.“thedynamiterwiththerarenametoldme.hewasofthyparty,too.whyshouldhelie?”

“it’salie,”joaquinsaid.“shewouldnotdosuchathingaskeepasonhiddeninrussiaoutofthewar.”

“iwishiwereinrussia,”anotherofsordo’smensaid.“willnotthypasionariasendmenowfromheretorussia,communist?”

“ifthoubelievestsomuchinthypasionaria,gethertogetusoffthishill,”oneofthemenwhohadabandagedthighsaid.

“thefascistswilldothat,”themanwithhischininthedirtsaid.

“donotspeakthus,”joaquinsaidtohim.

“wipethepapofyourmother’sbreastsoffthylipsandgivemeahatfulofthatdirt,”themanwithhischinonthegroundsaid.“nooneofuswillseethesungodownthisnight.”

elsordowasthinking:itisshapedlikeachancre.orthebreastofayounggirlwithnonipple.orthetopconeofavolcano.youhaveneverseenavolcano,hethought.norwillyoueverseeone.andthishillislikeachancre.letthevolcanosalone.it’slatenowforthevolcanos.

helookedverycarefullyaroundthewithersofthedeadhorseandtherewasaquickhammeringoffiringfrombehindaboulderwelldowntheslopeandheheardthebulletsfromthesubmachinegunthudintothehorse.hecrawledalongbehindthehorseandlookedoutoftheanglebetweenthehorse’shindquartersandtherock.therewerethreebodiesontheslopejustbelowhimwheretheyhadfallenwhenthefascistshadrushedthecrestundercoveroftheautomaticrifleandsubmachinegunfireandheandtheothershadbrokendowntheattackbythrowingandrollingdownhandgrenades.therewereotherbodiesthathecouldnotseeontheothersidesofthehillcrest.therewasnodeadgroundbywhichattackerscouldapproachthesummitandsordoknewthataslongashisammunitionandgrenadesheldoutandhehadasmanyasfourmentheycouldnotgethimoutofthereunlesstheybroughtupatrenchmortar.hedidnotknowwhethertheyhadsenttolagranjaforatrenchmortar.perhapstheyhadnot,becausesurely,soon,theplaneswouldcome.ithadbeenfourhourssincetheobservationplanehadflownoverthem.

thishillistrulylikeachancre,sordothought,andwearetheverypusofit.butwekilledmanywhentheymadethatstupidness.howcouldtheythinkthattheywouldtakeusthus?theyhavesuchmodernarmamentthattheylosealltheirsensewithoverconfidence.hehadkilledtheyoungofficerwhohadledtheassaultwithagrenadethathadgonebouncingandrollingdowntheslopeastheycameupit,running,benthalfover.intheyellowflashandgrayroarofsmokehehadseentheofficerdiveforwardtowherehelaynowlikeaheavy,brokenbundleofoldclothingmarkingthefarthestpointthattheassaulthadreached.sordolookedatthisbodyandthen,downthehill,attheothers.

theyarebravebutstupidpeople,hethought.buttheyhavesenseenoughnownottoattackusagainuntiltheplanescome.unless,ofcourse,theyhaveamortarcoming.itwouldbeeasywithamortar.themortarwasthenormalthingandheknewthattheywoulddieassoonasamortarcameup,butwhenhethoughtoftheplanescominguphefeltasnakedonthathilltopasthoughallofhisclothingandevenhisskinhadbeenremoved.thereisnonakederthingthanifeel,hethought.aflayedrabbitisaswellcoveredasabearincomparison.butwhyshouldtheybringplanes?theycouldgetusoutofherewithatrenchmortareasily.theyareproudoftheirplanes,though,andtheywillprobablybringthem.justastheyweresoproudoftheirautomaticweaponsthattheymadethatstupidness.butundoubtedlytheymusthavesentforamortartoo.

oneofthemenfired.thenjerkedtheboltandfiredagain,quickly.

“savethycartridges,”sordosaid.

“oneofthesonsofthegreatwhoretriedtoreachthatboulder,”themanpointed.

“didyouhithim?”sordoasked,turninghisheadwithdifficulty.

“nay,”themansaid.“thefornicatorduckedback.”

“whoisawhoreofwhoresispilar,”themanwithhischininthedirtsaid.“thatwhoreknowswearedyinghere.”

“shecoulddonogood,”sordosaid.themanhadspokenonthesideofhisgoodearandhehadheardhimwithoutturninghishead.“whatcouldshedo?”

“taketheseslutsfromtherear.”

“quéva,”sordosaid.“theyarespreadaroundahillside.howwouldshecomeonthem?thereareahundredandfiftyofthem.maybemorenow.”

“butifweholdoutuntildark,”joaquinsaid.

“andifchristmascomesoneaster,”themanwithhischinonthegroundsaid.

“andifthyaunthad_cojones_shewouldbethyuncle,”anothersaidtohim.“sendforthypasionaria.shealonecanhelpus.”

“idonotbelievethatabouttheson,”joaquinsaid.“orifheisthereheistrainingtobeanaviatororsomethingofthatsort.”

“heishiddenthereforsafety,”themantoldhim.

“heisstudyingdialectics.thypasionariahasbeenthere.sohavelisterandmodestoandothers.theonewiththerarenametoldme.”

“thattheyshouldgotostudyandreturntoaidus,”joaquinsaid.

“thattheyshouldaidusnow,”anothermansaid.“thatallthecrutsofrussiansuckingswindlersshouldaidusnow.”hefiredandsaid,“mecagoental;imissedhimagain.”

“savethycartridgesanddonottalksomuchorthouwiltbeverythirsty,”sordosaid.“thereisnowateronthishill.”

“takethis,”themansaidandrollingonhissidehepulledawineskinthatheworeslungfromhisshoulderoverhisheadandhandedittosordo.“washthymouthout,oldone.thoumusthavemuchthirstwiththywounds.”

“letalltakeit,”sordosaid.