CHAPTER19

“whatdoyoudosittingthere?”mariaaskedhim.shewasstandingclosebesidehimandheturnedhisheadandsmiledather.

“nothing,”hesaid.“ihavebeenthinking.”“whatof?thebridge?”

“no.thebridgeisterminated.oftheeandofahotelinmadridwhereiknowsomerussians,andofabookiwillwritesometime.”

“aretheremanyrussiansinmadrid?”

“no.veryfew.”

“butinthefascistperiodicalsitsaystherearehundredsofthousands.”

“thosearelies.thereareveryfew.”

“doyouliketherussians?theonewhowasherewasarussian.”

“didyoulikehim?”

“yes.iwassickthenbutithoughthewasverybeautifulandverybrave.”

“whatnonsense,beautiful,”pilarsaid.“hisnosewasflatasmyhandandhehadcheekbonesaswideasasheep’sbuttocks.”

“hewasagoodfriendandcomradeofmine,”robertjordansaidtomaria.“icaredforhimverymuch.”

“sure,”pilarsaid.“butyoushothim.”

whenshesaidthisthecardplayerslookedupfromthetableandpablostaredatrobertjordan.nobodysaidanythingandthenthegypsy,rafael,asked,“isittrue,roberto?”

“yes,”robertjordansaid.hewishedpilarhadnotbroughtthisupandhewishedhehadnottolditatelsordo’s.“athisrequest.hewasbadlywounded.”

“quécosamasrara,”thegypsysaid.“allthetimehewaswithushetalkedofsuchapossibility.idon’tknowhowmanytimesihavepromisedhimtoperformsuchanact.whatararething,”hesaidagainandshookhishead.

“hewasaveryrareman,”primitivosaid.“verysingular.”

“look,”andrés,oneofthebrothers,said.“youwhoareprofessorandall.doyoubelieveinthepossibilityofamanseeingaheadwhatistohappentohim?”

“ibelievehecannotseeit,”robertjordansaid.pablowasstaringathimcuriouslyandpilarwaswatchinghimwithnoexpressiononherface.“inthecaseofthisrussiancomradehewasverynervousfrombeingtoomuchtimeatthefront.hehadfoughtatirunwhich,youknow,wasbad.verybad.hehadfoughtlaterinthenorth.andsincethefirstgroupswhodidthisworkbehindthelineswereformedhehadworkedhere,inestremaduraandinandalucia.ithinkhewasverytiredandnervousandheimagineduglythings.”

“hewouldundoubtedlyhaveseenmanyevilthings,”fernandosaid.

“likealltheworld,”andréssaid.“butlistentome,inglé.doyouthinkthereissuchathingasamanknowinginadvancewhatwillbefallhim?”

“no,”robertjordansaid.“thatisignoranceandsuperstition.”

“goon,”pilarsaid.“letusheartheviewpointoftheprofessor.”shespokeasthoughsheweretalkingtoaprecociouschild.

“ibelievethatfearproducesevilvisions,”robertjordansaid.“seeingbadsigns——”

“suchastheairplanestoday,”primitivosaid.

“suchasthyarrival,”pablosaidsoftlyandrobertjordanlookedacrossthetableathim,sawitwasnotaprovocationbutonlyanexpressedthought,thenwenton.“seeingbadsigns,one,withfear,imaginesanendforhimselfandonethinksthatimaginingcomesbydivination,”robertjordanconcluded.“ibelievethereisnothingmoretoitthanthat.idonotbelieveinogres,norsoothsayers,norinthesupernaturalthings.”

“butthisonewiththerarenamesawhisfateclearly,”thegypsysaid.“andthatwashowithappened.”

“hedidnotseeit,”robertjordansaid.“hehadafearofsuchapossibilityanditbecameanobsession.noonecantellmethathesawanything.”

“noti?”pilaraskedhimandpickedsomedustupfromthefireandblewitoffthepalmofherhand.“icannottelltheeeither?”

“no.withallwizardry,gypsyandall,thoucanstnottellmeeither.”

“becausethouartamiracleofdeafness,”pilarsaid,herbigfaceharshandbroadinthecandlelight.“itisnotthatthouartstupid.thouartsimplydeaf.onewhoisdeafcannothearmusic.neithercanheheartheradio.sohemightsay,neverhavingheardthem,thatsuchthingsdonotexist.quéva,inglé.isawthedeathofthatonewiththerarenameinhisfaceasthoughitwereburnedtherewithabrandingiron.”

“youdidnot,”robertjordaninsisted.“yousawfearandapprehension.thefearwasmadebywhathehadbeenthrough.theapprehensionwasforthepossibilityofevilheimagined.”

“quéva,”pilarsaid.“isawdeaththereasplainlyasthoughitweresittingonhisshoulder.andwhatismorehesmeltofdeath.”

“hesmeltofdeath,”robertjordanjeered.“offearmaybe.thereisasmelltofear.”

“delamuerte,”pilarsaid.“listen.whenblanquet,whowasthegreatestpeondebregawhoeverlived,workedundertheordersofgranerohetoldmethatonthedayofmanologranero’sdeath,whentheystoppedinthechapelonthewaytothering,theodorofdeathwassostrongonmanolothatitalmostmadeblanquetsick.andhehadbeenwithmanolowhenhehadbathedanddressedatthehotelbeforesettingoutforthering.theodorwasnotpresentinthemotorcarwhentheyhadsatpackedtighttogetherridingtothebullring.norwasitdistinguishabletoanyoneelsebutjuanluisdelarosainthechapel.neithermarcialnorchicuelosmelleditneitherthennorwhenthefourofthemlinedupforthepaseo.butjuanluiswasdeadwhite,blanquettoldme,andhe,blanquet,spoketohimsaying,‘thoualso?’

“‘sothaticannotbreathe,’juanluissaidtohim.‘andfromthymatador.’

“‘puesnada,’blanquetsaid.‘thereisnothingtodo.letushopewearemistaken.’

“‘andtheothers?’juanluisaskedblanquet.

“‘nada,’blanquetsaid.‘nothing.butthisonestinksworsethanjoséattalavera.’

“anditwasonthatafternoonthatthebullpocapenaoftheranchofveraguadestroyedmanolograneroagainsttheplanksofthebarrierinfrontoftendidotwointheplazadetorosofmadrid.iwastherewithfinitoandisawit.thehornentirelydestroyedthecranium,theheadofmanolobeingwedgedundertheestriboatthebaseofthebarrerawherethebullhadtossedhim.”

“butdidyousmellanything?”fernandoasked.

“nay,”pilarsaid.“iwastoofaraway.wewereintheseventhrowofthetendidothree.itwasthus,beingatanangle,thaticouldseeallthathappened.butthatsamenightblanquetwhohadbeenundertheordersofjoselitowhenhetoowaskilledtoldfinitoaboutitatfornos,andfinitoaskedjuanluisdelarosaandhewouldsaynothing.buthenoddedhisheadthatitwastrue.iwaspresentwhenthishappened.so,inglé,itmaybethatthouartdeaftosomethingsaschicueloandmarciallalandaandalloftheirbanderillerosandpicadorsandallofthegenteofjuanluisandmanolograneroweredeaftothisthingonthisday.butjuanluisandblanquetwerenotdeaf.noramideaftosuchthings.”

“whydoyousaydeafwhenitisathingofthenose?”fernandoasked.

“leche!”pilarsaid.“thoushouldstbetheprofessorinplaceoftheinglé.buticouldtelltheeofotherthings,inglé,anddonotdoubtwhatthousimplycannotseenorcannothear.thoucanstnothearwhatadoghears.norcanstthousmellwhatadogsmells.butalreadythouhastexperiencedalittleofwhatcanhappentoman.”

mariaputherhandonrobertjordan’sshoulderandletitrestthereandhethoughtsuddenly,letusfinishallthisnonsenseandtakeadvantageofwhattimewehave.butitistooearlyyet.wehavetokillthispartoftheevening.sohesaidtopablo,“thou,believestthouinthiswizardry?”

“idonotknow,”pablosaid.“iammoreofthyopinion.nosupernaturalthinghaseverhappenedtome.butfeaiyescertainly.plenty.butibelievethatthepilarcandivineeventsfromthehand.ifshedoesnotlieperhapsitistruethatshehassmeltsuchathing.”

“quévathatishouldlie,”pilarsaid.“thisisnotathingofmyinvention.thismanblanquetwasamanofextremeseriousnessandfurthermoreverydevout.hewasnogypsybutabourgeoisfromvalencia.hastthouneverseenhim?”

“yes,”robertjordansaid.“ihaveseenhimmanytimes.hewassmall,gray-facedandnoonehandledacapebetter.hewasquickonhisfeetasarabbit.”

“exactly,”pilarsaid.“hehadagrayfacefromhearttroubleandgypsiessaidthathecarrieddeathwithhimbutthathecouldflickitawaywithacapeasyoumightdustatable.yethe,whowasnogypsy,smelleddeathonjoselitowhenhefoughtattalavera.althoughidonotseehowhecouldsmellitabovethesmellofmanzanilla.blanquetspokeofthisafterwardswithmuchdiffidencebutthosetowhomhespokesaidthatitwasafantasyandthatwhathehadsmelledwasthelifethatjoséledatthattimecomingoutinsweatfromhisarmpits.butthen,later,camethisofmanolograneroinwhichjuanluisdelarosaalsoparticipated.clearlyjuanluiswasamanofverylittlehonor,butofmuchsensitivenessinhisworkandhewasalsoagreatlayerofwomen.butblanquetwasseriousandveryquietandcompletelyincapableoftellinganuntruth.anditellyouthatismelleddeathonyourcolleaguewhowashere.”

“idonotbelieveit,”robertjordansaid.“alsoyousaidthatblanquetsmelledthisjustbeforethepaseo.justbeforethebullfightstarted.nowthiswasaessfulactionhereofyouandkashkinandthetrain.hewasnotkilledinthat.howcouldyousmellitthen?”