CHAPTER4

theycamedowntothemouthofthecave,wherealightshoneoutfromtheedgeofablanketthathungovertheopening.thetwopackswereatthefootofthetreecoveredwithacanvasandrobertjordankneltdownandfeltthecanvaswetandstiffoverthem.inthedarkhefeltunderthecanvasintheoutsidepocketofoneofthepacksandtookoutaleather-coveredflaskandslippeditinhispocket.unlockingthelongbarredpadlocksthatpassedthroughthegrommetthatclosedtheopeningofthemouthofthepacks,anduntyingthedrawstringatthetopofeachpack,hefeltinsidethemandverifiedtheircontentswithhishands.deepinonepackhefeltthebundledblocksinthesacks,thesackswrappedinthesleepingrobe,andtyingthestringsofthatandpushingthelockshutagain,heputhishandsintotheotherandfeltthesharpwoodoutlineoftheboxoftheoldexploder,thecigarboxwiththecaps,eachlittlecylinderwrappedroundandroundwithitstwowires(thelotofthempackedascarefullyashehadpackedhiscollectionofwildbirdeggswhenhewasaboy),thestockofthesubmachinegun,disconnectedfromthebarrelandwrappedinhisleatherjacket,thetwopansandfiveclipsinoneoftheinnerpocketsofthebigpack-sackandthesmallcoilsofcopperwireandthebigcoiloflightinsulatedwineintheother.inthepocketwiththewirehefelthispliersandthetwowoodenawlsformakingholesintheendoftheblocksandthen,fromthelastinsidepocket,hetookabigboxoftherussiancigarettesofthelothehadfromgolz’sheadquartersandtyingthemouthofthepackshut,hepushedthelockin,buckledtheflapsdownandagaincoveredbothpackswiththecanvas.anselmohadgoneonintothecave.

robertjordanstooduptofollowhim,thenreconsideredand,liftingthecanvasoffthetwopacks,pickedthemup,oneineachhand,andstartedwiththem,justabletocarrythem,forthemouthofthecave.helaidonepackdownandliftedtheblanketaside,thenwithhisheadstoopedandwithapackineachhand,carryingbytheleathershoulderstraps,hewentintothecave.

itwaswarmandsmokyinthecave.therewasatablealongonewallwithatallowcandlestuckinabottleonitandatthetablewereseatedpablo,threemenhedidnotknow,andthegypsy,rafael.thecandlemadeshadowsonthewallbehindthemenandanselmostoodwherehehadcomeintotherightofthetable.thewifeofpablowasstandingoverthecharcoalfireontheopenfirehearthinthecornerofthecave.thegirlkneltbyherstirringinanironpot.sheliftedthewoodenspoonoutandlookedatrobertjordanashestoodthereinthedoorwayandhesaw,intheglowfromthefirethewomanwasblowingwithabellows,thegirl’sface,herarmandthedropsrunningdownfromthespoonanddroppingintotheironpot.

“whatdoyoucarry?”pablosaid.

“mythings,”robertjordansaidandsetthetwopacksdownalittlewayapartwherethecaveopenedoutonthesideawayfromthetable.

“aretheynotwelloutside?”pabloasked.

“someonemighttripovertheminthedark,”robertjordansaidandwalkedovertothetableandlaidtheboxofcigarettesonit.

“idonotliketohavedynamitehereinthecave,”pablosaid.

“itisfarfromthefire,”robertjordansaid.“takesomecigarettes.”heranhisthumbnailalongthesideofthepaperboxwiththebigcoloredfigureofawarshiponthecoverandpushedtheboxtowardpablo.

anselmobroughthimarawhide-coveredstoolandhesatdownatthetable.pablolookedathimasthoughheweregoingtospeakagain,thenreachedforthecigarettes.

robertjordanpushedthemtowardtheothers.hewasnotlookingatthemyet.buthenotedonemantookcigarettesandtwodidnot.allofhisconcentrationwasonpablo.

“howgoesit,gypsy?”hesaidtorafael.

“good,”thegypsysaid.robertjordancouldtelltheyhadbeentalkingabouthimwhenhecamein.eventhegypsywasnotatease.

“sheisgoingtoletyoueatagain?”robertjordanaskedthegypsy.

“yes.whynot?”thegypsysaid.itwasalongwayfromthefriendlyjokingtheyhadtogetherintheafternoon.

thewomanofpablosaidnothingandwentonblowingupthecoalsofthefire.

“onecalledagustinsayshediesofboredomabove,”robertjordansaid.

“thatdoesn’tkill,”pablosaid.“lethimdiealittle.”“istherewine?”robertjordanaskedthetableatlarge,leaningforward,hishandsonthetable.

“thereislittleleft,”pablosaidsullenly.robertjordandecidedhehadbetterlookattheotherthreeandtrytoseewherehestood.

“inthatcase,letmehaveacupofwater.thou,”hecalledtothegirl.“bringmeacupofwater.”

thegirllookedatthewoman,whosaidnothing,andgavenosignofhavingheard,thenshewenttoakettlecontainingwateranddippedacupfull.shebroughtittothetableandputitdownbeforehim.robertjordansmiledather.atthesametimehesuckedinonhisstomachmusclesandswungalittletotheleftonhisstoolsothathispistolslippedaroundonhisbeltclosertowherehewantedit.hereachedhishanddowntowardhishippocketandpablowatchedhim.heknewtheyallwerewatchinghim,too,buthewatchedonlypablo.hishandcameupfromthehippocketwiththeleather-coveredflaskandheunscrewedthetopandthen,liftingthecup,drankhalfthewaterandpouredveryslowlyfromtheflaskintothecup.

“itistoostrongfortheeoriwouldgivetheesome,”hesaidtothegirlandsmiledatheragain.“thereislittleleftoriwouldoffersometothee,”hesaidtopablo.

“idonotlikeanis,”pablosaid.

theacridsmellhadcarriedacrossthetableandhehadpickedouttheonefamiliarcomponent.

“good,”saidrobertjordan.“becausethereisverylittleleft.”

“whatdrinkisthat?”thegypsyasked.

“amedicine,”robertjordansaid.“doyouwanttotasteit?”

“whatisitfor?”

“foreverything,”robertjordansaid.“itcureseverything.ifyouhaveanythingwrongthiswillcureit.”

“letmetasteit,”thegypsysaid.

robertjordanpushedthecuptowardhim.itwasamilkyyellownowwiththewaterandhehopedthegypsywouldnottakemorethanaswallow.therewasverylittleofitleftandonecupofittooktheplaceoftheeveningpapers,ofalltheoldeveningsincafés,ofallchestnuttreesthatwouldbeinbloomnowinthismonth,ofthegreatslowhorsesoftheouterboulevards,ofbookshops,ofkiosques,andofgalleries,oftheparcmontsouris,ofthestadebuffalo,andofthebuttechaumont,oftheguarantytrustcompanyandtheiledelacité,offoyot’soldhotel,andofbeingabletoreadandrelaxintheevening;ofallthethingshehadenjoyedandforgottenandthatcamebacktohimwhenhetastedthatopaque,bitter,tongue-numbing,brain-warming,stomachwarming,idea-changingliquidalchemy.

thegypsymadeafaceandhandedthecupback.“itsmellsofanisbutitisbitterasgall,”hesaid.“itisbettertobesickthanhavethatmedicine.”

“that’sthewormwood,”robertjordantoldhim.“inthis,therealabsinthe,thereiswormwood.it’ssupposedtorotyourbrainoutbutidon’tbelieveit.itonlychangestheideas.youshouldpourwaterintoitveryslowly,afewdropsatatime.butipoureditintothewater.”

“whatareyousaying?”pablosaidangrily,feelingthemockery.

“explainingthemedicine,”robertjordantoldhimandgrinned.“iboughtitinmadrid.itwasthelastbottleandit’slastedmethreeweeks.”hetookabigswallowofitandfeltitcoastingoverhistongueindelicateanaesthesia.helookedatpabloandgrinnedagain.

“how’sbusiness?”heasked.

pablodidnotanswerandrobertjordanlookedcarefullyattheotherthreemenatthetable.onehadalargeflatface,flatandbrownasaserranohamwithanoseflattenedandbroken,andthelongthinrussiancigarette,projectingatanangle,madethefacelookevenflatter.thismanhadshortgrayhairandagraystubbleofbeardandworetheusualblacksmockbuttonedattheneck.helookeddownatthetablewhenrobertjordanlookedathimbuthiseyesweresteadyandtheydidnotblink.theothertwowereevidentlybrothers.theylookedmuchalikeandwerebothshort,heavilybuilt,darkhaired,theirhairgrowinglowontheirforeheads,dark-eyedandbrown.onehadascaracrosshisforeheadabovehislefteyeandashelookedatthem,theylookedbackathimsteadily.onelookedtobeabouttwenty-sixor-eight,theotherperhapstwoyearsolder.

“whatareyoulookingat?”onebrother,theonewiththescar,asked.

“thee,”robertjordansaid.

“doyouseeanythingrare?”

“no,”saidrobertjordan.“haveacigarette?”

“whynot?”thebrothersaid.hehadnottakenanybefore.“theseareliketheotherhad.heofthetrain.”

“wereyouatthetrain?”

“wewereallatthetrain,”thebrothersaidquietly.“allexcepttheoldman.”

“thatiswhatweshoulddonow,”pablosaid.“anothertrain.”

“wecandothat,”robertjordansaid.“afterthebridge.”

hecouldseethatthewifeofpablohadturnednowfromthefireandwaslistening.whenhesaidtheword“bridge”everyonewasquiet.

“afterthebridge,”hesaidagaindeliberatelyandtookasipoftheabsinthe.imightaswellbringiton,hethought.it’scominganyway.

“idonotgoforthebridge,”pablosaid,lookingdownatthetable.“neithermenormypeople.”

robertjordansaidnothing.helookedatanselmoandraisedthecup.“thenweshalldoitalone,oldone,”hesaidandsmiled.