CHAPTER 5

RobertJordanpushedasidethesaddleblanketthathungoverthemouthofthecaveand,steppingout,tookadeepbreathofthecoldnightair.Themisthadclearedawayandthestarswereout.Therewasnowind,and,outsidenowofthewarmairofthecave,heavywithsmokeofbothtobaccoandcharcoal,withtheodorofcookedriceandmeat,saffron,pimentos,andoil,thetarry,wine-spilledsmellofthebigskinhungbesidethedoor,hungbytheneckandthefourlegsextended,winedrawnfromaplugfittedinoneleg,winethatspilledalittleontotheearthofthefloor,settlingthedustsmell;outnowfromtheodorsofdifferentherbswhosenameshedidnotknowthathunginbunchesfromtheceiling,withlongropesofgarlic,awaynowfromthecopperpenny,redwineandgarlic,horsesweatandmansweatdriedintheclothing(acridandgraythemansweat,sweetandsicklythedriedbrushed-offlatherofhorsesweat),ofthemenatthetable,RobertJordanbreatheddeeplyoftheclearnightairofthemountainsthatsmelledofthepinesandofthedewonthegrassinthemeadowbythestream.Dewhadfallenheavilysincethewindhaddropped,but,ashestoodthere,hethoughttherewouldbefrostbymorning.

Ashestoodbreathingdeepandthenlisteningtothenight,heheardfirst,firingfaraway,andthenheheardanowlcryinthetimberbelow,wherethehorsecorralwasslung.Theninsidethecavehecouldhearthegypsystartingtosingandthesoftchordingofaguitar.

“Ihadaninheritancefrommyfather,”theartificiallyhardenedvoiceroseharshlyandhungthere.Thenwenton:

“Itwasthemoonandthesun

“AndthoughIroamallovertheworld

“Thespendingofit’sneverdone.”

Theguitarthuddedwithchordedapplauseforthesinger.“Good,”RobertJordanheardsomeonesay.“GiveustheCatalan,gypsy.”

“No.”

“Yes.Yes.TheCatalan.”

“Allright,”thegypsysaidandsangmournfully：

“Mynoseisflat,

“Myfaceisblack,

“ButstillIamaman.”

“Olé!”someonesaid.“Goon,gypsy!”

Thegypsy’svoicerosetragicallyandmockingly:

“ThankGodIamaNegro,

“AndnotaCatalan!”

“Thereismuchnoise,”Pablo’svoicesaid.“Shutup,gypsy.”

“Yes,”heheardthewoman’svoice.“Thereistoomuchnoise.Youcouldcalltheguardiacivilwiththatvoiceandstillithasnoquality.”

“Iknowanotherverse,”thegypsysaidandtheguitarcommenced

“Saveit,”thewomantoldhim.

Theguitarstopped.

“Iamnotgoodinvoicetonight.Sothereisnoloss,”thegypsysaidandpushingtheblanketasidehecameoutintothedark.

RobertJordanwatchedhimwalkovertoatreeandthencometowardhim.

“Roberto,”thegypsysaidsoftly.

“Yes,Rafael,”hesaid.Heknewthegypsyhadbeenaffectedbythewinefromhisvoice.HehimselfhaddrunkthetwoabsinthesandsomewinebuthisheadwasclearandcoldfromthestrainofthedifficultywithPablo.

“WhydidstthounotkillPablo?”thegypsysaidverysoftly.

“Whykillhim?”

“Youhavetokillhimsoonerorlater.Whydidyounotapproveofthemoment?”

“Doyouspeakseriously?”

“Whatdoyouthinktheyallwaitedfor?Whatdoyouthinkthewomansentthegirlawayfor?Doyoubelievethatitispossibletocontinueafterwhathasbeensaid?”

“Thatyouallshouldkillhim.”

“Quéva,”thegypsysaidquietly.“Thatisyourbusiness.Threeorfourtimeswewaitedforyoutokillhim.Pablohasnofriends.”

“Ihadtheidea,”RobertJordansaid.“ButIleftit.”

“Surelyallcouldseethat.Everyonenotedyourpreparations.Whydidn’tyoudoit?”

“Ithoughtitmightmolestyouothersorthewoman.”

“Quéva.Andthewomanwaitingasawhorewaitsfortheflightofthebigbird.Thouartyoungerthanthouappearest.”

“Itispossible.”

“Killhimnow,”thegypsyurged.

“Thatistoassassinate.”

“Evenbetter,”thegypsysaidverysoftly.“Lessdanger.Goon.Killhimnow.”

“Icannotinthatway.Itisrepugnanttomeanditisnothowoneshouldactforthecause.”

“Provokehimthen,”thegypsysaid.“Butyouhavetokillhim.Thereisnoremedy.”

Astheyspoke,theowlflewbetweenthetreeswiththesoftnessofallsilence,droppingpastthem,thenrising,thewingsbeatingquickly,butwithnonoiseoffeathersmovingasthebirdhunted.

“Lookathim,”thegypsysaidinthedark.“Thusshouldmenmove.”

“Andintheday,blindinatreewithcrowsaroundhim,”RobertJordansaid.

“Rarely,”saidthegypsy.“Andthenbyhazard.Killhim,”hewenton.“Donotletitbecomedifficult.”

“Nowthemomentispassed.”

“Provokeit,”thegypsysaid.“Ortakeadvantageofthequiet.”

Theblanketthatclosedthecavedooropenedandlightcameout.Someonecametowardwheretheystood.

“Itisabeautifulnight,”themansaidinaheavy,dullvoice.“Wewillhavegoodweather.”

ItwasPablo.

HewassmokingoneoftheRussiancigarettesandintheglow,ashedrewonthecigarette,hisroundfaceshowed.Theycouldseehisheavy,long-armedbodyinthestarlight.

“Donotpayanyattentiontothewoman,”hesaidtoRobertJordan.Inthedarkthecigaretteglowedbright,thenshowedinhishandasheloweredit.“Sheisdifficultsometimes.Sheisagoodwoman.VeryloyaltotheRepublic.”Thelightofthecigarettejerkedslightlynowashespoke.Hemustbetalkingwithitinthecornerofhismouth,RobertJordanthought.“Weshouldhavenodifficulties.Weareofaccord.Iamgladyouhavecome.”Thecigaretteglowedbrightly.“Paynoattentiontoarguments,”hesaid.“Youareverywelcomehere.

“Excusemenow,”hesaid.“Igotoseehowtheyhavepicketedthehorses.”

Hewentoffthroughthetreestotheedgeofthemeadowandtheyheardahorsenickerfrombelow.

“Yousee?”thegypsysaid.“Nowyousee?Inthiswayhasthemomentescaped.”

RobertJordansaidnothing.

“Igodownthere,”thegypsysaidangrily.

“Todowhat?”

“Quéva,todowhat.Atleasttopreventhimleaving.”

“Canheleavewithahorsefrombelow?”

“No.”

“Thengotothespotwhereyoucanpreventhim.”

“Agustínisthere.”

“GothenandspeakwithAgustín.Tellhimthatwhichhashappened.”

“Agustínwillkillhimwithpleasure.”

“Lessbad,”RobertJordansaid.“Gothenaboveandtellhimallasithappened.”

“Andthen?”

“Igotolookbelowinthemeadow.”

“Good.Man.Good,”hecouldnotseeRafael’sfaceinthedarkbuthecouldfeelhimsmiling.“Nowyouhavetightenedyourgarters,”thegypsysaidapprovingly.

“GotoAgustín,”RobertJordansaidtohim.

“Yes,Roberto,yes,”saidthegypsy.

RobertJordanwalkedthroughthepines,feelinghiswayfromtreetotreetotheedgeofthemeadow.Lookingacrossitinthedarkness,lighterhereintheopenfromthestarlight,hesawthedarkbulksofthepicketedhorses.Hecountedthemwheretheywerescatteredbetweenhimandthestream.Therewerefive.RobertJordansatdownatthefootofapinetreeandlookedoutacrossthemeadow.

Iamtired,hethought,andperhapsmyjudgmentisnotgood.Butmyobligationisthebridgeandtofulfillthat,ImusttakenouselessriskofmyselfuntilIcompletethatduty.OfcourseitissometimesmoreofarisknottoacceptchanceswhicharenecessarytotakebutIhavedonethissofar,tryingtoletthesituationtakeitsowncourse.Ifitistrue,asthegypsysays,thattheyexpectedmetokillPablothenIshouldhavedonethat.Butitwasnevercleartomethattheydidexpectthat.Forastrangertokillwherehemustworkwiththepeopleafterwardsisverybad.Itmaybedoneinaction,anditmaybedoneifbackedbysufficientdiscipline,butinthiscaseIthinkitwouldbeverybad,althoughitwasatemptationandseemedashortandsimpleway.ButIdonotbelieveanythingisthatshortnorthatsimpleinthiscountryand,whileItrustthewomanabsolutely,Icouldnottellhowshewouldreacttosuchadrasticthing.Onedyinginsuchaplacecanbeveryugly,dirtyandrepugnant.Youcouldnottellhowshewouldreact.Withoutthewomanthereisnoorganizationnoranydisciplinehereandwiththewomanitcanbeverygood.Itwouldbeidealifshewouldkillhim,orifthegypsywould(buthewillnot)orifthesentry,Agustín,would.AnselmowillifIaskit,thoughhesaysheisagainstallkilling.Hehateshim,Ibelieve,andhealreadytrustsmeandbelievesinmeasarepresentativeofwhathebelievesin.OnlyheandthewomanreallybelieveintheRepublicasfarasIcansee;butitistooearlytoknowthatyet.

AshiseyesbecameusedtothestarlighthecouldseethatPablowasstandingbyoneofthehorses.Thehorseliftedhisheadfromgrazing;thendroppeditimpatiently.Pablowasstandingbythehorse,leaningagainsthim,movingwithhimasheswungwiththelengthofthepicketropeandpattinghimontheneck.Thehorsewasimpatientatthetendernesswhilehewasfeeding.RobertJordancouldnotseewhatPablowasdoing,norhearwhathewassayingtothehorse,buthecouldseethathewasneitherunpicketingnorsaddling.Hesatwatchinghim,tryingtothinkhisproblemoutclearly.

“Thoumybiggoodlittlepony,”Pablowassayingtothehorseinthedark;itwasthebigbaystallionhewasspeakingto.“Thoulovelywhite-facedbigbeauty.Thouwiththebigneckarchingliketheviaductofmypueblo,”hestopped.“Butarchingmoreandmuchfiner.”Thehorsewassnatchinggrass,swinginghisheadsidewaysashepulled,annoyedbythemanandhistalking.“Thouartnowomannorafool,”Pablotoldthebayhorse.“Thou,oh,thou,thee,thee,mybiglittlepony.Thouartnowomanlikearockthatisburning.Thouartnocoltofagirlwithcroppedheadandthemovementofafoalstillwetfromitsmother.Thoudostnotinsultnorlienornotunderstand.Thou,oh,thee,ohmygoodbiglittlepony.”

ItwouldhavebeenveryinterestingforRobertJordantohaveheardPablospeakingtothebayhorsebuthedidnothearhimbecausenow,convincedthatPablowasonlydowncheckingonhishorses,andhavingdecidedthatitwasnotapracticalmovetokillhimatthistime,hestoodupandwalkedbacktothecave.Pablostayedinthemeadowtalkingtothehorseforalongtime.Thehorseunderstoodnothingthathesaid;only,fromthetoneofthevoice,thattheywereendearmentsandhehadbeeninthecorralalldayandwashungrynow,grazingimpatientlyatthelimitsofhispicketrope,andthemanannoyedhim.Pabloshiftedthepicketpinfinallyandstoodbythehorse,nottalkingnow.Thehorsewentongrazingandwasrelievednowthatthemandidnotbotherhim.