CHAPTER 6

Insidethecave,RobertJordansatononeoftherawhidestoolsinacornerbythefirelisteningtothewoman.Shewaswashingthedishesandthegirl,Maria,wasdryingthemandputtingthemaway,kneelingtoplacetheminthehollowduginthewallthatwasusedasashelf.

“Itisstrange,”shesaid.“ThatElSordohasnotcome.Heshouldhavebeenhereanhourago.”

“Didyouadvisehimtocome?”

“No.Hecomeseachnight.”

“Perhapsheisdoingsomething.Somework.”

“Itispossible,”shesaid.“Ifhedoesnotcomewemustgotoseehimtomorrow.”

“Yes.Isitfarfromhere?”

“No.Itwillbeagoodtrip.Ilackexercise.”

“CanIgo?”Mariaasked.“MayIgotoo,Pilar?”

“Yes,beautiful,”thewomansaid,thenturningherbigface,“Isn’tshepretty?”sheaskedRobertJordan.“Howdoessheseemtothee?Alittlethin?”

“Tomesheseemsverywell,”RobertJordansaid.Mariafilledhiscupwithwine.“Drinkthat,”shesaid.“Itwillmakemeseemevenbetter.Itisnecessarytodrinkmuchofthatformetoseembeautiful.”

“ThenIhadbetterstop,”RobertJordansaid.“Alreadythouseemestbeautifulandmore.”

“That’sthewaytotalk,”thewomansaid.“Youtalklikethegoodones.Whatmoredoessheseem?”

“Intelligent,”RobertJordansaidlamely.Mariagiggledandthewomanshookherheadsadly.“Howwellyoubeginandhowitends,DonRoberto.”

“Don’tcallmeDonRoberto.”

“Itisajoke.HerewesayDonPabloforajoke.AswesaytheSefíoritaMariaforajoke.”

“Idon’tjokethatway,”RobertJordansaid.“Camaradatomeiswhatallshouldbecalledwithseriousnessinthiswar.Inthejokingcommencesarottenness.”

“Thouartveryreligiousaboutthypolitics,”thewomanteasedhim.“Thoumakestnojokes?”

“Yes.Icaremuchforjokesbutnotintheformofaddress.Itislikeaflag.”

“Icouldmakejokesaboutaflag.Anyflag,”thewomanlaughed.“Tomenoonecanjokeofanything.Theoldflagofyellowandgoldwecalledpusandblood.TheflagoftheRepublicwiththepurpleaddedwecallblood,pusandpermanganate.Itisajoke.”

“HeisaCommunist,”Mariasaid.“Theyareveryseriousgente.”

“AreyouaCommunist?”

“NoIamananti-fascist.”

“Foralongtime?”

“SinceIhaveunderstoodfascism.”

“Howlongisthat?”

“Fornearlytenyears.”

“Thatisnotmuchtime,”thewomansaid.“IhavebeenaRepublicanfortwentyyears.”

“MyfatherwasaRepublicanallhislife,”Mariasaid.“Itwasforthattheyshothim.”

“MyfatherwasalsoaRepublicanallhislife.Alsomygrandfather,”RobertJordansaid.

“Inwhatcountry?”

“TheUnitedStates.”

“Didtheyshootthem?”thewomanasked.

“Quéva,”Mariasaid.“TheUnitedStatesisacountryofRepublicans.Theydon’tshootyouforbeingaRepublicanthere.”

“AllthesameitisagoodthingtohaveagrandfatherwhowasaRepublican,”thewomansaid.“Itshowsagoodblood.”

“MygrandfatherwasontheRepublicannationalcommittee,”RobertJordansaid.ThatimpressedevenMaria.

“AndisthyfatherstillactiveintheRepublic?”Pilarasked.

“No.Heisdead.”

“Canoneaskhowhedied?”

“Heshothimself.”

“Toavoidbeingtortured?”thewomanasked.

“Yes,”RobertJordansaid.“Toavoidbeingtortured.”

Marialookedathimwithtearsinhereyes.“Myfather,”shesaid,“couldnotobtainaweapon.Oh,Iamverygladthatyourfatherhadthegoodfortunetoobtainaweapon.”

“Yes.Itwasprettylucky,”RobertJordansaid.“Shouldwetalkaboutsomethingelse?”

“Thenyouandmewearethesame,”Mariasaid.Sheputherhandonhisarmandlookedinhisface.Helookedatherbrownfaceandattheeyesthat,sincehehadseenthem,hadneverbeenasyoungastherestofherfacebutthatnowweresuddenlyhungryandyoungandwanting.

“Youcouldbebrotherandsisterbythelook,”thewomansaid.“ButIbelieveitisfortunatethatyouarenot.”

“NowIknowwhyIhavefeltasIhave,”Mariasaid.“Nowitisclear.”

“Quéva,”RobertJordansaidandreachingover,heranhishandoverthetopofherhead.Hehadbeenwantingtodothatalldayandnowhedidit,hecouldfeelhisthroatswelling.Shemovedherheadunderhishandandsmiledupathimandhefeltthethickbutsilkyroughnessofthecroppedheadripplingbetweenhisfingers.Thenhishandwasonherneckandthenhedroppedit.

“Doitagain,”shesaid.“Iwantedyoutodothatallday.”

“Later,”RobertJordansaidandhisvoicewasthick.

“Andme,”thewomanofPablosaidinherboomingvoice.“Iamexpectedtowatchallthis?Iamexpectednottobemoved?Onecannot.Forfaultofanythingbetter;thatPabloshouldcomeback.”

Mariatooknonoticeofhernow,noroftheothersplayingcardsatthetablebythecandlelight.

“Doyouwantanothercupofwine,Roberto?”sheasked.

“Yes,”hesaid.“Whynot?”

“You’regoingtohaveadrunkardlikeIhave,”thewomanofPablosaid.“Withthatrarethinghedrankinthecupandall.Listentome,Inglés.”

“NotInglés.American.”

“Listen,then,American.Wheredoyouplantosleep?”

“Outside.Ihaveasleepingrobe.”

“Good,”shesaid.“Thenightisclear?”

“Andwillbecold.”

“Outsidethen,”shesaid.“Sleeptheeoutside.Andthymaterialscansleepwithme.”

“Good,”saidRobertJordan.

“Leaveusforamoment,”RobertJordansaidtothegirlandputhishandonhershoulder.

“Why?”

“IwishtospeaktoPilar.”

“MustIgo?”

“Yes.”

“Whatisit?”thewomanofPablosaidwhenthegirlhadgoneovertothemouthofthecavewhereshestoodbythebigwineskin,watchingthecardplayers.

“ThegypsysaidIshouldhave——”hebegan.

“No,”thewomaninterrupted.“Heismistaken.”

“IfitisnecessarythatI——”RobertJordansaidquietlybutwithdifficulty.

“Theewouldhavedoneit,Ibelieve,”thewomansaid.“Nay,itisnotnecessary.Iwaswatchingthee.Butthyjudgmentwasgood.”

“Butifitisneedful——”

“No,”thewomansaid.“Itellyouitisnotneedful.Themindofthegypsyiscorrupt.”

“Butinweaknessamancanbeagreatdanger.”

“No.Thoudostnotunderstand.Outofthisonehaspassedallcapacityfordanger.”

“Idonotunderstand.”

“Thouartveryyoungstill,”shesaid.“Youwillunderstand.”Then,tothegirl,“Come,Maria.Wearenottalkingmore.”

ThegirlcameoverandRobertJordanreachedhishandoutandpattedherhead.Shestrokedunderhishandlikeakitten.Thenhethoughtthatshewasgoingtocry.Butherlipsdrewupagainandshelookedathimandsmiled.

“Theewoulddowelltogotobednow,”thewomansaidtoRobertJordan.“Thouhasthadalongjourney.”

“Good,”saidRobertJordan.“Iwillgetmythings.”