CHAPTER 29

AnselmofoundRobertJordansittingattheplanktableinsidethecavewithPablooppositehim.Theyhadabowlpouredfullofwinebetweenthemandeachhadacupofwineonthetable.RobertJordanhadhisnotebookoutandhewasholdingapencil.PilarandMariawereinthebackofthecaveoutofsight.TherewasnowayforAnselmotoknowthatthewomanwaskeepingthegirlbacktheretokeepherfromhearingtheconversationandhethoughtthatitwasoddthatPilarwasnotatthetable.

RobertJordanlookedupasAnselmocameinundertheblanketthathungovertheopening.Pablostaredstraightatthetable.Hiseyeswerefocusedonthewinebowlbuthewasnotseeingit.

“Icomefromabove,”AnselmosaidtoRobertJordan.

“Pablohastoldus,”RobertJordansaid.

“Thereweresixdeadonthehillandtheyhadtakentheheads,”Anselmosaid.“Iwasthereinthedark.”

RobertJordannodded.Pablosattherelookingatthewinebowlandsayingnothing.Therewasnoexpressiononhisfaceandhissmallpig-eyeswerelookingatthewinebowlasthoughhehadneverseenonebefore.

“Sitdown,”RobertJordansaidtoAnselmo.

Theoldmansatdownatthetableononeofthehide-coveredstoolsandRobertJordanreachedunderthetableandbroughtupthepinch-bottleofwhiskeythathadbeenthegiftofSordo.Itwasabouthalf-full.RobertJordanreacheddownthetableforacupandpouredadrinkofwhiskeyintoitandshoveditalongthetabletoAnselmo.

“Drinkthat,oldone,”hesaid.

PablolookedfromthewinebowltoAnselmo’sfaceashedrankandthenhelookedbackatthewinebowl.

AsAnselmoswallowedthewhiskeyhefeltaburninginhisnose,hiseyesandhismouth,andthenahappy,comfortingwarmthinhisstomach.Hewipedhismouthwiththebackofhishand.

ThenhelookedatRobertJordanandsaid,“CanIhaveanother?”

“Whynot?”RobertJordansaidandpouredanotherdrinkfromthebottleandhandeditthistimeinsteadofpushingit.

Thistimetherewasnottheburningwhenheswallowedbutthewarmcomfortdoubled.Itwasasgoodathingforhisspiritasasalineinjectionisforamanwhohassufferedagreathemorrhage.

Theoldmanlookedtowardthebottleagain.

“Therestisfortomorrow,”RobertJordansaid.“Whatpassedontheroad,oldone?”

“Therewasmuchmovement,”Anselmosaid.“Ihaveitallnoteddownasyoushowedme.Ihaveonewatchingformeandnotingnow.LaterIwillgoforherreport.”

“Didyouseeanti-tankguns?Thoseonrubbertireswiththelongbarrels?”

“Yes,”Anselmosaid.“Therewerefourcamionswhichpassedontheroad.Ineachofthemtherewassuchagunwithpinebranchesspreadacrossthebarrels.Inthetrucksrodesixmenwitheachgun.”

“Fourguns,yousay?”RobertJordanaskedhim.

“Four,”Anselmosaid.Hedidnotlookathispapers.

“Tellmewhatelsewentuptheroad.”

WhileRobertJordannotedAnselmotoldhimeverythinghehadseenmovepasthimontheroad.Hetolditfromthebeginningandinorderwiththewonderfulmemoryofthosewhocannotreadorwrite,andtwice,whilehewastalking,Pabloreachedoutformorewinefromthebowl.

“TherewasalsothecavalrywhichenteredLaGranjafromthehighcountrywhereElSordofought,”Anselmowenton.

Thenhetoldthenumberofthewoundedhehadseenandthenumberofthedeadacrossthesaddles.

“TherewasabundlepackedacrossonesaddlethatIdidnotunderstand,”hesaid.“ButnowIknowitwastheheads.”Hewentonwithoutpausing.“Itwasasquadronofcavalry.Theyhadonlyoneofficerleft.Hewasnottheonewhowashereintheearlymorningwhenyouwerebythegun.Hemusthavebeenoneofthedead.Twoofthedeadwereofficersbytheirsleeves.Theywerelashedfacedownoverthesaddles,theirarmshanging.AlsotheyhadthemáquinaofElSordotiedtothesaddlethatboretheheads.Thebarrelwasbent.Thatisall,”hefinished.

“Itisenough,”RobertJordansaidanddippedhiscupintothewinebowl.“WhobesideyouhasbeenthroughthelinestothesideoftheRepublic?”

“AndrésandEladio.”

“Whichisthebetterofthosetwo?”

“Andrés.”

“HowlongwouldittakehimtogettoNavacerradafromhere?”

“Carryingnopackandtakinghisprecautions,inthreehourswithluck.Wecamebyalonger,saferroutebecauseofthematerial.”

“Hecansurelymakeit?”

“Nos?thereisnosuchthingassurely.”

“Notfortheeeither?”

“Nay.”

Thatdecidesthat,RobertJordanthoughttohimself.Ifhehadsaidthathecouldmakeitsurely,surelyIwouldhavesenthim.

“Andréscangetthereaswellasthee?”

“Aswellorbetter.Heisyounger.”

“Butthismustabsolutelygetthere.”

“Ifnothinghappenshewillgetthere.Ifanythinghappensitcouldhappentoanyone.”

“Iwillwriteadispatchandsenditbyhim,”RobertJordansaid.“IwillexplaintohimwherehecanfindtheGeneral.HewillbeattheEstadoMayoroftheDivision.”

“Hewillnotunderstandallthisofdivisionsandall,”Anselmosaid.“Alwayshasitconfusedme.HeshouldhavethenameoftheGeneralandwherehecanbefound.”

“ButitisattheEstadoMayoroftheDivisionthathewillbefound.”

“Butisthatnotaplace?”

“Certainlyitisaplace,oldone,”RobertJordanexplainedpatiently.“ButitisaplacetheGeneralwillhaveselected.Itiswherehewillmakehisheadquartersforthebattle.”

“Whereisitthen?”Anselmowastiredandthetirednesswasmakinghimstupid.AlsowordslikeBrigades,Divisions,ArmyCorpsconfusedhim.Firsttherehadbeencolumns,thentherewereregiments,thentherewerebrigades.Nowtherewerebrigadesanddivisions,both.Hedidnotunderstand.Aplacewasaplace.

“Takeitslowly,oldone,”RobertJordansaid.HeknewthatifhecouldnotmakeAnselmounderstandhecouldneverexplainitclearlytoAndréseither.“TheEstadoMayoroftheDivisionisaplacetheGeneralwillhavepickedtosetuphisorganizationtocommand.Hecommandsadivision,whichistwobrigades.IdonotknowwhereitisbecauseIwasnottherewhenitwaspicked.Itwillprobablybeacaveordugout,arefuge,andwireswillruntoit.AndrésmustaskfortheGeneralandfortheEstadoMayoroftheDivision.HemustgivethistotheGeneralortotheChiefofhisEstadoMayorortoanotherwhosenameIwillwrite.Oneofthemwillsurelybethereeveniftheothersareoutinspectingthepreparationsfortheattack.Doyouunderstandnow?”

“Yes.”

“ThengetAndrésandIwillwriteitnowandsealitwiththisseal.”Heshowedhimthesmall,round,wooden-backedrubberstampwiththesealoftheS.I.M.andtheround,tin-coveredinkingpadnobiggerthanafifty-centpiecehecarriedinhispocket.“Thatsealtheywillhonor.GetAndrésnowandIwillexplaintohim.Hemustgoquicklybutfirsthemustunderstand.”

“HewillunderstandifIdo.Butyoumustmakeitveryclear.Thisofstaffsanddivisionsisamysterytome.AlwayshaveIgonetosuchthingsasdefiniteplacessuchasahouse.InNavacerradaitisintheoldhotelwheretheplaceofcommandis.InGuadarramaitisinahousewithagarden.”

“WiththisGeneral,”RobertJordansaid,“itwillbesomeplaceveryclosetothelines.Itwillbeundergroundtoprotectfromtheplanes.Andréswillfinditeasilybyasking,ifheknowswhattoaskfor.HewillonlyneedtoshowwhatIhavewritten.Butfetchhimnowforthisshouldgettherequickly.”

Anselmowentout,duckingunderthehangingblanket.RobertJordancommencedwritinginhisnotebook.

“Listen,Inglé,”Pablosaid,stilllookingatthewinebowl.

“Iamwriting,”RobertJordansaidwithoutlookingup.

“Listen,Inglé,”Pablospokedirectlytothewinebowl.“Thereisnoneedtobedisheartenedinthis.WithoutSordowehaveplentyofpeopletotakethepostsandblowthybridge.”

“Good,”RobertJordansaidwithoutstoppingwriting.

“Plenty,”Pablosaid.“Ihaveadmiredthyjudgmentmuchtoday,Inglé,”Pablotoldthewinebowl.“Ithinkthouhastmuchpicardia.ThatthouartsmarterthanIam.Ihaveconfidenceinthee.”

ConcentratingonhisreporttoGolz,tryingtoputitinthefewestwordsandstillmakeitabsolutelyconvincing,tryingtoputitsotheattackwouldbecancelled,absolutely,yetconvincethemhewasn’ttryingtohaveitcalledoffbecauseofanyfearshemighthaveaboutthedangerofhisownmission,butwishedonlytoputtheminpossessionofallthefacts,RobertJordanwashardlyhalflistening.

“Inglé,”Pablosaid.

“Iamwriting,”RobertJordantoldhimwithoutlookingup.

Iprobablyshouldsendtwocopies,hethought.ButifIdowewillnothaveenoughpeopletoblowitifIhavetoblowit.WhatdoIknowaboutwhythisattackismade?Maybeitisonlyaholdingattack.Maybetheywanttodrawthosetroopsfromsomewhereelse.PerhapstheymakeittodrawthoseplanesfromtheNorth.Maybethatiswhatitisabout.Perhapsitisnotexpectedtosucceed.WhatdoIknowaboutit?ThisismyreporttoGolz.Idonotblowthebridgeuntiltheattackstarts.MyordersareclearandiftheattackiscalledoffIblownothing.ButI’vegottokeepenoughpeoplehereforthebareminimumnecessarytocarrytheordersout.

“Whatdidyousay?”heaskedPablo.

“ThatIhaveconfidence,Inglé.”Pablowasstilladdressingthewinebowl.

Man,IwishIhad,RobertJordanthought.Hewentonwriting.