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.