CHAPTER 33

Itwastwoo』clockinthemorningwhenPilarwakedhim.Asherhandtouchedhimhethought,atfirst,itwasMariaandherolledtowardherandsaid,「Rabbit.」Thenthewoman』sbighandshookhisshoulderandhewassuddenly,completelyandabsolutelyawakeandhishandwasaroundthebuttofthepistolthatlayalongsideofhisbarerightlegandallofhimwasascockedasthepistolwithitssafetycatchslippedoff.

InthedarkhesawitwasPilarandhelookedatthedialofhiswristwatchwiththetwohandsshiningintheshortangleclosetothetopandseeingitwasonlytwo,hesaid,「Whatpasseswiththee,woman?」

「Pabloisgone,」thebigwomansaidtohim.

RobertJordanputonhistrousersandshoes.Mariahadnotwaked.

「When?」heasked.

「Itmustbeanhour.」

「And?」

「Hehastakensomethingofthine,」thewomansaidmiserably.

「So.What?」

「Idonotknow,」shetoldhim.「Comeandsee.」

Inthedarktheywalkedovertotheentranceofthecave,duckedundertheblanketandwentin.RobertJordanfollowedherinthedead-ashes,bad-airandsleeping-mensmellofthecave,shininghiselectrictorchsothathewouldnotsteponanyofthosewhoweresleepingonthefloor.Anselmowokeandsaid,「Isittime?」

「No,」RobertJordanwhispered.「Sleep,oldone.」

ThetwosackswereattheheadofPilar』sbedwhichwasscreenedoffwithahangingblanketfromtherestofthecave.Thebedsmeltstaleandsweat-driedandsickly-sweetthewayanIndian』sbeddoesasRobertJordankneltonitandshonethetorchonthetwosacks.Therewasalongslitfromtoptobottomineachone.Holdingthetorchinhislefthand,RobertJordanfeltinthefirstsackwithhisrighthand.Thiswastheonethathecarriedhisrobeinanditshouldnotbeveryfull.Itwasnotveryfull.Therewassomewireinitstillbutthesquarewoodenboxoftheexploderwasgone.Sowasthecigarboxwiththecarefullywrappedandpackeddetonators.Sowasthescrew-toptinwiththefuseandthecaps.

RobertJordanfeltintheothersack.Itwasstillfullofexplosive.Theremightbeonepacketmissing.

Hestoodupandturnedtothewoman.Thereisahollowemptyfeelingthatamancanhavewhenheiswakedtooearlyinthemorningthatisalmostlikethefeelingofdisasterandhehadthismultipliedathousandtimes.

「Andthisiswhatyoucallguardingone』smaterials,」hesaid.

「Isleptwithmyheadagainstthemandonearmtouchingthem,」Pilartoldhim.

「Yousleptwell.」

「Listen,」thewomansaid.「HegotupinthenightandIsaid,『Wheredoyougo,Pablo?』『Tourinate,woman,』hetoldmeandIsleptagain.WhenIwokeagainIdidnotknowwhattimehadpassedbutIthought,whenhewasnotthere,thathehadgonedowntolookatthehorsesaswashiscustom.Then,」shefinishedmiserably,「whenhedidnotcomeIworriedandwhenIworriedIfeltofthesackstobesureallwaswellandthereweretheslitplacesandIcametothee.」

「Comeon,」RobertJordansaid.

Theywereoutsidenowanditwasstillsonearthemiddleofthenightthatyoucouldnotfeelthemorningcoming.

「Canhegetoutwiththehorsesotherwaysthanbythesentry?」

「Twoways.」

「Who』satthetop?」

「Eladio.」

RobertJordansaidnothingmoreuntiltheyreachedthemeadowwherethehorseswerestakedouttofeed.Therewerethreehorsesfeedinginthemeadow.Thebigbayandthegrayweregone.

「Howlongagodoyouthinkitwasheleftyou?」

「Itmusthavebeenanhour.」

「Thenthatisthat,」RobertJordansaid.「Igotogetwhatisleftofmysacksandgobacktobed.」

「Iwillguardthem.」

「Quéva,youwillguardthem.You』veguardedthemoncealready.」

「Inglé,」thewomansaid,「Ifeelinregardtothisasyoudo.ThereisnothingIwouldnotdotobringbackthyproperty.Youhavenoneedtohurtme.WehavebothbeenbetrayedbyPablo.」

AsshesaidthisRobertJordanrealizedthathecouldnotaffordtheluxuryofbeingbitter,thathecouldnotquarrelwiththiswoman.Hehadtoworkwiththiswomanonthatdaythatwasalreadytwohoursandmoregone.

Heputhishandonhershoulder.「Itisnothing,Pilar,」hetoldher.「Whatisgoneisofsmallimportance.Weshallimprovisesomethingthatwilldoaswell.」

「Butwhatdidhetake?」

「Nothing,woman.Someluxuriesthatonepermitsoneself.」

「Wasitpartofthymechanismfortheexploding?」

「Yes.Butthereareotherwaystodotheexploding.Tellme,didPablonothavecapsandfuse?Surelytheywouldhaveequippedhimwiththose?」

「Hehastakenthem,」shesaidmiserably.「Ilookedatonceforthem.Theyaregone,too.」

Theywalkedbackthroughthewoodstotheentranceofthecave.

「Getsomesleep,」hesaid.「WearebetteroffwithPablogone.」

「IgotoseeEladio.」

「Hewillhavegoneanotherway.」

「Igoanyway.Ihavebetrayedtheewithmylackofsmartness.」

「Nay,」hesaid.「Getsomesleep,woman.Wemustbeunderwayatfour.」

Hewentintothecavewithherandbroughtoutthetwosacks,carryingthemheldtogetherinbotharmssothatnothingcouldspillfromtheslits.

「Letmesewthemup.」

「Beforewestart,」hesaidsoftly.「ItakethemnotagainstyoubutsothatIcansleep.」

「Imusthavethemearlytosewthem.」

「Youshallhavethemearly,」hetoldher.「Getsomesleep,woman.」

「Nay,」shesaid.「IhavefailedtheeandIhavefailedtheRepublic.」

「Gettheesomesleep,woman,」hetoldhergently.「Gettheesomesleep.」