CHAPTER 36

Andréshadchallengedatthegovernmentposition.Thatis,hehadlaindownwherethegroundfellsharplyawaybelowthetriplebeltofwireandshoutedupattherockandearthparapet.Therewasnocontinualdefensivelineandhecouldeasilyhavepassedthispositioninthedarkandmadehiswayfartherintothegovernmentterritorybeforerunningintosomeonewhowouldchallengehim.Butitseemedsaferandsimplertogetitoverhere.

「Salud!」hehadshouted.「Salud,milicianos!」

Heheardaboltsnickasitwaspulledback.Then,fromfartherdowntheparapet,ariflefired.Therewasacrashingcrackandadownwardstabofyellowinthedark.Andréshadflattenedattheclick,thetopofhisheadhardagainsttheground.

「Don』tshoot,Comrades,」Andrésshouted.「Don』tshoot!Iwanttocomein.」

「Howmanyareyou?」someonecalledfrombehindtheparapet.

「One.Me.Alone.」

「Whoareyou?」

「AndrésLopezofVillaconejos.FromthebandofPablo.Withamessage.」

「Haveyouyourrifleandequipment?」

「Yes,man.」

「Wecantakeinnonewithoutrifleandequipment,」thevoicesaid.「Norinlargergroupsthanthree.」

「Iamalone,」Andrésshouted.「Itisimportant.Letmecomein.」

Hecouldhearthemtalkingbehindtheparapetbutnotwhattheyweresaying.Thenthevoiceshoutedagain,「Howmanyareyou?」

「One.Me.Alone.FortheloveofGod.」

Theyweretalkingbehindtheparapetagain.Thenthevoicecame,「Listen,fascist.」

「Iamnotafascist,」Andrésshouted.「IamaguerrillerofromthebandofPablo.IcomewithamessagefortheGeneralStaff.」

「He』scrazy,」heheardsomeonesay.「Tossabombathim.」

「Listen,」Andréssaid.「Iamalone.Iamcompletelybymyself.IobscenityinthemidstoftheholymysteriesthatIamalone.Letmecomein.」

「HespeakslikeaChristian,」heheardsomeonesayandlaugh.

Thensomeoneelsesaid,「Thebestthingistotossabombdownonhim.」

「No,」Andrésshouted.「Thatwouldbeagreatmistake.Thisisimportant.Letmecomein.」

Itwasforthisreasonthathehadneverenjoyedtripsbackandforthbetweenthelines.Sometimesitwasbetterthanothers.Butitwasnevergood.

「Youarealone?」thevoicecalleddownagain.

「Mecagoenlaleche,」Andrésshouted.「HowmanytimesmustItellthee?IAMALONE.」

「Thenifyoushouldbealonestandupandholdthyrifleoverthyhead.」

Andrésstoodupandputthecarbineabovehishead,holdingitinbothhands.

「Nowcomethroughthewire.Wehavetheecoveredwiththemáquina,」thevoicecalled.

Andréswasinthefirstzigzagbeltofwire.「Ineedmyhandstogetthroughthewire,」heshouted.

「Keepthemup,」thevoicecommanded.

「Iamheldfastbythewire,」Andréscalled.

「Itwouldhavebeensimplertohavethrownabombathim,」avoicesaid.

「Lethimslinghisrifle,」anothervoicesaid.「Hecannotcomethroughtherewithhishandsabovehishead.Usealittlereason.」

「Allthesefascistsarethesame,」theothervoicesaid.「Theydemandoneconditionafteranother.」

「Listen,」Andrésshouted.「IamnofascistbutaguerrillerofromthebandofPablo.We』vekilledmorefasciststhanthetyphus.」

「IhaveneverheardofthebandofPablo,」themanwhowasevidentlyincommandofthepostsaid.「NeitherofPeternorofPaulnorofanyoftheothersaintsnorapostles.Noroftheirbands.Slingthyrifleoverthyshoulderandusethyhandstocomethroughthewire.」

「Beforeweloosethemáquinaonthee,」anothershouted.

「Quépocoamablessois!」Andréssaid.「You』renotveryamiable.」

Hewasworkinghiswaythroughthewire.

「Amables,」someoneshoutedathim.「Weareinawar,man.」

「Itbeginstoappearso,」Andréssaid.

「What』shesay?」

Andrésheardaboltclickagain.

「Nothing,」heshouted.「Isaynothing.DonotshootuntilIgetthroughthisfornicatingwire.」

「Don』tspeakbadlyofourwire,」someoneshouted.「Orwe』lltossabombonyou.」

「Quierodecir,québuenaalambrada,」Andrésshouted.「Whatbeautifulwire.Godinalatrine.Whatlovelywire.SoonIwillbewiththee,brothers.」

「Throwabombathim,」heheardtheonevoicesay.「Itellyouthat』sthesoundestwaytodealwiththewholething.」

「Brothers,」Andréssaid.Hewaswetthroughwithsweatandheknewthebombadvocatewasperfectlycapableoftossingagrenadeatanymoment.「Ihavenoimportance.」

「Ibelieveit,」thebombmansaid.

「Youareright,」Andréssaid.Hewasworkingcarefullythroughthethirdbeltofwireandhewasveryclosetotheparapet.「Ihavenoimportanceofanykind.Buttheaffairisserious.Muy,muyserio.」

「Thereisnomoreseriousthingthanliberty,」thebombmanshouted.「Thouthinkestthereisanythingmoreseriousthanliberty?」heaskedchallengingly.

「No,man,」Andréssaid,relieved.Heknewnowhewasupagainstthecrazies;theoneswiththeblack-and-redscarves.「VivalaLibertad!」

「VivalaF.A.I.VivalaC.N.T.,」theyshoutedbackathimfromtheparapet.「Vivaelanarco-sindicalismoandliberty.」

「Vivanosotros,」Andrésshouted.「Longlifetous.」

「Heisacoreligionaryofours,」thebombmansaid.「AndImighthavekilledhimwiththis.」

HelookedatthegrenadeinhishandandwasdeeplymovedasAndrésclimbedovertheparapet.Puttinghisarmsaroundhim,thegrenadestillinonehand,sothatitrestedagainstAndrés『sshoulderbladeasheembracedhim,thebombmankissedhimonbothcheeks.

「Iamcontentthatnothinghappenedtothee,brother,」hesaid.「Iamverycontent.」

「Whereisthyofficer?」Andrésasked.

「Icommandhere,」amansaid.「Letmeseethypapers.」

Hetookthemintoadugoutandlookedatthemwiththelightofacandle.TherewasthelittlesquareoffoldedsilkwiththecolorsoftheRepublicandthesealoftheS.I.M.inthecenter.TherewastheSalvoconductoorsafe-conductpassgivinghisname,age,height,birthplaceandmissionthatRobertJordanhadwrittenoutonasheetfromhisnotebookandsealedwiththeS.I.M.rubberstampandtherewerethefourfoldedsheetsofthedispatchtoGolzwhichweretiedaroundwithacordandsealedwithwaxandtheimpressionofthemetalS.I.M.sealthatwassetinthetopendofthewoodenhandleoftherubberstamp.

「ThisIhaveseen,」themanincommandofthepostsaidandhandedbackthepieceofsilk.「Thisyouallhave,Iknow.Butitspossessionprovesnothingwithoutthis.」HeliftedtheSalvoconductoandreaditthroughagain.「Wherewereyouborn?」

「Villaconejos,」Andréssaid.

「Andwhatdotheyraisethere?」

「Melons,」Andréssaid.「Asalltheworldknows.」

「Whodoyouknowthere?」

「Why?Areyoufromthere?」

「Nay.ButIhavebeenthere.IamfromAranjuez.」

「Askmeaboutanyone.」

「DescribeJoséRincon.」

「Whokeepsthebodega?」

「Naturally.」

「Withashavedheadandabigbellyandacastinoneeye.」

「Thenthisisvalid,」themansaidandhandedhimbackthepaper.「Butwhatdoyoudoontheirside?」

「OurfatherhadinstalledhimselfatVillacastínbeforethemovement,」Andréssaid.「Downtherebeyondthemountainsontheplain.Itwasthereweweresurprisedbythemovement.SincethemovementIhavefoughtwiththebandofPablo.ButIaminagreathurry,man,totakethatdispatch.」

「Howgoesitinthecountryofthefascists?」themancommandingasked.Hewasinnohurry.

「Todaywehadmuchtomate,」Andréssaidproudly.「Todaytherewasplentyofdustontheroadallday.TodaytheywipedoutthebandofSordo.」

「AndwhoisSordo?」theotheraskeddeprecatingly.

「Theleaderofoneofthebestbandsinthemountains.」

「AllofyoushouldcomeintotheRepublicandjointhearmy,」theofficersaid.「Thereistoomuchofthissillyguerillanonsensegoingon.AllofyoushouldcomeinandsubmittoourLibertariandiscipline.Thenwhenwewishedtosendoutguerillaswewouldsendthemoutastheyareneeded.」

Andréswasamanendowedwithalmostsupremepatience.Hehadtakenthecominginthroughthewirecalmly.Noneofthisexaminationhadflusteredhim.Hefounditperfectlynormalthatthismanshouldhavenounderstandingofthemnorofwhattheyweredoingandthatheshouldtalkidiocywastobeexpected.Thatitshouldallgoslowlyshouldbeexpectedtoo;butnowhewishedtogo.

「Listen,Compadre,」hesaid.「Itisverypossiblethatyouareright.ButIhaveorderstodeliverthatdispatchtotheGeneralcommandingtheThirty-FifthDivision,whichmakesanattackatdaylightinthesehillsanditisalreadylateatnightandImustgo.」

「Whatattack?Whatdoyouknowofanattack?」

「Nay.Iknownothing.ButImustgonowtoNavacerradaandgoonfromthere.Wiltthousendmetothycommanderwhowillgivemetransporttogoonfromthere?Sendonewithmenowtorespondtohimthattherebenodelay.」

「Idistrustallofthisgreatly,」hesaid.「Itmighthavebeenbettertohaveshottheeasthouapproachedthewire.」

「Youhaveseenmypapers,Comrade,andIhaveexplainedmymission,」Andréstoldhimpatiently.

「Paperscanbeforged,」theofficersaid.「Anyfascistcouldinventsuchamission.IwillgowiththeemyselftotheCommander.」

「Good,」Andréssaid.「Thatyoushouldcome.Butthatweshouldgoquickly.」

「Thou,Sanchez.Thoucommandestinmyplace,」theofficersaid.「ThouknowestthydutiesaswellasIdo.Itakethisso-calledComradetotheCommander.」

TheystarteddowntheshallowtrenchbehindthecrestofthehillandinthedarkAndréssmeltthefoulnessthedefendersofthehillcresthadmadeallthroughthebrackenonthatslope.Hedidnotlikethesepeoplewhowerelikedangerouschildren;dirty,foul,undisciplined,kind,loving,sillyandignorantbutalwaysdangerousbecausetheywerearmed.He,Andrés,waswithoutpoliticsexceptthathewasfortheRepublic.Hehadheardthesepeopletalkmanytimesandhethoughtwhattheysaidwasoftenbeautifulandfinetohearbuthedidnotlikethem.Itisnotlibertynottoburythemessonemakes,hethought.Noanimalhasmorelibertythanthecat;butitburiesthemessitmakes.Thecatisthebestanarchist.UntiltheylearnthatfromthecatIcannotrespectthem.

Aheadofhimtheofficerstoppedsuddenly.

「Youhaveyourcarabinestill,」hesaid.

「Yes,」Andréssaid.「Whynot?」

「Giveittome,」theofficersaid.「Youcouldshootmeinthebackwithit.」

「Why?」Andrésaskedhim.「WhywouldIshoottheeintheback?」

「Oneneverknows,」theofficersaid.「Itrustnoone.Givemethecarbine.」

Andrésunslungitandhandedittohim.

「Ifitpleasestheetocarryit,」hesaid.

「Itisbetter,」theofficersaid.「Wearesaferthatway.」

Theywentondownthehillinthedark.