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.