百年孤独(英文版)-第38部分
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your room。？
Aureliano Jos？did not catch the deep feeling of begging that was in the offer。
“Tell her to wait for me at midnight？he said。 He went to the theater； where a Spanish pany was putting on The Dagger of the Fox； which was really Zorzilla’s play with the title changed by order of Captain Aquiles Ricardo； because the Liberals called the Conservatives Goths。 Only when he handed in his ticket at the door did Aureliano Jos？realize that Captain Aquiles Ricardo and two soldiers armed with rifles were searching the audience。
“Be careful； captain；？Aureliano Jos？warned him。 “The man hasn’t been born yet who can lay hands on me。？The captain tried to search him forcibly and Aureliano Jos？ who was unarmed； began to run。 The soldiers disobeyed the order to shoot。 “He’s a Buendía；？one of them explained。 Blind with rage； the captain then snatched away the rifle； stepped into the center of the street； and took aim。？
“Cowards！？he shouted。 “I only wish it was Colonel Aureliano Buendía。？
Carmelita Montiel； a twentyyearold virgin； had just bathed in orangeblossom water and was strewing rosemary leaves on Pilar Ternera’s bed when the shot rang out。 Aureliano Jos？had been destined to find with her the happiness that Amaranta had denied him； to have seven children； and to die in her arms of old age； but the bullet that entered his back and shattered his chest had been directed by a wrong interpretation of the cards。 Captain Aquiles Ricardo； who was really the one destined to die that night； did indeed die； four hours before Aureliano Jos？ As won as the shot was heard he was brought down by two simultaneous bullets whose origin was never established and a shout of many voices shook the night。
“Long live the Liberal party！ Long live Colonel Aureliano Buendía！？
At twelve o’clock； when Aureliano； Jos？had bled to death and Carmelita Montiel found that the cards showing her future were blank； more than four hundred men had filed past the theater and discharged their revolvers into the abandoned body of Captain Aquiles Ricardo。 A patrol had to use a wheelbarrow to carry the body； which was heavy with lead and fell apart like a watersoaked loaf of bread。
Annoyed by the outrages of the regular army； General Jos？Raquel Moncada used his political influence； put on his uniform again； and assumed the civil and military leadership of Macondo。 He did not expect； however； that his conciliatory attitude would be able to prevent the inevitable。 The news in September was contradictory。 While the government announced that it was maintaining control throughout the country； the Liberals were receiving secret news of armed uprisings in the interior。 The regime would not admit a state of war until it was proclaimed in a decree that had followed a courtmartial which had condemned Colonel Aureliano Buendía to death in absentia。 The first unit that captured him was ordered to carry the sentence out。 “This means he’s e back；？？rsula said joyfully to General Moncada。 But he himself knew nothing about it。
Actually； Colonel Aureliano Buendía had been in the country for more than a month。 He was preceded by conflicting rumors； supposed to be in the most distant places at the same time； and even General Moncada did not believe in his return until it was officially announced that he had seized two states on the coast。 “Congratulations； dear friend；？he told ？rsula； showing her the telegram。 “You’ll soon have him here。？？rsula was worried then for the first time。 “And what will you do？？she asked。 General Moncada had asked himself that same question many times。
“The same as he； my friend；？he answered。 “I’ll do my duty。？
At dawn on the first of October Colonel Aureliano Buendía attacked Macondo with a thousand wellarmed men and the garrison received orders to resist to the end。 At noon； while General Moncada was lunching with ？rsula； a rebel cannon shot that echoed in the whole town blew the front of the municipal treasury to dust。 “They’re as well armed as we are；？General Moncada sighed； “but besides that they’re fighting because they want to。？At two o’clock in the afternoon； while the earth trembled with the artillery fire from both sides； he took leave of ？rsula with the certainty that he was fighting a losing battle。
“I pray to God that you won’t have Aureliano in the house tonight；？he said。 “If it does happen that way； give him an embrace for me； because I don’t expect ever to see him again。？
That night he was captured when he tried to escape from Macondo； after writing a long letter to Colonel Aureliano Buendía in which he reminded him of their mon aim to humanize the war and he wished him a final victory over the corruption of the militarists and the ambitions of the politicians in both parties。 On the following day Colonel Aureliano Buendía had lunch with him in ？rsula’s house； where he was being held until a revolutionary courtmartial decided his fate。 It was a friendly gathering。 But while the adversaries fot the war to remember things of the past； ？rsula had the gloomy feeling that her son was an intruder。 She had felt it ever since she saw him e in protected by a noisy military retinue； which turned the bedrooms inside out until they were convinced there was no danger。 Colonel Aureliano Buendía not only accepted it but he gave strict orders that no one should e closer than ten feet； not even ？rsula； while the members of his escort finished placing guards about the house。 He was wearing an ordinary denim uniform with no insignia of any kind and high boots with spurs that were caked with mud and dried blood。 On his waist he wore a holster with the flap open and his hand； which was always on the butt of the pistol； revealed the same watchful and resolute tension as his look。 His head； with deep recessions in the hairline now； seemed to have been baked in a slow oven。 His face； tanned by the salt of the Caribbean； had acquired a metallic hardness。 He was preserved against imminent old age by a vitality that had something to do with the coldness of his insides。 He was taller than when he had left； paler and bonier； and he showed the first symptoms of resistance to nostalgia。 “Good Lord；？？rsula said to herself。 “Now he looks like a man capable of anything。？He was。 The Aztec shawl that he brought Amaranta； the remembrances he spoke of at lunch； the funny stories her told were simple leftovers from his humor of a different time。 As soon as the order to bury the dead in a mon grave was carried out； he assigned Colonel Roque Carnicero the minion of setting up courtsmartial and he went ahead with the exhausting task of imposing radical reforms which would not leave a stone of the reestablished Conservative regime in place。 “We have to get ahead of the politicians in the party；？he said to his aides。 “When they open their eyes to reality they’ll find acplished facts。？It was then that he decided to review the titles to land that went back a hundred years and he discovered the legalized outrages of his brother； Jos？Arcadio。 He annulled the registrations with a stroke of the pen。 As a last gesture of courtesy； he left his affairs for an hour and visited Rebeca to bring her up to date on what he was determined to do。
In the shadows of her house； the solitary widow who at one time had been the confidante of his repressed loves and whose persistence had saved his life was a specter out of the past。 Encased in black down to her knuckles； with her heart turned to ash； she scarcely knew anything about the war。 Colonel Aureliano Buendía had the impression that the phosphorescence of her bones was showing through her skin and that she moved in an atmosphere of Saint Elmo’s fire； in a stagnant air where one could still note a hidden smell of gunpowder。 He began by advising her to moderate the rigor of her mourning； to ventilate the house； to five the world for the death of Jos？Arcadio。 But Rebeca was already beyond any vanity。 After searching for it uselessly in the taste of earth； in； the perfumed letters from Pietro Crespi； in the tempestuous bed of her husband； she had found peace in that house where memories materialized through the strength of implacable evocation and walked like human beings th
