百年孤独(英文版)-第94部分

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he　only　one　who　did　not　think　that　he　was　making　fun　of　somebody。　Even　the　proprietress；　who　normally　did　not　take　part　in　the　conversation　argued　with　a　madam’s　wrathful　passion　that　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía；　of　whom　she　had　indeed　heard　speak　at　some　time；　was　a　figure　invented　by　the　government　as　a　pretext　for　killing　Liberals。　Gabriel；　on　the　other　hand；　did　not　doubt　the　reality　of　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía　because　he　had　been　a　panion　in　arms　and　inseparable　friend　of　his　greatgreatgrandfather　Colonel　Gerineldo　Márquez。　Those　fickle　tricks　of　memory　were　even　more　critical　when　the　killing　of　the　workers　was　brought　up。　Every　time　that　Aureliano　mentioned　the　matter；　not　only　the　proprietress　but　some　people　older　than　she　would　repudiate　the　myth　of　the　workers　hemmed　in　at　the　station　and　the　train　with　two　hundred　cars　loaded　with　dead　people；　and　they　would　even　insist　that；　after　all；　everything　had　been　set　forth　in　judicial　documents　and　in　primaryschool　textbooks：　that　the　banana　pany　had　never　existed。　So　that　Aureliano　and　Gabriel　were　linked　by　a　kind　of　plicity　based　on　real　facts　that　no　one　believed　in；　and　which　had　affected　their　lives　to　the　point　that　both　of　them　found　themselves　off　course　in　the　tide　of　a　world　that　had　ended　and　of　which　only　the　nostalgia　remained。　Gabriel　would　sleep　wherever　time　overtook　him。　Aureliano　put　him　up　several　times　in　the　silver　workshop；　but　he　would　spend　his　nights　awake；　disturbed　by　the　noise　of　the　dead　people　who　walked　through　the　bedrooms　until　dawn。　Later　he　turned　him　over　to　Nigromanta；　who　took　him　to　her　wellused　room　when　she　was　free　and　put　down　his　account　with　vertical　marks　behind　the　door　in　the　few　spaces　left　free　by　Aureliano’s　debts。
　　　In　spite　of　their　disordered　life；　the　whole　group　tried　to　do　something　permanent　at　the　urging　of　the　wise　Catalonian。　It　was　he；　with　his　experience　as　a　former　professor　of　classical　literature　and　his　storehouse　of　rare　books；　who　got　them　to　spend　a　whole　night　in　search　of　the　thirtyseventh　dramatic　situation　in　a　town　where　no　one　had　any　interest　any　more　in　going　beyond　primary　school。　Fascinated　by　the　discovery　of　friendship；　bewildered　by　the　enchantments　of　a　world　which　had　been　forbidden　to　him　by　Fernanda’s　meanness；　Aureliano　abandoned　the　scrutiny　of　the　parchments　precisely　when　they　were　beginning　to　reveal　themselves　as　predictions　in　coded　lines　of　poetry。　But　the　subsequent　proof　that　there　was　time　enough　for　everything　without　having　to　give　up　the　brothels　gave　him　the　drive　to　return　to　Melquíades？room；　having　decided　not　to　flag　in　his　efforts　until　he　had　discovered　the　last　keys。　That　was　during　the　time　that　Gaston　began　to　wait　for　the　airplane　and　Amaranta　？rsula　was　so　lonely　that　one　morning　she　appeared　in　the　room。
　　　“Hello；　cannibal；？she　said　to　him。　“Back　in　your　cave　again？？
　　　She　was　irresistible；　with　a　dress　she　had　designed　and　one　of　the　long　shadvertebra　necklaces　that　she　herself　had　made。　She　had　stopped　using　the　leash；　convinced　of　her　husband’s　faithfulness；　and　for　the　first　time　since　her　return　she　seemed　to　have　a　moment　of　ease。　Aureliano　did　not　need　to　see　her　to　know　that　she　had　arrived。　She　put　her　elbows　on　the　table；　so　close　and　so　helpless　that　Aureliano　heard　the　deep　sound　of　her　bones；　and　she　became　interested　in　the　parchments。　Trying　to　overe　his　disturbance；　he　grasped　at　the　voice　that　he　was　losing；　the　life　that　was　leaving　him；　the　memory　that　was　turning　into　a　petrified　polyp；　and　he　spoke　to　her　about　the　priestly　destiny　of　Sanskrit；　the　scientific　possibility　of　seeing　the　future　showing　through　in　time　as　one　sees　what　is　written　on　the　back　of　a　sheet　of　paper　through　the　light；　the　necessity　of　deciphering　the　predictions　so　that　they　would　not　defeat　themselves；　and　the　Centuries　of　Nostradamus　and　the　destruction　of　Cantabria　predicted　by　Saint　Milanus。　Suddenly；　without　interrupting　the　chat；　moved　by　an　impulse　that　had　been　sleeping　in　him　since　his　origins；　Aureliano　put　his　hand　on　hers；　thinking　that　that　final　decision　would　put　an　end　to　his　doubts。　She　grabbed　his　index　finger　with　the　affectionate　innocence　with　which　she　had　done　so　in　childhood；　however；　and　she　held　it　while　he　kept　on　answering　questions。　They　remained　like　that；　linked　by　icy　index　fingers　that　did　not　transmit　anything　in　any　way　until　she　awoke　from　her　momentary　dream　and　slapped　her　forehead　with　her　hand。　“The　ants！？she　exclaimed。　And　then　she　fot　about　the　manuscripts；　went　to　the　door　with　a　dance　step；　and　from　there　she　threw　Aureliano　a　kiss　with　the　tips　of　her　fingers　as　she　had　said　goodbye　to　her　father　on　the　afternoon　when　they　sent　her　to　Brussels。
　　　“You　can　tell　me　later；？she　said。　“I　fot　that　today’s　the　day　to　put　quicklime　on　the　anthills。？
　　　She　continued　going　to　the　room　occasionally　when　she　had　something　to　do　in　that　part　of　the　house　and　she　would　stay　there　for　a　few　minutes　while　her　husband　continued　to　scrutinize　the　sky。　Encouraged　by　that　change；　Aureliano　stayed　to　eat　with　the　family　at　that　time　as　he　had　not　done　since　the　first　months　of　Amaranta　？rsula’s　return。　Gaston　was　pleased。　During　the　conversations　after　meals；　which　usually　went　on　for　more　than　an　hour；　he　plained　that　his　partners　were　deceiving　him。　They　had　informed　him　of　the　loading　of　the　airplane　on　board　a　ship　that　did　not　arrive；　and　although　his　shipping　agents　insisted；　that　it　would　never　arrive　because　it　was　not　on　the　list　of　Caribbean　ships；　his　partners　insisted　that　the　shipment　was　correct　and　they　even　insinuated　that　Gaston　was　lying　to　them　in　his　letters。　The　correspondence　reached　such　a　degree　of　mutual　suspicion　that　Gaston　decided　not　to　write　again　and　he　began　to　suggest　the　possibility　of　a　quick　trip　to　Brussels　to　clear　things　up　and　return　with　the　airplane。　The　plan　evaporated；　however；　as　soon　as　Amaranta　？rsula　reiterated　her　decision　not　to　move　from　Macondo　even　if　she　lost　a　husband。　During　the　first　days　Aureliano　shared　the　general　opinion　that　Gaston　was　a　fool　on　a　velocipede；　and　that　brought　on　a　vague　feeling　of　pity。　Later；　when　he　obtained　deeper　information　on　the　nature　of　men　in　the　brothels；　he　thought　that　Gaston’s　meekness　had　its　origins　in　unbridled　passion。　But　when　he　came　to　know　him　better　and　realized　his　true　character　was　the　opposite　of　his　submissive　conduct；　he　conceived　the　malicious　suspicion　that　even　the　wait　for　the　airplane　was　an　act。　Then　he　thought　that　Gaston　was　not　as　foolish　as　he　appeared；　but；　quite　the　contrary；　was　a　man　of　infinite　steadiness；　ability；　and　patience　who　had　set　about　to　conquer　his　wife　with　the　weariness　of　eternal　agreement；　of　never　saying　no；　of　simulating　a　limitless　conformity；　letting　her　bee　enmeshed　in　her　own　web　until　the　day　she　could　no　longer　bear　the　tedium　of　the　illusions　close　at　hand　and　would　pack　the　bags　herself　to　go　back　to　Europe。　Aureliano’s　former　pity　turned　into　a　violent　dislike。　Gaston’s　system　seemed　so　perverse　to　him；　but　at　the　same　time　so　effective；　that　he　ventured　to　warn　Amaranta　？rsula。　She　made　fun　of　his　suspicions；　however；　without　even　noticing　the　heavy　weight　of　love；　uncertainty；　and　jealousy　that　he　had　inside。　It　had　not　occurred　to　her　that　she　was　arousing　something　more　than　fraternal　affection　in　Aureliano　until　she　pricked　her　finger　trying　to　open　a　can　of　peaches　and　he　dashed　over　to　suck　the　blood　out　with　an　avidity　and　a　devotion　that　sent　a　chill　up　her　spine。
　　　“Aureliano！？She　laughed；　disturbed。　“You’re　too　suspicious　to　be　a　good　bat。？
　　　Then　Aureliano　went　all　out。　Giving　her　some　small；　orphaned　kisses　in　the　hollow　of　her　wounded　hand；　he　opened　up　the　most　hidden　passageways　of　his　heart　and　drew　out　an　interminable　and　lacerated　intestine；　the　terrible　parasitic　animal　that　had　incubated　in　his　martyrdom。　He　told　her　how　he　would　get　up　at　midnight　to　weep　in　loneliness　and　rage　over　the　underwear　that　she　had　left　to　dry　in　the　bathroom。　He　told　her　about　the　anxiety　with　which　he　had　asked　Nigromanta　to　howl　like　a　cat　and　sob　gaston　gaston　gaston　in　his　ear；　and　with　how　much　astuteness　he　had　ransacked　her　vials　of　perfume　so　that　he　could　smel