按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
igades。〃
〃_Apesar de eso； est帷oco_；〃 the corporal of the guard said。 〃All the same he's crazy。 What do you behind the fascist lines？〃
〃This comrade is a guerilla from there；〃 Gomez told him while the man searched him。 〃He brings a dispatch to General Golz。 Guard well my papers。 Be careful with that money and that bullet on the string。 It is from my first wound at Guadarama。〃
〃Don't worry；〃 the corporal said。 〃Everything will be in this drawer。 Why didn't you ask me where Golz was？〃
〃We tried to。 I asked the sentry and he called you。〃
〃But then came the crazy and you asked him。 No one should ask him anything。 He is crazy。 Thy Golz is up the road three kilometers from here and to the right in the rocks of the forest。〃
〃Can you not let us go to him now？〃
〃Nay。 It would be my head。 I must take thee to the crazy。 Besides； he has thy dispatch。〃
〃Can you not tell some one？〃
〃Yes；〃 the corporal said。 〃I will tell the first responsible one I see。 All know that he is crazy。〃
〃I had always taken him for a great figure；〃 Gomez said。 〃For one of the glories of France。〃
〃He may be a glory and all；〃 the corporal said and put his hand on Andr閟's shoulder。 〃But he is crazy as a bedbug。 He has a mania for shooting people。〃
〃Truly shooting them？〃
〃_Como lo oyes_；〃 the corporal said。 〃That old one kills more than the bubonic plague。 _Mata m醩 que la peste bubonica_。 But he doesn't kill fascists like we do。 _Qu椤a_。 Not in joke。 _Mata bichos raros_。 He kills rare things。 Trotzkyites。 Divagationers。 Any type of rare beasts。〃
Andr閟 did not understand any of this。
〃When we were at Escorial we shot I don't know how many for him；〃 the corporal said。 〃We always furnish the firing party。 The men of the Brigades would not shoot their own men。 Especially the French。 To avoid difficulties it is always us who do it。 We shot French。 We have shot Belgians。 We have shot others of divers nationality。 Of all types。 _Tiene mania de fusilar gente_。 Always for political things。 He's crazy。 _Purifica m醩 que el Salvars醤_。 He purifies more than Salvarsan。〃
〃But you will tell some one of this dispatch？〃
〃Yes； man。 Surely。 I know every one of these two Brigades。 Every one comes through here。 I know even up to and through the Russians； although only a few speak Spanish。 We will keep this crazy from shooting Spaniards。〃
〃But the dispatch。〃
〃The dispatch； too。 Do not worry； Comrade。 We know how to deal with this crazy。 He is only dangerous with his own people。 We understand him now。〃
〃Bring in the two prisoners；〃 came the voice of Andr椤arty。
〃_Quereis echar un trago？_〃 the corporal asked。 〃Do you want a drink？〃
〃Why not？〃
The corporal took a bottle of anis from a cupboard and both Gomez and Andr閟 drank。 So did the corporal。 He wiped his mouth on his hand。
〃_Vamonos_；〃 he said。
They went out of the guard room with the swallowed burn of the anis warming their mouths； their bellies and their hearts and walked down the hall and entered the room where Marty sat behind a long table； his map spread in front of him； his red…and…blue pencil； with which he played at being a general officer； in his hand。 To Andr閟 it was only one more thing。 There had been many tonight。 There were always many。 If your papers were in order and your heart was good you were in no danger。 Eventually they turned you loose and you were on your way。 But the _Ingl閟_ had said to hurry。 He knew now he could never get back for the bridge but they had a dispatch to deliver and this old man there at the table had put it in his pocket。
〃Stand there；〃 Marty said without looking up。
〃Listen； Comrade Marty；〃 Gomez broke out； the anis fortifying his anger。 〃Once tonight we have been impeded by the ignorance of the anarchists。 Then by the sloth of a bureaucratic fascist。 Now by the oversuspicion of a Communist。〃
〃Close your mouth；〃 Marty said without looking up。 〃This is not a meeting。〃
〃Comrade Marty； this is a matter of utmost urgence；〃 Gomez said。 〃Of the greatest importance。〃
The corporal and the soldier with them were taking a lively interest in this as though they were at a play they had seen many times but whose excellent moments they could always savor。
〃Everything is of urgence；〃 Marty said。 〃All things are of importance。〃 Now he looked up at them； holding the pencil。 〃How did you know Golz was here？ Do you understand how serious it is to come asking for an individual general before an attack？ How could you know such a general would be here？〃
〃Tell him； _tu_；〃 Gomez said to Andr閟。
〃Comrade General；〃 Andr閟 startedAndr椤arty did not correct him in the mistake in rank〃I was given that packet on the other side of the lines〃
〃On the other side of the lines？〃 Marty said。 〃Yes； I heard him say you came from the fascist lines。〃
〃It was given to me； Comrade General； by an _Ingl閟_ named Roberto who had come to us as a dynamiter for this of the bridge。 Understandeth？〃
〃Continue thy story；〃 Marty said to Andr閟； using the term story as you would say lie； falsehood； or fabrication。
〃Well； Comrade General； the _Ingl閟_ told me to bring it to the General Golz with all speed。 He makes an attack in these hills now on this day and all we ask is to take it to him now promptly if it pleases the Comrade General。〃
Marty shook his head again。 He was looking at Andr閟 but he was not seeing him。
Golz； he thought in a mixture of horror and exultation as a man might feel hearing that a business enemy had been killed in a particularly nasty motor accident or that some one you hated but whose probity you had never doubted had been guilty of defalcation。 That Golz should be one of them； too。 That Golz should be in such obvious communication with the fascists。 Golz that he had known for nearly twenty years。 Golz who had captured the gold train that winter with Lucacz in Siberia。 Golz who had fought against Kolchak； and in Poland。 In the Caucasus。 In China； and here since the first October。 But he _had_ been close to Tukachevsky。 To Voroshilov； yes； too。 But to Tukachevsky。 And to who else？ Here to Karkov； of course。 And to Lucacz。 But all the Hungarians had been intriguers。 He hated Gall。 Golz hated Gall。 Remember that。 Make a note of that。 Golz has always hated Gall。 But he favors Putz。 Remember that。 And Duval is his chief of staff。 See what stems from that。 You've heard him say Copic's a fool。 That is definitive。 That exists。 And now this dispatch from the fascist lines。 Only by pruning out of these rotten branches can the tree remain healthy and grow。 The rot must become apparent for it is to be destroyed。 But Golz of all men。 That Golz should be one of the traitors。 He knew that you could trust no one。 No one。 Ever。 Not your wife。 Not your brother。 Not your oldest comrade。 No one。 Ever。
〃Take them away；〃 he said to the guards。 〃Guard them carefully。〃 The corporal looked at the soldier。 This had been very quiet for one of Marty's performances。
〃Comrade Marty；〃 Gomez said。 〃Do not be insane。 Listen to me； a loyal officer and comrade。 That is a dispatch that must be delivered。 This comrade has brought it through the fascist lines to give to Comrade General Golz。〃
〃Take them away；〃 Marty said； now kindly； to the guard。 He was sorry for them as hum