百年孤独(英文版)-第28部分

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　　　“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　through　the　cloistered　rooms；　Leaning　back　in　her　wicker　rocking　chair；　looking　at　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía　as　if　he　were　the　one　who　looked　like　a　ghost　out　of　the　past；　Rebeca　was　not　even　upset　by　the　news　that　the　lands　usurped　by　Jos？Arcadio　would　be　returned　to　their　rightful　owners。
　　　“Whatever　you　decide　will　be　done；　Aureliano；？she　sighed。　“I　always　thought　and　now　I　have　the　proof　that　you’re　a　renegade。？
　　　The　revision　of　the　deeds　took　place　at　the　same　time　as　the　summary　courtsmartial　presided　over　by　Colonel　Gerineldo　Márquez；　which　ended　with　the　execution　of　all　officers　of　the　regular　army　who　had　been　taken　prisoner　by　the　revolutionaries。　The　last　courtmartial　was　that　of　Jos？Raquel　Moncada。　？rsula　intervened。　‘”His　government　was　the　best　we’ve　ever　had　in　Macondo；？she　told　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía。　“I　don’t　have　to　tell　you　anything　about　his　good　heart；　about　his　affection　for　us；　because　you　know　better　than　anyone。？Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía　gave　her　a　disapproving　look。
　　　“I　can’t　take　over　the　job　of　administering　justice；？he　replied。　“If　you　have　something　to　say；　tell　it　to　the　courtmartial。？
　　　？rsula　not　only　did　that　she　also　brought　all　of　the　mothers　of　the　revolutionary　officers　who　lived　in　Macondo　to　testify。　One　by　one　the　old　women　who　had　been　founders　of　the　town；　several　of　whom　had　taken　part　in　the　daring　crossing　of　the　mountains；　praised　the　virtues　of　General　Moncada。　？rsula　was　the　last　in　line。　Her　gloomy　dignity；　the　weight　of　her　name；　the　convincing　vehemence　of　her　declaration　made　the　scale　of　justice　hesitate　for　a　moment。　“You　have　taken　this　horrible　game　very　seriously　and　you　have　done　well　because　you　are　doing　your　duty；？she　told　the　members　of　the　court。　“But　don’t　fet　that　as　long　as　God　gives　us　life　we　will　still　be　mothers　and　no　matter　how　revolutionary　you　may　be；　we　have　the　right　to　pull　down　your　pants　and　give　you　a　whipping　at　the　first　sign　of　disrespect。？The　court　retired　to　deliberate　as　those　words　still　echoed　in　the　school　that　had　been　turned　into　a　barracks。　At　midnight　General　Jos？Raquel　Moncada　was　sentenced　to　death。　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía；　in　spite　of　the　violent　recriminations　of　？rsula；　refused　to　mute　the　sentence。　A　short　while　before　dawn　he　visited　the　condemned　man　in　the　room　used　as　a　cell。
　　　“Remember；　old　friend；？he　told　him。　“I’m　not　shooting　you。　It’s　the　revolution　that’s　shooting　you。？
　　　General　Moncada　did　not　even　get　up　from　the　cot　when　he　saw　him　e　in。
　　　“Go　to　hell；　friend；？he　answered。
　　　Until　that　moment；　ever　since　his　return。　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía　had　not　given　himself　the　opportunity　to　see　him　with　his　heart。　He　was　startled　to　see　how　much　he　had　aged；　how　his　hands　shook；　and　the　rather　punctilious　conformity　with　which　he　awaited　death；　and　then　he　felt　a　great　disgust　with　himself；　which　he　mingled　with　the　beginnings　of　pity。
　　　“You　know　better　than　I；？he　said；　“that　all　courtsmartial　are　farces　and　that　you’re　really　paying　for　the　crimes　of　other　people；　because　this　time　we’re　going　to　win　the　war　at　any　price。　Wouldn’t　you　have　done　the　same　in　my　place？？
　　　General　Moncada；　got　up　to　clean　his　thick　hornrimmed　glasses　on　his　shirttail。　“Probably；？he　said。　“But　what　worries　me　is　not　your　shooting　me；　because　after　all；　for　people　like　us　it’s　a　natural　death。？He　laid　his　glasses　on　the　bed　and　took　off　his　watch　and　chain。　“What　worries　me；？he　went　on；　“is　that　out　of　so　much　hatred　for　the　military；　out　of　fighting　them　so　much　and　thinking　about　them　so　much；　you’ve　ended　up　as　bad　as　they　are。　And　no　ideal　in　life　is　worth　that　much　baseness。？He　took　off　his　wedding　ring　and　the　medal　of　the　Virgin　of　Help　and　put　them　alongside　his　glasses　and　watch。
　　　“At　this　rate；？he　concluded；　“you’ll　not　only　be　the　most　despotic　and　bloody　dictator　in　our　history；　but　you’ll　shoot　my　dear　friend　？rsula　in　an　attempt　to　pacify　your　conscience。？
　　　Colonel　Aurelia