百年孤独(英文版)-第99部分
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！
he es back。？During lunch； menting with General Moncada about that disconcerting proliferation； she expressed the desire for Colonel Aureliano Buendía to e back someday and gather all of his sons together in the house。
“Don’t worry； dear friend；？General Moncada said enigmatically。 “He’ll e sooner than you suspect。？
What General Moncada knew and what he did not wish to reveal at lunch was that Colonel Aureliano Buendía was already on his way to head up the most prolonged； radical； and bloody rebellion of all those he had started up till then。
The situation again became as tense as it had been during the months that preceded the first war。 The cockfights； instituted by the mayor himself； were suspended。 Captain Aquiles Ricardo； the mander of the garrison； took over the exercise of municipal power。 The Liberals looked upon him as a provocateur。 “Something terrible is going to happen；？？rsula would say to Aureliano Jos？ “Don’t go out into the street after six o’clock。？The entreaties were useless。 Aureliano Jos？ just like Arcadio in other times； had ceased to belong to her。 It was as if his return home； the possibility of existing without concerning himself with everyday necessities； had awakened in him the lewd and lazy leanings of his uncle Jos？Arcadio。 His passion for Amaranta had been extinguished without leaving any scars。 He would drift around； playing pool； easing his solitude with occasional women； sacking the hiding places where ？rsula had forgotten her money。 He ended up ing home only to change his clothes。 “They’re all alike；？？rsula lamented。 “At first they behave very well； they’re obedient and prompt and they don’t seem capable of killing a fly； but as soon as their beards appear they go to ruin。？Unlike Arcadio； who had never known his real origins； he found out that he was the son of Pilar Ternera； who had hung up a hammock so that he could take his siesta in her house。 More than mother and son； they were acplices in solitude。 Pilar Ternera had lost the trail of all hope。 Her laugh had taken on the tones of an organ； her breasts had succumbed to the tedium of endless caressing； her stomach and her thighs had been the victims of her irrevocable fate as a shared woman； but her heart grew old without bitterness。 Fat； talkative； with the airs of a matron in disgrace； she renounced the sterile illusions of her cards and found peace and consolation in other people’s loves。 In the house where Aureliano Jos？took his siesta； the girls from the neighborhood would receive their casual lovers。 “Lend me your room； Pilar；？they would simply say when they were already inside。 “Of course；？Pilar would answer。 And if anyone was present she would explain：
“I’m happy knowing that people are happy in bed。？
She never charged for the service。 She never refused the favor； just as she never refused the countless men who sought her out； even in the twilight of her maturity； without giving her money or love and only occasionally pleasure。 Her five daughters； who inherited a burning seed； had been lost on the byways of life since adolescence。 Of the two sons she managed to raise； one died fighting in the forces of Colonel Aureliano Buendía and the other was wounded and captured at the age of fourteen when he tried to steal a crate of chickens in a town in the swamp。 In a certain way； Aureliano Jos？was the tall； dark man who had been promised her for half a century by the king of hearts； and like all men sent by the cards he reached her heart when he was already stamped with the mark of death。 She saw it in the cards。
“Don’t go out tonight；？she told him。 “Stay and sleep here because Carmelita Montiel is getting tired of asking me to put her in 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 twenty…year…old virgin； had just bathed in orange…blossom 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 water…soaked 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 court…martial 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 well…armed 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 t
