百年孤独(英文版)-第76部分

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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　smell　it　on　the　necks　of　the　little　girls　who　went　to　bed　because　of　hunger。　Frightened　by　the　passion　of　that　outburst；　Amaranta　？rsula　was　closing　her　fingers；　contracting　them　like　a　shellfish　until　her　wounded　hand；　free　of　all　pain　and　any　vestige　of　pity；　was　converted　into　a　knot　of　emeralds　and　topazes　and　stony　and　unfeeling　bones。
　　　“Fool！？she　said　as　if　she　were　spitting。　“I’m　sailing　on　the　first　ship　leaving　for　Belgium。？
　　　？lvaro　had　e　to　the　wise　Catalonian’s　bookstore　one　of　those　afternoons　proclaiming　at　the　top　of　his　lungs　his　latest　discovery：　a　zoological　brothel。　It　was　called　The　Golden　Child　and　it　was　a　huge　open　air　salon　through　which　no　less　than　two　hundred　bitterns　who　told　the　time　with　a　deafening　cackling　strolled　at　will。　In　wire　pens　that　surrounded　the　dance　floor　and　among　large　Amazonian　camellias　there　were　herons　of　different　colors；　crocodiles　as　fat　as　pigs；　snakes　with　twelve　rattles；　and　a　turtle　with　a　gilded　shell　who　dove　in　a　small　artificial　ocean。　There　was　a　big　white　dog；　meek　and　a　pederast；　who　would　give　stud　services　nevertheless　in　order　to　be　fed。　The　atmosphere　had　an　innocent　denseness；　as　if　it　had　just　been　created；　and　the　beautiful　mulatto　girls　who　waited　hopelessly　among　the　blood…red　petals　and　the　outmoded　phonograph　records　knew　ways　of　love　that　man　had　left　behind　forgotten　in　the　earthly　paradise。　The　first　night　that　the　group　visited　that　greenhouse　of　illusions　the　splendid　and　taciturn　old　woman　who　guarded　the　entrance　in　a　wicker　rocking　chair　felt　that　time　was　turning　back　to　its　earliest　origins　when　among　the　five　who　were　arriving　she　saw　a　bony；　jaundiced　man　with　Tartar　cheekbones；　marked　forever　and　from　the　beginning　of　the　world　with　the　pox　of　solitude。
　　　“Lord；　Lord；？she　sighed；　“Aureliano！？
　　　She　was　seeing　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía　once　more　as　she　had　seen　him　in　the　light　of　a　lamp　long　before　the　wars；　long　before　the　desolation　of　glory　and　the　exile　of　disillusionment；　that　remote　dawn　when　he　went　to　her　bedroom　to　give　the　first　mand　of　his　life：　the　mand　to　give　him　love。　It　was　Pilar　Ternera。　Years　before；　when　she　had　reached　one　hundred　forty…five　years　of　age；　she　had　given　up　the　pernicious　custom　of　keeping　track　of　her　age　and　she　went　on　living　in　the　static　and　marginal　time　of　memories；　in　a　future　perfectly　revealed　and　established；　beyond　the　futures　disturbed　by　the　insidious　snares　and　suppositions　of　her　cards。
　　　From　that　night　on　Aureliano；　took　refuge　in　the　passionate　tenderness　and　understanding　of　his　unknown　great…great…grandmother。　Sitting　in　her　wicker　rocking　chair；　she　would　recall　the　past；　reconstruct　the　grandeur　and　misfortunes　of　the　family　and　the　splendor　of　Macondo；　which　was　now　erased；　while　？lvaro　frightened　the　crocodiles　with　his　noisy　laughter　and　Alfonso　invented　outlandish　stories　about　the　bitterns　who　had　pecked　out　the　eyes　of　four　customers　who　misbehaved　the　week　before；　and　Gabriel　was　in　the　room　of　the　pensive　mulatto　girl　who　did　not　collect　in　money　but　in　letters　to　a　smuggler　boyfriend　who　was　in　prison　on　the　other　side　of　the　Orinoco　because　the　border　guards　had　caught　him　and　had　made　him　sit　on　a　chamberpot　that　filled　up　with　a　mixture　of　shit　and　diamonds。　That　true　brothel；　with　that　maternal　proprietress；　was　the　world　of　which　Aureliano　had　dreamed　during　his　prolonged　captivity。　He　felt　so　well；　so　close　to　perfect　panionship；　that　he　thought　of　no　other　refuge　on　the　afternoon　on　which　Amaranta　？rsula　had　made　his　illusions　crumble。　He　was　ready　to　unburden　himself　with　words　so　that　someone　could　break　the　knots　that　bound　his　chest；　but　he　only　managed　to　let　out　a　fluid；　warm；　and　restorative　weeping　in　Pilar　Ternera’s　lap。　She　let　him　finish；　scratching　his　head　with　the　tips　of　her　fingers；　and　without　his　having　revealed　that　he　was　weeping　from　love；　she　recognized　immediately　the　oldest　sobs　in　the　history　of　man。
　　　“It’s　all　right；　child；？she　consoled　him。　“Now　tell　me　who　it　is。？
　　　When　Aureliano　told　her；　Pilar　Ternera　let　out　a　deep　laugh；　the　old　expansive　laugh　that　ended　up　as　a　cooing　of　doves。　There　was　no　mystery　in　the　heart　of　a　Buendía　that　was　impenetrable　for　her　because　a　century　of　cards　and　experience　had　taught　her　that　the　history　of　the　family　was　a　machine　with　unavoidable　repetitions；　a　turning　wheel　that　would　have　gone　on　spilling　into　eternity　were　it　not　for　the　progressive　and　irremediable　wearing　of　the　axle。
　　　“Don’t　worry；？she　said；　smiling。　“Wherever　she　is　right　now；　she’s　waiting　for　you。？
　　　It　was　half　past　four　in　the　afternoon　when　Amaranta　？rsula　came　out　of　her　bath。　Aureliano　saw　her　go　by　his　room　with　a　robe　of　soft　folds　and　a　towel　wrapped　around　her　head　like　a　turban。　He　followed　her　almost　on　tiptoes；　stumbling　from　drunkenness；　and　he　went　into　the　nuptial　bedroom　just　as　she　opened　the　robe　and　closed　it　again　in　fright。　He　made　a　silent　signal　toward　the　next　room　where　the　door　was　half　open　and　where　Aureliano　knew　that　Gaston　was　beginning　to　write　a　letter。
　　　“Go　away；？she　said　voicelessly。
　　　Aureliano；　smiled；　picked　her　up　by　the　waist　with　both　hands　like　a　pot　of　begonias；　and　dropped　her　on　her　back　on　the　bed。　With　a　brutal　tug　he　pulled　off　her　bathrobe　before　she　had　time　to　resist　and　he　loomed　over　an　abyss　of　newly　washed　nudity　whose　skin　color；　lines　of　fuzz；　and　hidden　moles　had　all　been　imagined　in　the　shadows　of　the　other　rooms。　Amaranta　？rsula　defended　herself　sincerely　with　the　astuteness　of　a　wise　woman；　weaseling　her　slippery；　flexible；　and　fragrant　weasel’s　body　as　she　tried　to　knee　him　in　the　kidneys　and　scorpion　his　face　with　her　nails；　but　without　either　of　them　giving　a　gasp　that　might　not　have　been　taken　for　that　breathing　of　a　person　watching　the　meager　April　sunset　through　the　open　window。　It　was　a　fierce　fight；　a　battle　to　the　death；　but　it　seemed　to　be　without　violence　because　it　consisted　of　distorted　attacks　and　ghostly　evasions；　slow；　cautious；　solemn；　so　that　during　it　all　there　was　time　for　the　petunias　to　bloom　and　for　Gaston　to　forget　about　his　aviator’s　dream　in　the　next　room；　as　if　they　were　two　enemy　lovers　seeking　reconciliation　at　the　bottom　of　an　aquarium。　In　the　heat　of　that　savage　and　ceremonious　struggle；　Amaranta　？rsula　understood　that　her　meticulous　silence　was　so　irrational　that　it　could　awaken　the　suspicions　of　her　nearby　husband　much　more　than　the　sound　of　warfare　that　they　were　trying　to　avoid。　Then　she　began　to　laugh　with　her　lips　tight　together；　without　giving　up　the　fight；　but　defending　herself　with　false　bites　and　deweaseling　her　body　little　by　little　until　they　both　were　conscious　of　being　adversaries　and　acplices　at　the　same　time　and　the　affray　degenerated　into　a　conventional　gambol　and　the　attacks　became　caresses。　Suddenly；　almost　playfully；　like　one　more　bit　of　mischief；　Amaranta　？rsula　dropped　her　defense；　and　when　she　tried　to　recover；　frightened　by　what　she　herself　had　made　possible；　it　was　too　late。　A　great　motion　immobilized　her　in　her　center　of　gravity；　planted　her　in　her　place；　and　her　defensive　will　was　demolished　by　the　irresistible　a