For Whom the Bell Tolls - Ernest Hemingway [68]
“Very much,” said Robert Jordan. “It’s very good whiskey.”
“Am contented,” Sordo grinned. “Was bringing tonight with information”
“What information?”
Much troop movement.”
Where?
“Segovia. Planes you saw.”
“Yes.”
“Bad, eh?”
“Bad.”
“Troop movement?”
“Much between Villacastín and Segovia. On Valladolid road. Much between Villacastín and San Rafael. Much. Much.”
“What do you think?”
“We prepare something?”
“Possibly.”
“They know. Prepare too.”
“It is possible.”
“Why not blow bridge tonight?”
“Orders.”
“Whose orders?”
“General Staff.”
“So.”
“Is the time of the blowing important?” Pilar asked.
“Of all importance.”
“But if they are moving up troops?”
“I will send Anselmo with a report of all movement and concentrations. He is checking the road.”
“You have some one at road?” Sordo asked.
Robert Jordan did not know how much he had heard. You never know with a deaf man.
“Yes,” he said.
“Me, too. Why not blow bridge now?”
“I have my orders.”
“I don’t like it,” El Sordo said. “This I do not like.”
“Nor I,” said Robert Jordan.
El Sordo shook his head and took a sip of the whiskey. “You want of me?”
“How many men have you?”
“Eight.”
“To cut the telephone, attack the post at the house of the roadmenders, take it, and fall back on the bridge.”
“It is easy.”
“It will all be written out.”
“Don’t trouble. And Pablo?”
“Will cut the telephone below, attack the post at the sawmill, take it and fall back on the bridge.”
“And afterwards for the retreat?” Pilar asked. “We are seven men, two women and five horses. You are,” she shouted into Sordo’s ear.
“Eight men and four horses. Faltan caballos,” he said. “Lacks horses.”
“Seventeen people and nine horses,” Pilar said. “Without accounting for transport.”
Sordo said nothing.
“There is no way of getting horses?” Robert Jordan said into Sordo’s best ear.
“In war a year,” Sordo said. “Have four.” He showed four fingers. “Now you want eight for tomorrow.”
“Yes,” said Robert Jordan. “Knowing you are leaving. Having no need to be careful as you have been in this neighborhood. Not having to be cautious here now. You could not cut out and steal eight head of horses?”
“Maybe,” Sordo said. “Maybe none. Maybe more.”
“You have an automatic rifle?” Robert Jordan asked.
Sordo nodded.
“Where?”
“Up the hill.”
“What kind?”
“Don’t know name. With pans.”
“How many rounds?”
“Five pans.”
“Does any one know how to use it?”
“Me. A little. Not shoot too much. Not want make noise here. Not want use cartridges.”
“I will look at it afterwards,” Robert Jordan said. “Have you hand grenades?”
Plenty.
“How many rounds per rifle?”
“Plenty.”
“How many?”
“One hundred fifty. More maybe.”
“What about other people?”
“For what?”
“To have sufficient force to take the posts and cover the bridge While I am blowing it. We should have double what we have.”
“Take posts don’t worry. What time day?”
“Daylight.”
“Don’t worry.”
“I could use twenty more men, to be sure,” Robert Jordan said.
“Good ones do not exist. You want undependables?”
“No. How many good ones?”
“Maybe four.”
“Why so few?”
“No trust.”
“For horseholders?”
“Must trust much to be horseholders.”
“I’d like ten more good men if I could get them.”
“Four.”
“Anselmo told me there were over a hundred here in these hills.”
“No good.”
“You said thirty,” Robert Jordan said to Pilar. “Thirty of a certain degree of dependability.”
“What about the people of Elias?” Pilar shouted to Sordo. He shook his head.
“No good.”
“You can’t get ten?” Robert Jordan asked. Sordo looked at him with his flat, yellow eyes and shook his head.
“Four,” he said and held up four fingers.
“Yours are good?” Robert Jordan asked, regretting it as he said it.
Sordo nodded.
“Dentro de la gravedad,” he said in Spanish. “Within the limits of the danger.” He grinned. “Will be bad, eh?”
“Possibly.”
“Is the same to me,” Sordo said simply and not boasting. “Better four good than much bad. In this war