Under the Volcano - Malcolm Lowry [155]
"A Nazi may not be a Fascist, but there're certainly plenty of them around, Yvonne. Beekeepers, miners, chemists. And keepers of pubs. The pubs themselves of course make ideal headquarters. In the Pilsener Kindl, for instance, in Mexico City--"
"Not to mention in Parián, Hugh," said the Consul, sipping mescal, though nobody seemed to have heard him save a humming-bird, who at this moment snored into his stone retreat, whirred, jittering, in the entrance, and bounced out almost into the face of the godson of the Conqueror himself, Cervantes, who came gliding past again, carrying his fighting cock. "In the Farolito--"
SANTUARIO OCOTLAN IN TLAXCALA
It is a Sanctuary whose white and embellished steeples 38.7 metres high, of an overloading style, gives an imposing and majestic impression. The frontage trimmed with sacred Archangels, St Francis and the epithet of Virgin Mary statues. Its construcción is made out of carved work in perfect dimensions decorated with allegorical symbols and flowers. It was constructed on the colonial epoch. Its central altar is of an overloaded and embellished style. The most admirable is the vestry, arched, decorated with graceful carved works, prevailing the green, red, and golden colours. In the highest part inside of the cúpula are carved the twelve apostles. The whole is of a singular beauty, not found in any church of the Republic.
"--I don't agree with you, Hugh. We go back a few years--" "--forgetting, of course, the Miztecs, the Toltecs, Quetzelcoatl--" "--not necessarily--"
"--oh yes you do! And you say first, Spaniard exploits Indian, then, when he had children, he exploited the half-breed, then the pure-blooded Mexican Spaniard, the criollo, then the mestizo exploits everybody, foreigners, Indians, and all. Then the Germans and Americans exploited him: now the final chapter, the exploitation of everybody by everybody else--"
Historic Places--SAN BUENAVENTURA ATEMPAM
In this town was built and tried in a dike the ships used for the conquerors in the attack to Tenochtitlan the great capital of the Moctezuma's Empire.
"Mar Cantábrico!
"All right, I heard you, the Conquest took place in an organized community in which naturally there was exploitation already."
" Well--"
.".. no, the point is, Yvonne, that the Conquest took place in a civilization which was as good if not better than that of the conquerors, a deep-rooted structure. The people weren't all savages or nomadic tribes, footloose and wandering--"
"--suggesting that had they been footloose and wandering there would never have been any exploitation?"
"Have another bottle of beer... Cam Blanca?" "Moctezuma... Dos Equis."
"Or is it Montezuma?"
"Moctezuma on the bottle."
"That's all he is now--"
TIZATLÁN
In this town, very near to Tlaxcala City, are still erected the ruins of the Palace, residence of Senator Xicohtencatl, father of the warrior by the same name. In said ruins could be still appreciated the stone blocks where were offered the sacrifices to their Gods... In the same town, a long time ago, were the headquarters of the Tlaxcaltecan warriors...
"I'm watching you... You can't escape me."
"--this is not just escaping. I mean, let's start again, really and cleanly."
"I think I know the place." "I can see you."
"--where are the letters, Geoffrey Firmin, the letters she wrote till her heart broke--"
"But in Newcastle, Delaware, now that's another thing again!" "--the letters you not only have never answered you didn't you did you didn't you did then where is your reply--" "--but oh my God, this city--the noise! the chaos! If I could only get out! If I only knew where you could get to!"
OCOTELULCO
In this town near Tlaxcala existed, long back, the Maxixcatzin Palace. In that place, according to tradition took place the baptism of the first Christian Indian.
"It will be like a rebirth."
"I'm thinking of becoming a Mexican subject, of going to live among the Indians, like William Blackstone."