Ностромо
Chapter 1
Itwasawonderthathehadnotbeenavictimoftheferociousandsummaryexecutionswhichmarkedthecourseofthattyranny;forGuzmanhadruledthecountrywiththesombreimbecilityofpoliticalfanaticism.ThepowerofSupremeGovernmenthadbecomeinhisdullmindanobjectofstrangeworship,asifitweresomesortofcrueldeity.Itwasincarnatedinhimself,andhisadversaries,theFederalists,werethesupremesinners,objectsofhate,abhorrence,andfear,ashereticswouldbetoaconvincedInquisitor.ForyearshehadcarriedaboutatthetailoftheArmyofPacification,alloverthecountry,acaptivebandofsuchatrociouscriminals,whoconsideredthemselvesmostunfortunateatnothavingbeensummarilyexecuted.Itwasadiminishingcompanyofnearlynakedskeletons,loadedwithirons,coveredwithdirt,withvermin,withrawwounds,allmenofposition,ofeducation,ofwealth,whohadlearnedtofightamongstthemselvesforscrapsofrottenbeefthrowntothembysoldiers,ortobeganegrocookforadrinkofmuddywaterinpitifulaccents.DonJoseAvellanos,clankinghischainsamongsttheothers,seemedonlytoexistinordertoprovehowmuchhunger,pain,degradation,andcrueltortureahumanbodycanstandwithoutpartingwiththelastsparkoflife.Sometimesinterrogatories,backedbysomeprimitivemethodoftorture,wereadministeredtothembyacommissionofofficershastilyassembledinahutofsticksandbranches,andmadepitilessbythefearfortheirownlives.
