Ностромо
Chapter 5
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“Thankyou.Youareverygood.Averyfierce-lookingman,DonCarlos.Heaskedmeforacigarinamostfamiliarmanner.WhatwouldhavehappenedifIhadnothadacigar?Ishudderyet.Whatbusinesshadhetobetalkingwithrobbersinalonelyplace?”
ButCharlesGould,openlypreoccupiednow,gavenotasign,madenosound.TheimpenetrabilityoftheembodiedGouldConcessionhaditssurfaceshades.Tobedumbismerelyafatalaffliction;buttheKingofSulacohadwordsenoughtogivehimallthemysteriousweightofataciturnforce.Hissilences,backedbythepowerofspeech,hadasmanyshadesofsignificanceasutteredwordsinthewayofassent,ofdoubt,ofnegation—evenofsimplecomment.Someseemedtosayplainly,“Thinkitover”;othersmeantclearly,“Goahead”;asimple,low“Isee,”withanaffirmativenod,attheendofapatientlisteninghalf-hourwastheequivalentofaverbalcontract,whichmenhadlearnedtotrustimplicitly,sincebehinditalltherewasthegreatSanTomemine,theheadandfrontofthematerialinterests,sostrongthatitdependedonnoman’sgoodwillinthewholelengthandbreadthoftheOccidentalProvince—thatis,onnogoodwillwhichitcouldnotbuytentimesover.Buttothelittlehook-nosedmanfromEsmeralda,anxiousabouttheexportofhides,thesilenceofCharlesGouldportendedafailure.Evidentlythiswasnotimeforextendingamodestman’sbusiness.
