Ностромо
Chapter 5
ItappearedhehadsomegoodfriendsinHamburg(hemurmuredthenameofthefirm)whowereveryanxioustodobusiness,indynamite,heexplained.AcontractfordynamitewiththeSanTomemine,andthen,perhaps,lateron,othermines,whichweresureto—ThelittlemanfromEsmeraldawasreadytoenlarge,butCharlesinterruptedhim.ItseemedasthoughthepatienceoftheSenorAdministradorwasgivingwayatlast.
“SenorHirsch,”hesaid,“Ihaveenoughdynamitestoredupatthemountaintosenditdowncrashingintothevalley”—hisvoicerosealittle—“tosendhalfSulacointotheairifIliked.”
CharlesGouldsmiledattheround,startledeyesofthedealerinhides,whowasmurmuringhastily,“Justso.Justso.”Andnowhewasgoing.ItwasimpossibletodobusinessinexplosiveswithanAdministradorsowellprovidedandsodiscouraging.HehadsufferedagoniesinthesaddleandhadexposedhimselftotheatrocitiesofthebanditHernandezfornothingatall.Neitherhidesnordynamite—andtheveryshouldersoftheenterprisingIsraeliteexpresseddejection.Atthedoorhebowedlowtotheengineer-in-chief.Butatthebottomofthestairsinthepatiohestoppedshort,withhispodgyhandoverhislipsinanattitudeofmeditativeastonishment.
“Whatdoeshewanttokeepsomuchdynamitefor?”hemuttered.
