Ностромо
Chapter 7
“Theirlastmoveofeighto’clocklastnightwastoorganizethemselvesintoaMonteristCommitteewhichsits,asfarasIknow,inaposadakeptbyaretiredMexicanbull-fighter,agreatpolitician,too,whosenameIhaveforgotten.Thencetheyhaveissuedacommunicationtous,theGothsandParalyticsoftheAmarillaClub(whohaveourowncommittee),invitingustocometosomeprovisionalunderstandingforatruce,inorder,theyhavetheimpudencetosay,thatthenoblecauseofLiberty‘shouldnotbestainedbythecriminalexcessesofConservativeselfishness!’AsIcameouttositwithNostromoonthecathedralstepstheclubwasbusyconsideringaproperreplyintheprincipalroom,litteredwithexplodedcartridges,withalotofbrokenglass,bloodsmears,candlesticks,andallsortsofwreckageonthefloor.Butallthisisnonsense.Nobodyinthetownhasanyrealpowerexcepttherailwayengineers,whosemenoccupythedismantledhousesacquiredbytheCompanyfortheirtownstationononesideofthePlaza,andNostromo,whoseCargadoresweresleepingunderthearcadesalongthefrontofAnzani’sshops.AfireofbrokenfurnitureoutoftheIntendenciasaloons,mostlygilt,wasburningonthePlaza,inahighflameswayingrightuponthestatueofCharlesIV.Thedeadbodyofamanwaslyingonthestepsofthepedestal,hisarmsthrownwideopen,andhissombrerocoveringhisface—theattentionofsomefriend,perhaps.
