Ностромо
Chapter 2
”Forallhispomposityinsocialintercourse,CaptainMitchellcouldmeettherealitiesoflifeinaresoluteandreadyspirit.Nowhehadgotoverthefirstshockoftheabominabletreatmenthewascoolandcollectedenough.TheimmensecontempthefeltforSotillosteadiedhim,andhesaidoracularly,“Nodoubtitiswellconcealedbythistime.”
Sotillo,too,hadtimetocooldown.“Muybien,Mitchell,”hesaidinacoldandthreateningmanner.“ButcanyouproducetheGovernmentreceiptfortheroyaltyandtheCustomHousepermitofembarkation,hey?Canyou?No.Thenthesilverhasbeenremovedillegally,andtheguiltyshallbemadetosuffer,unlessitisproducedwithinfivedaysfromthis.”Hegaveordersfortheprisonertobeunboundandlockedupinoneofthesmallerroomsdownstairs.Hewalkedabouttheroom,moodyandsilent,tillCaptainMitchell,witheachofhisarmsheldbyacoupleofmen,stoodup,shookhimself,andstampedhisfeet.
“Howdidyouliketobetiedup,Mitchell?”heasked,derisively.
“Itisthemostincredible,abominableuseofpower!”CaptainMitchelldeclaredinaloudvoice.“Andwhateveryourpurpose,youshallgainnothingfromit,Icanpromiseyou.”
Thetallcolonel,livid,withhiscoal-blackringletsandmoustache,crouched,asitwere,tolookintotheeyesoftheshort,thick-set,red-facedprisonerwithrumpledwhitehair.
“Thatweshallsee.
