Ностромо
Chapter 8
Doyouhear,Capataz?Usethewordsgloriousandsuccessfulwhenyouspeaktothesenorita.Yourownmissionisaccomplishedgloriouslyandsuccessfully.Youhaveindubitablysavedthesilverofthemine.Notonlythissilver,butprobablyallthesilverthatshallevercomeoutofit.”
Nostromodetectedtheironictone.“Idaresay,SenorDonMartin,”hesaid,moodily.“ThereareveryfewthingsthatIamnotequalto.Asktheforeignsignori.I,amanofthepeople,whocannotalwaysunderstandwhatyoumean.ButastothislotwhichImustleavehere,letmetellyouthatIwouldbelieveitingreatersafetyifyouhadnotbeenwithmeatall.”
AnexclamationescapedDecoud,andashortpausefollowed.“ShallIgobackwithyoutoSulaco?”heaskedinanangrytone.
“ShallIstrikeyoudeadwithmyknifewhereyoustand?”retortedNostromo,contemptuously.“ItwouldbethesamethingastakingyoutoSulaco.Come,senor.Yourreputationisinyourpolitics,andmineisboundupwiththefateofthissilver.DoyouwonderIwishtherehadbeennoothermantosharemyknowledge?Iwantednoonewithme,senor.”
“Youcouldnothavekeptthelighterafloatwithoutme,”Decoudalmostshouted.“Youwouldhavegonetothebottomwithher.”
“Yes,”utteredNostromo,slowly;“alone.”
Herewasaman,Decoudreflected,thatseemedasthoughhewouldhavepreferredtodieratherthandefacetheperfectformofhisegoism.
