Ностромо
Chapter 1
Youapproveme,Gould?”
“Absolutely,”saidCharlesGould’simpassivevoice,highupandoutsidethedimparallelogramoflightfallingontheroadthroughtheopendoor.
WithSotilloexpectedfromoneside,andPedroMonterofromtheother,theengineer-in-chief’sonlyanxietynowwastoavoidacollisionwitheither.Sulaco,forhim,wasarailwaystation,aterminus,workshops,agreataccumulationofstores.Asagainstthemobtherailwaydefendeditsproperty,butpoliticallytherailwaywasneutral.Hewasabraveman;andinthatspiritofneutralityhehadcarriedproposalsoftrucetotheself-appointedchiefsofthepopularparty,thedeputiesFuentesandGamacho.BulletswerestillflyingaboutwhenhehadcrossedthePlazaonthatmission,wavingabovehisheadawhitenapkinbelongingtothetablelinenoftheAmarillaClub.
Hewasratherproudofthisexploit;andreflectingthatthedoctor,busyalldaywiththewoundedinthepatiooftheCasaGould,hadnothadtimetohearthenews,hebeganasuccinctnarrative.HehadcommunicatedtothemtheintelligencefromtheConstructionCampastoPedroMontero.Thebrotherofthevictoriousgeneral,hehadassuredthem,couldbeexpectedatSulacoatanytimenow.Thisnews(asheanticipated),whenshoutedoutofthewindowbySenorGamacho,inducedarushofthemobalongtheCampoRoadtowardsRincon.Thetwodeputiesalso,aftershakinghandswithhimeffusively,mountedandgallopedofftomeetthegreatman.
