Ностромо
Chapter 1
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“Ihaveagoodmindtoremainwithyou,doctor,tillweseewhetheranythinghappensto-nightattheharbour,”declaredtheengineer-in-chief.“HemustnotbemolestedbySotillo’ssoldiery,whomaypushonasfarasthisatonce.SotillousedtobeverycordialtomeattheGoulds’andattheclub.Howthatman’lleverdaretolookanyofhisfriendshereinthefaceIcan’timagine.”
“He’llnodoubtbeginbyshootingsomeofthemtogetoverthefirstawkwardness,”saidthedoctor.“Nothinginthiscountryservesbetteryourmilitarymanwhohaschangedsidesthanafewsummaryexecutions.”Hespokewithagloomypositivenessthatleftnoroomforprotest.Theengineer-in-chiefdidnotattemptany.Hesimplynoddedseveraltimesregretfully,thensaid—
“Ithinkweshallbeabletomountyouinthemorning,doctor.Ourpeonshaverecoveredsomeofourstampededhorses.ByridinghardandtakingawidecircuitbyLosHatosandalongtheedgeoftheforest,clearofRinconaltogether,youmayhopetoreachtheSanTomebridgewithoutbeinginterferedwith.Themineisjustnow,tomymind,thesafestplaceforanybodyatallcompromised.Ionlywishtherailwaywasasdifficulttotouch.”
“AmIcompromised?”DoctorMonyghambroughtoutslowlyafterashortsilence.
“ThewholeGouldConcessioniscompromised.Itcouldnothaveremainedforeveroutsidethepoliticallifeofthecountry—ifthoseconvulsionsmaybecalledlife.
