Chapter 7

           ATABOUTthattime,intheIntendenciaofSulaco,CharlesGouldwasassuringPedritoMontero,whohadsentarequestforhispresencethere,thathewouldneverlettheminepassoutofhishandsfortheprofitofaGovernmentwhohadrobbedhimofit.TheGouldConcessioncouldnotberesumed.Hisfatherhadnotdesiredit.Thesonwouldneversurrenderit.Hewouldneversurrenderitalive.Andoncedead,wherewasthepowercapableofresuscitatingsuchanenterpriseinallitsvigourandwealthoutoftheashesandruinofdestruction?Therewasnosuchpowerinthecountry.Andwherewastheskillandcapitalabroadthatwouldcondescendtotouchsuchanill-omenedcorpse?CharlesGouldtalkedintheimpassivetonewhichhadformanyyearsservedtoconcealhisangerandcontempt.Hesuffered.Hewasdisgustedwithwhathehadtosay.Itwastoomuchlikeheroics.Inhimthestrictlypracticalinstinctwasinprofounddiscordwiththealmostmysticviewhetookofhisright.TheGouldConcessionwassymbolicofabstractjustice.Lettheheavensfall.ButsincetheSanTomeminehaddevelopedintoworld-widefamehisthreathadenoughforceandeffectivenesstoreachtherudimentaryintelligenceofPedroMontero,wrappedupasitwasinthefutilitiesofhistoricalanecdotes.TheGouldConcessionwasaseriousassetinthecountry’sfinance,and,whatwasmore,intheprivatebudgetsofmanyofficialsaswell.Itwastraditional.Itwasknown.Itwassaid.Itwascredible.EveryMinisterofInteriordrewasalaryfromtheSanTomemine.Itwasnatural.