"Go and talk to him." He nodded his head to-
wards Villegas.
"Go and talk to him?" I s.aid and I looked at Vil-
legas. He was still sitting straight and upright, wait-
ing quietly. I felt very sorry for him suddenly. "All
right," I said·.
"I
want to see if they have found Fernandez."
"Does this one know Fernandez?"
"Yes, he was in the office. He is very able."
"Oh
1"
I said.
"I
just want to see if he made it.
I
want to see if
he got through. It has a great importance for us."
"I
know," I said. "I understand."
"You talk to him, eh? You can talk. Lead up to
it easily. Do you see?"
"Yes."
I waited for a moment, sitting there, and then I
got over on to my hands and knees and began to
creep very slowly over to where Villegas was. I did
not want to stand up because if you stood up and
walked in the cell it would jar and break the calm-
ness and they would begin to think and talk again.
Sitting and almost sleeping in the darkness you can
forget that, outside, the revolution is dying and that
there is no hope. You can get so that you will not
hear the guns, and the yelling and the running will
be far away even though you do not sleep.
When did we sleep well and easily the last time?
I
tried to remember going over to where Villegas
was sitting. I went very quietly and when I reached
there I stayed lying on the floor by the can and pulled
his trouser leg to let him know that I was there.
((Ola,
Villegas," I said,
It
olal"
He turned his head around with a nervous jerk
and then looked down and he saw me.
"Hombre
I"
he said. "You are here
I"
"Yes, they like to keep us together. How are
you ?"
He seemed very nervous and he made little jerky
movements with his head.
I smiled up at him. "Can you see me well?" I
said.
"Yes, certainly I can. I can see you very well,
Mickey," he said slowly. "I guess it can be seen how
I
am."
"You're all right. Don't worry yourself."
"N
o?"
"Relax, hombre. Give yourself hope."
"What for? So they can take you by surpnse.
Not I. I am waiting for them."
"How are things outside?"
"They are terrible. I cannot even talk about
them."
"And Oviedo? Did you go to Oviedo, Comrade?"
I said. "Speak to me in a low voice."
"I will do that," he said in a very low voice.
"Yes, I have gone to Oviedo. I have been very
lucky. I have had very good luck in regards to get-
ting out. I went to Oviedo three times and I have
PARTISAN
REVIEW
been out around the pueblo very much."
"Things are going very badly there, eh?"
l'Yes. At this time they are going very badly."
He was speaking very quickly and quietly and it
seemed as if he was glad that we were talking about
these things and not about something else. It was
as if there was. something else that we should talk
about but that we did not want to, and he was
sitting down so tight on the cover of the can that I
could not smell anything and it was all right lying
there.
"Did you see Fernandez in Oviedo, Comrade?" I
said after a moment. I tried to say it easily.
"Yes, I saw him."
"How was he?"
"He was very well. They did not catch him yet.
They will never get him. Our people will protect
him." He bent down to me. "He is something
wonderful, that one, eh?"
"Yes, you are right. He is a great leader."
"I know him very well," he said proudly.
"Oh yes."
"Yes, I have that great honor."
"Oh
1"
I said.
He straightened up and began to look at the door
again, but after a moment he jerked his head around
and looked down at me to see if I was· still there.
He did this a few times and I kept looking up at
him. After a while I turned a little and got ready
to move away. He looked down at me quickly.
((Bien,
hombre
I"
I said. "Until later."
I looked up at him. He seemed very worried.
"Don't go away," he said.
"No
?"
"N
o. Stay here for a moment. We will talk.
Everything is going to be all right."
"Surely," I said. "I know that already. Every-
thing is going to come out all right. Don't be dis-
couraged." I gave his knee a little slap. He put his
hand on my shoulder.
"But listen," he said. He bent down and I could
see how worried he looked. "I have news for you."
"Y ou have news for me?" I said. I felt along my
shoulder to reach his hand and push it off, and the
calmness and easiness began to go out of me sud-
denly as your breath does when you are rushing
down a steep incline or when you fall, because Ire·
membered that there was only one person he could
have news for me about. "vVhat is it?" I said in a
whisper.
I began to feel empty and tight inside and he was
leaning so much on the side that the lid of the can
stood up a little and. the smell came down to me. He
was very close to me and he could .see hQw frighten-
ed I looked but he did not seem to be surprised.
"What is it, Villegas?"
"The girls."
"The girls, Comrade?" I said. I knew whom he
was speaking of.
13
