for total nocturnal calm (urban, dangerous, or so Demetrio imagined). His plan: to rent a hotel room for a few hours so he could lie low. Anyway. Then, as he refined his strategy, he considered the benefits of the door: oh, to slip a message under it: a plot synthesis … et cetera! … to wit: a telegraphic missive in which he would outline his primordial motive for quitting his job. It wouldn’t be so bad if he wrote, among other things, that it was impossible to work as a manager without a woman by his side; the gentleman would understand—wouldn’t he? He himself had recommended that he bring one—remember? Find a pen and some paper. Later. The first obstacle: to take his money out of the bank. Then board the train for the usual trip to La Polka. Then the crossing on the boat and the horse-drawn carriage. Then the final one-two punch: invest in a business in Sacramento: a grocery store—what else?
The agronomist was so utterly absorbed in his plan that he passed right by Sabinas, as if he were on the moon. He didn’t ask anybody how to find the main road to Monclova. As he was already quite familiar with the city it was not difficult for him to find what he was looking for.
And he headed that way almost subconsciously. His lucky star (his assistant) was again shining, though—let’s take a look: he forgot that he was carrying two live lambs and three dead goats in the truck bed. He remembered only a bit farther on: when he’d already been driving for half an hour on the magnificent road where, obviously, there was little traffic: one or another daring semitrailer: yes!; maybe a four-door sedan, with a visor over the windshield: of course!; as an aside we might mention the occasional person on horseback; a truck; another pickup …
A tentative return to Sabinas to sell the stock: no! now that he was buoyantly on his way to total freedom (more his than ever) he could not stand to think of returning for the sole purpose of getting rid of what would cause him so many complications in Monclova.
To avoid such a fix he found a different fix and injected it with a dose of mischief, if you like, an impetuous solution: place the dead goats in a row—skinned, as was only right—by the side of the dirt road; and the hides in another row (three and three, yes): finders keepers: the charm of well-calibrated irresponsibility; not forgetfulness, rather a tangled game …
That’s what he did: O guile! And as for the live lambs: a fate they could fete!: leave them to their own devices: let them run off into a very spacious and wild happiness. Hopefully nobody would claim them. A future without corrals. Hopefully!
Bargain-basement compassion for the sake of a positive portent: to watch those children of God walk away, together, like brothers who love one another and always give each other mutual support. Good-bye, lambs. Demetrio crossed himself and—let’s go!
When he reached Monclova—where’s the bank? Quickly found: cash in hand: withdraw the money in its entirety, which when combined with what he already had: congratulations!, modest wealth: independence; a cinch because he had no trouble getting the (sorrowful) bank employees to give him the noteworthy wad. The bad part was figuring out where to stash it all. His trouser pockets were not big enough: and: he asked for an opaque bag. They gave him a cloth one, solid and of goodly size, which he placed in the glove compartment of the truck. He would lock the cab when he finally got out, to wit: as soon as he had parked it. His most pressing wish was that Don Delfín would not be strolling about the city, so that he wouldn’t see … et cetera!
Straight off to rent a hotel room: an unproblematic step … luckily or because of the brilliance of his star (in the sense of twinkling) … A circumstantial rest, after finally showering under a stream: ah!
Demetrio was living the wonders of this metropolis, not much of a metropolis, to tell the truth, but …
With sprightly step he then wandered around downtown Monclova. He had to buy some good clothes and a suitcase with lock and key. Immediate success.
When he got back to his hotel he asked the receptionist to lend him a pen and a blank piece of paper, unlined—eh? That’s it! Everything was working out perfectly. The text: a