按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
¨I donˇt like to substitute；〃 Manuel said。
¨You can take it or leave it；〃 Retana said。 He leaned forward over the papers。 He was no longer interested。 The appeal that Manuel had made to him for a moment when he thought of the old days was gone。 He would like to get him to substitute for Larita because he could get him cheaply。 He could get others cheaply too。 He would like to help him though。 Still； he had given him the chance。 It was up to him。
¨How much do I get？〃 Manuel asked。 He was still playing with the idea of refusing。 But he knew he could not refuse。
¨Two hundred and fifty pesetas；〃 Retana said。 He had thought of five hundred； but when he opened his mouth it said two hundred and fifty。
¨You pay Villalta seven thousand；〃 Manuel said。
¨Youˇre not Villalta；〃 Retana said。
¨I know it；〃 Manuel said。
¨He draws it； Manolo；〃 Retana said in explanation。
¨Sure；〃 said Manuel。 He stood up。 ¨Give me three hundred； Retana。〃
¨All right；〃 Retana agreed。 He reached in the drawer for a paper。
¨Can I have fifty now？〃 Manuel asked。
¨Sure；〃 said Retana。 He took a fifty peseta note out of his pocket…book and laid it； spread out flat； on the table。
Manuel picked it up and put it in his pocket。
¨What about a cuadrilla？〃 he asked。
¨Thereˇs the boys that always work for me nights；〃 Retana said。 ¨Theyˇre all right。〃
¨How about picadors？〃 Manuel asked。
¨Theyˇre not much；〃 Retana admitted。
¨Iˇve got to have one good pic；〃 Manuel said。
¨Get him then；〃 Retana said。 ¨Go and get him。〃
¨Not out of this；〃 Manuel said。 ¨Iˇm not paying for any cuadrilla out of sixty duros。〃
Retana said nothing but looked at Manuel across the big desk。
¨You know Iˇve got to have one good pic；〃 Manuel said。
Retana said nothing but looked at Manuel from a long way off。
¨It isnˇt right；〃 Manuel said。
Retana was still considering him； leaning back in his chair； considering him from a long way away。
¨Thereˇre the regular pics；〃 he offered。
¨I know；〃 Manuel said。 ¨I know your regular pics。〃
Retana did not smile。 Manuel knew it was over。
¨All I want is an even break；〃 Manuel said reasoningly。 ¨When I go out there I want to be able to call my shots on the bull。 It only takes one good picador。〃
He was talking to a man who was no longer listening。
¨If you want something extra；〃 Retana said； ¨go and get it。 There will be a regular cuadrilla out there。 Bring as many of your own pics as you want。 The charlotada is over by ten…thirty。〃
¨All right；〃 Manuel said。 ¨If thatˇs the way you feel about it。〃
¨Thatˇs the way；〃 Retana said。
¨Iˇll see you tomorrow night；〃 Manuel said。
¨Iˇll be out there；〃 Retana said。
Manuel picked up his suitcase and went out。
¨Shut the door；〃 Retana called。
Manuel looked back。 Retana was sitting forward looking at some papers。 Manuel pulled the door tight until it clicked。
He went down the stairs and out of the door into the hot brightness of the street。 It was very hot in the street and the light on the white buildings was sudden and hard on his eyes。 He walked down the shady side of the steep street toward the Puerta del Sol。 The shade felt solid and cool as running water。 The heat came suddenly as he crossed the intersecting streets。 Manuel saw no one he knew in all the people he passed。
Just before the Puerta del Sol he turned into a caf？。
It was quiet in the caf？。 There were a few men sitting at tables against the wall。 At one table four men played cards。 Most of the men sat against the wall smoking； empty coffee…cups and liqueur…glasses before them on the tables。 Manuel went through the long room to a small room in back。 A man sat at a table in the corner asleep。 Manuel sat down at one of the tables。
A waiter came in and stood beside Manuelˇs table。
¨Have you seen Zurito？〃 Manuel asked him。
¨He was in before lunch； the waiter answered。 ¨He wonˇt be back before five oˇclock。〃
¨Bring me some coffee and milk and a shot of the ordinary；〃 Manuel said。
The waiter came back into the room carrying a tray with a big coffee…glass and a liqueur…glass on it。 In his left hand he held a bottle of brandy。 He swung these down to the table and a boy who had followed him poured coffee and milk into the glass from two shiny； spouted pots with long handles。
Manuel took off his cap and the waiter noticed his pigtail pinned forward on his head。 He winked at the coffee…boy as he poured out the brandy into the little glass beside Manuelˇs coffee。 The coffee…boy looked at Manuelˇs pale face curiously。
¨You fighting here？〃 asked the waiter； corking up the bottle。
¨Yes；〃 Manuel said。 ¨Tomorrow。〃
The waiter stood there； holding the bottle on one hip。
¨You in the Charlie Chaplinˇs？〃 he asked。
The coffee…boy looked away； embarrassed。
¨No。 In the ordinary。〃
¨I thought they were going to have Chaves and Hernandez；〃 the waiter said。
¨No。 Me and another。〃
¨Who？ Chaves or Hernandez？〃
¨Hernandez； I think。〃
¨Whatˇs the matter with Chaves？〃
¨He got hurt。〃
¨Where did you hear that？〃
¨Retana。〃
¨Hey； Looie；〃 the waiter called to the next room； ¨Chaves got cogida。〃
Manuel had taken the wrapper off the lumps of sugar and dropped them into his coffee。 He stirred it and drank it down； sweet； hot； and warming in his empty stomach。 He drank off the brandy。
¨Give me another shot of that；〃 he said to the waiter。
The waiter uncorked the bottle and poured the glass full； slopping another drink into the saucer。 Another waiter had come up in front of the table。 The coffee…boy was gone。
¨Is Chaves hurt bad？〃 the second waiter asked Manuel。
¨I donˇt know；〃 Manuel said。 ¨Retana didnˇt say。〃
¨A hell of a lot he cares；〃 the tall waiter said。 Manuel had not seen him before。 He must have just come up。
¨If you stand in with Retana in this town； youˇre a made man；〃 the tall waiter said。 ¨If you arenˇt in with him； you might just as well go out and shoot yourself。〃
¨You said it；〃 the other waiter who had come in said。 ¨You said it then。〃
¨Youˇre right I said it；〃 said the tall waiter。 ¨I know what Iˇm talking about when I talk about that bird。〃
¨Look what heˇs done for Villalta；〃 the first waiter said。
¨And that ainˇt all；〃 the tall waiter said。 ¨Look what heˇs done for Marcial Lalanda。 Look what heˇs done for Nacional。〃
¨You said it； kid；〃 agreed the short waiter。
Manuel looked at them； standing talking in front of his table。 He had drunk his second brandy。 They had forgotten about him。 They were not interested in him。
¨Look at that bunch of camels；〃 the tall waiter went on。 ¨Did you ever see this Nacional II？〃
¨I seen him last Sunday； didnˇt I？〃 the original waiter said。
¨Heˇs a giraffe；〃 the short waiter said。
¨What did I tell you？〃 the tall waiter said。 ¨Those are Retanaˇs boys。〃
¨Say； give me another shot of that；〃 Manuel said。 He had poured the brandy the waiter had slopped over in the saucer into his glass and drank