Читать книгу The Journey - Miguel Collazo - Страница 7

Jalno walked among the ruins, remembering that once upon a time this place had looked completely different. His son Beres picked up a petrified twig and began tracing designs absentmindedly in the sand. Jalno stopped and stared: why always so unenthusiastic, so apathetic? Hadn’t he brought them here for something incredibly important? Hadn’t he yelled at them about it a hundred times? Actually, he’d been sick. Too sick. In recent years his clouded mind, his mind alone, had created this disorder. When he thought about it, nobody nowadays had any direction, any way forward.…

Jalno wiped the dust from his face and looked around to see how the men were clearing the rocks. What a stupid way to work! Why were some of them shifting rocks from here to there, only for others to move them right back to where they’d been? Why did men suddenly plop down and lie in the rubble, as if they’d forgotten everything they needed to do? Why were they playing, why dancing, why sleeping slumped across each other? Anyway. Who could you blame. Jalno shook his head and finally said it was okay: himself, he couldn’t lift another rock. After all, others were going to benefit from it, enjoy it. Not him. This was where they were; they were gambling on this place. Then again, the machines must still be under these ruins, waiting.… At least that’s what his father, Nur B, had said. Yes, they ought to still be here, Jalno thought, shiny, slick, and beautiful. Yes, absolutely. They had to be here, under his feet, same as they’d been when he was a kid.

He closed his eyes. What good would the machines do them?

Well, no point worrying about it. The machines must know what they’re good for. The machines knew everything; why else be a machine. They probably even knew the men were up here looking for them. Damn it! They should only have to clear a little rubble and the machines should appear.

Beres stood atop the ruins, his arms spread wide: his body was reflected in glints of scattered shards, metal and plastic. Bímer, Jalno’s other son, clambered cautiously up to another spot; when he reached the summit he cried out in fear, thinking he was dangling in midair.

Jalno told him it was a dome, as if that explained everything. Bímer slid across the transparent plastic, screaming, trying to dig his nails into the polished, seemingly nonexistent material; suddenly he dropped down along a gutter.

Now Jalno was pointing, rather tentatively, at the place where he thought they should dig. Here, or there, or maybe a bit farther over there? Everything had changed!

Little Borles lugged a rock and let it fall, sending plumes of dust into the air. Everyone stared at the dust cloud as if it were the most entertaining sight in the world.

Daylight was fading fast.

Jalno went back to giving orders. He was tired. He hadn’t realized just how tired till now. Something was pounding furiously inside his chest, and his right arm was feeling stiff.

After an incalculable length of time, the men spontaneously seemed to remember why they were there. But Jalno soon noticed that the work was slowing down again, becoming more disorganized than ever. Then he started lugging rocks himself, furiously, almost spitefully. Hardly had he begun when something inside his body burst and he crumpled as if struck by lightning. He lay in a twisted heap in the dust. Then he grew quiet. He could still move his head, turning it to look at Beres. The light in his eyes died. Beres came over and stared for a moment; then he shook one of Jalno’s arms. Okay, Beres thought, old Jalno’s fallen deep asleep. He lifted Jalno and carried him some distance away, circling around, uncertain where to set him down. At last he lay him out as best he could among some rocks, in the shade of the giant flowers. Beres yawned and stretched. Sleep was good. He stretched out beside his father’s body, keeping watch over his sleep, while the others continued removing the debris, stirring things up.

But Jalno did not awaken.

Bímer came over later, his face dirty and dejected. He said there wasn’t anything there.

Beres knew Jalno would find the machines when he woke up.… But what was it Jalno said the machines would do? Anyway, Jalno would know how they worked; that was good enough. Bímer felt his father’s forehead. It was cold. He shook his body, vigorously. Beres was about to protest when he saw the look on his brother’s face. They looked at each other for a long moment, while the setting sun painted their hair red.

Bímer said, “These things happen. One day you fall asleep, you sleep too deeply, and.… Can’t you see him? Nobody sleeps with his eyes open.”

What he meant was, their father was going to disappear, turn into sand or dust. He was dead.

“Dead?”

Yes; asleep forever. The symbols, maybe. Probably the power of the symbols.

But what were they supposed to do with him?

Leave him, just leave him there. It might be a good idea to shovel some sand over him. Sand, to keep the others from seeing him. Before long he’d start turning real ugly.

Beres looked at his brother, wide-eyed: why would he get ugly?

Bímer shook his head and spit onto the sand. Because his flesh would start falling to pieces, he said, and then it’d turn dirty and black and smelly. He’d seen it once before, near the valley. The same thing had happened to their uncle Gorse. Didn’t he remember? Well, Bímer himself had been very young then, so Beres probably wasn’t even born yet. Bímer recalled how Jalno’s brother had lain on the grass, surrounded by some of his children. Crilma and Solmes had been there, and Vet, too.

Beres was deep in thought. Suddenly he laughed. Well, that had happened near the valley. The valley was bad. But things must be different here.

Bímer refused to answer him; he stared at his brother, all serious. Disconcerted, Beres lowered his gaze. When he looked up again, his eyes were full of terror. What would happen to their father? Would it hurt him when his flesh fell off?

Bímer nodded. They hugged each other. Night fell quickly, so quickly they had to grope in the dark to find Jalno’s body and cover it with sand.