the whole situation changed. All our troubles stemmed from there. Just think, night after night they sent rebels and armed bands of murderers across the border, day after day their press and radio poured out lying propaganda, directed against us. A considerable number of people came over from there in a steady stream. That’s what made our soldiers into martyrs. How can one finally defeat an enemy who only has to withdraw over a boundary line when the ground begins to sizzle under his feet? And who can feel himself safe? But now it’s different. In a week at the most the old administration down there will be out of the running. Then the border will be closed and all we need do is to take care of the last of these terrorists left on our side of the mountains. It’s a job that’ll be cleared up in a few weeks, or a month at the most. Everything thatis evil comes from down there. They quite simply carried on a war against us without giving us a chance to hit back, a creeping war which gave all the trumps to one side. When you get to know the natives here in the province, you’ll soon see that none of this really comes from them. They are poor and ignorant but in some way or other happy. They obey their own natures and like everyone else, all they want is to be left alone. They are like children. Unfortunately, like all children, they have to be punished sometimes.”
Dalgren smiled and let his glance slide over his guests before he went on: “Well, now, I haven’t asked you to come here just to give you a lecture. But I’ll give you a bit of good advice. Stick to your common-sense line, don’t rush into anything, and don’t try to force any settlement. Then there’ll be no danger from the Citizens’ Guard. But you must be careful all the same, especially in the next few weeks. There are still terrorist groups about, the same kind of people as that madman who shot my old friend Orestes. The ground is shaking beneath their feet now. They’ll be desperate and then they’ll kill anyone, just to be able to kill.”
He tossed down his drink, put his glass on the ledge of the balustrade, and said to a man standing a few yards away: “Dr. Alvarado, have you met our new Provincial Resident?”
Then he went away with his white dinner jacket and his smile.
Dr. Alvarado turned out to be the Medical Superintendent of the military hospital, and was slightly drunk. He said: “I heard those last words by chance; to kill for the sake of killing. He’s right. It’s the final consequence of hate and desperation. Personally I don’t give a damn for their politics. I try to patch up those who come my way regardless of who they are and where they come from. When it was at its worst they came into the hospital and shot the wounded in their beds. Only six months ago, that was.”
“Who did that?”
“A gang of crazy school kids with guns in their hands. I’ve seen a couple of them in the streets since. With schoolbooks in straps and gym shoes slung around their necks. The Citizens’ Guard, that is. The others let loose their excesses in the country. And they shot one or two Provincial Residents too.”
He took a drink and glanced at Ortega.
“Why don’t you report them if you recognize them?”
“I’m a doctor. As I said, I don’t give a damn for their crazy politics. Anyway they were mentally sick at the time. I certify them as unaccountable. They’ll get better and become outstanding citizens of the country.”
“But it could happen again. They could do it again.”
“Yes, they could, or someone else could. But their victims didn’t look so frightful as those I had in from the country. There are grades of corpses too.”
He was silent and drank, but then said suddenly: “Are you thinking of pushing self-government and enforcing agricultural reforms? Well, of course you can’t answer that sort of question, but if you are, then we’re bound to meet again.”
“The government is certainly thinking along
Dalgren smiled and let his glance slide over his guests before he went on: “Well, now, I haven’t asked you to come here just to give you a lecture. But I’ll give you a bit of good advice. Stick to your common-sense line, don’t rush into anything, and don’t try to force any settlement. Then there’ll be no danger from the Citizens’ Guard. But you must be careful all the same, especially in the next few weeks. There are still terrorist groups about, the same kind of people as that madman who shot my old friend Orestes. The ground is shaking beneath their feet now. They’ll be desperate and then they’ll kill anyone, just to be able to kill.”
He tossed down his drink, put his glass on the ledge of the balustrade, and said to a man standing a few yards away: “Dr. Alvarado, have you met our new Provincial Resident?”
Then he went away with his white dinner jacket and his smile.
Dr. Alvarado turned out to be the Medical Superintendent of the military hospital, and was slightly drunk. He said: “I heard those last words by chance; to kill for the sake of killing. He’s right. It’s the final consequence of hate and desperation. Personally I don’t give a damn for their politics. I try to patch up those who come my way regardless of who they are and where they come from. When it was at its worst they came into the hospital and shot the wounded in their beds. Only six months ago, that was.”
“Who did that?”
“A gang of crazy school kids with guns in their hands. I’ve seen a couple of them in the streets since. With schoolbooks in straps and gym shoes slung around their necks. The Citizens’ Guard, that is. The others let loose their excesses in the country. And they shot one or two Provincial Residents too.”
He took a drink and glanced at Ortega.
“Why don’t you report them if you recognize them?”
“I’m a doctor. As I said, I don’t give a damn for their crazy politics. Anyway they were mentally sick at the time. I certify them as unaccountable. They’ll get better and become outstanding citizens of the country.”
“But it could happen again. They could do it again.”
“Yes, they could, or someone else could. But their victims didn’t look so frightful as those I had in from the country. There are grades of corpses too.”
He was silent and drank, but then said suddenly: “Are you thinking of pushing self-government and enforcing agricultural reforms? Well, of course you can’t answer that sort of question, but if you are, then we’re bound to meet again.”
“The government is certainly thinking along
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