Complete Short Stories by Robert Graves

Have you no shame? You have nothing to fear. Drive fast, until you catch them up – yours is the better vehicle – and keep close behind them to make sure that Pedro reaches the prison safely. They will notdare to do anything with witnesses about and will hold their fire until they reach the desolate stretch of road between the
mirador
and the Moorish Tower. For the Virgin’s sake, get busy!”
    ‘“Alas, woman,” he said, getting into his trousers, “there is not a drop of gasolene in the tank, and it would take me more than five minutes to rouse a neighbour and fill up.”
    ‘“In the name of God, have youno sense? Take Tomeu’s motorcycle – it is in our garage. You can ride a motor-cycle. And if I hear tomorrow that Pedro is dead, I swear to you by all the Saints and Blessed Ones that I will be your woman no longer. You can sleep in the kitchen with the cats.” In Majorca, it is the women who command in the home, just as Solomon prophesied.
    ‘Meanwhile, Don Roberto, you can imagine that I was farfrom comfortable with the pistol barrel between my shoulders and the car bumping and rattling along the road. We continued to the Port and then turned around the mountain-spur by the coast road past your house, and reached Ca’n Bi; then there were no more houses for some kilometres. But I could not see what I hoped to see across the valley as we turned the corner, namely the headlights of the Mayor’scar coming in pursuit. So I addressed the elder gunman: “Friend, here we are in a conveniently desolate place. Before you kill me, will you allow me to address a few words to an old acquaintance of mine?”
    ‘“Where is he?”
    ‘“Far enough from here.”
    ‘“What do you mean? Do you want to telephone?”
    ‘“I only want a word or two with my patron saint, St Peter.”
    ‘“He is dead,” sneered the younger man.“You will not get through.”
    ‘“Shot while resisting arrest?” I asked, mimicking his Aragonese accent.
    ‘The elder gunman laughed. “This is a courageous peasant. I am sorry that we have to cancel his account. Very well, Master, we will stop here and you can kneel in peace on the
mirador
yonder and put your call through while I smoke a cigarette. Though, upon my word, I cannot make out why you shouldtake the trouble to telephone one whom you will be confronting in person the moment I throw away my cigarette butt.” Theystopped the car and we got out, and walked to where we are now sitting.
    ‘This is country that I know very well, by day and by night. When I was young I bought myself out of military service with the money I made by smuggling here. I used to hump forty kilos’ weight of tobaccoup from the beach below us, by way of the cliff track, and take it across the road past the Moorish Tower and away over the mountains. My hope was that perhaps I could break away from my captors and escape down the cliff where, being ignorant of the footholds and handholds they would be unable to follow me. But they knew their trade and kept me covered with both pistols; unfortunately, too, themoon was very bright and the first signs of dawn were already showing beyond the headland. I tried bribery, but could not interest them. The younger gunman said: “If we took you back alive you would certainly inform the Mayor, or the priest, and claim his protection and we should lose not only the money but also the confidence of Don Pablo.”
    ‘At this I suddenly solved a problem that had beentroubling me for a long time. I cried out: “Chests full of gold ! Why did I not think of it earlier? You are a pair of Bayo’s deserters, and you have hoodwinked the District Party-leader and Don Pablo and everyone else into accepting you as Falangist incorruptibles. Well now, that is very funny and I must laugh, even if it is the last joke that I am ever confronted with.”
    ‘“It is very funny,very funny indeed,” agreed the elder. “My companion and I took the Falangist badges off a couple of young