Behind the villa there were a few outhouses and still farther, a jungle of thorny cacti, with a white wall at the far end, showing through at places.
Another wall, thought Cristo.
Jim led him into a small cool room. In his sign language he explained that Cristo was to live there and then left him alone.
The Third Wall
By and by Cristo began finding his way about in the new strange world. It didnt take him long to find out that the animal population of the orchard was quite tame. With some he was soon even on terms of friendship. The dogs with jaguar skins, the cause of such scare on his first day in the orchard, followed him about, licking his hands. The llamas ate out of his hand. The parrots perched on his shoulder.
The orchard and the animals were tended by twelve Blacks as dumb as Jim. At any rate Cristo never heard them speak. They all went silent about their business. Jim was a sort of superintendent over them. He gave them their work and saw that they did it. Cristo, much to his own surprise, had been appointed his deputy. His duties were not hard. There wasnt too much work and the food was plentiful. But the oppressive silence of the Blacks soon began to get him down. Besides, he was convinced that they had all had their tongues cut out. And every time Salvator summoned him to the office-not that it was often-Cristo thought his turn had come. But then something happened to allay his fears.
One day he came across Jim lying fast asleep in the shade of an olive tree. The Black was lying on his back, his mouth hanging open. Cristo used the opportunity of looking for the Blacks tongue and, to his relief, found it there all right.
Dr. Salvators day was well-planned and busy. From seven to nine he received patients, from nine to eleven he operated upon those who required it. Then he went to his villa to do laboratory work. This involved operating on animals and studying them. An experiment over, the animals went back to the orchard. Cristo, who dusted the rooms in the villa, managed occasionally to slip into the laboratories. The things he saw there would haunt his imagination for long afterwards. Hearts and kidneys carved out of their bodies lived on in glass jars. Amputated limbs seemed to be waiting for their owner.
His skin crawling Cristo hurried out. He preferred to be among the live monsters of the orchard.
Salvator seemed to trust the old Indian, but not beyond the third wall. And it was just what was on the other side that Cristo was so eager to see. One midday, when everybody was having a siesta, he stole up to the wall. Childrens voices floated over to him. They spoke an Indian dialect he knew but intermingling with them, as if in a quarrel, there were other voices, thin and squeaky, speaking what seemed to Cristo a very peculiar brand of Indian.
Coming across Cristo in the orchard one day Salvator halted and, looking him straight in the eye as was his wont, he said:
Youve been with me a month now, Cristo, and Im pleased with your work. One of the servants in the lower orchard has fallen ill. You will replace him. You will see many new things there. But mind that little conversation we had about your tongue unless you want to lose it.
Ive almost forgotten the use of it with all your dumb Blacks around, Doctor, said Cristo.
Excellent. Silence pays, you know. Incidentally, do you know your way in the Andes?
I was born and bred in the mountains.
Splendid. I will soon want to replenish my zoo with a new batch of birds and animals. Im going to take you with me. You may go now. Jim will take you to the lower orchard.
Accustomed though he was to the wonders of the place, Cristo had more surprises coming.
In the spacious sunlit meadow naked children were playing with monkeys. Almost all Argentinas Indian tribes seemed to be represented there by children ranging in age from about three to twelve years. All of them were patients of Salvators. Many had undergone complicated operations and owed their very lives to Salvators skill. Once round the corner the children recuperated playing in the orchard till they were strong enough to be taken home.
Tailless monkeys with not a tuft of hair on their bodies kept them company. But what really amazed Cristo was that all of them could speak some kind of Indian. They joined in the childrens games, quarrelling with them and shouting in thin high-pitched voices, though on the whole they were quite a friendly crowd.
Sometimes Cristo was inclined to think they were human beings after all.
The lower orchard, as Cristo soon found out, was smaller than the other one, sloped steeper seawards and ended in a big cliff rising sheer like a wall. Somewhere behind it was the invisible ocean, revealed by the roar of the surf.
A closer look showed that the cliff was man-made and, in fact, nothing more than another wall, a fourth one, for in it Cristo found an iron door, painted grey to blend with the cliff and furthermore screened by a thick growth of wistaria.
Cristo listened. The roar of the surf was the only sound. Where did the small door lead to? The seaside?
Suddenly there was a hubbub of childrens voices behind him. Cristo wheeled round and saw the children staring up into the sky. He also looked up and spotted a small red balloon slowly floating up and across the orchard. The wind was heading it seawards.
An ordinary childrens balloon, it seemed to stir Cristo deeply. As soon as the servant that had been ill reported for work, the old Indian went to see Salvator.
Soon were leaving for the Andes, Doctor. It might be some time before we come back. May I go and see my daughter and her child?
Salvator didnt like his servants leaving the premises, and he didnt speak at once. Cristo stood waiting, his eyes boldly meeting the cold stare of Salvators.
Remember your pledge, said Salvator. I wouldnt like you to lose your tongue. You may go, but see youre back within three days. Wait!
Salvator went into the other room and brought back with him a suede leather pouch.
Theres something for your granddaughter and for your silence too.
An Ambush
If he doesnt come this time Ill cut the painter as far as the pair of you are concerned, Ill be damned if I wont. Ill get smarter people onto the job, Zurita was saying, tugging impatiently at his bristly moustache. He wore a white town suit and a panama hat. They had met well outside Buenos Aires, at a point where the pampas were taking over from the maize fields.
Baltasar, in a white blouse and a pair of blue-striped trousers, was squatting by the roadside, plucking dejectedly at the sun-parched brittle blades of grass.
He himself was beginning to regret having sent his brother to spy on Salvator.
Though Baltasars elder by ten years, Cristo was strong and lithe and as cunning as a pampas-cat. But he was not reliable. He couldnt settle down to anything. There had been a time he took up farming but soon dropped it, thoroughly bored. Then he ran a dockside tavern till he drank himself out of house and home. Lately Cristo had been earning a precarious living on the windy side of the law. With his sharp wits he could ferret out anything but was not to be trusted with much. He might even betray his own brother if it were made worth his while. Baltasar knew his man and was as worried as Zurita.
Are you sure Cristo saw the balloon, anyhow?
Baltasar shrugged his shoulders. He would have much preferred to drop the whole affair there and then, go home and have a glass of cold water laced with wine in the peace and quiet of his shop.
A cloud of dust mushroomed over the turn of the road and was lit up by the last rays of the setting sun. A shrill drawn-out whistle was heard.
Baltasar livened up.
Thats him! he said.
Not too damned soon either, said Zurita.
Striding briskly towards them was Cristo no longer a doddering old Indian with a sick grandchild come to see the doctor. Giving another whistle Cristo came nearer and saluted the pair.
Well, have you seen the sea-devil? Zurita asked him by way of greeting.
Not yet, but hes there all right. Salvator keeps him behind four walls. The main thing is Salvator trusts me. That sick granddaughter did it. Cristo laughed, narrowing his sly eyes. She nearly gave the whole show away though. When she recovered, I mean. Heres me, picking her up and kissing her like a loving grand dad and she kicks away and fairly bursts into tears, and he laughed again.
Where did you get the girl? asked Zurita.
Moneys hard to get, girls arent, said Cristo. And her mothers happy too. I got five pesos-she got her daughter back healthy.
That he had also received a sizeable sum from Salvator he didnt trouble to mention. All the more understandable this, since he wasnt going to share it with the childs mother.
A regular zoo that place chock-full of monsters. And Cristo started his story.
That might all be very interesting, Zurita said after some time and lighted a cigar, but you havent seen the goods. What do you propose to do next?
Make a trip to the Andes. And Cristo told them of Salvators plan.
Splendid! exulted Zurita. Well attack the place as soon as Salvators party leaves and carry the sea-devil away by force. The places so out-of-the-way one could do it in broad daylight and nobody the wiser.
Cristo shook his head.
The jaguars will bite your heads off. Even if they dont you wont find the sea-devil-not until Ive found out where he is.
Then heres what well do, Zurita said, after thinking it over for a while. Well ambush Salvators party, take him prisoner and hold him to ransom. The sea-devil'll be the price.
With a slick movement of his hand Cristo drew a cigar out of Zuritas breast pocket.
Many thanks. An ambushs better. But Salvators sure to pull some trick on you-promise to deliver the goods and never do it or something. Those Spaniards- the rest of the sentence was lost in coughing.
Well, what do you suggest? Zurita said irritably.
Patience. Salvator trusts me but only as far as three walls go. He must be made to trust me as he trusts his own shadow, then hell show me the sea-devil of his own free will.
Well?
Well, Salvator will be attacked by bandits, he jabbed his finger at Zuritas chest, and delivered from them by an honest Araucanian he tapped his own chest. Then there will be no secrets from Cristo in Salvators house. And no lack of golden pesos, he added in an aside for himself.
Thats not a bad idea.
Then they agreed on the road Cristo should suggest to Salvator.
On the eve of the departure Ill throw a red stone over the wall. Have everything ready. And Cristo was gone.
Though the plan of attack was well worked out an unforeseen circumstance nearly made it fall through.
Zurita, Baltasar and a dozen cutthroats hired in the dockside, wearing Gaucho clothes all well armed and mounted, had taken up stations alongside the pampas road. The night was dark. The gang listened hard for the hoofbeats.
Suddenly the bandits heard the chugging of an engine, quickly drawing nearer. Two powerful headlights stabbed the darkness and before they knew where they were a big black car had rushed by.
It had never entered Cristos head that Salvator could travel in this new, unconentional way.
Zurita was beside himself with rage and disappointment; Baltasar was amused.
Take it easy, master, he said. They travel by night and will rest in the daytime. Well overtake them. And he spurred his horse on; the rest followed suit.
They had ridden hard for the better part of two hours when they spotted the glow of a campfire ahead.
Thats them. Somethings happened. Wait for me here while I do some scouting.
And dismounting, Baltasar crawled snakelike into the darkness.
He returned in an hour.
The cars out of order. Theyre repairing it. Cristo keeps watch. Come on, lets hurry and get it done with.
It was a quick job. The bandits took Salvators party by surprise just when they had repaired the car-and tied Salvator, Cristo and the three Blacks hand and foot with not a shot fired.
One of the bandits, who acted chieftain, Zurita preferring to stay in the background, told Salvator that they were prepared to ransom him for a big sum of money and named it.
Youll have it, said Salvator.
Thats for you. And its double if you want your men set free too, said the bandit following up his advantage.
I havent got that much money available, Salvator said, after a pause.
Finish him off! the bandits shouted all at once.
Ill give you till dawn to think it over, said the bandits spokesman.
Salvator shrugged his shoulders as he repeated:
I havent got that much available.
His coolness impressed even the bandits.
Taking Salvator and his men aside, the bandits ransacked the car and found the spirits intended for collections. Soon they were drunk and sleeping on the ground.
At crack of dawn somebody crawled softly to Salvators side.
Its me, came Cristos voice. I managed to untie myself and have killed the bandit on watch. The rest are drunk and incapable. Lets hurry!
They got in, the Black driver started the engine, the car leapt forward.
Behind there were shouts and a few rifle shots rang out.
Salvator pressed Cristos hand.
Only after Salvators departure did Zurita learn that Salvator had been willing to pay. Wouldnt it have been simpler just to take it than try to kidnap a sea-devil nobody knew was worth anything? Its all over bar the shouting, though, he thought. And he waited for news from Cristo.
The Amphibian
Cristo had hoped that Salvator would send for him and say:
Youve saved my life, Cristo. From now on there will be no secrets for you in this place. Come with me, Ill show you the sea-devil. Or words to that effect.
But Salvator fell short of Cristos hopes. He generously rewarded the brave Araucanian and became all wrapped up in his research again.
So Cristo started his own research. The secret door proved a hard nut to crack but his patience was rewarded in the end. One day he pressed a boss on it and it swung slowly open, like the door to a strong room. Cristo slipped through and the door swung shut, taking him a little aback. He examined it, pressing every boss in turn; the door didnt open.
A fine trap I caught myself in, he muttered. Well, I might as well have a look round.
He found himself in a hollow, thickly overgrown with trees and bushes and walled in on all sides with man-made cliffs.
The plants Cristo saw were of the kind usually growing on humid soils. The big shady trees did not let sunlight through to the numerous rivulets burbling underneath. Fountains, scattered among the trees, added to the moisture in the air. The place was as damp as the low banks of the Mississippi. Standing in the middle of the grounds was a small flat-roofed stone house with lichen-clad walls. The green blinds on the windows were pulled down. The house had a not-lived-in look.