"COWS" "I" " THE COWARDLY AIZKOLARI" "CARLIST FRONT" " BISCAY, 1875" "Carmelo guess who I've seen?" " Who?" "Manuel, from the house of Irigibel." "Where?" " There." "Between 200 and 230... 20, 40, 60,... 80, 100,..." "130, 150." "We've heard you're an ace with the axe." "The quickest." "The aizcolari who never lost a bet." "Guess who's coming?" " He's Zaldibia." "One of Goizueta's woodsmen." "Carmelo of Mendiluze." "He's a... seargeant." "If you give me a head start, we'll fix a match." "You're here?" "With the 2nd battalion." "Any news?" "Was my child born?" "Yes." "A boy." "Is he OK?" " Yes." "That witch bore a boy!" "Liberals!" "Ilegorri!" "You'll be shot!" " Wanna bet?" "Easy, Manuel, stop shaking." "You see?" "You've stopped shaking." "Now, shoot." "Shoot, damn it!" "Kill before you're killed!" "I'm not dead." "I'm not dead!" "Manuel..." "I'm not dead." "Manuel Irigibel, 30 years later" "Guipuzcoa, Spring, 1905." "He's painting me." " Painting who?" "Me." "Can't you see?" "No." "We aren't in the picture." "Watch." "Now he's doing my ear." "This one." "He's doing Txagorri's ear." " How d'you know?" "Grandpa, we're in the picture?" "Of course." " You see?" "A cow only stays put if held." "Especially in a picture." "That looks like Txargorri." " It is Txargorri." "Where is she?" " In the forest." "Are you all crazy?" "She'll eat a poisonous mushroom and go mad." "Beware of the boars!" "II" " THE AXES" "Bet 700." "They'll have a job raising it, but will accept." "You'll bet...with us?" "Everybody knows the feud's between your families." "It's easy money." "You know that fellow always quits first." "Alright, done." "We'll bet on brother?" "They're here." "When?" "At noon, on Friday, in Erdialde's field." "How much?" "700 reales." "She takes advantage because she's rich." "I'll bet with you." "Half the money." "He's strong, but you're quicker." "Like your Pa." "He's looking at her." "Done." "We'll raise our half somehow." "They've accepted." "I wrote it down." "Good luck." " OK." "What do you think?" "You make different noises." "Different noises?" "Yes, different." "Your brother and Ignacio Irigibel are different." "Are you?" "I can outlast him anytime." "He tires easily." " True." "But he could finish first." "Relax." "We'll win." "Lucas!" "Come on!" "Next month, the winner will meet Sozaluze." "He'll be among champions." "The test is to cut ten trunks first." "The match is private, at the families' request." "30 reales on Mendiluce." " Done!" "Come on!" "Here!" "50 on Irigibel!" "Irigibel, 50 reales!" "Irigibel'll, keep this up and you'll make real money!" "You're like your Pa." "It's in your blood." "Blood?" "Fix another match." "The judge said he'll meet Sozaluze next." "I can't change it!" "What a waste!" "What a disaster!" "But, Grandpa, we won 700 reales." "That's true." "I wrote it down." "Thank God the scythe's not on." "It would have cut our feet." "Four feet." "Not bad." "Hold it." "Hold on!" "Hold still." "Careful!" "It's very dangerous!" "Now, jump!" "He's back with a huge cow!" "A cow and a horse!" "He must have beaten Sozaluze!" "I don't hear the axe." " He hasn't seen him." "Is that odd cow ours?" "Yes." "Your father will be as famous as Grandpa." "Black spots." "Why?" "She's full of milk." "The spots are really white." "You won again?" " Sure." "Want a ride?" "Later." " When?" "I want to see the cow." " See it from the horse." "Hold me, eh?" " Sure." "Upsadaisy!" "She's huge." "What's her name?" " Pupille." "What is it?" " Pupille." "Why's she black?" " White." "Black with white spots." " Black ones." "Maybe she's pregnant." "She's Dutch. lmported." "Very expensive." "How much?" " A lot." "He still wants to challenge you." "How about another match?" "Your eyes are mute." "Igueldo's stud mounted her." "It's some beast." "What's a stud?" " A huge bull." "You look pregnant." "Let's see what's in there." "If you gaze on that old coward's son you'll ruin Juan's life." "Your father'll turn in his grave and you'll be the death of me." "He won't fight Juan." "Not ever." "Why not?" "Who told you so?" "Nobody." "I told myself." "What have you done to me?" "What have you cut off me?" "III" " THE LIGHTED PIT" "Ten Years After." "Spring, 1915." "Good morning." "Come to the shade." "What's with you?" "I must talk to you." "Juan, there's no shade here." "Hush, Peru." " But it's true!" "I don't like you to go out alone." "You've no husband, Catalina." "You, Peru, no father." "Since mother died you've only me." "You aren't listening." "Yes." "What'd I say?" "Don't stare at me!" "When I get nervous I don't mean to frighten you!" "I can't help it!" "But you can!" "I don't want to hurt you!" "Let him go!" "A boar!" "There aren't any around here." "There were when I was young." "Once I wounded a female." "I dragged her to the pit, cast her in." "She squealed for two days." "The pit was lit all summer." "Shall we light it?" "Here, give me." " No, let me." "Throw it higher!" "To the left." "That's it." "It's lit." "Listen." "You've won again." "Please stand on that trunk." "We'll take some photos." "Another camera here." "Lift it up high as if you were about to chop wood." "Let the world know who's the ace." "Great." "Now rest it on your shoulder." "Gaze on the horizon." "Lift the axe high." "Ilegorri, pose next to Irigibel II." "That's it, a photo together." "Hey, listen!" "I taught him all he knows, so let me have a look." "It's Lucas. llegorri's son." "He's come to gawp at my tits." "What ambition does the champion have for the future?" "How does it feel to return crowned with laurels?" "You saw your son?" "My father." "He never taught me anything." "You're Irigibel I?" "Manuel Irigibel, the best aizcolari of all time." "And a Carlist war hero." "It's in the blood." "Speaking of blood..." " ...has anyone seen my grandson?" " Let him be!" "See that camera?" "Take it without anyone seeing you." "Hide it." "Steal it?" "Only if it's for both of us." "The three of us." " Agreed." "My brother's mad." "Peru and I are scared of him." "Let's go away as soon as we can." "Very far away." " Europe's at war." "America, then." "We must take Peru." "Let me sleep with you." "Stop it or we'll leave!" "We'll go away!" "Where to?" "With Ignacio!" "That's it!" "You'll run off with him." "Calm down!" "I won't kill you." "Listen!" "I won't kill you!" "I'm your brother!" "Your brother!" "Your brother!" "I don't want to kill you." "Nor to hurt you." "I'm your brother." "I'm here, my son." "Calm down!" "Nothing's the matter." "Ask Ignacio for money for the boy's support and we three can go abroad." "Europe's at war." "America, then." "Madalen!" "Stand near the cow." "Near Pupille." "Do as he says." "Who'll take the photo?" "The camera itself." "Won't it?" "This is important." "This is very important." "Watch closely." "So important." "This is most important." "It's carrying off a snakeskin." "Yes, most important." "Never forget." "What's wrong with Pupille?" "She looks tired and her milk stinks." "She should go graze at the pit." "Cristina." "Your task is to milk Pupille because her milk's infected." "Eat this, my pretty." "It'll do you good." "Disgusting!" "It stinks!" "Phew!" "What's on the other side of the hole?" " Same as here, more or less." "You're on the other side." "We're here." "No, I'm the only one here." "Pupille will soon be with me." "That's Pupille." "She'll die any day now." "The earth eats, digests." "She's got no hoofs." "He sure looks at you." "He may, if he likes." "You too." "Find some poisonous mushrooms." "We must ease Pupille's pain." "And beware of the boars!" "When did they grow?" " Suddenly." "They've milk?" "May I see them?" "I've had it!" "You old fool." "You egotist." "You should have died in the war." "Coward!" "Everyone knows you're a coward." "I can take anymore!" " Don't do that!" "He's insane!" "She was dying." "We poisoned her to ease the pain." "Then why did she cry out?" "Shouts help one die." "It's proper to shout." "Where's my mother?" "I don't know." "I haven't seen her." "Grandpa are you hurt because I called you crazy?" "No, not at all." "Forgive me." "But I don't mind." "You knew." "I told you." "Remember?" "I'm here on the other side." "Where's mother?" "What are you staring at?" "Not here." "She isn't here." "Your father's car came and went." "Understood?" "They've abandoned us." "Liar!" "You killed her!" "Juan killed my mother!" "Let me go!" "No!" "No!" "Come see your mother, Peru!" "Let me go!" "Look!" "Can you see her?" "She's waiting for you to join her!" "Look!" "It's her!" "There she is!" "My mother's in the pit!" "Juan has killed her!" "That's Pupille." "Her flesh was infected and must be burned." "Have you seen my mother?" "She's sent for me?" "She's waiting for you." "Cristina, I'll write to you!" "Write to me!" "Cristina!" "Write to me!" "Dear Cristina..." "I'm going to school here in America." "I'm learning how to write but father is still writing this letter for me." "The photograph I've enclosed is of our house." "And that is our car." "Dear Peru I don't know how to write either." "The crooked handwriting is Grandpa's, the words mine." "There are more of us than when you left." "But we're doing well." "At least father left us the cows." "I wish I could send a picture Grandpa did of you." "I've quit studying." "I'm working as a photographer in a newspaper." "I took the pictures I sent you myself." "At last I've seen a boar." "We didn't trap it." "It wasn't likely we would." "I saw it in another forest." "They say living alone suits your uncle." "All I know...is that he's grown a beard." "The readhead in the picture is my wife." "We were married last month." "She's really slimmer but she's about to have our baby." "I laughed a lot when I saw your wife." "My boyfriend was a redhead." "I'm glad we broke off." "He was Lucas." "Ilegorri's son." "As you can see...this postcards's from England." "I'm here to take photos for my paper." "England is close to home and makes me remember it." "Grandpa only paints cows that bleed." "He wants to live in the forest." "He's very old." "He may want to die." "We send our love." "The war has began." "But nobody's come around here." "I want to leave." "IV" " WAR IN THE FOREST" "Summer, 1936" "Could Juan be back?" "Someone's out there." "Remember me?" "I'm here to photograph the war." "When did you arrive?" "Just now." "And Grandpa?" "He died." "And your child?" "Fine." "It's a girl." "A pretty one." "Sure." "Look at this." "War!" "Take a photo?" "When I think of someone, it's always you." "Me too." "Every day." "There are people in your house." "Which side is he on?" "Juan put on his red beret and joined the Nationalists." "Where is he now?" "I don't know." "Can I stay here?" "He'll stay here." "How's your father?" "Fine." "So are we, as you can see." "Cristina, where are you?" "There are soldiers below." "Many people have come up." "Nationalist troops got here this morning." "Look." "That's my nephew." "So is the one in white." "And that one." "Hell!" "What are you doing here?" " Taking war pictures." "For an American paper." "We'll celebrate that!" "How's your father?" " Fine." "He taught you to chop wood?" " No." "You've seen Lucas?" " Yes, he's fine." "Great." "Lucas is one helluva guy!" "Soldiers!" "Look!" " The soldiers are coming!" "The Nationalists!" "Women and children to the house." "Men to the forest!" "Quick!" "All the men to the forest." "How strange." "They must be hiding." "Are you afraid?" "Hi, Lucas." "You need protection." "I'll stay with you." "Shit!" "What's going on here?" "Where are they?" "Where are you, bastards?" "Son of a bitch!" "Come out here, bastard!" "What a mess!" "I'll get you out of here." "Don't worry, my love." "Rest for a while." "I'm with you." "We're together now." "Who's there?" "Who's there?" "Here's a live one!" "Absolutely neutral!" "He's scared stiff." "Come on!" "Come on!" "Get a move on!" "Traitor!" "You're a traitor!" "Kill him!" " No, Jose!" "Sir!" "Look what we found." "I'm unarmed." "I'm neutral." "My paper's famous... worldwide." "Understand?" "Foreigners are all faggots." " Specially newspaper men." "Anyone want a photo?" "A photo?" "Anyone want a photo?" "Goodbye." "Hey, you!" "We hate Americans." "You!" "Take him to the fern grove." "You." "Come with me." "Come on." "Let's go!" "Move on." "You!" "Look forward." "Stand with the rest." "Peru, have you seen my son?" "Have you seen Lucas?" "He got away?" "Did he?" " Yes, he did." "Great, Lucas!" "You're the best!" "That one's a Carlist." "Who?" "The photographer." " The American?" "Why?" "I am!" "I'm a Carlist!" "Silence." "Stop laughing!" "The grandson of two Carlist heroes." "I served under them as a lad." "As a mess boy." "How are you?" "Fine." "Only a little hungry." "What happened?" "I took some photos but they confiscated my camera." "I fell asleep." " You're OK now?" "A lot better." "I'm through here." "I'm nobody without my camera." "But you have it on you." "So I do." "What a fright." "I took good photos." "I saw Grandpa." "So did I." "Is France at war?" "What?" "I'll give my life for you." "How nice!" "There's food in here." "I'm so hungry." "Peru." " What?" "Hug me tighter." "Now whisper in my ear." "I love you more than anything." "I've waited for you all my life." "I'll never let you go." "That's important." " Most important." "We're nearly there." "To Lola."