"Margarita's been sold as a slave." "Sátur, I can't go back without her, I can't lose her!" "Who is Margarita Hernando?" "You have to help me find my fiancée, with your armies, with your influence." "It would be very difficult to find her in this vast realm." "The women are embarking tonight for the trip to Argel." "I would prefer not to be in charge such tasks in the future." "You won't have a future if you don't personally conduct them." "This is how you keep an eye on the freight?" "~ Excuse me." "~ What are you doing here?" "I work in the palace." "According to my sources, you have not yet taken part in the sacrament of matrimony." "Let's take all steps so that things go smoothly." "I accept your proposition." "Those boxes have vents." "Listen to me, my fiancé is a very important noble --- if you help us escape, I swear you'll be granted your every wish." "~ It's all your fault!" "~ They grabbed her when she was on the way to see you, because you were pressuring her about the wedding date." "The envoy of the emir wishes to see you dance." "~ It's your turn." "~ I won't dance." "My aunt says you're not allowed to leave the palace." "My uncle, the Cardinal, says I'm not ready for the wider world." "I can show you the town, you'll surely like it." "Slaves, get your slaves here!" "Excuse me, I want to buy a female slave,... see, I've got this." "~ Push off, brat!" "~ You went to the market by yourself?" "Yes --- I tried to buy her paying with Mom's pendant." "~ but she wasn't there." "~ I'll be bringing her back." "Irene has disappeared, she's been spotted with my idiot gardener." "What are you doing?" "What are you doing, Marta?" "Lose that!" "But what do you want, to kill yourself?" "I hope she returns safely, so that you and your family don't suffer the consequences." "Margarita is still alive, I'm sure of it." "There exists a secret society,... composed of influential people,..." "Counts, Dukes, Churchmen,..." "The hell with secret societies!" "But how are we going to learn who we're looking for... if you can't see their faces, you haven't heard a name, you don't know anything!" "A costume party!" "Master, today the costume will come in handy!" "Where are the women you kidnapped?" "If you help me, I'll put my entire fortune at your disposal." "Master!" "Quiet!" "It's a miracle!" "By the way, tonight we've got to go back to the Finger of God." "Master, I said I'd go to the Finger of God, and I will,... but me, given my state, but what I need now is a little fun." "The spirit's willing, but it's best with a little help from the women." "All right, go, have a free night." "I'll go to the Finger of God on myself." "Can't we go there just a bit later?" "This is not the right time of the day to dig away a hill,... after all, this medallion has been buried there for nearly 20 years." "Sátur, this medallion is the only link I have left in my search for who my brother is and where to find him." "Dad, Dad, look!" "they've written a song about the Red Eagle!" "~ Oh, really?" "~ It's already popular out of town." "Listen: " He may be in Madrid,..." "" or in Ordaz,..." "" spreading around red feathers, calling for justice and freedom,..." "" They say he's very handsome... " ~ Let me see." "~ What are you doing?" "~ Does it mention someone else, someone who was with him, or anything?" "But who else would it mention?" "Well, someone who's always at his side, a certain someone." "No, sometimes it mentions his horse." "His horse?" "Hey, look at the poem they wrote to honor to the Red Eagle." "Well, how about that?" "It seems to me you've missed your goodnight kiss, right?" "We'll have to go home, the kid will have to eat, and that sort of thing, I say." "You're right, let's go home." "We're on our way." "Good night." "Good night." "No, Sátur, don't you start." "~ No, no, no!" "I didn't say a thing!" "~ Good." "But I say, indeed, shit, I indeed say." "You play the great hero for the people, but then at home, you allow them to walk over you,... so much that she seem to belong more to his family than ours." "Sátur, they're getting married in two months,... in two months,... ~ so enough is enough." "~ Yeah, it's enough." "If the horse is allowed to talk louder than me, well, that's how it is." "There he is, staring at Inés's letter." "Pity he can't read, eh?" "Good evening, Cipri." "You come dine with us." "No, thanks, I've got a lot of work to do." "Don't let it bother you, relax." "I don't know, Inés's move seems strange to me." "Don't go there, don't go there, you're always finding a new mystery where there is none,..." "The big mystery here is why Inés stayed here for eight years with Cipriano,... that's what's mysterious." "Don't put on that face, you think the same as me!" "But Inés, Inés,... a lot of chicken for so little rice, Inés." "Are you leaving?" "As you decree, your Majesty." "Your Majesty, the queen has requested your presence..." "But she should certainly be at prayers at this time of day,... tell her I'm coming!" "Will you be back soon, your Majesty?" "As soon as I fulfill my duties as king and as husband." "This is all that there was, your Eminence." "When will you give me back my liberty?" "Ah, Inés, Inés, I hosted you when you were just a little girl,..." "I fed you, protected you,... and now you want me to pay in this way, you want to leave my side?" "Reserve your passions to please the king!" "and now, get back to the palace before someone starts wondering what you're up to." "Your Eminence." ""I'll see you tonight at the Finger of God." "Laura de Montignac."" "In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, amen." "Commissioner,..." "I want you to summon your best men, I need to find something very important." "May I know what it is?" "It's a medallion the same as this one... a bit of family jewelry." "With all due respect, your Eminence, you want my men to hunt down a medallion?" "Commissioner, don't overestimate the degree of confidence I have in you... and carry out my orders." "Your Eminence." "Master,... if you have a callous there, you may be all right,... but how am I ever going to recover... if I spend the day at a full gallop?" "I have my total nobility, there, in live meat!" "Did you hear that?" "What could I hear besides you?" "There's someone else." "Wait for me here." "By myself?" "Keep digging, let's go!" "Ay, Master, take care of my mother's son!" "But these... who are they, now?" "Were they watching from there, there next to the rocks?" "We came from there, sir, but without a trail." "It's clear that this place is of interest to more than one." "Maybe they're looking for truffles,... there's a lot of that going on around here." "Nothing, there's nothing here... not a hint of this medallion." "They said medallion?" "What a nuisance these people are --- who could have sent them here?" "No idea,... but that's what I'm going to find out right smartly." "Don't budge." "Who sent you?" "Who sent you?" "Master, you're worse than children,... left to their own devices...but now you tell me!" "Neither an answer nor a medallion." "Something we know, Sátur:" "the medallion isn't here." "I'm sorry, commissioner, the Red Eagle showed up by surprise..." "The Red Eagle..." "I thought he only showed up when people needed him." "Well, you can go." "Hernán, I'm afraid that that medallion is much more important than you'd imagine." "Yeah, but why are the Red Eagle and the Cardinal both looking for it?" "Good day, Marquesa." "~ Good morning, Mother ~ Commissioner." "Madam Marquesa, I've let out the dresses." "Are we fattening up, Lucrecia?" "Thank you, Margarita." "Catalina, that milk has gone off." "~ But, ma'am, they were recently milked." "~ Throw it away." "Yes, ma'am." "Are you all right, ma'am?" "Yes." "Ma'am!" "Are you all right, Marquesa?" "~ Lucrecia!" "~ Let me go!" "I'm fine, I'm perfect,..." "I've just been affected by that repellent milk." "I'll take it away, my lady." "I'll accompany you to your room." "Accompany us." "~ Are you all right, Mom?" "~ I'm fine, Nuño." "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" "That she's pregnant." "Mother of God!" "What a mess to land in her lap, have you see how jumpy she's gotten?" "Who knows who the father is." "Well, all the young studs, from the waiter who lit her fire,... passing through the water boy, continuing through the church of the Holy Saints,... and counting the king,..." "I can think of about 200 possible fathers." "At least." "~ Hi, Aunt." "~ Martín." "Martín,..." "Martín, my boy, you didn't... not you, tell me that you didn't..." "I didn't what?" "That the Marquesa and you didn't..." "Tell me that you've respected your body." "Aunt, now really..." "No, please, tell me that you've respected your own body." "Yes, indeed, Aunt." "Relax." "Thank heavens for small mercies." "This is a better haircut... than Goliath knew after Delilah." "That was Samson." "It wasn't Goliath?" "Hey, don't worry about me --- a glass of water and some bread and I'm full up!" "~ Hey, Alonso!" "~ What's up?" "You're not going to school?" "~ Yeah, I'm going." "~ Come on, I'm going now." "Gabi, son!" "Good morning, right?" "Good morning." "I'll surprise him." "I'm going for him." "What worries me is these kids, Master... because you and I have stopped growing, but there they are, developing like crazy." "Well, don't worry, head off for school, I'll take care." "See you later, Sátur." "Good morning, my good man." "Good morning." "How is your stall, eh?" "This is the only bread you can offer me?" "All I have left is this loaf... and tomorrow God only knows." "That's all?" "Would you have some from last week, or the week before that, or a worm-eaten one?" "I've got this one, and this roach-eaten one." "This, with some hammering,... with some hammering..." "There, now we eat meat!" "What doesn't kill you, fattens you." "The Exterminating Angel has reached the whores," "I think it's killed one of them." "What are you saying?" "~ Smallpox?" "~ Yeah." "Estuarda..." "Estuarda!" "Where is Estuarda?" "Have you seen Estuarda?" "Let them stay." "Estuarda!" "Estuarda, not you!" "Not you, please!" "Sátur,..." "Sátur, what are you doing here, for God's sake?" "Thanks be to God, for a moment I thought that..." "But you're all right." "Let's leave at once." "Sátur, wait." "I have to ask one thing." "I know that I already told you to remain aloof from Gabi, but... but now I'm going to ask you to stick close to him." "Of course, for as many days as necessary." "No, Sátur, not for days,..." "I'm asking you to raise him." "Of course, Estuarda, I'll certainly take care of him." "Well, I'll take care of you, too." "If need be, take a few days off, and then we'll see what's what." "You come with me,... to see if you're also going to catch the disease." "Sátur, I'm already infected." "Don't touch me." "Go on, don't let my son come anywhere near me... but tell him I love him a lot." "Please,... and that's forever." "More, squeeze me in more." "Ma'am, this can be harmful in your condition." "Let's see whether we're going to rupture some intestine or just break something else inside you!" "Besides that, madam Marquesa, you are so... well, you have such contours..." "I said to squeeze!" "You summoned me, Marquesa?" "Yes, come in." "Shut the door on your way out." "~ Yes, ma'am." "~ With your permission." "So talk to me." "Juan,..." "I'm pregnant." "Congratulations." "You knew when I called for you that it wasn't to shower me with congratulations!" "You have to help me get rid of the child." "No, I'm a doctor, Lucrecia..." "Juan..." "I'm asking you this as a friend, not as a patient." "No, I already told you I don't do this type of work, Lucrecia." "You can't do this to me, you have to help me, please,..." "You know I have no one to turn to." "Juan, I can't bear this child, I'm a widow!" "What surname I'm supposed to give him?" "And what will they say about me at court, what do you think they'll say?" "I'm sorry, but don't count on me in this." "I'll give you what you want,... whatever you ask." "I don't need anything from you, Lucrecia,... thanks anyway." "If you'll excuse me." "Catalina!" "Catalina, come here!" "Has something happened, Marquesa?" "Where do servant girls go who get pregnant by kid nobles?" "~ What are you saying?" "~ You heard me just fine." "I'm sure you all have some place to go." ""You should know, before anything else,..." ""that I'm named Lázaro de Tormes," ""son of Tomás González and Antonia Perez,..." ""both born at Tejares..." ""in the village of Salamanca." ""I was born immersed in the River Tormes."" "Very good, Murillo, be seated." "Today we're going to talk about something which has to do with hunger." "Does anyone know who Confucius is?" "He invented confusion?" "Not quite." "Confucius was an eastern philosopher... and according to him, one day God put an enormous cauldron of food up in the sky,... and at the same time, one into hell." "and then he handed out some very long skewers... like these,... so everyone could obtain their meals." "Those in the sky enjoyed the delicacy, but... those in hell got their throats stucked through." "And how could that be?" "Very easily, Nuño,... because those in the sky used the skewers to pass along the food to others... while those in hell... used them to put food into their own mouths... thereby hurting themselves." "So, Nuño,... learn to share your meal with your buddies." "Agreed?" "Alonso, you do the sharing out." "Tell me." "Master, I wanted to ask if..." "Gabi could come live with us." "Sure." "I know that's another mouth to feed, but... if it should be necessary, I won't eat anything." "Is something going on?" "Estuarda asked me to have him stay with me." "What do you think, will she die?" "Have you heard them talking about the Exterminating Angel?" "Smallpox." "What's going on?" "Don't tell me that nothing's happened,..." "I'm sick of you both never telling me the truth." "Alonso,... now more than ever you have to hang around with Gabi." "Why?" "What's happening with Gabi?" "His mother's sick." "She's got smallpox." "What?" "But...this means that she'll die..." "No --- that means he'll lose his mother." "No, son, we haven't said that yet." "And how are we going to tell him?" "Alonso, Alonso, the little pre_ Marquesa girl says that if we eat more chocolate, he'll squeal to the commissioner." "What's up?" "Why are you looking at me like that?" "Ma'am, please, think twice, what you're planning is very dangerous." "Catalina, I didn't ask your opinion, let's go." "Hello." "We want..." "How long has it been since your period?" "What?" "How long since your last period?" "~ Oh, no, not me, I'm not..." "~ Yes, yes you do, Catalina." "You can help correct the negligence of my maid?" "Ma'am, I make my living out of solving these oversights." "She's to drink five drops of this,... and not a single drop more --- it's very dangerous." "Are you sure it'll work?" "If it hasn't been ejected within two days, hurry back here,..., and we'll pull him out." "Ma'am, head off, please." "Catalina, we haven't been here,... not even once, you hear me." "But Gabi, don't worry so... your mom will get better, you'll see." "And if she dies?" "I'll never see her again." "Your mother's not going to die,... people don't die from smallpox." "Is that so?" "All right, so sometimes they do,... but almost never." "Let's head home." "But I want to stay with them." "I don't want you to hang out with the son of a diseased prostitute." "What do you want, to get infected too?" "Give it a rest." "Hey, you." "What did you say?" "I'm taking away my son, I don't like it that he's getting close to that carrier." "That carrier?" "You realize that that carrier is my son,... and I'm not thrilled with what you're calling him." "Come on, apologize." "Son of a whore and nobody's prize,... you're so blessed, kid." "Don't bother the kid, scum!" "~ Let me go!" "~ Apologize for what you said, or I'll rip out your guts." "That guy's right, that brat should be locked up." "Man, just like his mother, he's going to spread the disease all over the place." "What's everyone looking at here?" "Beat it!" "What are you looking at?" "Push off!" "My son isn't a carrier!" "~ You're fine, son." "~ Leave me alone!" "Gabi!" "Don't ever say again that you're my father, you got that?" "!" "Never, never say that again." "Gabi, Gabi!" "You see, now it's Estuarda turn,... in the end, these diseases attack the usual people,... the poorer people." "~ Hi." "~ Hi, my love!" "What?" "You don't have a kiss for your aunt?" "Yes, yes." "Alonso, you're not with Gabi?" "No, he wants to be alone." "Sátur meant to talk with him,... but he says he doesn't have a father." "Poor kid." "And poor Sátur!" "What are you reading?" "It's in Chinese, isn't it?" "Yes." "Come here." "When I was in the east I saw lots of cases of smallpox." "but there the doctors covered them with some kind of yellow powder,... and it seemed to make them better." "Do you know anything about this yellow powder?" "Not yet." "Well, Dad, you've got to find out what it is." "My dear, Juan is taking care of Estuarda." "He'll do everything possible to get her through it." "Yeah, but Juan doesn't have the yellow powder that Dad was talking about,... because maybe you're not very brave, but when it comes to thinking,... ~ Ah, no?" "~ I'm sure you'll find it." "Come on, let's go, you go see to Gabi,... he'll surely be comforted by your being by his side." "Bye." "Bye." "Margarita, I'll stay and help." "Thanks." "The ring!" "You've seen it?" "Let's see..." "Give it to me." "Do you know what I've just remembered?" "From when we were kids and I drop my necklace in the lake,... you jumped in, and you didn't come to the surface... until you found it." "And was this cleaned in the last month, Beatriz?" "The past month?" "I want this as if it were a fountain of gold... and with valor, with valor!" "Catalina, the Marquesa is unwell." "What, she's ill?" "Her face is bad... and she's been drinking some sort of elixir --- she already swallowed a whole flask of it.]" "~ Oh, my God!" "~ What is it?" "~ Nothing, nothing's happening." "~ How is nothing happening?" "Catalina, I know you, right?" "I took her to the abortion-man, and he gave her that." "What?" "But why did you take her to this butcher?" "And what may I have done?" "She ordered me to do it, she is my mistress." "Ma'am!" "Ma'am, ma'am!" "For God's sake, he told her only a few drops?" "!" "This brine is cold!" "Yes, ma'am, let's get you dressed." "Bring,... bring hot water for the bath pool, move!" "Ma'am!" "Ma'am!" "Ma'am, wake up!" "Lucrecia, what's going on?" "What's happening?" "She's freezing, what happened?" "I'm not allowed to tell you." "What, you're not allowed to tell me, what happened?" "~ I'm not allowed to tell you." "~ Catalina!" "She's pregnant,... and she was swallowing this to eject out the baby." "You're saying that your mother hid this medallion in this lake?" "We're looking in the wrong place,... unless this lake is under the Finger of God, too." "Man, the truth is that the carved tree with your name and your brother's is nearby." "You must have lived near here, Master." "Sátur, let's go." "Slowly, slowly..." "How could you do such a thing, Lucrecia?" "I've done nothing that's any of your business." "You've put your life at risk, it indeed is my business." "Hernán, my mother died years ago,... and give me some credit, the last thing I need is another one." "Even if only because of Nuño, you could be a bit more prudent." "Leave me alone, please." "No, I'm not going to wander off, Lucrecia." "Whose is this?" "I don't know what you're talking about." "Whose is this kid you're expecting?" "It could be mine." "Why, you want one?" "Forget it,... this child will never be born." "Come in!" "Lucrecia,... if you want I can see you later on." "No, Juan, please stay,..." "Hernán was just leaving." "Juan, we have to talk." "How cold!" "Sit down." "I have to tell you something." "But how did this idea get into you?" "Do you know how dangerous it could be?" "Besides, with water this cold your genitals will become like Corinth raisins." "Can't you think of any better way to pull out he medallion?" "Well, man, off the top of my head, no... but consider other options... you're the Eagle, not a fish." "Do you know what's inside?" "For the record, I wanted to go with you... but water and I don't mix..." "and even less so in large doses." "Travel with your eye open, Master,... or you'll see that finding your past will cost you your future." "It's better to do the things oneself than to bequeath them." "Yes, my daughter, yes, help me." "I could be cleaning up until tomorrow, since I don't have anything else to do..." "Very well, how is the Marquesa?" "Well, I don't know, it has me in suspense." "She seems deathly, like a broken doll." "She could well have given me a displeasure, and a big one." "Thank God nothing bad happened." "No, but if it should happen,... who will relieve me of this burden?" "I shouldn't have taken her to the abortion-man." "No, but she knew what she was doing too, Cata." "What's that?" "It turns out that you almost poisoned yourself." "Juan and the Marquesa." "~ Cata, that's not right!" "~ Let me listen!" "This woman, when something gets into her head, she could even dare to ask Juan to pull out the baby." "~ Cata, if she learns that you're listening..." "~ Shut up!" "Juan says she was never pregnant." "What?" "Go on, make room!" "Juan, it's impossible, I can't have smallpox." "What?" "What did she say?" "What's happening?" "My lady... she's got smallpox." "That man, won't he ever surface!" "He must have been snared in something, and can't escape!" "I advised him, don't go, it's too dangerous." "But, no!" "I'll be executed for this... but in the end he'll learn I was right and he was wrong!" "Master!" "I have to save the hero now?" "Help!" "Master!" "Help!" "Breathe, Sátur, easy now!" "I'm drowning!" "I thought I'd drown." "You know what they say,... when one is dying,... the most important moments of their life flash before their eyes?" "Well, I haven't stopped seeing Gabi... and Estuarda." "Thanks for all the risks you took at my side, Sátur." "I thought I was dying, Master." "Clearly, since you didn't come up,..." "I launched myself without remembering that I can't swim." "Good, but did you recover anything?" "Yes, a chest,... it's sealed with a padlock,... so we'll have to come back with something to open it." "Well don't expect me to do that again, man." "No, no, forget it, I..." "I'm more used to dry land." "Where's your mother?" "I don't know, she never lets me come here by myself." "I don't think it's a good idea for us to be here." "If you want, leave." "Maybe I would never see her again." "No, Gabi,..." "I'm staying." "I'd also like to have been able to say goodbye to my mother." "Mom!" "~ Mom, where are you?" "~ Gabi, is that you?" "~ Go away!" "~ Mom, Mom, let me in!" "It's very dangerous to let you in, go away!" "I just want to be with you!" "Open the door for me, Mom!" "Gabi, push off!" "~ Estuarda!" "~ Alonso, son, go away!" "Gabi only wants to be with you, to say goodbye, and that's all." "What are you doing here?" "But how did you happen to come here?" "!" "Gabi only wanted to see his mother,... he misses her very much." "Get out here this minute, and you, too!" "No!" "I want to stay with her!" "~ Let's go, I say, let's go!" "~ No way!" "Let me go!" "I'm not asking, it's an order..." "Get out of here!" "No!" "~ Come on, brat!" "~ Leave me alone!" "I won't obey a shit like you!" "I'm your dad, and I say no!" "No!" "Mom, Mom!" "Well, I've just put them to bed,..." "Gabi has calmed down a bit." "I'm worse than a rat, Master." "Sometime long ago I promised myself that if I ever had a son,..." "I'd never, ever put a hand on him." "but now you see." "Well, there are those who say that a good wallop now and then is a good teaching aid... but that's the invention of those who flog mightily." "and I have to say, as one who grew up on a steady diet of beatings, that not a single one ever did me any good." "Sátur, but you wanted him to come out of there,... it was dangerous." "That's no excuse... in the end Estuarda was right." "It's much better if Gabi never knew that..." "I'm his Dad." "Look, Sátur, I believe that Gabi might even be proud of the Dad he has." "You're a good person, you're clever,... and a survivor: nobody can get rid of you, Sátur." "Thanks for the compliments, Master, but no..." "I've always had bad luck." "I'm a jinx." "My only dream used to be... well, that,... of being a good father." "That,... nobody knows about that." "You can see how stupid I am,..." "I've even started to save money,... to give him a future greater than what I had." "What do you think about this?" "That if that future won't bring price reductions,..." "You're right." "Sátur..." "It's a joke!" "It was a joke?" "You're always so... so sulky..." "Really?" "It was a joke!" "Come in, Catalina." "Lucrecia,... what happened, Lucrecia?" "Another trick for aborting children?" "How far do you plan to descend into the gutter?" "If it's such a burden for you, I'll take care of it... when all is said and done, he could well be my son." "Hernán, have a seat." "It's not that." "There isn't any child." "I have smallpox." "Lucrecia, how could you have gotten exposed?" "It has to have been from someone in your service." "I'll check this out myself." "Heads will roll." "Hi, Sátur." "~ Hi." "~ Where's Gonzalo?" "I don't know, ma'am, he wasn't here when I got up." "Good morning." "Gabi, son, I made you some porridge." "It's a bit soggy, but they tell me you'll love it." "I like it when my mother makes it." "Well, good, you got the prime gruel!" "You're handy in kitchens..." "Hey, and how about that time... you cooked for an army in the middle of a battle." "I don't remember, Alonso." "Why not, man?" "Come on, tell the story!" "Look, it was so tasty,... the smell drifted over to the other camp,..., and they became so hungry that they surrendered just so they could eat." "Wasn't that it, Sátur?" "Well, yes, at the front you eat whatever you can." "As proof, let me tell you that once I baked a sandal and they ate that, too!" "Come on, eat." "Juan!" "Gonzalo, what a surprise!" "Surely you're not here to congratulate me on the wedding." "You know full well that I wouldn't be here if it weren't very important." "I'm sorry, but I'm in a big hurry,... there are sick women to attend." "That's why I'm here --- on account of smallpox." "What do you want to tell me about smallpox?" "Juan, in the east, I saw how they covered the bodies of smallpox victims with a yellow powder,... and it gave them excellent results." "The problem is that I don't remember what this powder was." "You're not telling me that you also studied medicine?" "No, I haven't studied medicine, but I like to keep my eyes open." "Congratulations, but there's no treatment for smallpox." "I see you're giving up very easily." "Gonzalo!" "Tell me, what was the powder like?" "An intense yellow, the color of gold." "As you know, there's an outbreak of smallpox in town... and the Marquesa wants to ensure herself of a quiet life... so I hope for total cooperation." "We'll do whatever we can, commissioner." "Good." "Take off your clothes." "Commissioner, but I don't think that will be necessary... if someone were sick, I'd be the first to know." "I told you to get rid of the clothes." "Has something happened, commissioner?" "Simply a routine, for prudence's sake." "Do you want me to help you?" "Have you ever seen a victim of smallpox?" "~ In the convent." "~ Then you can assist." "What's going on?" "Gardener, get undressed." "No, I'm not stripping off." "What a surprise, so you'll play the little rooster of the henhouse." "Get undressed." "I told him to shoot anyone who doesn't want to undress." "There will be no exceptions,... so it's up to you." "Martín, for God's sake, get undressed." "Now!" "You see, you can be reasonable when you try?" "Irene..." "This is it." "Heifer's gland!" "Heifer's gland: also known as the button of gold or the death rose." "It's a medicinal weed with multiple therapeutic applications." "especially healing,... also used as a dye for fabrics." "Heifer's gland." "Gonzalo, it'll be hard to find,... what little there is seems to come from the orient." "You're welcome." "But, Gabi, what you don't like about Sátur?" "because he seems to me to be a pre_ good Dad." "He's never made me part of his life." "Yeah, but when he didn't know you even existed,... he hasn't slept a wink the whole night,..." "I even heard him crying." "Besides, he's here, and I don't see mine any more... since he headed to the Indies." "And you, what are you looking at?" "What's happening?" "Can't I watch how poor people cry?" "Gabi, maybe your mother will dry your tears,..." "Oh, no, of course, your whore of a mother is off infecting someone." "I'm going to kill you!" "Gabi, Gabi!" "Let it go, you got that --- let it go!" "Look, I'm going to kill you..." "I'll meet you in the woods at 8." "Bring a sword,..." "I'll bring my father's." "I'll be there." "Now what have you done?" "!" "Have you gone nuts?" "!" "He insulted my mother." "But you've never dueled in your life!" "In your life!" "He's going to kill you, you idiot, he's going to kill you!" "Master!" "Are you sure you won't be able to track down heifer's gland... maybe in a place less well guarded?" "No, this is the only place." "It's used to dye to the royal silk." "Do you see any yellow powder?" "I can see all colors,... except for yellow, Master." "No yellow." "They've already used it all up, Master." "It's gone." "Calm down." "This has to come out well, Master... you almost always find a way,... we have to find this remedy for smallpox." "And we'll succeed." "Good..." "You wait for me here." "Don't scream." "Promise me you won't scream,..." "I won't hurt you." "Just tell me where I can find the powder of heifer's gland... where you've got it secured." "That's all we have left,... we're expecting a shipment,... from the orient --- it takes months to get here." "Thanks, this should be enough." "The Eagle!" "It's the Red Eagle!" "You think it left any scars?" "Ma'am maybe you should worry more about your survival and less about your scars." "I'd prefer death over disfigurement." "Marquesa, you have a visitor... the Cardinal has come to see you." "What?" "!" "Tell him I'll be right out." "Catalina, my dressing gown." "Bring me a dress, quickly, one with sleeves." "Ma'am, please, you should stay lying down." "I told you to bring me my clothes." "My face is a wreck, isn't it, Catalina?" "Ma'am, I can see one lesion there." "Ma'am, wouldn't it be better to tell him that you're indisposed?" "To raise suspicions?" "Never!" "The Cardinal would break in to see me." "Ma'am, wear this." "Marvelous!" "Nobody, nobody is to know about this." "Yes, ma'am." "Your Eminence?" "Marquesa!" "Today you made me wait longer than is reasonable." "Good things don't come easy." "I came to look for my niece." "Great." "And also for you." "Your beauty has accompanied you, as usual." "Well, you should spend the afternoon with her,... and devote another day entirely to me,..." "I don't like to compete with other women." "Lucrecia!" "Commissioner, have you adopted the practice of opening the door without knocking?" "Excuse me, your Eminence,..." "I didn't know the Marquesa was receiving." "The Cardinal has come to visit his niece." "A sweet, gentlemen?" "Your Eminence?" "My eyes are burning!" "We've got it, Master,... we have it." "I can see you're unoccupied, commissioner,... maybe you're keeping something from me that I should know?" "Your Eminence, my men are seeking the medallion all over the place,... but there's no trace of it." "It's curious, then, to see you here." "Must I remind you it is jewelry of great value which must be recovered without delay?" "Your Eminence, they'll keep looking until they find it." "Let's hope it's so, for your own sake." "Uncle, how good it is to see you!" "Let's go to the garden, I've got heaps to tell you." "~ Really?" "~ Yes!" "Marquesa, a pleasure as always." "Nice scarf you've got there, by the way." "~ Thank you, your Eminence." "~ It enhances your beauty." "Yes, I like it!" "Your Eminence, where are you going?" "~ Relax, this evening I've thought of something new." "~ Like what?" "~ I'm just going to look at you." "~ Where were you?" "I know who infected me, a prostitute!" "A prostitute?" "Yes, yes, she broke into the palace the other day,... trying to steal." "They caught her going through my clothes." "Lucrecia, we'll find her and deal with her." "Gabi,... where are you going with the sword my Dad gave to me?" "I couldn't find any other one." "Are you really going to the duel?" "No one insults my mother." "Gabi, Gabi!" "Take this, Nuño gave it to me for you." "He says he can't leave the palace this afternoon, so the duel will have to wait until tomorrow." "He's a coward!" "Good!" "It worked." "You'll see what'll happen when Nuño goes to the woods and learns nobody's there." "It's just..., Murillo,... someone will indeed be there." "Who?" "It's me who will go." "No one insults my friend's mother,..." "No one." "Estuarda!" "What, Sátur?" "Estuarda, I brought a remedy,... a cure for smallpox." "Sátur, give it a rest, really, please, no." "Really, you'll see how you get better!" "Look, you have to cover your body with this stuff." "Give me that!" "What should I give you?" "I don't know what you're talking about." "I mean the bag." "This bag, what for?" "I told you to give it to me." "Not on my life." "Kill me if you want, but I won't give it to you." "~ Sátur, do what he says." "~ No." "I won't tell you twice." "You'll have to cut off my hands." "I won't give you the bag." "You don't say?" "Cut off his hands." "Sátur, let it go, please!" "Give it to him, please!" "I'm getting better, Juan." "The important thing now is not to raise the fever." "Juan, don't treat me like you would one of your patients,..." "I don't need for you to raise my hopes falsely." "Am I going to die?" "The possibility exists, I don't want to mislead you." "I appreciate your frankness, Juan." "Please go, I need to be alone." "Goodbye, Lucrecia." "Goodbye, Juan." "~ Ma'am, I don't want to upset you in your condition." "~ What is it, Catalina?" "Your son has disappeared." "What do you mean, my son has disappeared?" "I didn't find him in his room and I've searched the palace --- he's not around." "Nuño!" "Let's go, Catalina, quickly, walk me there." "Yes, ma'am." "~ Be careful, ma'am." "~ I'm all right, I'm all right." "Sátur, I was looking for you, what's going on with the commissioner?" "What's happened?" "I'm unhappy, that's what's happened." "I allowed them to steal the only thing that could relieve the suffering in the woman I love, Master." "~ But why would he want the heifer's gland?" "~ What would I know about that?" "The only thing I know is that he wants these poor women to die." "As far as he's concerned, they're just scum." "You've done everything you could." "No!" ", I should have fought him to the death, but here I am..." "I'm not dead, I'm still alive." "~ I have to bathe the wounds." "~ No, leave me alone!" "~ Sátur!" "~ Leave me alone, leave me in peace." "Gonzalo!" "You have to help me." "What's happening?" "Nuño has disappeared..." "I don't know what to do,..." "I can't find him anywhere." "Gabi, where's Alonso?" "Let me alone!" "Gabi, come on." "You have to help us." "Do you know where Nuño and Alonzo are?" "No, no idea." "Gabi, what's this?" "Why are you here, and your friend?" "~ Let's go." "~ He's not coming?" "Sure, what I was expecting: in addition to wearing rags, he's a coward." "What's your problem?" "You afraid to fight me?" "This time your father's not here to save you." "We'll see about that." "Prepare to die." "You can drop this if you want, apologize to Gabi..." "Shut up and fight." "Any last words, peon?" "Please!" "Nuño, drop the sword right now!" "Nuño, drop the sword!" "Look at me, give me the sword..." "Give me it!" "Give me the sword!" "Nuño!" "Look at me, Nuño." "It's all over." "You're all right?" "Yes, I'm sorry, Dad, but..." "Mom!" "Mom!" "Mom?" "What happened to you, Mom?" "~ Talk to me!" "~ Lucrecia, Lucrecia!" "What happened?" "Lucrecia!" "I must be this close to dying..." "For you to finally take me in your arms." "I wish I'd known it was that easy!" "Lucrecia, you should rest now." "Don't act like you didn't hear what I said..." "I hate it when you do that." "My Gonzalo!" "At this point I've got nothing to lose, maybe I won't survive the night." "No, Lucrecia..." "I'm going to say what I've been wanting to say for years..." "I love you." "Go." "Go away, Teacher." "You have to give me part of this treatment." "There are more people who need it." "But I'm only asking you for some of it!" "Hernán!" "Give him what he wants, give it to him." "No, no, relax!" "Go on home, please." "No, Juan, if you're staying, I'll stay to help you." "No, you'll be more useful taking care of her son." "Juan...it's all right." "I'm very proud of you." "Doctor..." "Let's go, Estuarda!" "Do we have to tie her down?" "Yeah, we have to keep her from scratching... so she doesn't get worse." "We can't do anything else for her?" "You believe in God?" "Then pray." "~ "And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who trespass against us..." ~ I'm already fed up with prayer!" "All of you told me to pray... but my Mom doesn't get any better." "Gabi's right,..." "What good are prayers?" "Alonso, well, to ask for what we want." "~ Sure." "~ Then I don't believe in God." "But what nonsense he said!" "Don't say that where somebody could overhear you!" "Don't you see that the Holy Inquisition will roast you alive?" "!" "Boy..." "But why doesn't God kill off the bad guys?" "Why does He always have to kill those we love the most?" "Well, not even the Most High will have a precise list..." "We are many souls on this world..." "He already has enough work, we're too many." "Alonso, son, sometimes God brings to us a test." "God requires sacrifices from us so that we can demonstrate our love." "~ Sure." "~ But in the end we are rewarded." "If I make a sacrifice,..." "God will save my mother?" "Just keep praying, Gabi,... and you'll see how she heals." "Come, come here, my love..." "I'm here." "Here's the powder of the heifer's gland." "How did you come up with this?" "The Marquesa de Santillana gave it to me." "Master!" "Master!" "Master!" "Sátur!" "Sátur!" "Sátur!" "I swear to you by these that I will never forget what you've done for me." "Estuarda, Estuarda, my love,... you'll soon see how you are already getting better." "It's curious how you got this from the hands of the Marquesa, when only you know what would serve." "The commissioner got it for her,..." "It seems that its use is better known than we thought." ""God requires sacrifices from us so that we can demonstrate our love."" ""But in the end, we are rewarded."" "Gabi!" "Gabi, what are you doing, are you crazy?" "!" "I'm a coward,..." "I wanted to sacrifice myself for my Mom, but I couldn't do it." "Dipshit!" "You're nuts!" "Sacrifice yourself, you say?" "You're not a coward, Kid,..." "What's cowardly is to hide your head in the sand." "The rope, put it aside." "You have to face up to problems, Gabi!" "You hear me?" "!" "But what if my Mom dies?" "Your mother won't die!" "Why not?" "!" "I can't face life without her!" "I was just with her,... and she's much better,... much much better!" "~ Really?" "~ Yeah!" "What's up?" "~ Alonso!" "~ Estuarda, she's much better!" "She's recuperating!" "Yeah, she's going to get out from this unharmed." "Let's go, Alonso, I want to bring her some flowers, all right?" "You think I'll be like him when I'm a grown up?" "I hope so!" "I've never known anyone like him, he's one of a kind, if the truth be known!" "We'll see, girls,... it's very easy, I know that one of you was in the palace Marquesa de Santillana the other day,... only I'd like to know who it was." "It was me, sir." "But you weren't there!" "Shut up, I'm sure they'll pay well." "You were there?" "Yes, sir." "And everything went smoothly?" "Yes, very well, commissioner." "Clean it." "I'm not surprised you dive to the very bottom... that anchor of genitals you carry." "But, I'm doing well with my own, too, right?" "What happened is that I went through some weak time... but beware, when I get better, there's no chastity belt that could put me off." "Master, the medallion!" "What a piece of jewelry!" "And now what?" "Because, like good jewelry, but not like a clue." "I want to know the origin of this medallion:... who made it and where I can find him." "It's an honor that you have chosen my humble palace to deal with such important matters, Inquisitor." "It would be better if he were killed!" "They're robbing corpses from the graveyard." "And Cristina --- you saw her tomb?" "Wait for me, Alonso, I'm scared to my very bones." "Inés, Inés!" "Someone's trying to kill the Inquisitor in your own house." "What are you doing?" "Nothing." "What are you doing here?" "They'll do it tonight, I'm sure." "Who could want to do that?" "Help!" "Who is it?" "I've seen Inés, Sátur, I saw her!" "When I tell them what's going on, they won't believe it."