"And come back before the last grain of sand falls."" "No..." "This other one." "No!" "No!" "We'll soon have reinforcements from Jaca." "Fifty men or more." "Then we'll go head to head with Vidal." "And then what?" "You kill him, they'll send another just like him." "And another..." "You're screwed, no guns, no safe shelter..." "You need food, medicine." "You must take care of Mercedes." "If you really love her, you'd cross the border with her." " This is a lost cause." " I'm staying here, doctor." "There's no choice." "You have to leave." "Here's the key, but you can't go down there now." "It's exactly what he expects." "Leave it to me." "I'm a coward." "No, you're not." "Yes, I am." "A coward... for living next to that son of a bitch, doing his laundry, making his bed, feeding him." "What if the doctor's right and we can't win?" "At least we'll make things harder for that bastard." "Captain Vidal..." "Her temperature's down." "I don't know how, but it is." "But she still has a fever?" "Yes, but it's a good sign." "Her body is responding." "Listen to me." "If you have to choose, save the baby." "That boy will bear my name and my father's name." "Save him." "Brother..." "Little brother..." "If you can hear me, things out here aren't too good." "But soon you'll have to come out." "You've made Mama very sick." "I want to ask you one favor for when you come out, just one:" "Don't hurt her." "You'll meet her, she's very pretty, even though sometimes she's sad for days at a time." "You'll see, when she smiles, you'll love her." "Listen, if you do what I say," "I'll make you a promise," "I'll take you to my kingdom, and I'll make you a prince." "I promise you, a prince." "I sounded the whistle, but they wouldn't move." "I tried to stop, but it was too late." "The fireman and I jumped outjust in time, but look at the mess they made." "What did they steal from the freight cars?" "They didn't open a single one." "What the hell are you talking about?" "This whole mess..." "They didn't open any of the cars." " They didn't take anything." " Nothing?" "Are you sure?" "God only knows what they wanted, other than to waste our time." "They came out of nowhere, Captain." "They have grenades, they went up hill." "Captain, we've surrounded a small unit that fell behind." "They took cover up on the hill." "Go ahead, Serrano, don't be afraid, this is the only decent way to die." "Serrano!" "Let me see." "Can you talk?" "Damn it!" "These are useless!" "They can't talk." "Captain, this one's still alive." "Shot in the leg." " What's happened?" " They caught one." "They took one of them alive." "And they're taking him to the storeroom." "Mercedes!" "Pedro..." "Pedro..." "Mercedes?" " I need to get into the storeroom." " Not now." "Move away!" "That's plenty, dear." "Should I take this up?" "Here, half the dose." "I don't think I need it." "I feel better, much better." "I don't understand." "But I'm glad." "Mother..." "Damn, this cigarette is good!" "Real tobacco hard to find." "G-G-Go to hell." "Damn, Garces." "We catch one and he turns out to be a stutterer." "We'll be here all night." "As long as he talks." "Garces is right." "You'd do better to tell us everything." "But to make sure it happens, I brought along a few tools." "Just things you pick up along the way." "At first, I won't be able to trust you, but after I use this, you'll own up to a few things." "When we get to these, we'll have developed..." "how can I put this-?" "A closer bond, much like brothers." "You'll see." "And when we get to this one," "I'll believe anything you tell me." "I'll make you a deal." "If you can count to three without st-t-tuttering, you can go." "Don't look at him, look at me." "Above me, there's no one." " Garces!" " Yes, Captain?" "If I say this asshole can leave, would anybody contradict me?" "No one, Captain." "He can leave." "There you have it." "Count to three." " One." " Good." "Two." "One more and you will be free." "Shame." "Your mother is much better, Your Highness." "Surely, you must be relieved." "Yes, thank you." "But things haven't turned out so well." "No?" " I had an accident." " An accident?" "Yes." " You broke the rules!" " It was only two grapes!" "I thought no one would notice." " We've made a mistake!" " A mistake?" "You failed." "You can never return." " It was an accident!" " You cannot return." "The moon will be full in three days." "Your spirit shall forever remain among the humans." "You shall age like them, you shall die like them and all memory of you shall fade in time." "And we'll vanish along with it." "You will never see us again." "Good day, doctor." "Sorry to wake you so early, but I think we need your help." "My God, what have you done to him?" "Not much." "But things are getting better." "I like having you handy, Doctor." "It has its advantages." "Serrano, stay here." "I talked." "Not much." " B-b-but I talked." " I'm sorry." "I'm so sorry." "Kill me." "Kill me now, please." "Son of a bitch." "It'll take away the pain." "It's almost over." "Watch Dr. Ferreiro," " I'll be right there." " Yes, Captain." "You're not moving anymore." "Are you sick?" "What are you doing down there?" " Call him!" " Who?" "Who else, you imbecile?" "Ferreiro!" "What the hell is this?" "No!" "No, no!" "Leave her." "Leave her alone, please!" "Look at this!" "Look what she was hiding under your bed!" "What do you think of this?" "Ofelia, what is this thing doing under the bed?" "It's a magic root the faun gave me." "This is all because of thatjunk you let her read." "Look what you've done!" "Please, leave us alone." "I'll talk to her, darling." "Fine." "As you wish." "He told me you would get better." "And you did." "Ofelia, you have to listen to your father." "You have to stop all this." "No." "I want to leave this place!" "Please, take me away from here!" "Let's just go, Please!" "Things are not that simple." "You're getting older, soon you'll see that life isn't like your fairy tales." "The world is a cruel place." "And you'll learn that, even if it hurts." " No!" "No!" " Ofelia!" "Magic does not exist." "Not for you, me or anyone else." "Mom!" "Help!" "Help!" "Help!" "Why did you do it?" "It was the only thing I could do." "No." "You could have obeyed me." "I could have, but I didn't." "It would have been better for you." "You know it." "I don't understand." "Why didn't you obey me?" "To obey-just like that-for the sake of obeying, without questioning... that's something only people like you can do, Captain." "Captain!" "Garces!" "Call the troop paramedic." " Get up immediately!" " Yes, Captain." "Your wife is dead." "Because the paths to the Lord are inscrutable." "Because the essence of His forgiveness lies in His word and in His mystery." "Because although God sends us the message, it is our task to decipher it." "Because when we open our arms the earth takes in only a hollow and senseless shell." "Far away now is the soul in its eternal glory." "Because it is in pain that we find the meaning of life." "And the state of grace that we lose when we are born." "Because God, in His infinite wisdom, puts the solution in our hands." "And because it is only in His physical absence, that the place He occupies in our souls is reaffirmed." "You knew Dr. Ferreiro pretty well, didn't you, Mercedes?" "We all knew him, sir." "Everyone around here." "The stutterer spoke of an informer." "Here... at the mill." "Can you imagine?" "Right under my nose." "Mercedes, please." "What must you think of me?" "You must think that I'm a monster." "It doesn't matter what someone like me thinks, sir." "I want you to the storehouse and bring me some more liquor, please." "Yes, sir." "Goodnight, sir." "Mercedes, aren't you forgetting something?" "Sir?" "The key." "I do have the only copy, don't I?" "Yes, sir." "You know, there's an odd detail that's been bothering me." "Maybe it's not important, but... the day they broke into the storehouse, with all those grenades and explosives, the lock itself wasn't forced." "As I said, it's probably not important." "Be very careful." "Good night, sir." "Ofelia, Ofelia!" "Ofelia, I'm leaving tonight." " Where to?" " I can't tell you." "I can't tell you..." " Take me with you." " No, no." "I can't." "I can't, my child." "But I'll come back for you, I promise." "Take me with you." "I heard something." "It's nothing, don't worry." "Mercedes." "Ofelia." "How long have you known about her?" "How long have you been laughing at me?" "Little bitch!" "Watch her!" "And if anyone tries to get in, kill her first." "Dry meat." "Tobacco." "If you had asked for it, I would have given this to you, Mercedes." "I want the names of whoever wrote these letters." "And I want them in front of me, tomorrow." "Yes, Captain." "You can go, Garces." "You're sure, Captain?" "For God's sake, she's just a woman." "That's what you've always thought." "That's why I was able to get away with it." " I was invisible to you." " Damn." "You've found my weakness:" "Pride." "But it's your weak points we're interested in." "It's very simple:" "You will talk..." "And I have to know that everything you say is the truth." "We have a few things here strictly for that purpose." "Nothing complicated." "Things we learn on the job." "At first..." "I'm not some old man!" "Not a wounded prisoner!" "Mother Fucker!" "Don't you dare touch the girl?" "Won't be the first pig I gutted." "Look!" "He let her go." "The fuck did you say?" "Get her!" "Come on!" "Bring her to me!" "Bring her to me, damn it!" "Mount up!" "Lt'll be better if you come with me without struggling." "The Captain said that if you behave..." "Don't be a fool, sweetheart." "If anyone's going to kill you..." "I'd rather it be me." "I've decided to give you one last chance." "Do you promise to do what I say?" "Will you do everything I tell you, without question?" "This is your last chance." "Then listen to me." "Fetch your brother and bring him to the labyrinth, as quickly as you can, Your Highness." "My brother?" "We need him." " But..." " No more questions." "The door's locked." "In that case, create your own door." "Captain, with your permission." "Come quickly." " Now what?" " Serrano is back." "He's wounded." "Wounded?" "Where's Garces?" "How many were there?" "I don't know exactly, Captain." "Fifty men, at least." "The rest of the men didn't make it." "Our watch posts are not responding." " How many men we have left?" " Twenty, maybe less, sir." "We're leaving." "Together." "Don't be afraid." "Nothing is going to happen to you." "Put them on picket duty at the tree line." "If the rest of the squad gets back, have it report immediately to me." "Radio for reinforcements, now." "Yes, Captain." "Leave him!" "Ofelia!" "Quickly, Your Majesty, give him to me." "The full moon is high in the sky, we can open the portal." "Why is that in your hand?" "The portal will only open if we offer the blood of an innocent." "Just a drop of blood." "A pinprick, that's all." "It's the final task." "Hurry." "You promised to obey me!" " Give me the boy!" " No!" "My brother stays with me." "You would give up your sacred rights for this brat you barely know?" "Yes, I would." "You would give up your throne for him?" "He who has caused you such misery, such humiliation?" "Yes, I would." "As you wish, Your Highness." "No!" "My son." "Tell my son..." "Tell him what time his father died." " Tell him that I..." " No." "He won't even know your name." "Arise, my daughter." "Come." "Father." "You have spilled your own blood rather than that of an innocent." "That was the final task, and the most important." "And you chose well, Your Highness." "Come here with me, and sit by your father's side." "He's been waiting for you so long." "And it is said the princess returned to her father's kingdom." "That she reigned there with justice and a kind heart for many centuries." "That she was loved by her people." "And that she left behind small traces of her time on earth, visible only to those who know where to look."