"THE LAST HORSE" "Squadron, attention!" "Dismount." "Prepare to dismount." "Dismount!" "Attention!" "Gentlemen, commanders, officers, and soldiers for many of you, this is your last day of military service." "Tomorrow you will return home, breaking up the family we've built over these years." "I want to say goodbye, but I must also share some sad news with those who will remain." "By order, this cavalry regiment will become a motorized regiment." "Tomorrow they will send the motorcycles and take away the horses, which have been with this regiment for all its ups and downs over nearly two centuries." "Tomorrow they'll be taken by a contractor who bought them." "I know many of you have a real fondness for your horses, so I'm letting you know that this will be their last night here, and we must bid them farewell." "I wish you all the best, and that is all." "Fall out." "Fall out... now!" " I'm speechless." " Let's take off their bridles and saddles." "Tonight we'll feed them double." "It's the least we can do." " The Civil Guard might use them." " No way!" "They'll get resold in villages to pull carts or turn waterwheels." "Who knows!" "I'll never see you again." "Why don't you get sold to the same owner?" "I'm not a picador, and the horses were bought for bullfights." " What did you say?" " The contractor's companion said so." "They need horses for the new season, and some might escape it, but not for long." "They'll all end up in bullfights, and my poor Galloper will get gutted." "And I raised you like a son...!" " Don't listen, Bucephalus." " We all have to die somehow." "Yes, from natural causes, not bullfighting!" "If I had money, I'd buy you to save your life, right, Galloper?" "We'd move to a village without beasts who'll take you to be killed." "Come on, Bucephalus." "To the stable." "We'll feed you double today." "Yes, let's bulk you up in case you're in the Red Cross bullfight." "We'll see what happens." "You know where to find me." "I'm working as a fireman in Santa Engracia." "We'll call if there's a fire." "See you." "Is the sergeant major at the cafeteria?" " He's eating there." " Thanks." "Wait for me." " At your command, sergeant." " What, you're leaving?" "Yes, but first I'd like to talk to you about something." "Very well, come over here and tell me about it." "Sit down." "So, what is it?" "Well, to put it plainly," "I have a fiancée and we're to marry now that my service is over." " You want me to be the godfather?" " No, that's not it." "It's just..." "I've been working hard to save a little money to begin married life." "I work in an office, but at my pay, I only scrape by, so it was very hard to save money." " Did they hold your job for you?" " Yes, reluctantly." "I start tomorrow." " So you can get married now." "Yes, but I don't want Bucephalus to get sold." " Who?" " My horse." "I know that the contractor who's buying them is going to sell them to bullrings." "I'm asking you to let me buy my horse." "I'll go into my savings." "I'll even postpone my wedding a few months." "I don't know if we can do that." "He's buying all the horses and he knows how many there are." "I'll match his price, and you can sell me the horse." "I don't know if we can or not, but I do like the gesture." "Do you have enough?" " How much do I need?" " 9,000 pesetas." "How much do you have?" "Not even 10,000, and saving that took years of sacrifice." "At my pay, saving that again will take a while." "I'm sorry, but you must understand that I have no choice." "They're coming on the 10:00 train to take the horses, and I can't keep them from taking yours." "If I could make a small deposit and pay monthly..." "No." "That's not possible." "What can you do..." "I can't give up my fiancée and my future." "No, there's no way." "And yet, he's such a noble animal..." "You must've seen how he looks for sugar in my pockets." " Goodbye." " Goodbye." " How do you do, ma'am?" " Hello, Fernando." "You're back?" "Come in." "It's about time." "Come in, come in." "You must've been eager to finish your service." "Yes indeed." "I couldn't wait." "Is my old room available?" "No, but there's one with a street view." " But it'll cost more." " It's all I have, and I had to raise the rent." "Life isn't like it was when you left." " Do you expect me to get a raise?" " That's not my concern." "All I know is you can't stay for under 20 pesetas." "Goodness!" "Talk to your boss, and tell me if it works for you." "All the boarding houses have raised rents." "No, I'd rather stay." "I'm used to this house." " Staying for dinner?" " No, I ate on the way here." "I prefer to start tomorrow, but I'll stay tonight." "I'll tell them to prepare your room." "Do you have any leftover bread around?" "Leftover bread?" "You don't know my lodgers." "There's not even enough for croquettes." "Hungry?" " No, it's not for me." "Anyway, I'm going." "I'll return later." "You're in Room 6, Eusebio's old room, remember?" "Yes." "Give me the key so I don't wake you later." "Your room key, and the front door key, since it must be locked." "Don't lose it on me." " Don't worry." "See you." " Bye." "Well, what do you want?" "Didn't they rent horse-drawn coaches for weddings and funerals here?" "That was before." "The coaches and horses are gone." "Now it's a garage." " The stables are gone?" " Long gone." "They were taken down to make room for the cars." "Do you know if any coach house is still open nearby?" "Not even one." "Can't you see there are no coaches or horses left?" "Unless they're at an inn in Cava Baja." "In the rest of Madrid, you won't find a coach house." "Well, I've seen private coaches." "It must be some marquess with her own one." "But that's all over now." "Go to Cava Baja." "They'll tell you about it." "I'll do that." "THE SEGOVIAN'S INN" " What would you like?" " I need a stable for my horse." "I was told there was space here." " Come have a look." "It's all trucks now." "Well, you must get the occasional coach." "Not anymore." "And if any come, they'll find all the spots taken up." "Then what should I do to find stables?" "I don't know." "Go to a riding school..." "but that'll really cost you." "How much do they charge to stable a horse?" " 20 pesetas a day." " 20 pesetas!" "Yes, and that's if you find the barley at the set price." "If not, it'll be much more." " What's it go for?" "Well, at the set price four pesetas, and five for oats, but that's the set price." "On the open market, it'll cost you much more." "And if I buy a few kilos?" "Well, don't expect to be sold less than a 100-kilo sack of each." "And you won't find it except in bulk." "And there aren't any stables for under 20 pesetas?" "Here in Madrid, no." "Maybe in a surrounding town." "But here it's all trucks." "Thanks." "Good luck." " Watchman!" " Coming!" "Come on, come on!" "Now stay put, be quiet, and get some rest." "I'll wake up before the manager and sort all this out." "Good night, Bucephalus." "Here." "Eat all the sugar." "Today I can only give you dessert." "Tomorrow will be another day." "Bye, Bucephalus." "Oh, look what they did to my geraniums!" "Oh, by all that's holy!" "Who did this?" "Who was the killer?" "Was it you?" "And they left me a horse to boot!" " Is this a joke?" " What's wrong, Paca?" "Look at what happened to me." "Look at my geraniums..." " My goodness!" " And all because of this...!" "Hey, Eustaquia...!" " What?" "Why wasn't I woken up?" " You didn't say to." "Get this: a horse was put with the manager's geraniums." " Oh no!" " Who's the swine who...?" " Bye, Magdalena." " Have breakfast first." " I can't, I'm late." " At least have coffee." "No, I'll take the roll and eat it on the way." "You bet I'll kill them, but come on!" "Oh, look at my geraniums!" "How awful, oh dear, how awful!" "Oh my God, my God!" "Now what?" "They won't grow back." "So what, plant the horse?" "Had you checked under the furniture?" " What?" " I asked if you checked under the furniture." "One of you brought it, because horses aren't born here like cockroaches, I say." "I can't believe what it did to my geraniums..." "Someone's losing a horse!" "It's going into the street right now." " What's wrong?" " Is this your horse?" "No, but if you want, I'll deal with it." "I know these animals from the military." "Well, it appears to know you." "No, animals like me and this one seems friendly." "Very friendly for having only just met you." "If you want, I'll take it to the police so its owner can claim it." "Its owner will have to pay for my geraniums..." "Well, you'll work that out with them." "Hey, Fernando!" "This horse is unusually friendly with you." "I've never seen it before..." "Sweetie!" "What a laugh, look at you!" "Why don't you all go inside...!" "Hey kid." " Watch my horse." " Yes, sir." "Hey, you're back." " Did he change the staff?" " Yes, everyone." "Things here aren't going as well as before." "You'll have to work harder." "There's fewer people and more work." "Prices all went up." "My rent too." " Did you get a raise?" " Here, a raise?" "The old workers were let go for asking for one." "I'd advise you not to even hint at it." " But he must've held my job." " Only because he had no choice." " So, you're back?" " Yes, Mr. Manzano." "Here I am." "I arrived last night." "I'm back." " Well, get to work." "It was no small thing to hold your job." "Rodriguez will tell you what's new." "Productivity must increase." "Time can't be wasted like before." "You already know: punctuality, punctuality, punctuality." "At minimum, arrive on time..." "and never leave early." "So, the lateness he'll overlook is us staying after hours." "That's his view exactly." "I'd like a desk next to the window..." "Make do however you can, but it's cold over there in winter." "I don't care." "It's to see the street." "Come on, everyone." "Move it along." "You've all seen a horse before." "If it fell, at least then I'd understand the crowd, but upright?" "What's so special about it?" "Move it along." "My papers are in order and there isn't anything urgent." "If it's okay by you, I'm leaving early." "I don't care, but if the boss sees you're gone..." "You know what he said before." "It's just that I haven't had time to see my fiancée." "She'll be mad if she learns I waited to see her." "Also, a friend's outside waiting for me." "Like I said, I don't care." " Well, if need be, cover for me." " Okay." " Where's Vallejo?" " He stepped out for a moment." "I have a roll for you." "We'll see to your meals later." "Now let's go." "Elvirita, I think you hit a wrong note." "Yes, Mom." "I know." " Fernando, when did you get back?" " Let me look at you, Elvirita." "I arrived last night." " And you only came now?" "I got in really late and had work this morning." " Have the license?" " I'm free now." " When will we set it for?" " Well, you see..." " What am I supposed to see?" "Well, you know I was spending less to save a little money to start married life." "Yes, and what's wrong?" " Well, I have to save it up again." " You mean you spent it all?" "Well, yes." "You see I had no choice." "You spent our wedding money?" "Might I ask on what?" "Yes, yes." "I'll tell you, but..." "it's hard to explain." "You found a way to live fast in the military..." "Come on, that's impossible in Alcalá." "Then what?" "I'd rather tell you another day, when you know all I've gone through." "Point is, I don't have it." "We'll have to wait a few months, until I manage to recoup it one way or another." "Well...!" "How's it going?" "Sit down and keep talking." "I couldn't help overhearing your conversation." "So you're postponing the wedding?" " Yes, we have no choice." "I'd saved enough for the initial expenses, but an unfortunate circumstance forced me to spend it." "Might I ask what that unfortunate circumstance was?" " Well, you see, ma'am..." " Go on, say it if you dare." "I think you owe my daughter an explanation." "What did you use that money on?" "What have you bought?" "It's a horse." " A horse?" " My horse from the regiment." "That's how you plan to support her?" "Don't tell me you'd take a horse over marrying me." "No, of course not." "I had no other choice." "A contractor was going to buy him for bullfights." "That's fixable." "Sell him the horse and everything's in order." "Yeah, and you might turn a profit!" "No, it's not that." "I just don't want my horse in bullfights." "My husband goes all the time, and I never object." "I'd like to convince you he's not just a horse, but a friend." "So good, so noble..." "Over all these months together, we've built a real bond." "I don't want him to be killed." "A person can feel that way when they're rich." "If they earn a lot, they can take in a horse from the street and raise it well, but in your case, you barely make enough to get by and you intend to marry a girl properly and she's sharing what little she has, so you must give it up." "I doubt she's willing to share her home with a horse." "Certainly not!" "Then... give me time to look for a place for my horse." "I may find someone to take him in and give him a good life." " In the meantime..." " In the meantime, you can't come back here, or entertain a woman of marriageable age." " Do you agree, Elvirita?" " Yes, Mom, completely." "Come on, don't cry." "Bye, then." "I'll update you as soon as possible." " Elvirita, for God's sake..." " No, you should go." "Naturally, she feels offended after being humiliated by a horse." "Come on, go." "Go, please." "Go." " Have you ever seen such a thing?" " Don't you worry." "I told you he was a bum." "However, there are other men..." "Well, you get what I mean." "For now, practice your piano." "Go on, continue with Wagner." "I'll go get ready." "I'd like some flowers." "How much are they?" " Carnations, wallflowers...?" " No, I'd like your cheapest ones." "How much for the asparagus?" " That's to wrap the flowers." "If you want, I'll give you a nice bouquet for five pesetas." "Okay, but I'd also like flowers." "I don't need fresh ones." "I'd prefer wilted ones, ones you have no use for and can sell me cheaper." "Some gift!" "The girl who gets them will be upset." " They're not for a girl." " Who could prefer wilted flowers?" "No, they're not for a girl." "They're for a widow." "Then want a wreath?" "You'll laugh if I tell you who they're for, but I don't want you to think I'm crazy." "I'll just tell you:" "They're for my horse." " Your horse eats flowers?" " He'll have to." "Let's see." " He likes them!" " It's only the start." "Soon he'll love them." "This food thing is just a question of appetite." "Fernando!" "Fernando, follow us!" " How much?" " Just pay me later." " Thanks, will you save the wilted ones?" " They'll be here every day." " Thanks!" "I'm off to catch my friend!" " Did a firetruck go by?" " It's there, at the siphon factory." "Thanks." "Wait, we're almost done." "Don't leave." "We might throw the piano." "What a cool fire!" "But you were on the stairs." "I'll have you know I live downstairs, where there's no fire." "We'll finish up soon." "So, where are you staying?" "I'll tell you later." "I'm in a jam now." "I need a place for the horse." "Can't you guys take him?" " We can't, and they're very strict." "It's just until tomorrow." "I'm on watch tonight." "Maybe behind the trucks, but any alarm and I'm done for." "We won't be that unlucky." "I'll get him at dawn." "We're leaving." "Come by at 11:00 PM and if I can, I'll hide him." "Thanks, man." "From 11:00 on!" "Go on, eat up." "They're really tasty." "Now keep quiet." "That might be the chief." "Yes, it is." "What's wrong?" "That's nothing." "Throw a bucket of water on it." "Yes, if it keeps burning call us back." "But why would we come if you can put it out with a bucket of water?" "Smoke is harmless." "Don't worry about smoke coming out." "Then open the window and it'll air out." "If it gets worse, call us." "Otherwise, there's no point." "You have a piano?" "What's it like?" "A grand piano!" "Well, be careful with it." "You can call back, but you have a piano so it's better if you put it out." "Yes, yes." "Good night." "Are we sick?" "But why would I wake people needlessly?" "Good night." "I hope it's nothing." " Good evening, Manuel." " Anything new?" "I thought I heard the phone." " A wrong number." "Don't worry." "You can go rest easy." "I doubt anything will happen tonight." " What's that based on?" " It's just a feeling." " Everything's in order?" " Everything." "Don't worry." "You can rest easy." "If anything happens, I'll call you." "There was a fly here." "Yes, sir." "I killed it this afternoon." "Wow, you ate it all up." "Hunger sure is the best sauce." "Now sleep, and no matter what don't make any noise." "What's wrong?" "Oh, it's you again." "Nothing, don't worry." "That's nothing." "Throw water on the baseboard and the curtains." "Okay, tear out the curtain, toss it out the window, and it's done." "Don't be timid." "You're talking to an expert." "The baseboard too." "Just toss some water on it." "Don't you have an axe?" "Well, chop the baseboard, toss the burned part out the window, and douse the rest..." "Forget the smoke." "Like I said, it's nothing." "What's more important are the flames." "Throw water on it, ma'am." "Throw water on it." "What about the piano?" "It reached the piano?" "Two buckets of water on the piano just in case." "Bye." "Good night." "I hope it's nothing." " Was that an alarm?" " No, a friend." "You know the telephone isn't for talking with friends." "Don't worry, Manuel." "Who is it?" "Hey, Fernando." "Everything is going fine." "Yes, he ate heartily, then fell asleep." "Yeah, I just said he fell asleep!" "First thing tomorrow, he'll be out front." "First thing, don't forget." "Yes." "I'll explain later." "They'll get it out for you." "I'll explain later, man." "I'll explain later." "You know what I said about phone conversations." "Someone had a message for a family next door who just had a baby." "Here we must maintain discipline, and only concern ourselves with being alert and minding our work." "Understood?" "Don't let me catch you on another personal call." "Understood?" " Yes, sir." "Understood." "Do you think now is when we arrive at work?" "You're 45 minutes late today, ...and the boss asked about you." " About me?" "Yes, he's with a friend who wants to talk to you." "Where is this guy...!" "There you are!" "Come into my office." "Remember about punctuality?" "Forgive me this time." "I just got back to Madrid..." "Stop making excuses." "Be on time tomorrow." "Come in." "This is my old friend and partner." "He has to talk to you and I'm very keen on you obliging him." " Nice to meet you." " Have a seat." " Well, see, I'm the one..." " Oh, okay." "I'm also the horse contractor for a few Spanish bullrings." "Yes, yes." "I came here today, and by chance..." "I heard you bought a horse I had acquired from the regiment." "I could've complained, but I chose to come to you personally and civilly, if possible." "He'll buy your horse for what you paid for it." "I know how business works." "I'll pay a bit more." "It's not about that." "I bought the horse to keep him out of bullfights, so I won't sell him." "How is a horse useful to you?" "I don't intend him to be." "I just don't want a bull to kill him." "But can you support a horse..." "on what I pay you?" " No." " Then...?" "I can do it because I don't need them to bulk up." "I just need them to stay upright until it's their time to go." "Otherwise, I'd be ruined by the price of barley and oats." "I know, but I still won't sell my horse." "I'm glad to know my employees can afford great luxuries." "It shows that I pay lavishly and generously." "You must expect not a raise but the opposite." "Think it over." "Don't stubbornly keep a luxury you can't afford." "Take my card and let me know when you reconsider." "I'm at the bullfighting arena on all the fight days." "Come see me there." "Now go." "And I'll be very grateful if you oblige my friend here." " Excuse me, but..." " We'll talk this over later." "Now go." "And don't forget: if you're late again, consider yourself fired." " I'll force him into it." " Don't worry, necessity will." "A horse eats more than a person." "Believe me, I know what they cost me a year." "She loves me..." "Don't you know you can't have horses here?" "They're only allowed on the horse path, not in the gardens." "Hey, watch my horse." "Wait for me here." "What?" "I need to talk to the horse contractor." "Come in, he was just here." "He'll show up any moment." "Follow me." " Seen Ancieto?" " He's between the barriers." "Wait here, I'll find him." " That's him!" " Pal, wait up!" "Well, say what you want, but nobody will convince me a horse hasn't been here." "That's impossible, sir." "I've been here the last three nights and never saw any horse." "You can't expect me to believe someone left this as a gift." "A horse did it, it's obvious." "Maybe it was a horse..." "or maybe it was a donkey." "It makes no difference!" "But who let a donkey in?" "What idiot did that?" " I didn't let any in, I swear." "You were the only one on watch, and donkeys don't come in through windows like butterflies." "I'm telling you, no donkey came in." "But it could've been a dog." " No it couldn't have!" "It was clearly a horse!" " But you just said it was a donkey." " I don't care what I said!" "A horse was here!" " It must've entered unseen." "I assure you, if one did, I'd have noticed and kept it out." "But you were the only one here." "Remember, at 6:00 there was an alarm and we left with the firetruck." "Maybe it came in then." "That's impossible." "The cleaning lady was here." "Then it must've been her." "It's from a horse!" "Would a real cleaning lady have left this here?" "I can't deal with fools." "You don't understand anything!" "Anyway, it's your fault that the cleaning lady got in." "I mean, the horse!" "If another cleaning..." "If another horse gets in here, whoever's responsible will be fired!" "It could've been a donkey." "The important thing is knowing if he wants him and can stable and feed him." "I assume he can." "He was a coachman all his life until his horse died." " And now what is he?" " Strictly a drunk." "The only place to find him is at the tavern." "But once he has his coach at the coach stand, he'll sober up." "We just need him to still have the coach." "There it is." "Hey Chato, would you call Nemesio if he's around?" "Nemesio, someone wants you!" "Step aside!" "Hey, what brings you here?" "It's about what I said yesterday, or did you forget?" "I forgot." " I said my friend here..." " A pleasure." " At your service." " How are you?" " Fine, thanks." " Don't mention it." "He has a horse." "Oh, right!" "You want me to set up the coach." " Use his horse and split the profits." " Well, we'll talk numbers." "So, do you still have the coach?" "Of course, and it's in top shape." "And you have a place to stable and feed the horse?" "I have it all!" "Now let's go with the horse to see the coach." "Tomorrow we'll be at the stand, and with fare rates now, soon we'll be rich." "Come on, let's go." " What's its name?" " Bucephalus." " Goodness!" "Well, I'll only call him that in the mornings." " How's it going?" " Couldn't be better." "We had 10 fares yesterday." "And this morning we've already had five." " I've got a fistful for you." " Bucephalus, how's life without me?" "Here, Fernando." " Can we go for a ride?" " Yeah, where to?" " Retiro Park, but don't rush." " Okay." " It's turned out well." " You deserve a share of it." "No, no way." "Let's see if you having money again sorts out your wedding." " I told her about the business and she softened up." " That's natural." "Soon you'll buy an engagement bracelet and she'll soften up more." "We women are real romantics." "Hyah, horse!" " Good afternoon." "We'd like to see a ring from your display." "One with diamonds and rubies, a wedding ring." "Right away." "Have a seat." "Money spent on jewels is money you'll have forever." "We should be frugal at home and on the wedding, but get a nice ring because it can get us out of trouble later." "Let's see their price." "We'll have to wait a week or two at least." " How much have you saved?" " Over 2000 pesetas." "By year's end, I'll have recouped the cost of the horse and we can marry." "That is, unless you buy a cow." "That'd be just like you." "I'm warning you, I intended to ignore you after the trick you pulled with the horse." "You see how well that's turned out." "It'll make money for years." "It must be this one, the nicest one we have." "It's lovely." " How much is it?" " 3500 pesetas." " 3500 pesetas!" " That's very expensive." "It's pure gold, with fine diamonds." "These aren't roses here." "We just can't spend that much on the engagement ring." "I could talk to the owner about a discount, but I doubt they can let it go for under 3200 or 3100." "Want to buy it now?" " No, we'll return another day." "Find out the final price." "I can't pay over 3000, and that'd be in a week or two." "Okay." "Bye." "For that money, a bride and groom could've been put on top." "I don't trust your fiancé." "I'll be uneasy until you've been married for a few days." "I prefer Pepe." "He has no money, job, or trade, and you disliked him." "I dislike that he's poor, because men mustn't be poor." "But he's very nice and more handsome than your fiancé." "There he is, and he must have the ring." " Morning." "I'm a bit late." " Get the ring?" " Not yet, but I will later." "Don't leave that to the last minute." "Why don't you have it?" "For three days I've gone to see Nemesio, but he's always on duty, and I need that money to reach 3000 pesetas." "They didn't go any lower?" "No, but after Nemesio, I can buy it." "They're holding it for me." "My brother-in-law is coming, and he's very formal." "Don't be late." " All my friends too, so look nice." " If he can..." "Thanks, I'll do my best." "But first, the ring." "I'll be uneasy until I have it here." "I'm going now to the fountain to wait for Nemesio." "At 6:00 sharp my brother-in-law's coming, so be here then with the ring." "Don't worry, I'll be early." "Hurry, and don't let the money get taken." "Is it on you?" "Yes, 2700 pesetas, but I still need what Nemesio has for me." " See you later." " Bye." "Enough already..." "I'm not sure he understands that civil servants are very formal." "Hey, have you seen a coach with a stand here?" "Nemesio?" "Yes, whenever I come, he's out working." " He hasn't come in 3 or 4 days." " What, not at all?" "That's right." "I'm here all day and I haven't seen him." " How many days has it been?" " At least 3 or 4." "Something must've happened." "He's one of these "bottoms up" types." "He must've gotten drunk and something happened to him." "Thanks." "How are you?" "I'm worried." "Nemesio has been gone for four days." "Oh no, so his Saturday bender came on Monday." " Know where he lives?" " La Guindalera." " I'll go see." "What street?" "I don't know the name, but I can show you." "I'd appreciate that." "It's urgent." "And your stand?" "The paper girl will mind it." "I'll go tell her." "Hey, do me a favor and keep an eye on the stand." "Come on, we have to take the subway." " So long as he hasn't spent it..." " Anyone that troubled has some future!" "Maybe he can't even move." "Oh, Fernando!" "I didn't know where to reach you." "What's wrong?" "What's wrong is our horse is dying." "He's dying, he's dying." "What happened?" "I think it must be the oats and barley." "He was so used to eating flowers." "He got so sick on us, he couldn't even stand up." "And I thought it would pass, so I didn't say anything." "But he got worse and worse, so I called the vet." " What's wrong with him?" " What's wrong is he's dying." "Come on, let's go see him." "There he is, the poor thing." "Bucephalus, what's the matter?" "Was it something you ate?" "And you were so happy..." "Here, Bucephalus." "Have some." "See?" "He won't even eat sugar." " What'd the vet say?" " That he needs penicillin." "But the pharmacy was all out, so we have to use the black market." " How much does he need?" " It's here, on this paper." "Take it." "Goodness!" "A horse needs much more than a person." "The bad news is, with the shortage, they're asking a fortune for it." "I was going to call to ask if you might have 600 or 700 pesetas." "The vet says that it's our only chance to save him." "Otherwise, he'll die for sure." "He's got an infection." " Yes, have a little." " Thanks." "Want some?" "That'll be him." "It's already 6:45." "He's not very punctual." " He'll be here any minute now." "Oh hello, dear!" " How are you?" " Sorry we're late." " Don't worry, make yourself at home." " Hey, what's up?" " Where's the fiancé?" " We're waiting for him." "Until he arrives, we'll wait to eat up the cake." "Let's see if that's him." "Go in, sit down." " It wasn't him." " Who was it?" " The man from the shop." "Goodness!" "Well..." "I think we can start eating cake." "The fiancé may not be here, but it's not our fault." "It's fine by me." "This way he'll be more punctual next time." "Stop crying over that jerk." "Don't make a fool of yourself." "I'm not crying over him!" "You think I'd cry over that idiot?" "I'm crying because he snubbed us, and my friends laughed at me." "And my brother-in-law...!" "You'd better go call Pepe." " I will right now!" "What I regret is letting that jerk stand me up." "What?" "Nothing?" "Is there any hope?" "If his heart holds up over the next 3 or 4 hours, he may live." "But we'll see if his heart can handle it." " Can't anything be done?" " No, we have to wait." "He must flush out all the toxins." "If he does, he'll make it." "If his heart fails, he's done for." " But you must've had similar cases." " None this formidable." "This exceeds all the limits of my knowledge." "It was the joy of it." "That's what killed him." "Seems like he's moving, right?" "Hey, how are you?" "Any better?" "Don't ask him anything." "If he answers, we'll get lightheaded." "Wow, imagine what he must've had to get like this." "Well, I'm off." "Just give him ammonia and let him detox." "You can put ice on his head." " And this one?" " This one's fine now." "Let's give him a couple more days of rest, say 8 or 10." "Then it's back to work." " No more penicillin for him?" " No, he's had enough." "His treatment has cost you enough already." "No, don't worry about money." "I have enough now." "Anyway... give him good feed, but the medicine's over." "See you." "Bye, Bucephalus." "Here, have some..." "Here's the Eastern Plaza and the Royal Theater there just reopened." "And further ahead is a tavern where yours truly will stop briefly to deliver a message." "May I?" " As you wish." "Horse, hyah!" "Have this croquette, Bucephalus." "It'll liven you up." "We'll go in a minute." "Have a little patience." "I'm telling someone something." "How are you, Isabel?" "Very tired." "With six more stands, I have to bring the flowers earlier." "Just you?" "No, the girl and the old farmer help out, but still..." " How's the horse?" " Great." "It looks after Nemesio." "When he passes out, the horse takes him to bed." "It must tuck him in too." "That horse is a gem." " I need a nice bouquet today." " Aiming to impress, eh?" "I'm seeing if she'll forgive me, now that I'm making money again..." "In that case, you'll be well received, especially if you have that ring." "I have it here." "Look at it." " Do you like it?" " Oh!" "It's lovely, just lovely." "She's yours for sure." "No woman could say no to a ring like that." "Really?" "Well, I think so, unless she found a man with a bigger one." " So long, Isabel." " Bye." "I've been lucky." "Who knows, this may be my best shot at marriage." "Don't lose the ring." "It's a very impressive one." "With that and the coach money, you could start a business." "It'd be nice to have a field to work." "If you ever have one, I'll farm it while you handle sales." "The only land I can afford fits in a flowerpot." "Nemesio might be drinking half of your profits." "That and much more!" "It's strange that he's so late." " Must be at the bar." " How's it going, pal?" " Morning." "So, looking for Nemesio?" " Yes, yes." "You seen him?" "Not today, but when he left yesterday, he was too drunk to stand." "Fortunately, he has the horse." " I told you he's at the bar!" " Let's go see him." " Bye." "Hey!" "You seen Nemesio today?" "Don't even ask." "He must be passed out." "Know how he left last night?" " He got drunk?" "Yeah, with some men who had to take him to his coach." "They left with a friend guiding them, so he must be comatose." "Let's get Isabel and go to his house to make sure he's okay." "Enjoy." " Here it is." " He's not here." "He has to be." "This door is barred from the inside." "Let's bang on it." "Could he be dead?" "Come here, Simón." "Jump over." "The horse isn't here." "It stinks of strong wine." "Come on, Nemesio, wake up." "Do you recognize me?" "It's Fernando." "Kill me." " Find the ammonia." " No." " Where'd you put it?" " I drank it all." " Where's the horse?" " Kill me." " First tell me where the horse is." "I sold him..." "Kill me." "Splash more water on him." "Water, more water." "Who'd you sell him to?" "I don't know..." "I didn't know what I was doing." "I sold him on Thursday." "I was in a daze." " Who'd you sell him to?" " I don't know, a man I met at the bar." "Don't you know his address or where to find him?" "No... kill me, kill me." "What'll we do?" "Let's go to the bar." "Maybe they can help us." " They don't know either." " Think they'll know at the bar?" "I doubt it." "Maybe the river gypsies do, since they deal in livestock." "Then let's go." "Look." " There's a bullfight." " Of course." "The charity bullfight." " I need to see the horse contractor." " He's busy with the fight." " It's urgent." " Use another door." "Hey!" "Let's try another door." "Let me go first." "Let us in, it's very urgent!" "Where are you going?" "We're from city hall, from the fire department." "Where's the horse yard?" " Not here." "The dead ones come here." " Which way?" "It's urgent." " It's the other yard." " Hurry!" "Here, you earned it." "Where are the horses?" "Come on, get me a horse!" " Get on this one." " No, I want a stronger one." "That bull killed my last one on the first lance." " Hurry, another horse was killed!" " Get me another horse!" "That's the best one!" "No, not that one!" "It's mine!" "It's here by mistake." "It's mine!" " Get out!" " It's not yours!" " Don't let him on!" " Get out there now!" " Not on this one, it's mine!" "This horse is staying!" "Explain later!" "I have to go out now!" " What's going on?" " It's mine!" " I bought the horse, so leave it alone!" "Here's the captain." " They stole him from me!" " Who are you?" " The horse's owner!" " I bought it three days ago." " He's mine, look at his brand!" " So?" "It could've been sold afterward." " I've got the bill of sale." " Let's see it." "A coachman sold it to me three days ago." "Well, what are you waiting for?" "Can you find it?" "Come on!" "What a waste of time..." "Stop, I have the document!" "I really have it!" " Where?" "At home." "I'll go find it if you hold the horse here." "Sure, we'll see what we can do." " You promise?" " Yes!" "Run and go get it." " Come on, go." " No!" "You can't!" " What happened?" " A horse was gored!" " Which?" "Don't get upset." "Maybe it wasn't ours." " You let him go?" " We had to." " Let's go in." "It's closed." "They'll return soon." "The survivors, that is." " Isn't that him?" " Which?" " That one." " Bucephalus." " It's him!" " Bucephalus!" "Who's that shouting?" "Here's the document." "The horse is yours." " It's mine, I bought it!" " Documentation?" "There was no need." "A friend sold it." "Then file charges, but the horse is his." " Thanks a lot, captain." " No problem." "I was a cavalry man too." "Come on, drink." "It's a special occasion." " I don't want to drink any more." " Don't do that to us." "Look, it's to our health." "You're gonna let us die?" " No, I don't want that." "Come on." " Come on, let's go..." " No, no, no." "Now let's toast to the old world." "Okay." "And what's that?" "The world in which a man could have a horse and feed it without great hardship." "The world in which you could live peacefully without working yourself to death." "The world in which everything was smooth and easy." "When there was solidarity among men." "When everything that moved had warm blood!" "Yeah, let's drink to that!" "What do you mean by that thing about warm blood?" "I mean when there weren't so many motors and machines... and so much iron and gasoline and smoke and filth!" "When people weren't in such a hurry and lived more peacefully." "When they had a few extra hours a day to go around on horseback or in a horse-drawn carriage." " Same difference." "When there wasn't that sullen look you see everywhere now, because people never have that extra peseta that used to buy them happiness." "When everything cost a few cents." "Ten... ten cents." " Today you earn more." " Yes, you earn more, but today today you only have enough to live, and to eat." "And that that's not much." " It sure isn't." "And it's not just about eating..." "Of course!" "Let's drink... to alcohol!" "No, no, no." "I'm done for today." "Yeah, me too." "They should ban wine." " It's poison." " Sure is!" " Poison..." " Shall we drink to prohibition?" " To prohibition." "To prohibition." "It's all modern life's fault, with its haste and its vulgarity." " Down with trucks!" " Yeah!" "Don't shout." "They might hear us." " Who?" " The trucks." "Let 'em." "Down with trucks!" "Got a problem with that?" "Down with automobiles!" "Does anyone object?" " Be quiet!" " Not a chance!" "We must put an end to modern life!" " Down with modern life!" "I said be quiet!" "We're sick of this era of gas and trucks!" "We're gonna put an end to it!" "Bucephalus, you're the old way of life." "Did you eat well, Bucephalus?" " Go to bed, eh?" "It's late." " No, not now." "We need to reform the modern world." " You'll do that tomorrow!" "No, not tomorrow." " Out with cars!" "To jail with you!" " You're a joke!" "Will you be quiet?" " Clown!" " Scoundrel!" "Idiot!" "He must think he's cool." "Hey, I hope they fry your horse!" "This is an outrage." "He's at fault!" "This is an outrage!" "Tell it to the captain." "Don't arrest them." "I'll explain what happened." "I know what happened." "They made a scene in the street because they're drunk." "No, they drank a bit, but they mean no harm." " Then what do they want?" " It's very simple." "To get rid of the trucks and automobiles." " That's all?" " That's all!" "They want it to be like it was 40 years ago." "Our parents said it was a delight." "No rushing and everything was cheap." " And that's all they want?" " That's all!" "I read in a newspaper that everything was 10 cents." "You'd go to eat, and it'd be 10 cents." "To the theater, and it'd be 10 cents." "To a bullfight, and it'd be 10 cents." "Do you realize how much you and your friends will drink when cognac is 10 cents?" "Don't look at me, I barely had any." "I'm telling you, that's all they want." "For everything to be 10 cents." "Wait here." "Or better yet, go to bed." "To bed?" "Go." "The office must run normally." "We can't allow employees to arrive late, or miss half a day, like yesterday, or get arrested for disorderly conduct." "I told you that punctuality was mandatory." "It was a special circumstance." "No." "Think about it and you'll see that it wasn't." "The problem is your lack of interest in the electricity industry." "Your calling is elsewhere, so you must follow your interests and not impede those that prevail here." "I'm very sorry, but I've no choice but to let you go." "Here's three months salary, so you can find another position." "Try to aim for a field more in line with your pursuits." "That is all." "Well... enjoy yourself, Mr. Manzano." "Good luck." "You're not a fireman or anything else!" "You handled the hose not as if putting out a fire, but as if watering flowers!" "Just yesterday you missed a very important fire!" "Get out, and never come back!" " He still hasn't come." " He'll come soon." " Thoughts on my firing?" " Like mine, it was only natural." " How much did they give you?" " Three months' pay." "Why was it only natural?" "Neither of us were suited for our jobs." "Your place isn't in a firetruck, and mine isn't in an office." "We should've been other things." "Sailors, fishermen." "Anything but a fireman and a clerk." "I would've been a farmer, since I'm drawn to it, but I had an ambitious grandfather who used to tell me:" ""I don't want my grandson to be a farmer." "I want him to be a fireman."" "You know how family stuff is." "Hey, know where Isabel is?" "At the garden, getting flowers." " Where's that?" " Want me to take you?" " Yes." " He may be a while." " Pepín, look after the stand." "Hello." " I'm going back." "How are you?" " Just so-so." " Where's the horse?" " There." "I brought him early and he's trying grass for the first time." "I need the horse to take goods to the stands." " I'll sell him to you cheap." " You'll have to, since I'm broke." "With this plot?" "The day you sell it, you'll be rich." "Yeah, but I don't want to sell it." "Don't think they haven't offered to buy it to build skyscrapers, ...but I've lived here and I'll die here." " You'd live better, though." "I'd better not." "Money goes quickly, and this land never stops bearing fruit." "Besides, I'm too old to learn to be rich." "I'd rather live in this shack of mine than cooperate with them." "If they want to expand the city, let them do it elsewhere." "He also likes the old way of life, but he doesn't drink." "I prefer it to life today." "I don't like cars or machines or smoke or haste." "I was here before all that, so I'm staying here, and they can go elsewhere." "Know what I say?" "We should team up in this fight." "We don't like life today either." " I know how to work the land." " I'd provide the horse." "We could buy a flower box." "We could rent land and expand the house." " What about money?" " We have something to pay for it." "And together we'll take on those motorists." " What do you say?" " I could open more stands in Madrid." "First let's see how much money there is." " Isabel, hurry!" " Coming!" " They're for the Ritz Hotel." " Yes, I know." "Isabel!" "Coming!" " Don't get so done up." "You don't need it." " Thanks." "Bye, my Moorish queen." "Come back soon." "Here, Bucephalus." "I saved this for you, since I know you like them." "Let's go." "Hyah, Bucephalus!" "When we united with other people of good will, we put an end to motors, gasoline, and their barbarities." "We weren't going to let their trucks run us over." "A farmer, a fireman, a penpusher, and a florist against the modern world." " The Four Musketeers." "With good people, we'll defeat materialism and motors." "Hyah, Bucephalus!"