The Old Man Who Read Love Stories Page #4

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If she was with us last night,

she wouldn't be here now,

would she?

We're here, aren't we?

I don't yet know her.

The lamps are still on.

The cat is probably stretched out

in Alkaseltzer's hammock.

Well, Plasencio...

Well, well, well.

You finally made it.

All those years of effort.

Nobody would ever believe that these

stones were not from around here.

Then the prospectors would come,

and then the road builders...

the tourists...

You're already done for, cat!

So am I.

What a pathetic place to have

a pathetic store.

You need customers

to run a store.

Where are his customers?

Prospectors, hunters,

gold diggers. He did all right.

What did he do with his money?

Gambled it away with his

customers.

Looking to get your fingers on it?

No, I didn't mean that...

There is another body outside.

I'll be able to read

until I'm a hundred.

How many times must I read that

Artemio Mateluno

killed his best friend by stabbing him

twenty times?

Really, if this is reading I'm glad I didn't

waste my whole life on it.

A bible?

You want me to get you a bible?

Why for God's sake do you

want a bible?

- To read.

- You know a bible will rot

your brain worse than

the jungle will.

To have something to read.

I'm very relieved.

But you know,

if you're after reading material,

then I think we ought to...

Be able to do better

than the bible.

What did you say, Old Man?

Nothing really.

I was just thinking about

reading.

Can you really read?

A bit.

I could never see the use of it myself.

What are you reading?

A novel.

What's it about?

It's about

love.

Why bother then?

Because the thoughts are

beautiful.

Because the words are beautiful...

and the sentences.

And sometimes makes me forget

the barbarity of man.

The barbarity of man?

You mean the Slimy Toad

over there?

Not just him.

Others too.

And me.

It's true.

You're all barbarians.

What about you, Excellency?

I'm educated. That's why I'm

the Mayor.

The dentist here is educated,

your Excellency.

That doesn't make him the Mayor.

Doesn't stop me from being

a barbarian, either,

Excellency.

God, how can people be so stupid?

Think what you like,

and stop calling me "Excellency".

You've all been saying it ever since

you heard the doctor say it.

What do you want us to call you,

Excellency?

The judge is called "Your Honour"

and the priest "Your Eminence"...

and his Excellency, "Excellency".

It's her.

She's scented us.

There's nothing to say that I didn't

at least wound the animal.

Why don't you go out and see?

Listen,

my little friend.

One day soon we're going to be back

in the town and I warn you...

Shut up,

you stupid Slimy Toad! You open

your trap once more and...

- Let's do a deal, Antonio Bolivar.

- I'm going back.

- I don't want this any more.

- Let's do a deal, huh? Huh?

You're the jungle veteran, huh?

You know it better than you

know yourself.

We're just getting in your way.

Track her down

and kill her,

and the state will pay you

a reward. Stay here,

do what you think fit and we'll go back

and protect the village, huh?

I am not interested in rewards.

Everyone has his price.

Even you. Money...

a spot of land, eh? A woman...

Everyone has his price.

That's her.

She's far off.

She's crying for her babies.

What do you say, huh?

Kill her...

and you'll never get bothered again

about where you built your house.

I'll even get you a certificate of

ownership. No more recriminations...

not even about Josefina. Live the rest

of your life in peace.

Sounds good, huh?

She wants to die.

Is it a deal?

You don't have to do this.

We can wait for her to come

to the village, huh?

We could easily trap her there...

It's thick-headed to try to beat

her on her own ground.

It's my ground too.

That Slimy Toad is just trying

to get you killed, you know?

Thank her for the reading glasses,

my friend. I never got the chance.

Tell her...

tell here it will help me to read

till I'm a hundred.

I will.

You should have warned them,

Old Man.

Why are you so sure you are the one

the beast is coming for?

Don't you think such an animal

could decide to pursue them?

She could pick them off one by one

before they get to El Idilio.

She's smart.

You should have gone with them,

but you didn't because you

think you know more.

You think it's you she's after.

"Maria

moaned

plain...

plaintive-ly".

Maria moaned plaintively.

But is that from pleasure

or pain?

The words are bigger and easier

to see... but their meaning is

no more revealed than without

the glass.

Why do you do this, Antonio?

Why do you read at all?

I didn't know you were

a reader, Old Man.

Neither did I.

But the very thought of

a bible...

That's too much.

Ok. Just...

look casual.

I won't pay the Slimy Toad if I'm

not going to be doing anything.

Josefina!

Rubicondo!

- Who's your friend? - May I present

Antonio Bolivar?

Jungleman... reader.

Hello.

The problem is

he doesn't have anything to read.

You've brought him to the wrong

place. I've only got love stories.

No detective or pirate stories?

Only heartache, hopeless love

and happy endings.

That's almost as bad as

the bible.

It sounds... it sounds

interesting.

May I try one?

This is one of my favourites.

I cried all the way through.

It must be very beautiful.

It is.

Ok. Now, go and read

the damned thing.

You two can swap

handkerchiefs later.

I can't read.

Perhaps you are afraid.

Nushino's people say,

"Hide from your fear".

What's the matter?

This is not the first time you've

faced a crazed animal.

You've imagined this jaguar

thinks of you as her equal.

Don't be so big-headed,

Antonio Bolivar.

Your eyes are tired...

and your movements are slow.

After four killings,

she knows as much about men

as you know about jaguars.

And perhaps

you know less than she does.

Come on, Old Man.

Has fear finally got you?

Isn't there anything you can do

to hide yourself from it?

You are a white man's hunter

now, Antonio.

You carry a gun...

and fear.

If the trailing is easy

and you think the jaguar

is yours,

he's behind you.

His eyes are on your neck.

Here you are.

Now I can see you.

Lashing your tail...

You don't care, do you?

You're aroused by the nearness

of your victims.

No, you are not hunting, you're

just moving around...

You're certain that you're dealing

with a weaker species.

Now...

off you go, there,

in that direction.

And then I lose you.

Do you want me to find you

or not?

What are you up to?

I know your game.

You want me here.

Here I am!

I am Antonio Bolivar.

And I have patience enough,

my beauty.

You're a strange animal,

that's for sure.

I can't work it out, whether

you're acting intelligently or

out of desperation.

"They crossed the velvety carpet

of snow..."

I always thought if you've walked

on snow it got dirty.

Have you ever seen the snow?

When I was a child.

A carpet of it?

It lay on the ridges of the

Imbabura volcano...

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