The Knight´s Legacy

Personal Loyalties

As they were moving away in their truck, Antonio Nahualkir asked Williams.

“I have the feeling that the old man did not tell us the whole truth. While you were making your questions I was observing him and he  had a slight shock when you mentioned a foreigner.”

“We will ask one of our men to control the movements of the reservation for a time. If Horstmann comes here we need to find him before Grobel´s minions.” And then he added glumly. “ Otherwise we will not have an opportunity, and neither will he.”

Antonio remained pensive for a while and suddenly changed the course of the conversation.

“You think this Toribio Llanquinao be akin to the man who helped our people in the past?”

“Without a doubt he belongs to the clan.” Answered Williams. “ This complicates us because we have a debt with its members. Finally, we must reconcile the duty with our personal loyalties.”

Pedro and Juan returned from their excursion with some pieces of hunting. After dinner, Toribio sought the opportunity to speak alone with Pedro, sitting near the fire, while women were busy preparing the  hunted hare.

“Pedro, today two men of Trevelin came asking for a German called Jorman.”

“And what did you replied, Don Toribio?” In Pedro´s tone there was a hint of resignation and sadness.

”I lied to them saying that we have not seen any outsider, but I told them the truth that did not know any German. Or did I  not tell them the truth, Pedro?”

Martiniuk responded with silence.

“What interests me is to know if they seek him for some crime, Pedro. Mostly because Sayen has set her  eyes on you.”

“No, Toribio. I can assure you that I have not committed any crime. The reason why they are after me surely has to do with the war in Europe.”

Toribio meditated in silence for a while, but finally decided to believe Pedro´s words, whose identity was now in doubt. He was a connoisseur of men and trusted his instincts, and these indicated clearly that Pedro had no hidden intentions.

The echoes of World War II had arrived faintly to the Mapuche community, whose last war reference was the so-called Desert Campaign culminating in 1885, which was mentioned in previous chapters  It was not the war which feared Toribio, but the repetition of episodes that he had heard as a boy, referring to the adventures of foreign thugs in  Chubut. It was Butch Cassidy, Sundance Kid and his men, who had lived in Cholila between 1900 and 1907, and committed all kinds of misdeeds.

“If  you believe that these people can try something against your family, I will go away immediately.” Said  glumly Pedro.

Toribio meditated a moment and responded.

“At the moment there is no need. I do not know what is Williams looking for, but they are good people, and he will not do anything against the Llanquinao.” This statement sounded mysterious to Pedro who refrained from asking any more questions. Anyway, there was a change from his previous free and comfortable situation in the community.

Horstmann-Martiniuk was concerned about the presence of men looking for him in what he previously believed was his  safe refuge, very difficult to track. He boasted that the descendants of Welsh settlers in Trevelin and other communities along the Chubut River could have any relations with British intelligence services, and that these were after his track, that up to that moment he thought was lost, or at least cold. It was unsettling to know that they were breathing so close to his neck. He also wondered what interest had the Englishmen in his person. But what most distressed him was thinking that if the Welsh had smelled his trail, so could also do his SS pursuers, and these would not be so easily deceived by the old Toribio.

He decided to talk to Toribio, since he did not want to endanger this family which had given him its hospitality without conditions. In a prolonged talking, they came to the conclusion that Pedro should stay for a while away from the house of the Llanquinao and the Ranquil Huao community. Toribio offered him an abandoned hut , located in the direction of Vuelta del Río, another Mapuche community of the reservation, at the slope of the hill separating both communities. Pedro agreed to the homeowner new sample of hospitality, shocked however by having to get away from those people. Next morning he took his few possessions and went to the hut, carrying also some provisions; by the haste in decisions and their execution he had not had chance to say goodbye to Sayen and other members of the family that had received him so well, but left the pertaining explanations to Toribio, who no doubt would do so with tact and prudence. A couple of times a week, in the evening, he would approach the village to renew certain provisions, while he could get water and game near the hut. It was agreed that, as consideration, he would oversee a herd of sheep owned by members of the community that grazed in the little valley where the hut stood.

José used to come every now and then to the cabin where Pedro was in  voluntary confinement, bringing him some food. That windy day with a lead gray sky that heralded climate change, Pedro waited anxiously for his young friend, only possibility of human contact during the week. Soon he heard a dog barking  which for his sound he identified as Millañir. Finally Pedro saw a figure that was slowly climbing the ill-defined path trail. Perking his view he could distinguish however the graceful figure of Sayen, loading a bag; Millañir Indeed accompanied the young woman. His heart accelerated as much for pleasure as for fear. Pedro went forth on the way to meet the girl.

“Hello Sayen! It´s so nice to you see you. I hope that José does not have a problem.”

“No, he just had to travel to El Maitén to buy salt, slippers and some warm clothes, and sell a few sheep hides and a few salty hares.”

Both went up to the cabin, while Sayen updated Pedro of all the small facts constituting the novelties of the isolated community. As they entered the hut narrow door almost at the same time their bodies touched lightly, Pedro felt a wave of heat, and saw that the woman had blushed. Each one could perceive in the other the signals of the contact and the underlying feelings. At that time loneliness, hardship and desire overcame social barriers, and throwing down the bag that he had helped loading, Pedro hugged the girl with great strength. After an initial hesitation she responded to the signal with equal ardor, also indicator of pent-up passion and they were kissed for a long time, exploring their bodies and their emotions. Finally Pedro led her to the straw mattress he was using as bed, and they deeply joined in the carnal and psychic planes, while outside it had began to rain slowly at the beginning and intensely then. They repeatedly had i*********e  until they were exhausted and sweaty despite the external cold.

As rain raged the young woman postponed her departure until finally it became dark, and as prudence advised not to travel in the  mountain is such conditions she decided to spend the night in the cabin. Certainly, upon returning home the next day she should be given many explanations to her mother and her sister would demand some confidences.

Life continued smoothly in the following days and months. Pedro alternated rough work tending the flock, now augmented by new animals brought by other members of the community, with the completion of repairs in the cabin, which had somewhat changed its aspect of ruin and abandonment, and a few visits by Sayen and José.