Nostromo - A Tale of the Seaboard.pdf - Planet eBook

Complete silence. He quaked. It was not thus that he hadimagined himself at that stage of the expedition. He hadseen himself triumphant, unquestioned, appeased, the idolof the soldiers, weighing in secret complacency the agreeablealternatives of power and wealth open to his choice.Alas! How different! Distracted, restless, supine, burningwith fury, or frozen with terror, he felt a dread as fathomlessas the sea creep upon him from every side. That rogue of adoctor had to come out with his information. That was clear.It would be of no use to him—alone. He could do nothingwith it. Malediction! The doctor would never come out. Hewas probably under arrest already, shut up together withDon Carlos. He laughed aloud insanely. Ha! ha! ha! ha! Itwas Pedrito Montero who would get the information. Ha!ha! ha! ha!—and the silver. Ha!All at once, in the midst of the laugh, he became motionlessand silent as if turned into stone. He too, had a prisoner.A prisoner who must, must know the real truth. He wouldhave to be made to speak. And Sotillo, who all that time hadnot quite forgotten Hirsch, felt an inexplicable reluctance atthe notion of proceeding to extremities.He felt a reluctance—part of that unfathomable dreadthat crept on all sides upon him. He remembered reluctantly,too, the dilated eyes of the hide merchant, his contortions,his loud sobs and protestations. It was not compassion oreven mere nervous sensibility. The fact was that though Sotillodid never for a moment believe his story—he could notbelieve it; nobody could believe such nonsense—yet thoseaccents of despairing truth impressed him disagreeably.