Alexander Belyaev - The Amphibian

“Gutierrez spoke to me about it,” Olsen said. “She couldn’t quite make her mind up who it was had saved her-Zurita or a strange creature that she had seen for a fleeting moment when coming to. Why didn’t you tell her it was you?”

“It’s embarrasing to speak about oneself. Besides I wasn’t sure at first, in fact until I saw Zurita. But how could she agree?” Ichthyander asked.

“That I don’t know myself,” Olsen said slowly.

“Please tell me all you know, will you?”

“I work at a button factory, as a shell examiner. That’s where I got to know Gutierrez. She used to bring shells-her father sent her when he was busy. We got friendly. Sometimes we met in the port and went for walks along the shore. Then she told me about her ill luck: a rich Spaniard wooing her.”

“The same one? Zurita?”

“That’s right, Zurita. Gutierrez’s father-the Indian Baltasar-was all in favour and was doing his best to talk her into marrying him, the princely suitor.”

“What’s so princely about him? Why, he’s so old, ugly, foul-smelling…” Ichthyander could not contain himself.

“For Baltasar, Zurita was about the best son-in-law he could wish for. All the more so because Baltasar was head and ears in Zurita’s debt. Zurita could ruin him just like that, if Gutierrez did not see reason. Just imagine what it was like for her: Zurita’s advances on the one hand, her father’s nagging on the other…”

“Why didn’t Gutierrez send him packing? Why didn’t you give him a hiding, you, so big and strong?”

Olsen smiled at this outburst but it left him wondering. Ichthyander was not a fool yet his questions were strange somehow. Where had he been brought up?

“That’s more easily said than done,” Olsen replied. “Zurita and Baltasar would have had the law and the police and the courts on their side. In short, I couldn’t.”

But that didn’t explain things for Ichthyander.

“Well then, why didn’t she run away?” he asked.

“That would have been easier, of course. Indeed that was what she wanted to do and I promised her my help. As a matter of fact I’d meant to go up to North America for quite some time, so I told her she could join me and welcome.”

“Did you intend to marry her?” Ichthyander asked.

“A queer chap you are,” Olsen said and smiled again. “Didn’t I tell you we were just friends. What could’ve happened afterwards I don’t know.”

“Why didn’t you go then?”

“Because we hadn’t the money for the fare.”

“Is a passage by the Horrocks really so expensive?”

“The Horrocks my foot. The liner’s for the millionaires. Why, man, are you straight from the moon or what?”

Ichthyander flushed in embarrassment and thought he would try and ask no more questions that could show Olsen his ignorance.

“We didn’t have enough money for a freight boat, let alone the Horrocks. And we had to have a little above that to tide us over the first days on arrival. Jobs are not to be got for the asking up there any more than here.”

Ichthyander had another question coming, but he desisted.

“It was then that Gutierrez decided to sell her pearl necklace.”

“If only I had known! “ Ichthyander exclaimed, remembering about the pearls he had stored underwater.

“What about?”

“Never mind. Please go on, Olsen.”

“Everything was ready for the flight — ”

“Wait a minute. And me… I mean, how could that be? Does that mean she wanted to leave me too?”

“All this began before you turned up. But then, as far as I know, she meant to let you into it. Perhaps even to invite you to go away with her. Finally she could have written to you later, if she wasn’t able to speak to you before she went away.”

“But why with you, not with me? It’s always you, speaking to you, going away with you…”

“She had known me for over a year, whereas you…”

“Please go on, don’t mind me.”

“Well, as I said, everything was ready,” Olsen went on. “But then you went and jumped into the sea before her very eyes in Zurita’s presence. Early next morning I dropped in to see Gutierrez before my shift. It wasn’t my first visit. Baltasar didn’t seem to mind. Maybe because he respected the size on my fists, maybe because I looked a good stand-in, in case Zurita cooled off. At any rate Baltasar made no trouble and only begged up to keep well apart in Zurita’s presence. Of course the old Indian had no inkling of our plan. That morning I was there to tell Gutierrez that I had got two fares and that she was to be ready to leave by ten that night. Baltasar met me, in a state of agitation.

“ ‘Gutierrez’s not in. She’s away-for good,’ he told me. ‘Half an hour ago Zurita drove up in a brand-new gleaming car. Fancy that! ‘ he went on. ‘A car’s something we never see in our street, specially pulled up slap in front of your own door. Gutierrez and I ran out. Zurita was already out of the car, inviting Gutierrez for a ride to the market and back. He knows that’s the time she goes there. Gutierrez looked at the flashy thing. You can understand, I suppose, what an attraction it is for a young girl. But Gutierrez’s as sly and distrustful as they make ‘em. She says no politely. Never seen anybody so stubborn as that girl! ‘ he exclaimed in anger, but then began laughing. ‘Zurita was smart though. You’re being shy, he says, let me help you. And he grabbed her and pulled her in and she had only time to shout Father once and they were off.’

“ ‘I don’t think they’ll ever come back. Zurita’s taken her home, if you ask me,’ Baltasar finished his story and I could easily see that he had enjoyed telling it.

“ ‘Your daughter’s been taken away by force under your very eyes and you stand there and tell me it all like a huge joke! ‘ I told Baltasar with indignation.

“ ‘Why should I worry?’ Baltasar looked surprised. ‘Had it been anybody else, yes. But Zurita-I’ve known him for ages. If a skinflint like him could cough up enough money to buy a car, why, he’s dead set on Gutierrez and no mistake. Hell marry her as sure as eggs is eggs. That’ll teach her to be stubborn. Should know a good chance when she sees it. There’s nothing for her to weep about. Zurita owns a hacienda, called ‘Dolores’, just outside the town of Parana. His mother lives up there. Ten to one it’s there he’s taken my Gutierrez to. “

“And you didn’t give Baltasar a thrashing?” asked Ichthyander.

“To hear you I should do nothing else but go about beating people up,” said Olsen. “I did have a mind to give him a good drubbing though. But then I thought better of it. I thought things could be remedied yet. I won’t go into all details. Anyhow as I told you, I managed to see Gutierrez.”

“At the Hacienda Dolores?”

“Yes.”

“And you didn’t kill Zurita and set Gutierrez free?”

“Now I should be murdering people as well. Who’d think you were so bloodthirsty?”

“I’m not,” Ichthyander exclaimed, tears welling up in his eyes. “But this is enough to make one’s blood boil! “

Olsen was sorry for Ichthyander.

“You’re right,” said Olsen. “Zurita and Baltasar are a pair of rascals. They do deserve a thorough beating. But life’s more complicated than you apparently think it is. You see, Gutierrez refused to run away from Zurita.” “What? Refused?” Ichthyander could not believe his ears.

“Yes.”

“But why?”

“For one thing, she’s convinced that you took your own life because of her. She’s taken your death very hard. She must have loved you, poor thing. ‘My life’s over now, Olsen,’ she told me. ‘There’s nothing I want now. I don’t care for anything. I was in a haze when the priest Zurita had invited was performing the wedding ceremony. Nothing is done without God’s will, he said putting the wedding ring on my finger. And what God hath joined together, let no man put asunder. I’ll be unhappy with Zurita but I’m afraid of drawing God’s wrath down on me. I won’t leave him.’ “