Jean-Marie Blas De Robles - Where Tigers Are at Home

Loredana’s remark was like the flap of a sail in the unruffled calm: “The day beggars get forks they’ll be given gruel …”

Dumbfounded for a moment, the governor decided to laugh, following Dr. Euclides, who was giving muffled applause.

“Not bad,” said Moreira with a nasty grimace. “Not bad at all. And do you know this one? What does a blind beggar say when he’s feeling a rich man’s car?”

…?

“Oh my God,” he whined, caricaturing the plaintive tones of the people of the Nordeste , “what a little bus!”

Eléazard gritted his teeth, concentrating fully on keeping his face expressionless. There were a few polite smiles but a tangible unease had people staring into space. Furious at Eléazard and Loredana, the governor was searching for an anecdote that would relax the atmosphere, when Loredana broke the silence again: “How about taking me out for a spin?” she said in a playful tone. Adding, as she stroked the curve of the Panhard’s wing, “I’m dying to see what she can do …”

José Moreira looked her up and down, as if he were wondering if she were serious. Flattered by what he saw in her eyes, he opened the door of the car and invited her to get in.

“Take a seat, senhorita . I’m sorry to have to abandon you like this,” he said to the other guests, “but what a woman wants … We’ll be back in a few minutes, makes yourselves at home until we return.”

Starting up as soon as he was at the controls, the Panhard reversed briefly then drove silently toward the garage exit. With a brief flash of the headlights and a resonant blast on the horn, the car disappeared into the night.

After the departure of the governor and his capricious passenger, the abandoned guests took a few minutes to decide what to do. Visibly annoyed with their host for his discourtesy, the Asians agreed to withdraw; having translated a bouquet of flowery farewells, their factotum followed them, tight-lipped and stiff-legged. Ignoring Euclides and Eléazard, the Americans were consulting together in low voices.

“You mustn’t condemn her,” the doctor said, placing his hand on Eléazard’s arm. “Jealousy — just like despair, by the way — is a pleasure we must be able to deny ourselves. Especially since it seemed to me that our dear Loredana was perfectly aware of what she was doing. If you want my opinion, there’s more trouble in store for that old fuddy-duddy colonel.”

Eléazard seemed to be immersed in a meditation on his shoes. The triumphant ironic glance from Moreira as he put the car into reverse added insult to the bitter taste of humiliation. Finding himself hoping against hope, begging for something from the depths of his distress, he pulled himself together. After all, she didn’t owe him anything. If she wanted to sleep with the guy, she had every right to do so … But what a bitch! A little tart who understood nothing about anything! A slut, a low-class whore!

Pouring his bile over her like that, he realized he was debasing himself and that Euclides was right.

“All right then, we’re off too,” said one of the Americans, the one whose anodyne remark had triggered the governor’s profession of faith. Copied by his companion, he took his leave of all those present — at least of those he assumed were not servants — and went.

That left the two stylish men Euclides had told his friend were from the Pentagon.

“Henry McDouglas,” one said, coming over to them, hand held out (“Matthew Campbell, Jr.,” said the other, like an echo). “One’s as bad as the other, they’ve all slipped away.”

“That’s my impression too,” said Euclides, returning the American’s smile. “We’re the only ones left on board.”

McDouglas looked around the circle of cars. “Impressive collection he’s got.”

“So people say. But my sight, thank goodness, spares me the displeasure of having to have an opinion on that. Let’s just say that it goes with the man. I presume he’s shown you his jaguar as well?”

“You’re a real clairvoyant, I must say!” McDouglas exclaimed, with a laugh that showed all his perfectly descaled teeth. “He even explained it was out of consideration for the animal that he didn’t have a car of the same name … I guess he says that to everyone the first time they come to visit, or am I wrong?”

“No, not really,” Euclides replied. “Everyone’s got their little ways and there are worse ones than that.”

“I understand you’re a journalist?” Campbell said to Eléazard. “Have you been in this part of the world for long?”

“Six years. Two in Recife and four here.”

“That’s some time! Brazil can’t have any secrets for you by now.”

“No secrets is going too far, but I like the country and I make an effort to get to know it better, including its less glossy sides.”

“And what do you think of the political situation? I mean here, in Maranhão. The left-wing parties seem to be on the up and up, don’t you think?”

“Just be careful what you say, Eléazard,” Euclides broke in jokingly. “These gentlemen are from the Pentagon. Anything you say may be noted down and used against you …”

Eléazard took a step back, pretending to be alarmed. “From the Pentagon? Meu Deus! ” Then, still smiling, “Joking apart, I find that intriguing. What exactly do you do there? If I’m not being indiscreet, of course.”

“None of the kind of things you seem to be imagining. We’re official representatives for Latin America, in a civilian capacity to be precise. We’re sent all over the place to prepare or check out various dossiers, get assurances from our partners, put out feelers, that sort of thing. As I’m sure you know, the Pentagon’s just a business, the biggest in the United States, sure, but a business all the same. And there’s a few thousand of us solely occupied with routine problems of management.”

“All of which is pretty vague,” Euclides joked, as if to say they couldn’t fool him.

“In fact,” said McDouglas, rolling his eyes as if he was suspicious of everyone, “our mission is to capture the governor of the State of Maranhão! He’s a usurper, impersonated by a dangerous terrorist and we need your help, gentlemen.”

His little spiel almost made him likeable. Euclides apologized for pushing him; he understood very well the discretion imposed by the obligation to maintain secrecy in such circumstances …

“What obligation to maintain secrecy?” McDouglas exclaimed as if it were a good joke. “You’re overstating our importance, I assure you.” Serious again, he went on in professional tones, “You know that Brazil produces manganese, the governor reminded us of the fact just now, but what you perhaps don’t know is that it is an essential part of certain alloys used by the American army. Until now the mineral has been delivered in its raw state, but the Brazilian government seems to have decided to try and process it here. Which would suit us very well, I make no secret of that. I’m simplifying matters, of course, but we’re here to discuss the standards they must stick to if they go ahead with the plan. Nothing top secret in that, as you can see. It’s the Minister for Industry, Alvarez Neto — I’m sure you’ll have seen him — who brought us here. The chance to meet industrialists, bankers, politicians … and to see a bit of the country. You know Brazilia, it’s deadly boring.”

He spoke deliberately, and with his crew cut and suntanned face his warmth and frankness were contagious. To anyone but Eléazard, Euclides’s obstinacy would have seemed the height of discourtesy. “That is reassuring,” he said in feigned casual tones. “For a moment I thought you were here because of this business about a military base on the peninsula.”