'Ah, you devil . . . you're playing hard to get, eh? You're learning fast. . .'

We hadn't taken ten steps towards the noisy tavern, just a few doors down the street, when three silhouettes materialized out of the shadows and intercepted us. Two positioned themselves behind us, so close I could feel their breath on the nape of my neck. The third, smaller but much more menacing, blocked our way. It was him. He wore the usual raincoat, and his oily smile oozed irrepressible glee.

'Why, who have we here? If it's not my old friend, the man of the thousand faces!' cried Inspector Fumero.

It seemed to me I could hear all of Fermin's bones shudder with terror at the apparition. My loquacious friend could manage only a stifled groan. The two thugs, who I guessed were two agents from the Crime Squad, grabbed us by the scruffs of our necks and held our right wrists, ready to twist our arms at the slightest hint of movement.

'I see from your look of surprise that you thought I'd lost track of you long ago. Surely you didn't think a piece of s.h.i.t like you was going to be able to crawl out of the gutter and pa.s.s himself off as a decent citizen. You might be stupid, but not that stupid. Besides, I'm told you're poking your nose - and it's quite a nose - in a whole pile of things that are none of your business. That's a bad sign . .. What is it with you and those little nuns? Are you having it off with one of them? How much do they charge these days?'

'I respect other people's a.r.s.es, Inspector, especially if they are cloistered. Perhaps if you were inclined to do the same, you would save yourself a hefty bill in penicillin and improve the number and ease of your bowel movements.'

Fumero let out a little laugh streaked with anger.

'That's right. b.a.l.l.s of steel. If all crooks were like you, my work would be a party. Tell me, what are you calling yourself these days, you son of a b.i.t.c.h? Gary Cooper? Come on, tell me what you're up to, sticking that big nose of yours in the Hospice of Santa Lucia, and I might let you go with just a warning. Come on, spell it out. What brings you two here?'

'A private matter. We came to visit a relative.'

'Sure, your f.u.c.king mother. Look here, you happen to have caught me on a good day, otherwise I'd be taking you to headquarters and giving you another session with the welding torch. Come on, be a good boy and tell your old friend Inspector Fumero the truth about what the f.u.c.k you and your friend are doing here. d.a.m.n it, just cooperate a bit, and you'll save me beating up this smart little kid you've chosen as a sponsor.'

'You touch a single hair of his and I swear I'll-'

'You scare me to bits, really. I just shat my pants.'

Fermin swallowed, as if to hold in all the courage that was seeping out of him. 'Those wouldn't be the same sailor-boy pants that your esteemed mother, the Ill.u.s.trious Kitchen Maid, made you wear? That would be a shame; I'm told the outfit really suited you.'

Inspector Fumero's face paled, and all expression left his eyes. 'What did you say, motherf.u.c.ker?'

'I was saying it looks like you've inherited all the taste and charm of Dona Yvonne Sotoceballos, a high-society lady. . .'

Fermin was not a heavy man, and the first punch was enough to knock him off his feet and into a puddle of water. He lay curled up in a ball as Fumero meted out a flurry of kicks to his stomach, kidneys, and face. I lost count after the fifth. Fermin lost his breath and then, a moment later, the ability to protect himself from the blows. The two policemen who were holding me down with iron hands were laughing dutifully.

'Don't get involved,' one of them whispered to me. 'I don't feel like breaking your arm.'

I tried in vain to wriggle out of his grip, and, as I struggled, I caught a glimpse of him. I recognized his face immediately. He was the man in the raincoat with the newspaper who was in the bar at Plaza de Sarria a few days earlier, the same man who had followed us in the bus and laughed at Fermin's jokes.

'Look, the one thing that really p.i.s.ses me off is people who stir up s.h.i.t from the past!' Fumero cried out. 'The past must be left alone, do you understand? And that goes for you and your dumb friend. Look and learn, kid. You're next.'

The whole time I watched Inspector Fumero destroy Fermin with his kicks, I was unable to utter a word. I remember the dull, terrible impact of the blows raining down mercilessly on my friend. They hurt me still. All I did was take refuge in the policemen's convenient grasp, trembling and shedding silent cowardly tears.

When Fumero tired of striking a dead weight, he opened up his raincoat, unzipped his fly, and began to urinate on Fermin. My friend didn't move; he looked like a bundle of old clothes in a puddle. While Fumero discharged his generous, steamy cascade over Fermin, I still couldn't speak. When he'd finished, the inspector zipped up his trousers and came over to me, sweaty-faced and panting. One of the police officers handed him a handkerchief, and he mopped his face and neck. He came closer, until his face was only a couple of inches from mine, and he fixed me with his stare.

'You weren't worth that beating, kid. That's the problem with your friend: he always backs the wrong side. Next time I'm going to f.u.c.k him up like I've never done before, and I'm sure it's going to be your fault.'

I thought he was going to hit me then, that my turn had come. For some reason I was glad. I wanted to believe that his blows would cure me of the shame I felt for not having raised a finger to help Fermin, when the only thing he'd been trying to do, as usual, was protect me.

But no blow came. All Fumero did was pat me on the cheek.

'It's okay, boy. I don't dirty my hands with cowards.'

The two policemen chuckled, more relaxed now that they knew the show was over. Their desire to leave the scene was obvious. They went off laughing in the dark.

By the time I went to his aid, Fermin was trying in vain to get up and find the teeth he'd lost in the dirty water of the puddle. His mouth, nose, ears, and eyelids were all bleeding. When he saw that I was unharmed, he attempted to smile and I thought he was going to die on the spot. I knelt beside him and held him in my arms. The first thought that crossed my mind was that he weighed less than Bea.

'Fermin, for G.o.d's sake, we must get you to a hospital right away.'

He shook his head energetically. 'Take me to her.'

'To who, Fermin?'

'To Bernarda. If I'm going to die, I'd rather it was in her arms.'

32.

That night I returned to Plaza Real, to the apartment I'd sworn I would never set foot in again. A couple of regulars who had witnessed the beating from the door of the Xampanet Tavern offered to help me take Fermin to a taxi rank in Calle Princesa while a waiter called the number I had given him, to warn of our arrival. The taxi ride seemed endless. Fermin had lost consciousness before we set off. I held him in my arms, clutching him against my chest and trying to warm him up. I could feel his tepid blood soaking my clothes. I whispered in his ear that we were nearly there, that he was going to be all right. My voice trembled. The driver shot me furtive looks through the mirror.

'Listen, I don't want any trouble, do you hear? If he dies, you'll have to get out.'

'Just shut up and floor it.'

By the time we reached Calle Fernando, Gustavo Barcelo and Bernarda were waiting by the main door of the building, along with Dr Soldevila. When she saw us covered in blood and dirt, Bernarda started to scream in panic. The doctor quickly took Fermin's pulse and a.s.sured us that the patient was still alive. Between the four of us, we managed to carry Fermin up the stairs and into Bernarda's room, where a nurse, who had come along with the doctor, was getting everything ready. Once the patient was laid on the bed, the nurse began to undress him. Dr Soldevila insisted that we all leave the room and let him get on with his work. He closed the door on us with a brief, 'He'll live.'

In the corridor Bernarda sobbed inconsolably. She moaned that now that she'd found a good man, for the first time in her life, G.o.d had come along and mercilessly wrenched him away from her. Don Gustavo Barcelo took her in his arms and led her to the kitchen, where he proceeded to ply her with brandy until the poor thing could hardly stand up. Once the maid's words were unintelligible, the bookseller poured himself a gla.s.s and downed it in one gulp.

'I'm sorry. I didn't know where to go . . .' I began.

'That's all right. You've done the right thing. Soldevila is the best orthopaedic surgeon in Barcelona.' He spoke without addressing anyone in particular.

'Thank you,' I murmured.

Barcelo sighed and poured me a good shot of brandy in a tumbler. I declined his offer, and it was pa.s.sed on to Bernarda, who quickly made it disappear.

'Will you please go and have a shower and put on some clean clothes,' Barcelo said. 'If you go back home looking like that, your father will die of a heart attack.'

'It's all right... I'm okay,' I said.

'In that case stop trembling. Go on, you can use my bathroom, it has a water heater. You know the way. In the meantime, I'm going to call your father and tell him . . . well, I don't know what I'll tell him. I'll think of something.'

I nodded.

'This is still your home, Daniel,' said Barcelo as I wandered off down the corridors. 'We've missed you.'

I found Gustavo Barcelo's bathroom, but not the light switch. I took off my filthy, bloodstained clothes and hauled myself into the imperial bathtub. A pearly mist filtered in through the window that looked out onto the inner courtyard of the building, and there was enough light for me to be able to make out the outline of the room and the pattern of the enamelled tiles on the floor and walls. The water came out boiling hot and with much greater pressure than our modest bathroom on Calle Santa Ana could offer; it felt like being in a luxury hotel, not that I'd ever set foot in one. I stood under the shower's steamy rays for a few minutes without moving.

The echo of the blows raining down on Fermin still hammered in my ears. I couldn't get Fumero's words out of my mind, or the face of the policeman who had held me down. After a while I noticed that the water was beginning to get cold, and I a.s.sumed the reserve in my host's boiler was coming to an end. When I had finished the last drop of lukewarm water, I turned off the tap. The steam rose up my body like silken threads. Through the shower curtains, I noticed a figure standing by the door, her marble gaze shining like the eyes of a cat.

'You can come out. There's nothing to worry about, Daniel. Despite all my evil doings, I still can't see you.'

'h.e.l.lo, Clara.'

She held out a clean towel towards me. I stretched out my hand and took it, wrapping myself in it with the modesty of a schoolgirl. Even in the steamy darkness, I could see that Clara was smiling, guessing at my movements.

'I didn't hear you come in.'

'I didn't call out. Why are you taking a shower in the dark?'

'How do you know the light isn't on?'

'The buzzing of the bulb,' she said. 'You never came back to say goodbye.'

Yes, I did come back, I thought, but you were busy. The words died on my lips; their animosity seemed distant, ridiculous.

'I know. I'm sorry.'

I got out of the shower and stood on the mat. The steamy air glowed with specks of silver, and the pale light from the window cast a white veil over Clara's face. She hadn't changed a bit. Four years of absence had not helped me.

'Your voice has changed,' she said. 'Have you changed, too, Daniel?'

'I'm just as stupid as before, if that's what you're wondering.'

And more of a coward, I thought. She still had that same broken smile that hurt, even in the dark. She stretched out her hand, and, just as on that afternoon in the Ateneo library some eight years before, I understood immediately. I guided her hand to my damp face and felt her fingers rediscovering me, her lips shaping words in silence.

'I never wanted to hurt you, Daniel. Forgive me.'

I took her hand and kissed it in the dark. 'No: you must forgive me.'

Any possibility of a melodrama was shattered when Bernarda stuck her head round the door. Despite being quite drunk, she realized that I was naked, dripping, and holding Clara's hand against my lips with the light out.

'For the love of Christ, Master Daniel, have you no shame? Jesus. Mary, and Joseph. Some people never learn . . .'

In her embarra.s.sment Bernarda beat a hasty retreat, and I hoped that once the effects of the brandy wore off, the memory of what she had seen would also fade from her mind, like the traces of a dream. Clara moved away a few steps and handed me the clothes she held under her left arm.

'My uncle gave me this suit for you to put on. It's from his younger days. He says you've grown a lot and it will fit you. I'll leave you, so you can get dressed. I shouldn't have come in without knocking.'

I took the change of clothes she was offering me and started to put on the underwear, which was clean-smelling and warm, then the pale pink cotton shirt, the socks, the waistcoat, the trousers, and jacket. The mirror showed me a door-to-door salesman whose smile had abandoned him. When I returned to the kitchen, Dr Soldevila had come out of the bedroom to give us all a bulletin on Fermin's condition.

'For the moment the worst is over,' he announced. 'There's no need to worry. These things always look more serious than they are. Your friend has a broken left arm and two broken ribs, he's lost three teeth, and has a large number of bruises, cuts, and contusions. But luckily there's no internal bleeding and no symptoms of any brain damage. The folded newspapers the patient wore under his clothes to keep him warm and accentuate his figure, as he puts it, served as armour and cushioned the blows. A few moments ago, when he recovered consciousness, the patient asked me to tell you that he's feeling like a twenty-year-old, that he wants blood sausage sandwiches with fresh garlic, a chocolate bar, and some lemon Sugus sweets. I see no problem with that, though I think it would be better to start off with fruit juice, yoghurt, and perhaps a bit of boiled rice. Moreover, as proof of his vigour and presence of mind, he has asked me to transmit to you the fact that, when Nurse Amparito was putting a few st.i.tches in his leg, he had an iceberg of an erection.'

'It's just that he's all man,' Bernarda murmured apologetically.

'When will we be able to see him?' I asked.

'Not just yet. Perhaps by daybreak. It will do him good to rest a bit. Tomorrow, at the latest, I'd like him to be taken to the Hospital del Mar so that he can have a brain scan, just for peace of mind. But I think we can rest a.s.sured that Senor Romero de Torres will be as good as new within a few days. Judging from the marks and scars on his body, this man has got out of tighter spots. He's a true survivor. If you need a copy of the report to take along to the police-'

'It won't be necessary,' I interrupted.

'Young man, let me warn you that this could have been very serious. You must report it to the police immediately.'

Barcelo was watching me attentively. I looked back at him, and he nodded.

'There'll be plenty of time for that, Doctor, don't worry,' said Barcelo. 'What's important now is to make sure the patient is well. I will report this incident myself, tomorrow morning, first thing. Even the authorities have a right to a little peace and quiet at night.'

It was obvious that the doctor took a dim view of my suggestion to keep the incident from the police, but when he realized that Barcelo was taking responsibility for the matter, he shrugged his shoulders and returned to the bedroom to continue with his treatment. As soon as the doctor had disappeared, Barcelo told me to follow him to his study. Bernarda sighed on her stool, numb with shock and brandy.

'Bernarda, keep yourself busy. Make some coffee. Nice and strong.'

'Yes, sir. Right away.'

I followed Barcelo to his study, a cave blanketed in clouds of tobacco smoke that curled around columns of books and papers. The discordant echoes of Clara's piano-playing reached us in fits and starts. It was obvious that Maestro Neri's lessons hadn't done much good, at least not in the field of music. The bookseller pointed me to a chair and proceeded to fill his pipe.

'I've phoned your father and told him that Fermin had a minor accident and that you'd brought him here.'

'Did he believe you?'

'I don't think so.'

'Right.'

The bookseller lit his pipe and sat back in the armchair behind his desk. At the other end of the apartment, Clara was tormenting Debussy. Barcelo rolled his eyes.

'What happened to the music teacher?' I asked.

'He was fired. Seems like there were not enough keys on the piano to keep his fingers busy.'

'Right.'

'Are you sure you haven't had a beating, too? You're talking in monosyllables. When you were a young boy, you were much more talkative.'

The study door opened, and Bernarda came in carrying a tray with two steaming cups of coffee and a sugar bowl. She was swaying from side to side as she walked, and I was afraid I might be caught under a shower of boiling-hot coffee.

'May I come in? Will you take yours with a dash of brandy, sir?'

'I think the bottle of Lepanto has earned itself a break for tonight, Bernarda. And you, too. Come on, off you go to sleep. Daniel and I will stay up in case anything is needed. Since Fermin is in your bedroom, you can use mine.'

'Oh, no, sir, I wouldn't hear of it.'

'It's an order. And no arguing. I want you to be asleep in the next five minutes.'

'But, sir . . .'

'Bernarda, you're risking your Christmas bonus.'

'Whatever you say, Senor Barcelo. But I'll sleep on top of the cover. That goes without saying.'