The Fountains of Silence: Chapters 79–117

Subsequent passes are completed with similar strength and grace, eliciting an “Olé” from a few men.

“Well, there’s a humdinger. I never saw that one coming.”

“Got yourself a beau? Who is it?”

But I never fathomed that brutality could exist to this extent.

A hunting permit is required to kill a rabbit, yet each day I see women tortured and killed at whim.

Today, the young daughter of a journalist was dealt such bestial blows she died choking on her own blood.

A schoolhouse on weekdays, the dilapidated building now serves as a sweltering dance hall.

“Oh, I thought philanthropy was your work.”

The picture of Nick, face bludgeoned, slumped in the back of the taxi...

“He said that Franco feels that Republicanism is a heritable disease. So, to rout it out, kids must be raised by Francoists whenever possible.”

Children of Republicans were taken as punishment to the parents. But some claim it’s still happening now, that parents are told their baby died when that’s not really the case, that they’re being given or sold to a family that’s deemed more worthy.

A wide cement drive flanked by sculpted gardens carves a straight path to an expansive, two-story blond palace.

Dozens of balconied windows line the front of the façade.

Small dormers peek out from the gray slate roof, which is capped with over twenty chimneys.

Just over five feet, General Franco is the shortest, dressed not in military uniform, but in a drab brown suit.

“Father-and-son photo. Some journalist. You’re more sentimental than a girl, Stahl,” chides Van Dorn.

“And you’re more bitter than a jilted lover, Shep,” replies Ben with a stare.

Daniel’s probably seen enough of Madrid to observe a disparity.

“Dan is a gentleman,” says his father flatly. His tone is curt.

Implication hangs in the car. Is his father stating that Nick isn’t a gentleman? Or is his father implying that his son wouldn’t fall for a maid?

Ana’s face blanches with concern.

Nick’s voice lacks the usual bravado.

Pathways of clay tile rowed by box hedges lead to trickling fountains, pergolas, and ponds with hand-painted ceramic tilings.

“Please? How can I figure this out by myself?” He gives an imploring look.

“You must calm yourself, señora,” instructs the doctor. “Hysterics put undue stress on both mother and baby.”

“And what if you don’t believe an answer that someone has given you?” says Puri. “Is it okay to ask more questions?”
Daniel pauses. “I’ve wrestled with that a bit myself lately. Sometimes I’m wary of the answers.”

Attendants and domestics have been part of Daniel’s life since birth. They fade into his background, like Franco’s security guards. They are silent witnesses, seemingly blind and deaf to all conversations and indiscretions.

She knows her thoughts warrant confession.

“Well, we all have the right to question things in our own minds, Puri. But some things are complex, nuanced. They stand at a cliff of truth. They might appear as fact when in reality we don’t have all of the information. So, at the time, it’s beyond our comprehension. Speaking of things we don’t understand might only complicate things.”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Matheson. I told you this wasn’t a good idea. I’m sure my father will reimburse you for the plane fare.”

Light hits their faces, and their winged hats throw ominous, bruised shadows on a nearby wall.

It holds an amputated adult hand, black and eaten with gangrene.

“I just met your friend, Laura Beth. What a poised young woman, and quite a looker,” he says.

Daniel notes Shep’s body language. Nonchalance pleated with power.

She stole a gold bracelet from our villa. By the time I found out it was too late. She melted it down for teeth for both her and her brother. Crafty, eh?

With all the tourism coming to Spain, some of these beggars have become talented swindlers.

And once Fuga makes his alternativa—his graduation ceremony from novice—he will become a full-fledged matador.

A shift in the weather brings temporary relief to the infernal temperatures.

Spain protects itself from evil enemies, wanton behavior, and sin.

The comments in the car between his father and Mr. Van Dorn were not incidental. In saying that Daniel was a gentleman, his father announced that Mr. Van Dorn wasn’t.