Under the Volcano - Malcolm Lowry [136]
"Why not? Let's do."
"What if this man by the roadside had been a Fascist and your Spaniard a Communist?--In his stone retreat the Consul took a sip of mescal.--"Never mind, I think your thief is a Fascist, though of some ignominious sort, probably a spy on other spies or--"
"The way I feel, Hugh, I thought he must be just some poor man riding from market who'd taken too much pulque, and fell off his horse, and was being taken care of, but then we arrived, and he was robbed... Though do you know, I didn't notice a thing... I'm ashamed of myself."
"Move his hat farther down though, so he can get some air."
"--outside La Sepultura."
CITY OF TLAXCALA
The Capital of the State, said to be like Granada, the Capital of the State, said to be like Granada, said to be like Granada, Granada, the Capital of the State said to be like Granada is of a pleasant appearances, straight streets, archaic buildings, neat fine climate, efficient public electric light, and up-to-date Hotel for tourists. It has a beautiful Central Park named "Francisco I Madero" covered by stricken in years trees, ash-trees being the majority, a garden clothed by many beautiful flowers; seats all over, four clean, seats all over, four clean and well-arranged lateral avenues. During the days the birds are singing melodiously among the foliage of the trees. Its whole gives a sight of emotional majesty, emotional majesty without losing the tranquillity and rest appearance. The Zahuapan River causeway with an extension of 200 metres long, has on both sides corpulent ash-trees along the river, in some parts there are built ramparts, giving the impression of dikes, in the middle part of the causeway is a wood where there are found "Senadores" (picnic-eaters) in order to make easier the rest days to walkers. From this causeway one can admire the suggestive sceneries showing the Popocatepetl and Ixtaccihuatl.
"--or he didn't pay for his pulque at the El Amor de los Amores and the pubkeeper's brother followed him and claimed the reckoning. I see the extraordinary likelihood of that."
"--What is the Ejidal, Hugh?"
"--a bank that advances money to finance collective effort in the villages... These messengers have a dangerous job. I have that friend in Oaxaca... Sometimes they travel disguised as, well, peons... From something Geoff said... Putting two and two together... I thought the poor man might have been a bank messenger... But he was the same chap we saw this morning, at any rate, it was the same horse, do you remember if it had any saddlebags on it, when we saw it?"
"That is, I think I saw it... It had when I think I saw it."
"--Why, I think there's a bank like that in Quauhnahuac, Hugh, just by Cortez Palace."
"--lots of people who don't like the Credit Banks and don't like Cardenas either, as you know, or have any use for his agrarian reform laws--"
SAN FRANCISCO CONVENT
Within the city limits of Tlaxcala is one of the oldest churches of the New World. This place was the residence of the first Apostolical See, named "Carolence" in honour of the Spanish King Carlos V, being the first Bishop Don Fray Julián Garcós, on the year 1526. In said Convent, according to tradition, were baptized the four Senators of the Tlaxcaltecan Republic, existing still on the right side of the Church the Baptismal Font, being their God-Fathers the conqueror Hernan Cortes and several of his Captains. The main entrance of the Convent offers a magnificent series of arches and in the inside there is a secret passage, secret passage. On the right side of the entrance is erected a majestic tower, which is rated as the only one through America. The Convent's altars are of a churrigueresque (overloaded) style and they are decorated with paintings drew by the most celebrated Artists, such as Cabrera, Echave, Juarez, etc. In the chapel of the right side there is still the famous pulpit from where was preached in the New World, for first time, the Gospel. The ceiling of the Convent's Church shows magnificent carved cedar panels and decorations forming golden stars. The ceiling is the only one in the whole Spanish America.