Wednesday, October 16, 2024

the last book I ever read (The Carpenter's Pencil: A Novel of the Spanish Civil War, excerpt nine)

from The Carpenter's Pencil: A Novel of the Spanish Civil War by Manuel Rivas:

“The wrath of God exists! It was God’s victory!”

His voice was drowned out by the coughing, no longer the delicate clearing of the throat at the opera but the undertow of a surging sea. The prison governor, assailed by looks from the authorities, decided to go over to him and mutter in his ear that he should cut it short, today was Victory Day and if things carried on as they were they would be celebrating it with a massacre.

The chaplain’s flushed face turned pale, undone by the frenzy of men coughing as if with silicosis. He went quiet, scanned the rows with disconcerted eyes, as if coming to, and mumbled some Latin under his breath.



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