Subject: Summary, Chapter 12
Author: Robin N (157.198.3.51)
Date: 09-07-1999 12:38
Chapter 12
Blown 100 kilometers off course by the storm, Juan and his men are
doing everything they can to save the Galion (and their own lives).
The captain is wounded, the pilot and navigator have been washed
overboard. There’s no one on board who could stop them if they chose
to flee. Segundo reminds Juan of this, but he’s fully aware of it.
They could kill the coastguard, and get clean away, says Segundo,
but Juan tells them they’ll kill no one, they’ll not try to escape.
Segundo tells him, ‘... pero usted es muy tonto con volver a meterse
en la boca del lobo...’ Juan tells him that in Saint Pierre there is
a lady that he wants to return to see, whatever price must be paid!
A young official in the coastguard questions Juan, as to what will
happen next. They’re near the island of Granada and he wonders if
Juan is trying to trick them somehow. Juan tells him to take his
hand off his gun or he’ll let go of the wheel and they’ll go to
hell! The official tells him that he doesn’t know what Juan’s been
accused of, just that he’s been asked to take him to Martinique. He
is aware that they owe him a huge favor for saving the ship and
their lives... Juan observes ironically, “...now that the storm has
passed you’re not so afraid... We’re in view of an English island.
How easy it would be to complete your mission by getting off here,
telling them all that has happened and having us thrown in a jail in
San Jorge!” He speaks of how it’s easy to treat ill those that have
fallen prey to the ills of the laws and people with influence, how
the life of a man who’s been disgraced is somehow worth less... He
tells him that their roles have changed. “A lo mas, ofrecerle una
leccion que no va usted a aprovechar. Que poco vale la vanidad de
unos galones, de un titulito de oficial, cuando un hombre esta
frente a la desgracia!” He sets sail for Martinique, ...”Cumplira su
mission, solo con unas horas de retraso.” The official is stunned.
How, they’re so far away and the ship’s mechanics don’t work. Juan
tells them that the wind will take them. “Llegaremos navegando a
vela, que es lo unico que entiende Juan del Diablo...” The official
is even more stunned by this and grateful too. He offers to assist
him in anyway possible in the future. Juan just asks him to fill his
pipe with tobacco and order his men to feed Juan’s men! He sets
course with determination.
“Juan ha vuelto a mirar la bitacora, ha desviado levemente a
estribor y ha extendido la ardiente mirada de sus ojos oscuros por
el ancho mar que lentamente va aplacandose, mientras el sol desgarra
las nubes y baña con luz dorada su frente altanera, su pecho anco y
alto, sus brazos de biceps poderosos, su negra cabeza rizada, sus
labios que se aprietan como si no quisieran dejar escapa la clave
dolorosa de su alma, la que va, sobre los vientos y los mares, hasta
Monica de Molnar...”
On board the Luzbel...
“Yes, here I was ill! Here I was on the point of death! Here I
agonized and his care saved me!”
Renato can’t believe his ears as he hears Monica relate what
happened in the cabin on the Luzbel. He sees it as a sad room, but
not her. He wants to take her, a woman of education and refinement,
away from this...
“La mujer que yo fue, Renato, tal vez, como supones, no era capaz de
comprender a Juan. La que actualmente soy...”
Renato doesn’t want to hear her defend Juan. He cuts her off. She’s
only changed physically, she’s still the same Monica inside, only
outside she’s more beautiful, more desirable. He wonders what price
she’s paid. “Que es en realidad ese hombre para ti, Monica?” “Mi
esposo... Ya lo sabes...” she replies. “Compartias con el esta
cabina?” Did you share this cabin with him? “No... Buen... quiero
decir...” He asks her to speak clearly! She tells him that she slept
there alone, Juan respected her and treated her as the best of
friends. Renato says, “Ah hah!” He asks her, begs her to tell him if
she had marital relations with Juan. “Es Juan tu esposo en realidad?
Fuiste suya?” Monica tells him that she really doesn’t know. It’s as
if there was a time before their wedding night, and after and she’s
now a different person. “La mujer que fui hasta aquella noche odiaba
a Juan del Diablo; la otra, la que volvio a la vida entre estas
paredes, la que se miro por primera vez a si misma como mujer en el
agua clara de una fuente, cuando las manos de Juan me inclinaron
sobre aquella agua, la que aprendio de sus labios la sonrisa y de
sos ojos a mirar al sol, esa mujer... esa mujer ama a Jaun, y le
pertenece. Es la verdad, Renato, toda la verdad!” After that
appassioned speech, Monica bursts into tears, confusing the hell out
of Renato.
Later... Monica finds out from Renato that the ship Juan’s aboard
still hasn’t come into port. He speaks to a sailor and finds out
that Juan’s safe, that a cable was sent with some of the details,
that the captain was wounded, but Juan saved the ship. Lt. Britton
asks in the cable that they take this into Juan’s account. Renato
tells Monica that at least this is good news for her. She’s shocked.
Does this mean that Renato would have preferred Juan die? He denies
this and just wants to see justice done, even though Juan is his
enemy.
Later Aimee visits the governor alone. The governor tells her that
Sofia has sent him a note, asking him for an audience. Aimee tells
her that Sofia’s upset that it took so long for him to reply, so she
took her place. It’s 7 at night and Aimee has only come with Ana,
who she has wait outside. The old governor is nervous at this
improper behavior, besides he has no new news since the morning.
Aimee verifies that Juan acted heroically. Yes, if Lt Britton can be
believed. This could actually cause popular opinion to turn even
more in favor of Juan, against Renato. Aimee asks a favor: could she
speak to Juan alone? He’s not so sure this is a good idea. She tells
him that she’ll change her clothes to those of a servant, no one
will know the difference. He gives in.
Renato and Monica’s ship arrives in Saint-Pierre. He wants her to
continue on to Campo Real where Catalina is waiting, but she’s not
going anywhere without seeing Juan. “No me movere de Saint-Pierre;
no me alejare de Juan. Y si hay algo que de veras quieras hacer por
mi, si soy yo la que aun puedo rogarte, suplicarte, implorarte algo,
es justamente que me ayudes a acercarme a el esta misma noche. Es
preciso que yo le vea, que yo le hable, que sepa lo que piensa y lo
que siente... Tu puedes hacerlo, para mi es indispensable. Creo que
me volveria loca si me lo negaras!” Renato promises that he will
help her in this.
Aimee goes to see Juan. In the carriage she swaps clothes with Ana.
When she gets to the jail, she enters thanks to the permission
granted by the governor.
Renato tells Monica that the governor isn’t in the city, he’s left
for the capital. She wants to know who he left in charge. Renato
tells her that there’s no one else who has authority to let her see
Juan. He tells her that the legal roads are closed to him and she
says, “of course, and you don’t know of any other. Fine, thanks for
everything. Then leave me!” He takes her instead to see Don Noel,
who’s surprised to see them. Renato tells him that Monica is asking
the impossible, to see Juan. It takes Noel a minute to figure things
out, but he tells her that he thinks he can help her. He tells her
that he too has suffered with worry for Juan. Renato cuts him off.
He doesn’t want to hear another love-fest for Juan. Just do what she
wants!
In the jail, Colibri calls to Juan. He sees the ama. Juan thinks,
“Monica?” His heart trembles in his chest... “Como un lanzazo de
oro, con herida luminosa, siente que ama a aquella mujer, que
tiembla por ella, que por ella aguarda, que a si mismo se presenta
ya cien explicaciones, cien disculpas...” But... it’s only Aimee!
She tells him that she had to see him, be with him, that she loves
him.
Noel, Renato and Monica are waiting outside the jail to see if they
can get in. Noel’s pulled some strings with a guard. He tells him
that he understands that Juan’s in a cell with Colibri. Renato,
who’s not happy with all this, tells him to be quiet. They wait.
In the cell, Juan tosses off Aimee’s clinging arms. He wants to know
if Renato sent her. She tells him, no, that she came only for him.
If he only knew how she’d cried for him, how she’s suffered for how
he wronged her! She came because she can’t live without him!
Juan wants to know where Monica is. Is she with Renato? Was this
plot hers? Aimee is offended that Juan only wants to know about
this; it wasn’t the response she was hoping for! He tells her that
he’s not responding, he’s demanding answers! Was a letter from
Monica what caused all this! Aimee doesn’t care, “Que me importa que
te acusen de lo que quieran, que te juzguen jueces comprados y que
te hundan para siempre en una carcel: Que me importa que acaben
contigo si tu no eres mas que un ingrato?” She goes on to tell him
that he’s a stupid ungrateful child. She doesn’t understand why
Monica matters to him at all. She doesn’t understand why a letter
from Monica makes him so crazy. “So... there was a letter from
Monica to her mother!” “You don’t know?” asks Aimee. “I suspected
there was one, but when did she get it? How?” Aimee mentions that
some doctor... and Juan recalls Dr. Faber and suspects that he
wrote. Juan suspects Aimee of lying to make him hate Monica.
“Quieres que la odie, que vaya contra ella!”
“Pienso que es ella la que tiene que odiarte... Y si tu, como
hombre, te has vengado...” replies Aimee.
“No me he vengado! De ella no tenia por que vengarme. No me hizo
ningun daño voluntario... Fue una victima de las circunstancias...
Victima de tu maldad y de tus intrigas; victima del egoismo y de los
celos de Renato.. Fui contra ella en un momento de ceguera, pero ni
es culpable, ni...” Aimee smiles at this because Juan has just
betrayed how important Monica is to him and she now has the upper
hand. She tells him that the only victims here are herself and Juan!
She does tell him that Monica won’t accuse him, she’ll probably
speak in his favor in gratitude for his care when she was sick, but
so what. She’s going to be sure that Juan won’t escape. After all,
Sofia is using her influence to make sure that everything goes
against Juan. She tells her that she’s only affectionate with him as
a ruse, she loves Renato, has always done so. Renato, now that he
knows this, is going to take her from Juan. She tells him that
Monica is soft putty in Renato’s hands.
“No! Mientes! Ella me dijo que su vida ha cambiado, que al lado mio
todo era distinto.. Que era feliz.. Si, me dijo que sentia algo que
podia llamarse felicidad! Me lo dijo bien claro!”
Aimee poisons him by saying, “Monica el maestra en las artes del
disimulo. No olvides nunca ese pequeño detalle.” She warns him to
never speak of their shared past to Renato. She tells him that the
governor will arrange that the judges be benevolent if he doesn’t
provoke a scandal with Monica. She will save him!
Outside, Noel tells Monica it’s time. She’s to go on and Noel and
Renato must wait. She goes on ahead, but she sees that Juan’s not
alone. There’s a woman with him and it’s Aimee and her knees go
weak. She hears her say, “You don’t have to thank me for anything.
I’m yours forever, just as you are mine and no one can tear you from
my heart because I love you and I’m yours Juan, only yours, even if
we can’t proclaim it, even if we must hide our love. At least I can
win your freedom and when they open these doors we’ll overcome all
our obstacles. Then you can take me where you will and I will belong
to you body and soul, even though I already do.”
Monica is overcome. She closes her eyes and bites her lips and
tastes blood. She stumbles back and Noel asks in surprise why she’s
returned so soon. She tells him that he wasn’t alone, perhaps he was
with his ‘lawyer’, someone who promised to save him... She will see
him at the trial. Noel hears the visitor coming and Monica insists
that they leave before the person arrives.
Aimee takes her leave of Juan. She’s angry that he won’t give her
any hope. She thrusts herself at him, but he’s unresponsive. He’s
only thinking of Monica. He whispers, “Monica, Monica capaz de
fingir, de mentir, de engañar... Monica como todas, hipocrita y
liviana..” Aimee hears this and says, “Like all, you say? She’s only
faithful in her love for Renato, like I am to mine! The Molnar woman
are faithful, even though you think to the contrary!” At this, Juan
tells her to leave! She reminds him that she came to save him, that
his freedom is in her hands. He barks back, “Si es asi, puedes hacer
de ellas lo que quieras!” She replies in kind, “No te importa? No te
importa mas que Monica, verdad? Pues si he de hablarte de franqueza,
no te crio. Estas fingiendo para enloquecerme, para tortuarme..
Siempre tuviste un placer salvaje en hacerme llorar! Vas a
arrepentirte... Te juro que vas a arrenpentirte! Si llegas a lograr
que yo me convierta en tu enemiga, desearas no haber nacido, Juan!