EL SUR THE SOUTH

El hombre que desembarcó en The man that stepped off the boat in
Buenos Aires en 1871 se Buenos Aires in 1871 was a minister
llamaba Johannes Dahlmann y of the Evangelical Church; his name
era pastor de la Iglesia was Johannes Dahlmann. By 1939,
evangélica; en 1939, uno de sus one of his grandsons, Juan
nietos, Juan Dahlmann, era Dahlmann, was secretary of a
secretario de una biblioteca municipal library on Calle Córdoba
municipal en la calle Córdoba y and considered himself profoundly
se sentía hondamente argentino. Argentine. His maternal grandfather
Su abuelo materno había sido had been Francisco Flores, of the
aquel Francisco Flores, del 2 de 2nd Infantry of the Line, who died
infantería de línea, que murió en on the border of Buenos Aires “from
la frontera de Buenos Aires, a spear wielded by the Indians under
lanceado por indios de Catriel: Catriel.” In the contrary pulls from
en la discordia de sus dos his two lineages, Juan Dahlmann
linajes, Juan Dahlmann (tal vez (perhaps impelled by his Germanic
a impulso de la sangre blood) chose that of his romantic
germánica) eligió el de ese ancestor, or that of a romantic
antepasado romántico, o de death. That slightly willful but never
muerte romántica. Un estuche ostentatious "Argentinization" drew
con el daguerrotipo de un sustenance from an old sword, a
hombre inexpresivo y barbado, locket containing the daguerreotype
una vieja espada, la dicha y el of a bearded, inexpressive man, the
coraje de ciertas músicas, el joy and courage of certain melodies,
hábito de estrofas del Martín the habit of certain verses inMartín
Fierro, los años, el desgano y la Fierro,  the passing years, a certain
soledad, fomentaron ese lack of spiritedness, and solitude. At
criollismo algo voluntario, pero the price of some self-denial,
nunca ostentoso. A costa de Dahlmann had managed to save the
algunas privaciones, Dahlmann shell of a large country house in the
había logrado salvar el casco de South that had once belonged to the
una estancia en el Sur, que fue Flores family; one of the
de los Flores: una de las touchstones of his memory was the
costumbres de su memoria era image of the eucalyptus trees and
la imagen de los eucaliptos the long pink-colored house that
balsámicos y de la larga casa had once been scarlet. His work, and
rosada que alguna vez fue perhaps his indolence, held him in
carmesí. Las tareas y acaso la the city. Summer after summer he
indolencia lo retenían en la contented himself with the abstract
ciudad. Verano tras verano se idea of possession and with the
contentaba con la idea abstracta certainty that his house was waiting
de posesión y con la certidumbre for him, at a precise place on the
de que su casa estaba flatlands. In late February, 1939,
esperándolo, en un sitio preciso something happened to him .
de la llanura. En los últimos días
de febrero de 1939, algo le
aconteció.

Ciego a las culpas, el destino Though blind to guilt, fate can be

puede ser despiadado con las merciless with the slightest
mínimas distracciones. distractions. That afternoon
Dahlmann había conseguido, Dahlmann had come upon a copy
esa tarde, un ejemplar (from which some pages were
descabalado de Las Mil y Una missing) of Weil's Arabian
Noches de Weil; ávido de Nights; eager to examine his find, he
examinar ese hallazgo, no did not wait for the elevator—he
esperó que bajara el ascensor y hurriedly took the stairs. Something
subió con apuro las escaleras; in the dimness brushed his forehead
algo en la oscuridad le rozó la —a bat? a bird? On the face of the
frente, ¿un murciélago, un woman who opened the door to
pájaro? En la cara de la mujer him, he saw an expression of horror,
que le abrió la puerta vio and the hand he passed over his
grabado el horror, y la mano que forehead came back red with blood.
se pasó por la frente salió roja His brow had caught the edge of a
de sangre. La arista de un recently painted casement window
batiente recién pintado que that somebody had forgotten to
alguien se olvidó de cerrar le close . Dahlmann managed to sleep,
habría hecho esa herida. but by the early hours of morning he
Dahlmann logró dormir, pero a la was awake, and from that time on,
madrugada estaba despierto y the flavor of all things was
desde aquella hora el sabor de monstrous to him. Fever wore him
todas las cosas fue atroz. La away, and illustrations from
fiebre lo gastó y las ilustraciones the Arabian Nights  began to
de Las Mil y Una Noches illuminate nightmares. Friends and
sirvieron para decorar members of his family would visit
pasadillas. Amigos y parientes lo him and with exaggerated smiles tell
visitaban y con exagerada him how well he looked. Dahlmann,
sonrisa le repetían que lo in a kind of feeble stupor, would
hallaban muy bien. Dahlmann hear their words, and it
los oía con una especie de débil would amaze  him that they couldn't
estupor y le maravillaba que no see he was in hell. Eight days passed,
supieran que estaba en el like eight hundred years. One
infierno. Ocho días pasaron, afternoon, his usual physician
como ocho siglos. Una tarde, el appeared with a new man, and they
médico habitual se presentó con drove Dahlmann to a sanatorium on
un médico nuevo y lo condujeron Calle Ecuador; he needed to have an
a un sanatorio de la calle X-ray. Sitting in the cab they had
Ecuador, porque era hired to drive them, Dahlmann
indispensable sacarle una reflected that he might, at last, in a
radiografía. Dahlmann, en el room that was not his own, be able
coche de plaza que los llevó, to sleep. He felt happy, he felt like
pensó que en una habitación talking, but the moment they
que no fuera la suya podría, al arrived, his clothes were stripped
fin, dormir. Se sintió feliz y from him, his head was shaved, he
conversador; en cuanto llegó, lo was strapped with metal bands to a
desvistieron; le raparon la table, he was blinded and dizzied
cabeza, lo sujetaron con metales with bright lights, his heart and
a una camilla, lo iluminaron lungs were listened to, and a man in
hasta la ceguera y el vértigo, lo a surgical mask stuck a needle in his
auscultaron y un hombre arm. He awoke nauseated,
enmascarado le clavó una aguja bandaged, in a cell much like the
en el brazo. Se despertó con bottom of a well, and in the days
náuseas, vendado, en una celda and nights that followed, he realized
que tenía algo de pozo y, en los that until then he had been only
días y noches que siguieron a la somewhere on the outskirts of hell.
operación pudo entender que Ice left but the slightest trace of
apenas había estado, hasta coolness in his mouth. During these
entonces, en un arrabal del days, Dahlmann hated every inch of
infierno. El hielo no dejaba en su himself; he hated his identity, his
boca el menor rastro de bodily needs, his humiliation, the
frescura. En esos días, beard that prickled his face. He
Dahlmann minuciosamente se stoically suffered the treatments
odió; odió su identidad, sus administered to him, which were
necesidades corporales, su quite painful, but when the surgeon
humillación, la barba que le told him he'd been on the verge of
erizaba la cara. Sufrió con death from septicemia, Dahlmann,
estoicismo las curaciones, que suddenly self-pitying, broke down
eran muy dolorosas, pero and cried . The physical miseries,
cuando el cirujano le dijo que the unending anticipation of bad
había estado a punto de morir nights had not allowed him to think
de una septicemia, Dahlmann se about anything as abstract as death .
echó a llorar, condolido de su The next day, the surgeon told him
destino. Las miserias físicas y la he was coming right along, and that
incesante previsión de las malas he'd soon be able to go out to the
noches no le habían dejado country house to convalesce.
pensar en algo tan abstracto Incredibly the promised day arrived.
como la muerte. Otro día, el
cirujano le dijo que estaba
reponiéndose y que, muy pronto,
podría ir a convalecer a la
estancia. Increíblemente, el día
prometido llegó.

A la realidad le gustan las Reality is partial to symmetries and

simetrías y los leves slight anachronisms; Dahlmann had
anacronismos; Dahlmann había come to the sanatorium in a cab,
llegado al sanatorio en un coche and it was a cab that took him to the
de plaza y ahora un coche de station at Plaza Constitución. The
plaza lo llevaba a Constitución. first cool breath of autumn, after the
La primera frescura del otoño, oppression of the summer, was like
después de la opresión del a natural symbol of his life brought
verano, era como un símbolo back from fever and the brink of
natural de su destino rescatado death. The city, at that seven o'clock
de la muerte y la fiebre. La in the morning, had not lost that
ciudad, a las siete de la mañana, look of a ramshackle old house that
no había perdido ese aire de cities take on at night; the streets
casa vieja que le infunde la were like long porches and
noche; las calles eran como corridors, the plazas like interior
largos zaguanes, las plazas courtyards. After his long stay in
como patios. Dahlmann la hospital, Dahlmann took it all in
reconocía con felicidad y con un with delight and a touch of vertigo;
principio de vértigo; unos a few seconds before his eyes
segundos antes de que las registered them, he would recall the
registraran sus ojos, recordaba corners, the marquees, the modest
las esquinas, las carteleras, las variety of Buenos Aires. In the
modestas diferencias de Buenos yellow light of the new day, it all
Aires. En la luz amarilla del came back to him.
nuevo día, todas las cosas
regresaban a él.

Nadie ignora que el Sur empieza Everyone knows that the South
del otro lado de Rivadavia. begins on the other side of Avenida
Dahlmann solía repetir que ello Rivadavia. Dahlmann had often said
no es una convención y que that that was no mere saying, that
quien atraviesa esa calle entra by crossing Rivadavia one entered
en un mundo más antiguo y más an older and more stable world.
firme. Desde el coche buscaba From the cab, he sought among the
entre la nueva edificación, la new buildings the window barred
ventana de rejas, el llamador, el with wrought iron, the door
arco de la puerta, el zaguán, el knocker, the arch of a doorway, the
íntimo patio. long entryway, the almost-secret
courtyard.

En el hall de la estación advirtió In the grand hall of the station he

que faltaban treinta minutos. saw that he had thirty minutes
Recordó bruscamente que en un before his train left. He suddenly
café de la calle Brasil (a pocos remembered that there was a café
metros de la casa de Yrigoyen) on Calle Brasil (a few yards from
había un enorme gato que se Yrigoyen's house) where there was a
dejaba acariciar por la gente, huge cat that would let people pet it,
como una divinidad desdeñosa. like some disdainful deity. He went
Entró. Ahí estaba el gato, in. There was the cat, asleep . He
dormido. Pidió una taza de café, ordered a cup of coffee, slowly
la endulzó lentamente, la probó spooned sugar into it, tasted it (a
(ese placer le había sido vedado pleasure that had been forbidden
en la clínica) y pensó, mientras him in the clinic), and thought,
alisaba el negro pelaje, que while he stroked the cat's black fur,
aquel contacto era ilusorio y que that this contact was illusory, that
estaban como separados por un he and the cat were separated as
cristal, porque el hombre vive en though by a pane of glass, because
el tiempo, en la sucesión, y el man lives in time, in successiveness,
mágico animal, en la actualidad, while the magical animal lives in the
en la eternidad del instante. present, in the eternity of the
instant .

A lo largo del penúltimo andén el The train, stretching along the next-
tren esperaba. Dahlmann to-last platform, was waiting.
recorrió los vagones y dio con Dahlmann walked through
uno casi vacío. Acomodó en la thecarsuntil he came to one that was
red la valija; cuando los coches almost empty. He lifted his bag onto
arrancaron, la abrió y sacó, tras the luggage rack; when the train
alguna vacilación, el primer tomo pulled out, he opened his bag and
de Las Mil y Una Noches. Viajar after a slight hesitation took from it
con este libro, tan vinculado a la the first volume ofThe Arabian
historia de su desdicha, era una Nights. To travel with this book so
afirmación de que esa desdicha closely linked to the history of his
había sido anulada y un desafío torment was an affirmation that the
alegre y secreto a las frustradas torment was past, and was a joyous,
fuerzas del mal. secret challenge to the frustrated
forces of evil .

A los lados del tren, la ciudad se On both sides of the train, the city
desgarraba en suburbios; esta unraveled into suburbs; that sight,
visión y luego la de jardines y and later the sight of lawns and
quintas demoraron el principio large country homes, led Dahlmann
de la lectura. La verdad es que to put aside his reading. The truth
Dahlmann leyó poco; la montaña is, Dahlmann read very little; the
de piedra imán y el genio que ha lodestone mountain and the genie
jurado matar a su bienhechor sworn to kill the man who released
eran, quién lo niega, him from the bottle were, as anyone
maravillosos, pero no mucho will admit, wondrous things, but not
más que la mañana y que el much more wondrous than this
hecho de ser. La felicidad lo morning and the fact of being .
distraía de Shahrazad y de sus Happiness distracted him from
milagros superfluos; Dahlmann Scheherazade and her superfluous
cerraba el libro y se dejaba miracles; Dahlmann closed the book
simplemente vivir. and allowed himself simply to live .

El almuerzo (con el caldo Lunch (with bouillon served in

servido en boles de metal bowls of shining metal, as in the
reluciente, como en los ya now-distant summers of his
remotos veraneos de la niñez) childhood) was another quiet,
fue otro goce tranquilo y savored pleasure .
agradecido.

Mañana me despertaré en la Tomorrow I will wake up at my

estancia, pensaba, y era como si ranch, he thought, and it was as
a un tiempo fuera dos hombres: though he were two men at once:
el que avanzaba por el día the man gliding along through the
otoñal y por la geografía de la autumn day and the geography of
patria, y el otro, encarcelado en his native land, and the other man,
un sanatorio y sujeto a imprisoned in a sanatorium and
metódicas servidumbres. Vio subjected to methodical attentions.
casas de ladrillo sin revocar, He saw unplastered brick houses,
esquinadas y largas, long and angular, infinitely
infinitamente mirando pasar los watching the trains go by; he saw
trenes; vio jinetes en los terrosos horsemen on the clod-strewn roads;
caminos; vio zanjas y lagunas y he saw ditches and lakes and
hacienda; vio largas nubes pastures; he saw long glowing
luminosas que parecían de clouds that seemed made of marble,
mármol, y todas estas cosas and all these things were fortuitous,
eran casuales, como sueños de like some dream of the flat prairies.
la llanura. También creyó He also thought he recognized trees
reconocer árboles y sembrados and crops that he couldn't have told
que no hubiera podido nombrar, one the name of— his direct
porque su directo conocimiento knowledge of the country was
de la campaña era harto inferior considerably inferior to his
a su conocimiento nostálgico y nostalgic, literary knowledge .
literario.

Alguna vez durmió y en sus From time to time he nodded off,

sueños estaba el ímpetu del and in his dreams there was the
tren. Ya el blanco sol intolerable rushing momentum of the train.
de las doce del día era el sol Now the unbearable white sun of
amarillo que precede al midday was the yellow sun that
anochecer y no tardaría en ser comes before nightfall and that soon
rojo. También el coche era would turn to red. The car was
distinto; no era el que fue en different now, too; it was not the
Constitución, al dejar el andén: same car that had pulled out of the
la llanura y las horas lo habían station in Buenos Aires— the plains
atravesado y transfigurado. and the hours had penetrated and
Afuera la móvil sombra del transfigured it. Outside, the moving
vagón se alargaba hacia el shadow of the train stretched out
horizonte. No turbaban la tierra toward the horizon. The elemental
elemental ni poblaciones ni otros earth was not disturbed by
signos humanos. Todo era settlements or any other signs of
vasto, pero al mismo tiempo era humanity. All was vast, but at the
íntimo y, de alguna manera, same time intimate and somehow
secreto. En el campo secret. In all the immense
desaforado, a veces no había countryside, there would sometimes
otra cosa que un toro. La be nothing but a bull. The solitude
soledad era perfecta y tal vez was perfect, if perhaps hostile, and
hostil, y Dahlmann pudo Dahlmann almost suspected that he
sospechar que viajaba al pasado was traveling not only into the
y no sólo al Sur. De esa South but into the past . From that
conjetura fantástica lo distrajo el fantastic conjecture he was
inspector, que al ver su boleto, le distracted by the conductor, who
advirtió que el tren no lo dejaría seeing Dahlmann's ticket informed
en la estación de siempre sino him that the train would not be
en otra, un poco anterior y leaving him at the usual station, but
apenas conocida por Dahlmann. at a different one, a little before it,
(El hombre añadió una that Dahlmann barely knew. (The
explicación que Dahlmann no man added an explanation that
trató de entender ni siquiera de Dahlmann didn't try to understand,
oír, porque el mecanismo de los didn't even listen to, because the
hechos no le importaba). mechanics of it didn't matter.)

El tren laboriosamente se The train came to its laborious halt

detuvo, casi en medio del in virtually the middle of the
campo. Del otro lado de las vías countryside. The station sat on the
quedaba la estación, que era other side of the tracks, and was
poco más que un andén con un hardly more than a covered
cobertizo. Ningún vehículo platform. They had no vehicle there,
tenían, pero el jefe opinó que tal but the station-master figured
vez pudiera conseguir uno en un Dahlmann might be able to find one
comercio que le indicó a unas at a store he directed him to—ten or
diez, doce, cuadras. twelve blocks away .

Dahlmann aceptó la caminata Dahlmann accepted the walk as a

como una pequeña aventura. Ya small adventure. The sun had sunk
se había hundido el sol, pero un below the horizon now, but one
esplendor final exaltaba la viva y final splendor brought a glory to the
silenciosa llanura, antes de que living yet silent plains before they
la borrara la noche. Menos para were blotted out by night. Less to
no fatigarse que para hacer keep from tiring himself than to
durar esas cosas, Dahlmann make those things last, Dahlmann
caminaba despacio, aspirando walked slowly, inhaling with grave
con grave felicidad el olor del happiness the smell of clover .
trébol.

IEl almacén, alguna vez, había The store had once been bright red,
sido punzó, pero los años but the years had tempered its
habían mitigado para su bien violent color (to its advantage) .
ese color violento. Algo en su There was something in its sorry
pobre arquitectura le recordó un architecture that reminded
grabado en acero, acaso de una Dahlmann of a steel engraving,
vieja edición de Pablo y Virginia. perhaps from an old edition
Atados al palenque había unos of Paulet Virginie .  There were
caballos. Dahlmam, adentro, several horses tied to the rail in
creyó reconocer al patrón; luego front. Inside, Dahlmann thought he
comprendió que lo había recognized the owner; then he
engañado su parecido con uno realized that he'd been fooled by the
de los empleados del sanatorio. man's resemblance to one of the
El hombre, oído el caso, dijo que employees at the sanatorium. When
le haría atar la jardinera; para the man heard Dahlmann's story, he
agregar otro hecho a aquel día y said he'd have the calash harnessed
para llenar ese tiempo, up; to add yet another event to that
Dahlmann resolvió comer en el day, and to pass the time, Dahlmann
almacén. decided to eat there in the country
store .

En una mesa comían y bebían At one table some rough-looking

ruidosamente unos young men were noisily eating and
muchachones, en los que drinking; at first Dahlmann didn't
Dahlmann, al principio, no se pay much attention. On the floor,
fijó. En el suelo, apoyado en el curled against the bar, lay an old
mostrador, se acurrucaba, man, as motionless as an object. The
inmóvil como una cosa, un many years had worn him away and
hombre muy viejo. Los muchos polished him, as a stone is worn
años lo habían reducido y pulido smooth by running water or a saying
como las aguas a una piedra o is polished by generations of
las generaciones de los hombres humankind. He was small, dark, and
a una sentencia. Era oscuro, dried up, and he seemed to be
chico y reseco, y estaba como outside time, in a sort of eternity.
fuera del tiempo, en una Dahlmann was warmed by the
eternidad. Dahlmann registró tightness of the man's hairband, the
con satisfacción la vincha, el baize poncho he wore, his gaucho
poncho de bayeta, el largo trousers, and the boots made out of
chiripá y la bota de potro y se the skin of a horse's leg, and he said
dijo, rememorando inútiles to himself, recalling futile
discusiones con gente de los arguments with people from
partidos del Norte o con districts in the North, or from Entre
entrerrianos, que gauchos de Ríos, that only in the South did
ésos ya no quedan más que en gauchos like that exist anymore .
el Sur.

Dahlmann se acomodó junto a la Dahlmann made himself

ventana. La oscuridad fue comfortable near the window. Little
quedándose con el campo, pero by little, darkness was enveloping
su olor y sus rumores aún le the countryside, but the smells and
llegaban entre los barrotes de sounds of the plains still floated in
hierro. El patrón le trajo sardinas through the thick iron grate at the
y después carne asada; window. The store-keeper brought
Dahlmann las empujó con unos him sardines and then roast meat;
vasos de vino tinto. Ocioso, Dahlmann washed them downwith
paladeaba el áspero sabor y more than one glass of red wine.
dejaba errar la mirada por el Idly, he savored the harsh bouquet
local, ya un poco soñolienta. La of the wine and let his gaze wander
lámpara de kerosén pendía de over the store, which by now had
uno de los tirantes; los turned a little sleepy. The kerosene
parroquianos de la otra mesa lantern hung from one of the beams.
eran tres: dos parecían peones There were three customers at the
de chacra: otro, de rasgos other table: two looked like laborers;
achinados y torpes, bebía con el the other, with coarse, Indian-like
chambergo puesto. Dahlmann, features, sat drinking with his wide-
de pronto, sintió un leve roce en brimmed haton. Dahlmann
la cara. Junto al vaso ordinario suddenly felt something lightly
de vidrio turbio, sobre una de las brush his face. Next to the tumbler
rayas del mantel, había una of cloudy glass, on one of the stripes
bolita de miga. Eso era todo, in the tablecloth, lay a little ball of
pero alguien se la había tirado. wadded bread. That was all, but
somebody had thrown it at him.

Los de la otra mesa parecían The drinkers at the other table

ajenos a él. Dalhman, perplejo, seemed unaware of his presence.
decidió que nada había ocurrido Dahlmann, puzzled, decided that
y abrió el volumen de Las Mil y nothing had happened, and he
Una Noches, como para tapar la opened the volume of The Arabian
realidad. Otra bolita lo alcanzó a Nights, as though to block out
los pocos minutos, y esta vez los reality. Another wad of bread hit
peones se rieron. Dahlmann se him a few minutes later, and this
dijo que no estaba asustado, time the laborers laughed.
pero que sería un disparate que Dahlmann told himself he wasn't
él, un convaleciente, se dejara scared, but that it would be madness
arrastrar por desconocidos a una for him, a sick man, to be dragged
pelea confusa. Resolvió salir; ya by strangers into some chaotic bar
estaba de pie cuando el patrón fight. He made up his mind to leave;
se le acercó y lo exhortó con voz he was already on his feet when the
alarmada: -Señor Dahlmann, no storekeeper came over and urged
les haga caso a esos mozos, him, his voice alarmed: "Sr .
que están medio alegres. Dahlmann, ignore those boys over
there— they're just feeling their
oats."

Dahlmann no se extrañó de que Dahlmann did not find it strange

el otro, ahora, lo conociera, pero that the storekeeper should know
sintió que estas palabras his name by now but he sensed that
conciliadoras agravaban, de the man's conciliatory words
hecho, la situación. Antes, la actually made the situation worse.
provocación de los peones era a Before, the men's provocation had
una cara accidental, casi a been directed at an accidental face,
nadie; ahora iba contra él y almost at nobody; now it was aimed
contra su nombre y lo sabrían at him, at his name, and the men at
los vecinos. Dahlmann hizo a un the other table would know that
lado al patrón, se enfrentó con name. Dahlmann brushed the
los peones y les preguntó qué storekeeper aside, faced the
andaban buscando. laborers, and asked them what their
problem was .

El compadrito de la cara The young thugwith the Indian-

achinada se paró, looking face stood up, stumbling as
tambaleándose. A un paso de he did so. At one pace from
Juan Dahlmann, lo injurió a Dahlmann, he shouted insults at
gritos, como si estuviera muy him, as though he were far away. He
lejos. Jugaba a exagerar su was playacting, exaggerating his
borrachera y esa exageración drunkenness, and the exaggeration
era otra ferocidad y una burla. produced an impression both fierce
Entre malas palabras y and mocking. Amid curses and
obscenidades, tiró al aire un obscenities, the man threw a long
largo cuchillo, lo siguió con los knife into the air, followed it with
ojos, lo barajó e invitó a his eyes, caught it, and challenged
Dahlmann a pelear. El patrón Dahlmann to fight. The
objetó con trémula voz que storekeeper's voice shook as he
Dahlmann estaba desarmado. objected that Dahlmann was
En ese punto, algo imprevisible unarmed. At that point, something
ocurrió. unforeseeable happened .

Desde un rincón el viejo gaucho From out of a corner, the motionless

estático, en el que Dahlmann vio old gaucho in whom Dahlmann had
una cifra del Sur (del Sur que seen a symbol of the South (the
era suyo), le tiró una daga South that belonged to him) tossed
desnuda que vino a caer a sus him a naked dagger—it came to rest
pies. Era como si el Sur hubiera at Dahlmann's feet. It was as though
resuelto que Dahlmann aceptara the South itself had decided that
el duelo. Dahlmann se inclinó a Dahlmann should accept the
recoger la daga y sintió dos challenge. Dahlmann bent to pick
cosas. La primera, que ese acto up the dagger, and as he did he
casi instintivo lo comprometía a sensed two things: first, that that
pelear. La segunda, que el arma, virtually instinctive action
en su mano torpe, no serviría committed him to fight, and second,
para defenderlo, sino para that in his clumsy hand the weapon
justificar que lo mataran. Alguna would serve less to defend him than
vez había jugado con un puñal, to justify the other man's killing
como todos los hombres, pero him. He had toyed with a knifenow
su esgrima no pasaba de una and then, as all men did, but his
noción de que los golpes deben knowledge of knife fighting went no
ir hacia arriba y con el filo para further than a vague recollection
adentro. No hubieran permitido that thrusts should be aimed
en el sanatorio que me pasaran upward, and with the blade facing
estas cosas, pensó. inward. They'd never have allowed
this sort of thing to happen in the
sanatorium, he thought .

-Vamos saliendo- dijo el otro. "Enough stalling," the other man

said. "Let's go outside."

Salieron, y si en Dahlmann no They went outside, and while there

había esperanza, tampoco había was no hope in Dahlmann, there
temor. Sintió, al atravesar el was no fear, either. As he crossed
umbral, que morir en una pelea the threshold, he felt that on that
a cuchillo, a cielo abierto y first night in the sanatorium, when
acometiendo, hubiera sido una they'd stuck that needle in him,
liberación para él, una felicidad y dying in a knife fight under the open
una fiesta, en la primera noche sky, grappling with his adversary,
del sanatorio, cuando le clavaron would have been a liberation, a joy,
la aguja. Sintió que si él, and a fiesta. He sensed that had he
entonces, hubiera podido elegir been able to choose or dream his
o soñar su muerte, ésta es la death that night, this is the death he
muerte que hubiera elegido o would have dreamed or chosen .
soñado.

Dahlmann empuña con firmeza Dahlmann firmly grips the knife,

el cuchillo, que acaso no which he may have no idea how to
sabrámanejar, y sale a la manage, and steps out into the
llanura. plains .