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"Yes. You have reason. That is how it should be," Ruiz said. Several other men nodded.
But Robert Qui
"They are political parties, too," Ruiz said. "One of these days, they will win an election."
"I do not think so," Qui
"What do you mean?" Ruiz asked. "Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. That is how politics works."
"Not always," Rodriguez said. "How many times in a row have Whigs been presidents of the Confederate States? Every single time, that's how many. If the Freedom Party is good enough to win, it will win just as many elections. That's what you meant, isn't it, Senor Qui
"Sure it is, Senor Rodriguez," Qui
Rodriguez wondered why he laughed. Because he hadn't meant exactly that? If he hadn't, what had he meant? What could he have meant? Rodriguez shrugged. Whatever it was, he didn't think he needed to worry about it very much.
Someone asked, " Senor Qui
"That is a good question. That is a very good question." Now Robert Qui
Hipolito Rodriguez understood all of that but the last. "What do you mean, Senor Qui
"However we have to," the Freedom Party man said bluntly. "However we need to. Don Joaquin had a sad accident, verdad?" Again, he waited for nods. Again, he got them. Everybody here knew what kind of accident Don Joaquin had had. Nobody much felt like talking about details-better safe than sorry. Qui
"Si, senor." Several men said it together. Rodriguez wasn't one of them, but he nodded. If the Freedom Party got to talk and no one else did, that was surely a large advantage. But…
He held up his hand. Qui
"Ah, Senor Rodriguez, you do ask interesting questions." As always, Qui
Carlos Ruiz clicked his tongue between his teeth. "That is not fair. That is not right."
"I agree with you, Senor Ruiz," Qui
Rodriguez was the first one to start out of the Freedom Party headquarters. From across the street, a shot rang out. Whoever held that gun didn't really know what to do with it. The bullet cracked past Rodriguez's head and thudded into the planking of the building behind him. Automatic reflex made him throw himself flat. Another bullet sang through the air where he'd stood a moment before. Glass shattered. Chunks rained down on him.
He rolled back into the building. "Blow out the lamps!" he cried. The headquarters plunged into darkness.
"Here." Someone pressed a Tredegar into his hands. "If they want to play such games…"
He crawled up to the shot-out window. One of the men who'd fired at him was ru
Never shoot twice in a row from the same place unless the cover is very good-one more lesson Rodriguez had absorbed during the Great War. Staying low, he wriggled over to the other side of the window. Another Tredegar banged, this one at the back of Party headquarters. No cry of anguish from outside, but a triumphant yell from inside the building: Robert Qui
Bang! Bang! Bang! Somebody emptied a pistol into the headquarters as fast as he could shoot. Behind Rodriguez, a man yowled. At least one of those bullets had struck home. Rodriguez fired at the muzzle flashes. He worked the bolt, fired again, and then rolled away from that spot. He didn't know whether he'd hit the enemy, but no more shooting came from that direction, so he hoped he had.
Ru
"Madre de Dios." An officer of the guardia civil -a policeman, in other words-stared at the burning corpse in the middle of the street. He crossed himself, not bothering to take the heavy pistol from his hand first. Then, pulling himself together, he strode up to Freedom Party headquarters. In a loud voice, he demanded, "What happened here?"
"I will handle this," Robert Qui
"Some defense," the officer muttered. "If you'd done any more defending, nothing would be left of Baroyeca. Come out here now, with your hands up, all of you." He sounded nervous, as well he might have. If the Freedom Party men felt like fighting instead of obeying, the alcalde -the mayor-probably didn't have enough force to make them follow orders.
But Qui
"Si, senor," Rodriguez whispered. The other Freedom Party men strode past him and out into the street. Carlos Ruiz walked unsteadily, his right hand pressed tight to his left shoulder.
A couple of more men from the guardia civil came up. They spoke with Qui