"There are many places," Sordo said.
"Many places.
You know Gredos?"
"There are many people there.
All these places will be cleaned up as soon as they have time."
"Yes.
But it is a big country and very wild."
"It would be very difficult to get there," Pilar said.
"Everything is difficult," El Sordo said.
"We can get to Gredos as well as to anywhere else.
Travelling at night.
Here it is very dangerous now.
It is a miracle we have been here this long.
Gredos is safer country than this."
"Do you know where I want to go?" Pilar asked him.
"Where?
The Paramera?
That's no good."
"No," Pilar said.
"Not the Sierra de Paramera.
I want to go to the Republic."
"That is possible."
"Would your people go?"
"Yes.
If I say to."
"Of mine, I do not know," Pilar said.
"Pablo would not want to although, truly, he might feel safer there.
He is too old to have to go for a soldier unless they call more classes.
The gypsy will not wish to go.
I do not know about the others."
"Because nothing passes her for so long they do not realize the danger," El Sordo said.
"Since the planes today they will see it more," Robert Jordan said.
"But I should think you could operate very well from the Gredos."
"What?" El Sordo said and looked at him with his eyes very flat.
There was no friendliness in the way he asked the question.
"You could raid more effectively from there," Robert Jordan said.
"So," El Sordo said.
"You know Gredos?"
"Yes.
You could operate against the main line of the railway from there.
You could keep cutting it as we are doing farther south in Estremadura.
To operate from there would be better than returning to the Republic," Robert Jordan said.
"You are more useful there."
They had both gotten sullen as he talked. Sordo looked at Pilar and she looked back at him.
"You know Gredos?" Sordo asked.
"Truly?"
"Sure," said Robert Jordan.
"Where would you go?"
"Above Barco de Avila.
Better places than here.