"In the cave," Pilar said.
"In two sacks.
And I am tired of thy obscenity." "I obscenity in the milk of thy tiredness," Agustin said. "Then go and befoul thyself," Pilar said to him without heat.
"Thy mother," Agustin replied.
"Thou never had one," Pilar told him, the insults having reached the ultimate formalism in Spanish in which the acts are never stated but only implied.
"What are they doing in there?" Agustin now asked confidentially.
"Nothing," Pilar told him. "_Nada_.
We are, after all, in the spring, animal."
"Animal," said Agustin, relishing the word.
"Animal.
And thou.
Daughter of the great whore of whores.
I befoul myself in the milk of the springtime."
Pilar slapped him on the shoulder.
"You," she said, and laughed that booming laugh.
"You lack variety in your cursing.
But you have force.
Did you see the planes?"
"I un-name in the milk of their motors," Agustin said, nodding his head and biting his lower lip.
"That's something," Pilar said.
"That is really something.
But really difficult of execution."
"At that altitude, yes," Agustin grinned. "_Desde luego_.
But it is better to joke."
"Yes," the woman of Pablo said.
"It is much better to joke, and you are a good man and you joke with force."
"Listen, Pilar," Agustin said seriously.
"Something is preparing.
It is not true?"
"How does it seem to you?"
"Of a foulness that cannot be worse.
Those were many planes, woman.
Many planes."
"And thou hast caught fear from them like all the others?"
"_Que va_," said Agustin.
"What do you think they are preparing?"
"Look," Pilar said.
"From this boy coming for the bridges obviously the Republic is preparing an offensive.
From these planes obviously the Fascists are preparing to meet it.
But why show the planes?"
"In this war are many foolish things," Agustin said.
"In this war there is an idiocy without bounds."
"Clearly," said Pilar.
"Otherwise we could not be here."
"Yes," said Agustin.
"We swim within the idiocy for a year now.
But Pablo is a man of much understanding.
Pablo is very wily."
"Why do you say this?"
"I say it."