"Did you see the planes?"
"Ay," said Joaquin and shook his head.
"Don't talk to me of that.
Comrade Dynamiter, what planes were those?"
"Heinkel one eleven bombers.
Heinkel and Fiat pursuit," Robert Jordan told him.
"What were the big ones with the low wings?"
"Heinkel one elevens."
"By any names they are as bad," Joaquin said.
"But I am delaying you.
I will take you to the commander."
"The commander?" Pilar asked.
Joaquin nodded seriously.
"I like it better than 'chief," he said.
"It is more military."
"You are militarizing heavily," Pilar said and laughed at him.
"No," Joaquin said.
"But I like military terms because it makes orders clearer and for better discipline."
"Here is one according to thy taste, _Ingles_," Pilar said.
"A very serious boy."
"Should I carry thee?" Joaquin asked the girl and put his arm on her shoulder and smiled in her face.
"Once was enough," Maria told him.
"Thank you just the same."
"Can you remember it?" Joaquin asked her.
"I can remember being carried," Maria said.
"By you, no.
I remember the gypsy because he dropped me so many times.
But I thank thee, Joaquin, and I'll carry thee sometime."
"I can remember it well enough," Joaquin said.
"I can remember holding thy two legs and thy belly was on my shoulder and thy head over my back and thy arms hanging down against my back."
"Thou hast much memory," Maria said and smiled at him.
"I remember nothing of that.
Neither thy arms nor thy shoulders nor thy back."
"Do you want to know something?" Joaquin asked her.
"What is it?"
"I was glad thou wert hanging over my back when the shots were coming from behind us."
"What a swine," Maria said.
"And was it for this the gypsy too carried me so much?"
"For that and to hold onto thy legs."
"My heroes," Maria said.
"My saviors."
"Listen, _guapa_," Pilar told her.
"This boy carried thee much, and in that moment thy legs said nothing to any one.
In that moment only the bullets talked clearly.
And if he would have dropped thee he could soon have been out of range of the bullets."
"I have thanked him," Maria said.
"And I will carry him sometime.
Allow us to joke.
I do not have to cry, do I, because he carried me?"
"I'd have dropped thee," Joaquin went on teasing her.