Sands of Time

Several passersby stopped to watch the proceedings.

Colonel Acoca’s voice was curt. "I’m taking you and your gang of murderers back to Madrid. We’ll give you a fair military trial and then hang you. If I had my way, I’d hang you here now."

"Let the sisters go," Jaime said. "They had nothing to do with this."

"They’re accomplices. They’re as guilty as you are."

Colonel Acoca turned and gave a signal. The soldiers motioned to the growing crowd of onlookers to move aside and let three army trucks drive up.

"You and your assassins will ride in the middle truck," the colonel informed Jaime. "My men will be in front of you and in back of you. If any of you makes one false move, they have orders to kill all of you. Do you understand?"

Jaime nodded.

Colonel Acoca spat into Jaime’s face. "Good. Into the truck."

There was an angry murmur from the now sizable crowd.

Amparo watched impassively from the doorway as Jaime, Megan, Graciela, Ricardo, and Felix climbed into the truck, surrounded by soldiers with automatic weapons.

Colonel Sostelo walked up to the driver of the first truck. "We’ll head straight for Madrid. No stops along the way."

"Yes, Colonel."

By now, many people had gathered at both ends of the street to watch what was happening. Colonel Acoca started to climb into the first truck. He called out to those in front of the truck, "Clear the way."

From the side streets more people began to emerge.

"Move along," Acoca ordered. "Out of the way."

And still they came, the men wearing the wide Basque chapellas. It was as though they were responding to some invisible signal. Jaime Miro is in trouble. They came from shops and homes. Housewives dropped what they were doing and moved out into the street. Shopkeepers about to open for business heard the news and hurried to the hotel. And still they came. Artists and plumbers and doctors, mechanics and salesmen and students, many carrying shotguns and rifles, axes and scythes. They were Basques, and this was their homeland. It started with a few, and then a hundred, and within minutes it had swollen to more than a thousand, filling the sidewalks and streets, completely surrounding the army trucks. They were ominously silent.

Colonel Acoca observed the huge crowd in desperation. He screamed, "Everybody get out of the way or we’ll start shooting."

Jaime called out, "I wouldn’t advise it. These people hate you for what you’re trying to do to them. A word from me and they’ll tear you and your men to pieces. There’s one thing you forgot, Colonel. San Sebastian is a Basque town. It’s my town." He turned to his group. "Let’s get out of here."

Jaime helped Megan down from the truck, and the others followed. Acoca watched helplessly, his face tight with fury.

The crowd was waiting, hostile and silent. Jaime walked up to the colonel. "Take your trucks and get back to Madrid."

Acoca looked around at the still growing mob. "I – you won’t get away with this, Miro."

"I have gotten away with it. Now get out of here." He spat in Acoca’s face.

The colonel stared at him for a long, murderous moment. It can’t end this way, he thought desperately. I was so close. It was checkmate. But he knew that it was worse than a defeat for him. It was a death sentence. The OPUS MUNDO would be waiting for him in Madrid. He looked at the sea of people surrounding him. He had no choice.

He turned to his driver, and his voice was choked with fury. "We’re moving out."

The crowd stepped back, watching as the soldiers climbed into the trucks. A moment later, the trucks began to roll down the street, and the crowd began to cheer wildly. It started out as a cheer for Jaime Miro, and it grew louder and louder, and soon they were cheering for their freedom, and their fight against tyranny, and their coming victory, and the streets reverberated with the noise of their celebration.

Two teenagers were screaming themselves hoarse. One turned to the other. "Let’s join ETA."

An elderly couple held each other, and the woman said, "Now maybe they’ll give us back our farm."

An old man stood alone in the crowd, silently watching the army trucks leave. When he spoke, he said, "They’ll be back one day."

Jaime took Megan’s hand and said, "It’s over. We’re free. We’ll be across the border in an hour. I’ll take you to my aunt."

She looked into his eyes. "Jaime – "

A man pushed his way toward them through the crowd and hurried up to Megan.

"Excuse me," he said breathlessly. "Are you Sister Megan?"

She turned to him. "Yes."

He breathed a sigh of relief. "I’ve had quite a time finding you. My name is Alan Tucker. I wonder if I could speak to you for a moment?"

"Yes."

"Alone."

"I’m sorry. I’m just leaving for – "

"Please. This is very important. I’ve come all the way from New York to find you."

She looked at him, puzzled. "To find me? I don’t understand. Why – ?"

"I’ll explain it to you, if you’ll give me a moment."

The stranger took her arm and walked her down the street, talking rapidly. She glanced back once at where Jaime Miro stood waiting for her.

Megan’s conversation with Alan Tucker turned her world upside down.

"The woman I represent would like to see you."

"I don’t understand. What woman? What does she want with me?"

I wish I knew the answer to that, Alan Tucker thought. "I’m not at liberty to discuss that. She’s waiting for you in New York."

It made no sense. There must be some mistake. "Are you sure you have the right person – Sister Megan?"