46- Destiny plan

—All suspicions would fall on me.

—But the great thing is that, except for Canteros and his mafia, nobody will find out that there was such a robbery.

—Let's see, how does that work?

—As clear as water.

—Don't mention that abominable word to me. Today, just hearing the word water gives me the hiccups.

—The money that Canteros keeps in the fund box is what he collects from his clandestine security services. It is the bribes that businessmen pay him for defending their interests during the dictatorship. They are the mafia of his thugs. That money does not pass any scrutiny, does not pay any taxes, and no receipt is given upon receiving it. It's flying money like the birds of the Lord. Therefore, when it disappears from his coffers, he has no one to cry to about his hardships. Canteros is a fox that all the hounds want to catch.

—Actually, Lira's plan is clever even in that detail.

—I'm glad you're starting to realize it.

—I realized that a while ago. But since you only think about yourself, you haven't realized that, once the operation is done, you can dissolve into the happiest of anonimity because they won't be looking for a small-time thief like the mastermind behind such a big operation. But me, my son?

—Geez, you're thick-headed, sir! I just explained in detail why the police can't get involved.

—The police, no. But Canteros and his gunmen, yes!

—You're right.

—Who do you think they'll suspect first when they find the chest empty?

A somber gust undid the fervent expression with which he had argued. Angel drank the beer straight from the bottle and angrily wiped the foam from his mustache.

—You, professor. I have to admit that evidence.

—In the hypothetical case that we were completely successful in the operation, you could buy yourself a small farm in the Amazon, and bye, fish, but for me, before slitting my throat, Canteros' addicts would cut my very own and manly coconuts.

—What if she comes with us?

—With whom?

—With Victoria and me?

—You're not going to tell me that you're going to carry the dead princess around for the rest of your life!

—We're together, master!

As he reached into his pocket, and then placed the money on the table, Vergara Grey realized that the expenses he had incurred so far did not allow him to pay the entire bill. In a gesture that was beginning to become familiar to Santiago, the old man clenched his nose between his brows and sighed loudly.

—I don't have enough to pay the bill —he said—. The only thing I have left is the thirty thousand pesos we promised Victoria for her ballet classes. But spending them would be the final blow.

The young man desperately wanted his voice to come out strong and indifferent, but before the words reached his mouth, they drowned in his throat.

—Don't worry, master —he said—. Victoria passed me the money she got from the cinema in the ambulance for that.

And he placed the three blue bills on the table, totaling thirty thousand pesos.

Forty point two, forty point three, forty point four, change the compress, bring the ice pack, something stronger than paracetamol, forty point five, forty point six, I can't understand what she's saying, get the doctor back, have the doctor see her again, but touch her, don't you see it burns? It's burning, don't you see? Look how it's rising, forty point seven, no, it's better if the doctor comes, I don't care if he's in surgery, bring him to me now, I can't, Mr. Nico, I just can't, you're going to have to make it happen, what do you want me to do? I'm just a nurse, I don't have the necessary authority, I don't know what else to do, they're calling me from all sides, I'm coming, I'm coming, I've been changing compresses for half an hour, look, I take them off hot like iron plates, the ice pack will work better, bring that ice pack already, girl, and the ice isn't ready yet, then just use cold water in a hot water bottle, that will do, see? Put the thermometer in her mouth, poor thing, look at her lips, do you see that whitish coating? Poor thing, so defenseless, again forty point five, do you see? Forty point two, put the tablet in her mouth, force her to drink liquids, orange juice, my love, she'll be fine, if we can get it down to forty, we'll save her, if not, she could get encephalitis, do you know what that is? It's inflammation of the brain tissue, God forbid that it happens to her, look at her, Mr. Nico, what is she saying, what is she saying that I can't understand? It's like she's speaking another language, poor thing, forty point one, hurry with the hot water bottle, dear, hold her hand, young man, so she feels accompanied, what are you to her, young man? Her boyfriend, friend, or brother? Look at the poor thing moving her little hands, be still, my child, be still.

Come on, one, two, three, four and now: grand rond de jambe en l'air, very good, like that, yes, very good, stand taller, my little one, and two, three, very good, now, et alors, let's move on to arabesque croisée, lift your face, position your body obliquely to the audience, very good, like that, you're doing well, and now the pirouette en dehors, raise both arms to chest level, like that, and turn, very good, and now the Pas de Chat, keep your torso upright, bring it slightly forward from the hip line, drop your shoulders, pull your abdomen in, lift your diaphragm, and move gently in demi-plié, very good, let's continue with the jeté en tournant, rotate in the air and simultaneously extend both arms, and put a lot of energy into your left leg to give momentum to the turn, yes, like that, but stretch both legs as much as you can from the hips to the toes, and now I want you to dare to do the grand jeté, up, very good, and now pay attention to the descent, land on your right foot and squeeze your glutes and hips to descend smoothly, that's it, that's it, descend on the left foot demi-plié, that's it, let the toes touch the floor before the heel, let's go, right now, one, two, three, four, with the emboîté en tournant, do several half turns in a row jumping from one foot to the other, changing leg positions in the air, and moving to the right, very good, excellent, and now let's see the sur le bas, a little jump from both feet onto both feet, engage your abdomen, torso forward, do the demi-plié, good, enough exercise, you're warmed up now, you can dance freely, the lighter you feel your body, the more available you will be for your character, whoever you want, Coppelia, or if you prefer Giselle, pluck the daisy and Albrecht-Loys will come to offer you love and consolation, or if you want The Spirit of the Rose, let the subtle vapor inspire your choreography about Mistral, dance, Victoria, until you dissolve like the rose, like its ghost, in other words, dance its fragrance, dance, come on, pas emboîte, very good, very good, three prks de la morte.