"Teutle, me dijeron que llegarías hoy." "Teutle, they told that you were going to arrive today." Said the man who was facing the other way, the moment that they entered to what seemed to be the command tent.
Pedro throw a glance to Theseus and whispered, "I told you so". Theseus answered with an annoyed look. As Pedro turned to respond to the general.
"Buenas noches mi general." "Good Afternoon my general." Said Pedro as he got near the table in front of the general that was full of maps and notes.
"Por qué trajiste a tres extranjeros y peor tantito a una gringa? Tu bien sabes que la mitad del pais aun los odia" "why did you came with three foreigners and even worse a gringa? You know that half the country still hates them" asked the general finally turning around to pay them attention. He looked just like the famous Mexican stereotype, medium heigh, big moustache but instead of gleeful grin he had a serious and deadly glare. The type of face that Pedro tried to pull every time that he was losing in poker.
"Bueno, servi en la gran Guerra con estos dos - ." "well, i served with this two in the great war –" The general scowled at the four of them interrupting Pedro who looked down casted, it was strange to see him so out of control.
"Me importa una mierda si saben pelear. Ya tengo muchos soldados." "I care a shit if they know how to fight. I already have enough soldiers." He said with a menacing glare that he directed to each of them by turns.
"Disculpe general, eh escuchado que ha tenido problemas en los bosques…" "Excuse me General, but I had heard that you had some trouble in the forrest…" Said Newt lifting his gaze from the floor to match it with the General that even if he was shorter than him, the Mexican man had a menacing aura that exuded power.
"Y que sabes tú de eso? No hay bestias como las de aquí en tu islita." "What do you know of that? There aren't beast like this ones in your little island." Said the man with a scowl.
"Soy un experto en bestias y montruos eh capturado y domado un sinfín de creaturas en toda Europa, Asia y Australia. Permítame ayudarles." "i am an expert in beast and monsters, I had captured and tamed creatures all over Europe, Asia and Australia. Please let me help you." pleaded Newt with the general who seemed to be considering his offer.
"Puñetas, ya tenemos un domador, este cabrón no nos servirá." "Puñetas, we already have a tamer, this cad won't be useful." Said the general to Pedro. After a couple of minutes of deliberation.
"¿General, cuando le eh fallado? Créame cuando le digo que este wey se chinga a Suarez y a sus pinches jaulitas pendejas." "General, when had I fail you? believe when I told you that this dude is much better than Suares and his stupid little cages." Said Pedro with conviction. The general seemed to acknowledge his expertise with the beast.
"Bueno Pedrito yo no soy al que tienes que convencer" "Well Pedrito I am not the one that you have to convince" he said with a huge smile. "Ya tienes mi bendición, te queda convencer al Diablo." "you have my blessing; you still have to convince the Diablo." The moment that the general said that Pedro lost his color and began to sweat profoundly.
Newt had known him since his first day in the war. He had been his wingman for the first 6 months of the research for his book, they had been together in all type of situations. He thought that he knew him even better than his own brother, but here stood a terrified Pedro. Even more terrified than the time that they saw how the dementors fed on the aftermath of a battle, the screams of agony of the fallen soldiers and the smell of bloodshed hadn't make him as shocked or scared as this person.
"We should go." he said in a hurry to get to the entrance of the tent. Where suddenly a man stepped out of the shadows.
"Te ibas sin saludar mijito?" "Are you leaving without greeting me mijito?" asked the man that know blocked the exit of the tent.
Pedro didn't answer the cocky responses and the gleeful smile that had always being his friend trademark where changed by a blank stare.
"Tus amigos se pueden quedar, necesitamos otro domador. A Suarez se lo llevaron los norteños. Estos dos pueden terminar con la farsa de estar casados, no necesito mas drama en mi campamento." "your friends can stay, we need another tamer. The norther's took Suarez with them. This two can finish their farse of being married, I don't need more drama on the camp." He said. When he finished he examined Pedro meticulously "Veo que tu madre logro hacer algo medio aceptable de ti. Te quiero en mi tienda mañana cuando cante el gallo." "So, your mother managed to make something acceptable out of you. I want you in my tent when the rooster sings tomorrow." Said the man after leaving the three of them with the general.
"Debiste ser un pobre iluso si creíste que podrías evitarlo por siempre." "You should had been a poor fool If you believed that you could avoid him forever." Said the general still with the same big smile as before. With a movement of his hand he summoned two packages and gave them to Pedro.
"Somos cuatro" "We are four. " Replied a confused Pedro.
"SEMAG dijo que eran tres hombres nada más, yo planeaba darles solo una tienda, me estoy tocando el corazón al darles una de más." "SEMAG said that three men would come nothing more, I was planning to just give you a tent. I am already being compassionate by giving you one more." Pedro took the tents with a scowl and headed to the exit with the rest of them in tow. "no olvides las reglas." "Don't forget the rules" Said the general as a farewell.
"The rules? I thought that you Mexicans didn't had rules" said Newt joking to lift the weight of the meting from Pedro.
"The rules are simple: don't get to drunk and no complicated magic outside the tent." Said Pedro with a half-felt smile.