A warning just in case: this chapter includes the third item mentioned on my content list in the first chapter.
THE RIGHT TURN OF THE ROAD
Chapter 33
The atmosphere at the dam had sunk even lower. Everyone was worried about Don Lucas' money problems and that all of their work could be for nothing if he had to sell his lands to the South India Trading Company. Nobody knew what Kapital wanted to do with the area, but everyone agreed on one thing – it couldn't be anything good.
Another problem was that someone had been sabotaging the dam. Several boulders had been removed, and if Diego hadn't happened upon it by accident, the water might have broken through.
"Who would do such a thing? Nobody will benefit if the dam is broken," Pablo said.
Gabriel knew better than well who it had been. He felt just as irritated as the others, but he knew that it would work in his favour in the end. Soon enough he wouldn't have to worry about fences and dams anymore; he'd be above such things.
"I have my doubts about this whole thing," he said.
"What do you mean?" Pablo asked.
Several other men around them turned to listen as well.
"I'm talking about these mysterious men who removed the boulders. All we have is Diego's word. How can we be sure he didn't just break the dam himself? He's clumsy enough," Gabriel said.
"Diego may be clumsy, but he's not a liar," one of the men said.
"That's right. He'd never try to hide his mistakes," another one added.
Gabriel snorted. "I don't have that much faith in him. You've seen him work here. He's even more pathetic than normally."
"Well, that much is true. Something must be wrong with him."
"What's wrong with him is that he's lazy and useless," Gabriel said.
"I think you're being a little hard on him," Pablo said. "Sure, he gets in the way and doesn't contribute that much, but he seems like an honest man."
There were murmurs of agreement in the crowd, and Gabriel knew that he would never get them to turn against Diego if he didn't have solid evidence. Well, no matter. He had bigger goals than that.
He turned to cast a grim look at the dam. "To be honest, I'm not sure if this is worth all the trouble," he said.
"How so?" Pablo asked.
"What if Don Lucas doesn't get the money together? He'll lose the land, and then we will have worked here for nothing," Gabriel said.
"How can you say that? If the river overflows, it's not just Don Lucas's lands that will be affected. Our fields are in danger, too," Pablo said, a hint of irritation entering his voice.
"We're far away enough. It wouldn't be the end of the world, especially since the season is over," Gabriel said.
"But -"
"I don't know about you, but I'm not too interested in working like a slave on this dam when it's all too likely that the lands will go to Kapital," Gabriel said.
These words had the reaction he had been hoping for. He could see doubt appear on the faces of the men around him. They were all working here only because they wanted to help Lucas. Nobody wanted to do a thing for Kapital.
"That's right. Kapital has caused enough trouble," one man said.
"He hasn't done anything. It's not his fault so many men who work for him turn out to be criminals."
"Are you insane? He's the one who brings these men here! Think about Adans' mine, the burnt fields and the incident with the hospital. He must know what's going on!"
"And he's friends with Raymond. I don't want to work here if it means Kapital will soon own these lands."
Gabriel felt a sense of self-satisfaction wash over him as he listened to the men's quarrel. The spark was there; he only needed to blow into it and soon enough nobody would want to help at the dam anymore. Then the river would either flood on its own or Abarca and the others would destroy the dam. Either way, Kapital would come to own the lands he wanted, and Gabriel would take the first step on his way towards a better life.
He couldn't quite suppress the regretful pang he felt as he thought about that. Once this was all over, he wouldn't be working at the Alvarez estate anymore. He hated himself for it, but he almost felt guilty about what he was doing. These people had forgotten about his past deeds and accepted him as one of them. Lying to them and taking advantage of them was no longer as easy as it had been in the past.
Stop thinking about it, he growled in his mind. He would forget all about these people as soon as he had money and power again.
Diego and Alejandro were on their way home. Alejandro was in a sour mood after everything that happened at the dam. Ever since the men from the South India Trading Company had first shown their faces, everything had been troublesome.
He couldn't blame the people for being worried. He was as well, which was why he had offered Don Lucas help in case he couldn't get the money together on his own. Lucas had thanked him but declined, saying that he couldn't solve his problem by borrowing even more money from anyone. Normally, Alejandro would have agreed, but this time he felt that Lucas' hesitation was only causing more trouble.
Gabriel was one problem. Alejandro had no idea what the man was trying to achieve, but he was clearly trying to turn everyone against Lucas. Just thinking about it made Alejandro want to shake his head. It was utter insanity.
And then there was Diego and his usual problems. Alejandro had hoped that coming face to face with how the people were struggling to protect their lands would lift Diego's spirits and make him more active, but it hadn't worked. If anything, Diego was more useless than before.
Alejandro had been keeping an eye on him at the dam. It was obvious that Diego's injury hadn't healed yet. Until now, he hadn't realised how seriously Diego had been hurt. And that wasn't even the only thing that worried him.
"You should probably stay at home from now on," he said.
"Maybe you're right. I haven't been very useful," Diego said. He sounded glum, which was no wonder. No man liked to be faced with the fact that he couldn't do what was expected of him.
"That's not what I mean. Diego, why didn't you tell me that your arm still hasn't healed?"
"I don't understand what you're talking about," Diego said at once.
"Oh, don't be ridiculous. Do you think I didn't notice the way you moved at the dam? And before that at home. I didn't say anything because I promised to stay out of your mysterious business and because I thought you'd be wise enough to have enough rest, but apparently I can't trust you even that much."
"It's nothing. I just sprained my shoulder when I fell down the stairs," Diego said, attempting an amused chuckle at his clumsiness.
Alejandro thought back to all of Diego's other excuses in the past months and wondered why he hadn't seen through them. Had he been that willing to believe that his son would stumble over his own feet like a toddler?
"Diego," he said in a low voice. "I'm insulted you think I'd believe something that stupid. Furthermore, you disappoint me. Don't you realise the damage you're causing to yourself and everyone else?"
"Father, I -"
"Let me finish. I don't know where you got that injury, but it's not healing right because you won't let it. When we get home, you're letting Maria have a look at it," Alejandro said.
"Bernard can do it. He's been taking care of it until now. I think he's interested in becoming a doctor, so it's good practice for him," Diego said.
"That's the first time I hear of those ambitions," Alejandro pointed out.
"He doesn't like to talk about it. It's not easy for an orphan like him to get into school," Diego said.
"You know just as well as I do that Bernard only needs to ask if he wants to go to school. I would take care of everything," Alejandro said. He could hardly believe they were having this ridiculous conversation.
"But that's not all I had to say," he continued. "If you're so stupid that you don't care about yourself, you should care about others. You're only in the way at the dam. You should have told me you were that badly injured, and I wouldn't have insisted for you to come."
"I'm sorry," Diego said.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Alejandro asked.
Diego turned his eyes to his hands. "I was ashamed, and I didn't want you to be disappointed in me."
Alejandro could only stare at his son. Did he think he was stupid? Why did Diego think it was preferable to say he was lazy and not interested in helping than be honest and say he was injured? Unless he had got the damn injury while... Alejandro couldn't even come up with anything that would be worse than what Diego was doing now.
It all meant that Diego was determined to keep both the injury and its cause a secret from everyone with the possible exception of Bernard. It had to be something of utmost importance. Alejandro frowned as he tried to imagine what it could be.
The steady drumming of the rain and the horses' hooves against the muddy road were nearly hypnotic, and it was only the fire of his anger that stopped him from falling too deep into his thoughts. So many things were going wrong. His own son didn't trust him. Bernard didn't trust him either. Compared to that, the problems at the dam were almost welcome. At least they were something he knew how to deal with.
He wondered about the men Diego claimed he had seen. Alejandro was certain that they were from the South India Trading Company. It would be just like Kapital to send someone to ruin their work.
Alejandro had told Lucas that they had better start guarding the dam just in case the men came back. He wasn't going to just wait, not for the men to destroy the dam nor for Zorro or anyone else to help them. It was better to do this on their own. Besides, Zorro was –
Suddenly, he felt like lightning had struck him. Sergeant Gonzales had told him of Zorro's injury when they had been looking for Emilia's grandfather. It matched Diego's wound, and even the time frame was a perfect fit.
And... It would explain where Diego went at night, why he didn't want to talk about his business with anyone and why he was never there when he was needed. It would explain everything with such flawless logic that Alejandro felt chilled to the bone.
It wasn't the first time he entertained such thoughts, but until now they had been irritated musings of how he wished Diego were more like Zorro. But if Diego were more like Zorro, he'd be the way he had been before going to study in Spain.
It was insanity, Alejandro knew. Diego couldn't be Zorro. It couldn't be true because... Because his son wouldn't take such a risk and endanger his life by becoming an outlaw. No, Diego was –
Alejandro felt like shaking his head. What did he prefer? That Diego was an unlawful hero or a lazy idler who never did anything useful? On the other hand, lazy idlers didn't face death every night and left no mourning fathers behind.
He turned to Diego, glaring at him like a raging bull, and opened his mouth to demand an answer for this insanity. There had to be another explanation, and he needed to hear it.
And if there wasn't... Just what did Diego think he was doing? Did he think he was proving a point? That this was how to make his father proud? That... that it was alright to lie to everyone and risk that he might die without ever telling them the truth?
"Father, what is it? You look so pale all of a sudden," Diego said.
Alejandro wanted to yell at his son, to demand him to admit the truth right now. He was so angry he was almost shaking, and he didn't know what he'd do if Diego said he was Zorro. Then again, he didn't know what he'd do if he said he wasn't.
"It's... nothing," he forced himself to say. Diego would never admit it like this. He would just keep lying. Alejandro needed to find proof; he had to catch Diego in the act and corner him. It reminded him of his wife. She had also kept her secrets stubbornly like a mule when she had thought it was the right thing to do.
"Are you sure?" Diego asked, and Alejandro wondered if the irony of the situation even occurred to him.
Alejandro didn't trust himself enough to open his mouth. He might have let the question – or was it an accusation? – slip out. It was safer to let Diego think his father was too angry to talk.
The rain wasn't showing any signs of stopping. As he watched it from the window of his office, Captain Jekyll couldn't help but wonder if it was there to wash away all the sins that were being committed in San Tasco. He wasn't normally the kind of man who entertained such thoughts, but the conversation he had just had with Commander Raymond had left him unsettled.
Earlier that day, Don Lucas had come to ask the army's help. Someone had tried to destroy the dam, and everyone was worried that they might come back. Jekyll had naturally promised that he would send men to guard the dam at night. What else was there to do? The army's responsibility was to protect the people.
Apparently, the commander disagreed. Or, as he had put it, the army had to prioritize. They couldn't do everything these peasants asked of them.
Jekyll had no idea what else was so important at the moment that it left them no resources for the dam. He wanted to believe that Raymond had good reasons for his decision, but somewhere inside him was that gnawing feeling of unrest that had settled there after he had witnessed too many heartless decisions and orders from the commander.
There was a knock on his door, and he told the person to enter. When he turned around, he saw that it was Sergeant Gonzales.
"How did it go, sir?" Gonzales asked.
"We will not be guarding the dam," Jekyll replied.
Gonzales sighed. "I feared so."
"So, you aren't surprised that the army refuses to help the people when they need us?" Jekyll asked.
Gonzales stiffened and turned his eyes to his feet. "I'm afraid not," he said in a defeated voice.
"Well, I'm surprised. And angry. I feel like I'm seeing San Tasco for the first time with open eyes. What goes on here is a disgrace," Jekyll said. He should have seen it sooner, he knew. All the signs had been there since his very first day in San Tasco. He had just chosen not to see them because he had believed so strongly in that the army was always right.
Had he been wrong about Zorro all this time? If the commander truly made so many wrong decisions, didn't that give Zorro the right to fight against him? Jekyll wanted to say no; nobody was above the law. But if there truly was no other way...
No. Zorro was a criminal. The army was wrong, but they didn't need bandits to solve their problems for them. There were better, legal ways to do it. If he could gather evidence of Raymond's activities and get a word to the governor general, there would be an end to this.
For a moment, Jekyll considered telling Gonzales about this, but he decided against it. He was sure the sergeant would agree with him, but it was dangerous to let anyone know. Maybe later when he stood on stronger ground he would tell Gonzales and maybe even Placid. The lieutenant was an honest man, and Jekyll saw much of himself in him. Too much, maybe, as he was certain that Placid was still oblivious to the truth.
He wanted to believe the same of Serrano, but he couldn't read the man. Maybe he was just as blind as he had been or thought it was his duty to follow orders, even ones that were wrong. Or maybe he didn't care.
And that left him with a dilemma that refused to give him peace. What of Gabriel? He had been closer to Raymond than anyone else; he had carried out most of the controversial orders. Jekyll had never heard him complain. Had he been simply following orders? Or had he supported Raymond in his decisions?
Jekyll's thoughts turned to the hidden compartment in his desk and the letter that would ruin his career if anyone ever found it. He had taken a massive risk when he had stolen one of Raymond's letters to the governor general, and it was pure, unimaginable luck that it had remained a secret for so long. He had risked everything because he had felt that Gabriel was being treated unfairly, but now he found himself wondering if the man was worthy of it.
It was only a few days ago that he had met Gabriel at the dam. Jekyll was glad it looked like he had found a place among the people, but that said nothing of his honour. People could adapt frighteningly well in desperate situations without changing one bit.
But at least Gabriel was doing something good. It was more than could be said of anyone in the army, Jekyll himself included, at the moment.
Jekyll remained standing by the window long after Gonzales had excused himself, deep in thought.
Lolita shuddered as the water kept pouring down her back. She had thought bringing a long cloak would protect against the rain somewhat, but she was already drenched. She could only hope that she wouldn't catch a cold or worse.
"You should go home. This isn't the place for a woman," Don Lucas said.
"Nonsense!" Lolita snapped, and the anger warmed her somewhat. "I can work here just as well as any of you. Besides, you're already short on men, so it won't hurt that I'm here."
Lucas sighed. "True," he admitted in a regretful tone and turned to look at the dam.
Lolita could very well understand the man's somber mood. Diego had told her about how Gabriel had been turning everyone against Lucas and telling them not to come to work anymore. Some had listened to him, and now there were hardly enough men to keep building the dam and to guard it.
"I have no idea what that Gabriel is planning, but I don't like it," she said.
"I don't think he's planning anything. He's only being cautious," Lucas said.
"More like selfish! I thought he'd understand by now how important it is for us to stick together against the army and Kapital. If he's truly worried about Kapital getting your lands – which I very much doubt – he should know that his approach is all wrong. Giving up won't get us anywhere. He should be encouraging everyone to work even harder," Lolita said, the frustrated words pouring out of her mouth. She almost wished Gabriel were there to hear what she had to say, but the dislike for having to look at his face made her grateful for the fact that he was attending some wedding that day.
Lucas grunted in agreement. Lolita felt a little foolish for her outburst; she wasn't helping anyone by ranting at Lucas like that. He knew how serious the situation was better than anyone else.
"Do you think those men are coming back?" she asked. Unlike many others, she had full faith in Diego and knew that he would never lie about something that serious. If he said someone had tried to destroy the dam, it was true.
"I don't know, but it's better to be careful. I have found enough volunteers to keep watch for the next couple of nights. After that it can get difficult," Lucas replied.
"I just wish this rain would stop," Lolita said. It might not solve the problem with Lucas' debt, but at least then the river would no longer pose a threat.
"It can't go on forever," Lucas said. "Besides, I've been to the army. Captain Jekyll promised that he'll send men if we need them."
"I wouldn't count on the army's help," Lolita said, but she knew Jekyll was a good man underneath his stiff and proper shell. So was Gonzales, and what little she had seen of Placid had convinced her that he wasn't all bad either. Having three good men as officers made the situation all the more frustrating; why couldn't they see what was right in front of them and do something about it? At this rate, things would never get better in San Tasco.
Lolita wanted to shake her head at herself. Maybe it was the rain that was making her think such thoughts. After all, they had Zorro. Even if nobody else did anything to help, they could always count on Zorro being there for them.
That thought cheered her up somewhat. If the men from the South India Trading Company came to cause trouble again, Zorro would stop them. Lolita was sure of it.
The terrible weather hadn't been enough to sully the excitement and happiness of the day for those who had attended Basilio and Lupe's wedding in the small chapel outside town. Lupe had a sizeable family, so there had been barely enough room for everyone during the ceremony, even though the only people representing Basilio were his friends from the Alvarez estate.
It was a long time since Gabriel had last been to a wedding. His oldest brother, Agustín, had got married a couple of years ago. Thinking back to the wedding made Gabriel wonder if he shouldn't have contacted either one of his brothers already, just to let them know how he was doing. He was certain they had been informed of what had happened, but they knew him well enough to know that it was pointless to approach him if he didn't want it.
And he most certainly didn't want it, not now. Agustín was a lawyer and Adolpho was working in a jewellery store which he would eventually inherit since his master had no children. Gabriel didn't care for either occupation, but at least his brothers were successful. He couldn't show his face before them until he he had got his life back in order.
That thought threatened to ruin his mood with unfortunate guilt about what he was doing at the dam, so he pushed it aside. Now was not the time to think about the dam or the South India Trading Company. Now was Basilio and Lupe's day, and the young couple's happiness was contagious.
"Finally out of that church. Now we can drink and get to know Lupe's pretty cousins!" Pablo said cheerfully as the guests were on their way to Lupe's parents' home where there would be a small celebration. They weren't a rich family by any means, but it was the day of their only daughter's marriage, so they had done their best.
"I don't think you'll make a very good impression if you get drunk right away," Gabriel pointed out.
He had no interest in Lupe's cousins, even though they were indeed beautiful and perfect wife candidates. He might have entertained the idea only a few days before, but now he knew he was on his way to once more enjoying a better life. Peasant girls were beneath him.
"I'll drink after I've convinced one of them to have an agreement with me," Pablo said.
"Then you'll be in perfect condition to work tomorrow," Gabriel said. Then he wished he hadn't. The mention of the dam made Pablo's smile fade and brought a thoughtful look into his eyes.
"Do you still think it's a waste of time?" he asked.
"Yes. I think it's pointless to keep working on the dam."
"You were just as ready to help as the others. Why did you change your mind?"
"I didn't know the South India Trading Company was involved," Gabriel said. It was almost true, just not in the way Pablo believed. Gabriel felt the pang of guilt that had become uncomfortably familiar over the past few days. Whenever he thought of how everyone's work – his work, too – would be ruined because of what he had done, he got the urge to tell everyone the truth.
"I don't like this either, but I don't think the right way is to give up. What we have to do is stand up against them and help Don Lucas so that he can keep his lands. Just like and his men came to help us before," Pablo said.
"That's nonsense," Gabriel grumbled, but he had lost all interest in the conversation. Deep down he knew that Pablo was right and that what he was doing was despicable. But hadn't his actions always been despicable by normal standards? He hadn't cared before, so why should he care now?
He was saved from the situation by Basilio who surprised them both with a slap to the back.
"Hey, who do you two look like you just came out of a funeral? Nobody died; I got married!" he said, his smile that of the happiest man in the world.
"We're just jealous," Pablo said with, but Gabriel didn't miss how forced his laughter was.
"Then stop sulking here and go talk to Lupe's cousins. Anna could be your type," Basilio said.
One of Lupe's uncles chose that moment to grab the young man's arm and pull him aside so that he could introduce him to some members of his new family. Gabriel and Pablo watched them go. Neither spoke for a moment.
"We'll talk about this again tomorrow. I want to have fun today," Pablo said.
It was surprisingly easy to forget about tension between them, especially after a few glasses of wine. Lupe's father could play the guitar and entertained them with happy songs that tuned out the sound of the rain outside. With everyone gathered in the small house, there was barely enough room to move, but after a while it stopped mattering. Isabella, one of Lupe's cousins, didn't seem to mind how she was constantly shoved against Gabriel when someone passed her.
"I'm sorry," she said, but her eyes betrayed her amusement, and she was in no hurry to straighten her form.
"You should try to be more careful. I think there's more room over there," Gabriel said. He couldn't say he was very disappointed when Isabella chuckled at his suggestion.
"Over there I'd have to talk to my aunt Anita. I'll stay here," she said.
Gabriel tried to recall if he knew anything about Isabella that would be a good topic of conversation, but he couldn't recall seeing her ever before or hearing anything about her. Thankfully she was more than eager to take the lead in that matter.
"Lupe told me you work at the Alvarez estate," Isabella said.
"For the moment, at least," Gabriel said.
"Oh? Do you have other plans?"
Gabriel was about to boast that he had a better life waiting for him, but he couldn't force the words out. Isabella was looking at him with genuine admiration in her eyes; she didn't care that he was nothing more than a foreman at someone else's estate. And here he was, throwing it all away.
"You can never know what future brings," he said instead.
"That's exactly what I always say to my father! He thinks he knows what my life is going to be like, but everything could change just like that," Isabella said eagerly and snapped her fingers to underline her words.
She cast a sly look in his direction. "For example, I could always meet someone who'll take me away from our dusty little village," she said.
Gabriel had no plans to be that someone, but he enjoyed being the object of someone's admiration, so he supposed he could humour Isabella for the evening. She was surprisingly bold for someone who came from the countryside. He had always liked women who weren't shy about what they thought and wanted.
The next few hours were some of the most pleasant Gabriel had experienced in a long time. There was more wine to keep everyone warm against the weather, good food and singing to wish happiness to the new couple. Isabella turned out to be more fun he had thought. While everyone was listening to Lupe's father play the guitar, she grabbed Gabriel's hand and started to drag him outside.
"There isn't enough room to dance here. Besides, it's hot with so many people. Let's go to the rain," she said.
Gabriel laughed and didn't resist. However, his amusement disappeared as soon as they stepped outside. A group of riders was arriving, and even from a distance, Gabriel could see that they were soldiers. Most of them were on horseback, but they were also bringing a roofed wagon with them.
More people came outside when the sound of the horses arriving reached their ears. The music from inside stopped. Gabriel shoved Isabella to where the other women were as soon as he noticed that it was Serrano who was leading the men. With him in charge, it would get unpleasant.
"What's the meaning of this? Has something happened?" Lupe's father asked.
"We have reason to believe that this gathering is being used by rebels to hold a meeting. We've come to put an end to it," Serrano replied.
"But this is a wedding! There are no rebels here!" Lupe's father said.
"That'll be decided after the interrogations," Serrano said. He turned to address the soldiers. "Arrest everyone whose name I call out!"
The soldiers sitting in the roofed wagon lifted their muskets. Those on horseback couldn't use them because of the rain, so they had to rely on their swords. However, that was more than enough against wedding guests.
"What insanity is this?" Lupe's father demanded to know as soldiers came to grab his arms and drag him away from the others.
"Father, no!" Lupe called out, which prompted Basilio to step forward. He was pale and nearly shaking, but he did his best not to show it as he talked to Serrano.
"Lieutenant, this isn't necessary. There's nothing illegal going on here," he said.
"He's right!" one of the other guests added. More voices of agreement were raised, especially from those who didn't live in San Tasco.
"This an order from Commander Raymond himself. Resistance is enough reason for us to arrest every single one of you," Serrano announced.
"We can't let this happen," Pablo said from Gabriel's side. Despite his better judgement, Gabriel agreed. This wasn't right; that Serrano had no right to ride here and ruin Basilio and Lupe's day like this. He was nothing but an arrogant upstart!
"Does this look like a rebel meeting to you? Half of these people are women!" he yelled at the lieutenant.
"He's right!"
"You can't do this!"
"Let Enrico go!"
The men from outside San Tasco couldn't hold back when faced with injustice they weren't used to. Some of them hurried to the soldiers and tried to shove them aside to free those guests who had already been arrested. Everything became a complete chaos so fast that it surprised even Gabriel.
"Stop that! You won't achieve anything!" he called out, but his words were buried under the yells of the others and the angry orders from Serrano.
He saw a few people attempt to climb into the wagon where some soldiers were positioned. Before he could finish his thought about what a suicidal thing it was, there was a powerful bang that left his ears ringing.
"What... what the hell?" he asked, and everyone else seemed to be just as shocked. All the fighting had stopped, and even Serrano turned to look behind his back in confusion.
One of the soldiers in the wagon had fired his musket. Judging by the surprise on his face, it had been out of instinct when the people had come storming at them.
"Well, that's one way to stop this," Gabriel said to Pablo, but then he noticed that the man was no longer standing by his side.
Pablo was lying on the ground. One look was enough to tell Gabriel that he was already dead. At such a close range, the musket ball had blown off a chunk of his side, leaving behind a bloody mess. On his face there wasn't even a trace of surprise or shock; it had all been too fast.
Gabriel didn't hear the screams from the guests or how Serrano ordered the men to return to the barracks at once. He didn't move when others rushed to the body and felt nothing when someone bumped into him, sending him to the ground.
It wasn't the first time he saw something like this. It shouldn't have affected him at all; it barely did on battlefield. But this time... This time it was Pablo who was dead. His friend had been killed by the army.
Unable to do anything else, Gabriel sat in the rain and let it wash the splattered blood from his face.