L2-6-2

Yes, I was very stupid. I paid the wine man the full price he wanted, without asking you

to taste the wine first. But I couldn't find you. And I was afraid he would sell the

cask of a Monteado to someone else. So, I bought it.

A cask of a Monteado, Fortunato repeated. Where is it? I pretended I didn't hear his

question. Instead, I told him I was going to visit our friend, Lucressi. He will be

able to tell me if the wine is really a Monteado, I said. Fortunato laughed in my

face. Lucressi cannot tell a Monteado from vinegar. I smiled to myself and said,

but some people say that he is as good a judge of wine as you are. Fortunato grabbed

my arm. Take me to it, he said. I'll taste the a Monteado for you. But my friend, I

protested. It is late. The wine is in my wine cellar, underneath the palace. Those

rooms are very damp and cold, and the walls drip with water. I don't care, he said. I am

the only person who can tell you if your wine man has cheated you. Lucressi cannot.

Fortunato turned, and still holding me by the arm, pulled me down the street to my

home. The building was empty. My servants were enjoying carnival. I knew they would

be gone all night. I took two large candles, lit them, and gave one to Fortunato. I started

down the dark, twisting stairway with Fortunato close behind me. At the bottom of the stairs,

the damp air wrapped itself around our bodies.

Where are we? Fortunato asked. I thought you said the cask of a Monteado was in your

eyes. These tombs where the dead of my family are kept. Surely you are not afraid of walking

through the tombs. He turned and looked into my eyes.

Tombs, he said. He began to cough. The silver bells on his cap jingled.