end to his doubts。 She grabbed his index finger with the affectionate innocence with which she had done so in childhood； however； and she held it while he kept on answering questions。 They remained like that； linked by icy index fingers that did not transmit anything in any way until she awoke from her momentary dream and slapped her forehead with her hand。 “The ants！？she exclaimed。 And then she forgot about the manuscripts； went to the door with a dance step； and from there she threw Aureliano a kiss with the tips of her fingers as she had said good…bye to her father on the afternoon when they sent her to Brussels。
“You can tell me later；？she said。 “I forgot that today’s the day to put quicklime on the anthills。？
She continued going to the room occasionally when she had something to do in that part of the house and she would stay there for a few minutes while her husband continued to scrutinize the sky。 Encouraged by that change； Aureliano stayed to eat with the family at that time as he had not done since the first months of Amaranta ？rsula’s return。 Gaston was pleased。 During the conversations after meals； which usually went on for more than an hour； he plained that his partners were deceiving him。 They had informed him of the loading of the airplane on board a ship that did not arrive； and although his shipping agents insisted； that it would never arrive because it was not on the list of Caribbean ships； his partners insisted that the shipment was correct and they even insinuated that Gaston was lying to them in his letters。 The correspondence reached such a degree of mutual suspicion that Gaston decided not to write again and he began to suggest the possibility of a quick trip to Brussels to clear things up and return with the airplane。 The plan evaporated； however； as soon as Amaranta ？rsula reiterated her decision not to move from Macondo even if she lost a husband。 During the first days Aureliano shared the general opinion that Gaston was a fool on a velocipede； and that brought on a vague feeling of pity。 Later； when he obtained deeper information on the nature of men in the brothels； he thought that Gaston’s meekness had its origins in unbridled passion。 But when he came to know him better and realized his true character was the opposite of his submissive conduct； he conceived the malicious suspicion that even the wait for the airplane was an act。 Then he thought that Gaston was not as foolish as he appeared； but； quite the contrary； was a man of infinite steadiness； ability； and patience who had set about to conquer his wife with the weariness of eternal agreement； of never saying no； of simulating a limitless conformity； letting her bee enmeshed in her own web until the day she could no longer bear the tedium of the illusions close at hand and would pack the bags herself to go back to Europe。 Aureliano’s former pity turned into a violent dislike。 Gaston’s system seemed so perverse to him； but at the same time so effective； that he ventured to warn Amaranta ？rsula。 She made fun of his suspicions； however； without even noticing the heavy weight of love； uncertainty； and jealousy that he had inside。 It had not occurred to her that she was arousing something more than fraternal affection in Aureliano until she pricked her finger trying to open a can of peaches and he dashed over to suck the blood out with an avidity and a devotion that sent a chill up her spine。
“Aureliano！？She laughed； disturbed。 “You’re too suspicious to be a good bat。？
Then Aureliano went all out。 Giving her some small； orphaned kisses in the hollow of her wounded hand； he opened up the most hidden passageways of his heart and drew out an interminable and lacerated intestine； the terrible parasitic animal that had incubated in his martyrdom。 He told her how he would get up at midnight to weep in loneliness and rage over the underwear that she had left to dry in the bathroom。 He told her about the anxiety with which he had asked Nigromanta to howl like a cat and sob gaston gaston gaston in his ear； and with how much astuteness he had ransacked her vials of perfume so that he could smell it on the necks of the little girls who went to bed because of hunger。 Frightened by the passion of that outburst； Amaranta ？rsula was closing her fingers； contracting them like a shellfish until her wounded hand； free of all pain and any vestige of pity； was converted into a knot of emeralds and topazes and stony and unfeeling bones。
“Fool！？she said as if she were spitting。 “I’m sailing on the first ship leaving for Belgium。？
？lvaro had e to the wise Catalonian’s bookstore one of those afternoons proclaiming at the top of his lungs his latest discovery： a zoological brothel。 It was called The Golden Child and it was a huge open air salon through which no less than two hundred bitterns who told the time with a deafening cackling strolled at will。 In wire pens that surrounded the dance floor and among large Amazonian camellias there were herons of different colors； crocodiles as fat as pigs； snakes with twelve rattles； and a turtle with a gilded shell who dove in a small artificial ocean。 There was a big white dog； meek and a pederast； who would give stud services nevertheless in order to be fed。 The atmosphere had an innocent denseness； as if it had just been created； and the beautiful mulatto girls who waited hopelessly among the blood…red petals and the outmoded phonograph records knew ways of love that man had left behind forgotten in the earthly paradise。 The first night that the group visited that greenhouse of illusions the splendid and taciturn old woman who guarded the entrance in a wicker rocking chair felt that time was turning back to its earliest origins when among the five who were arriving she saw a bony； jaundiced man with Tartar cheekbones； marked forever and from the beginning of the world with the pox of solitude。
“Lord； Lord；？she sighed； “Aureliano！？
She was seeing Colonel Aureliano Buendía once more as she had seen him in the light of a lamp long before the wars； long before the desolation of glory and the exile of disillusionment； that remote dawn when he went to her bedroom to give the first mand of his life： the mand to give him love。 It was Pilar Ternera。 Years before； when she had reached one hundred forty…five years of age； she had given up the pernicious custom of keeping track of her age and she went on living in the static and marginal time of memories； in a future perfectly revealed and established； beyond the futures disturbed by the insidious snares and suppositions of her cards。
From that night on Aureliano； took refuge in the passionate tenderness and understanding of his unknown great…great…grandmother。 Sitting in her wicker rocking chair； she would recall the past； reconstruct the grandeur and misfortunes of the family and the splendor of Macondo； which was now erased； while ？lvaro frightened the crocodiles with his noisy laughter and Alfonso invented outlandish stories about the bitterns who had pecked out the eyes of four customers who misbehaved the week before； and Gabriel was in the room of the pensive mulatto girl who did not collect in money but in letters to a smuggler boyfri