“But I saw her after seven o’clock.”
“They arrested her at ten. They got her brother, too. They’re rounding up all the Whites. A peon of the de Leyvas came to us to tell us. They shot at him, but he got away. Hi, they’ve put her into prison. The Reds have put Carlotta into prison.”
“Good Lord. But, hang it, Rosa, they’ve got no case against her. They’ll certainly let her out in the morning.”
“But Lopez has gone mad, Hi. We don’t know what is happening.”
“But . . . good Lord. It’s four o’clock in the morning; more. How on earth did you get in? Look here, is there anything that I can do?”
“They’ve got her in their prison on a charge of resisting authority, or being deemed to be the associate of those planning to resist authority. The peon heard her deny the first charge. The officer said that he should arrest her on the other. And they may shoot her, Hi.”
“Shoot Carlotta? Never.”
“They may.”
“Oh, hang it, Rosa.”
“This isn’t England, Hi, but a place where we hate; you don’t know how we hate. Mother cannot stand these shocks, but I had to wake her and tell her. She said at once, ‘We must get word through to Manuel.’ ”