"En la manana Padre Rozeno huit nole el hombre e la mujer. Father Rozeno will see the man and the woman in the morning." The voice was broken with age.
"I don't get it," Parker said. The Indian was already turning. He had delivered his message, his errand was finished.
"That damned Rozeno is not going to see anybody in the morning!" Retch yelled.
The Indian staffed his way into the forest. He still seemed not to hear Retch.
"Tell him they won't be there!" Retch screamed.
Pedro's back went out of the firelight as he moved into the trees.
Retch seemed almost to go mad. His face turned purple. Both guns came to focus on the spot where the Indian had disappeared.
"Why shoot him?" Parker said. "He was just a messenger."
"Damn it!" Slowly, while the group watched impassively, Retch got himself under control. Suddenly he began to laugh. Strangely his laughter in this moment was more horrible than his anger had been.
"He sent for you, and the woman. All right, he'll get you. But I'll go with you. If he wants you, I'll take you to him." Again the laughter sounded.