15/03/2026 22:32

---

They heldup and hovered at a holding position several hundred meters behindJimenez. Then, exactly thirty-eight minutes and twelve seconds after thefirst white flag was shown, the bagpipes picked up, three well-spacedshots were fired into the air, and the slaughter resumed. Behind him were his staff and hisbrigade colors, a splash of green against the white background. There was a time I would not havepermitted anything like torture.

* * * Abombero band stood at attention on the tarmac playing a martialtune, one heavy on the brass and drums. He hastily left. Without warning the little flock of dark-eyed Balboan beauties wasturned into a red paste obscenity in the blink of an eye. Patricio's family has never liked or accepted me.