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Leonardo finally reached Teodoro's house. His back hurt because he was not used to riding a horse anymore. The distance was great, six infernal days. He was greeted by the servants. Teodoro was not home. Leonardo asked if he could wait for him. They served him lunch and let him rest in one of the rooms.
At the end of the afternoon, Teodoro found him sleeping. He let him rest. Close to supper time, he asked for him to be awakened and invited down to supper. They made small talk and ate their meal. At the end of it, Teodoro asked Leonardo to come with him into his office.
"Leonardo, so what are you doing here? I was expecting you next month."
"What do you mean, Teodoro? From the letter you sent me, the ship will be leaving in a few days."
Teodoro looked confused.
"Do you still have the letter I sent you?"
"No, I no longer have it. I burned it before leaving. But what did you mean by 'next month?' England is not that far away."
"You must have mixed up the dates."
"Are you sure, Teodoro? How could I have made such a big mistake? A whole month? I need to look for an inn then."
"No, you will stay here! Tomorrow we will go to the port. Maybe you can embark to England on another ship and find Barbara there."
"I will accept your offer. I think the risk is minimal."
"Are you worried about the archbishop coming after you? He won't know where you are staying."
"No, he won't. I kept away from the busier roads, and traveled through the fields. I did not sleep in any inns on the way."
"So you lived in the wild..."
"Yes, I was fed up of eating biscuits and chorizo. The wine finished."
"He didn't look for Barbara?"
"Yes, he did, it is what I heard from a servant I paid to keep me informed. Torres was agitated when he tried to get information from her. He must be desperate now; his informants must have already told him that I disappeared."
"Who knows you came here? Only Jonas?"
"Only him."
"If the archbishop pressures him, will he tell on you?"
"No, you can be sure of that. I trust Jonas, not because of our friendship nor because we have worked together for years, for another reason. I have something on him. If anything happens to me, he will himself have to face the archbishop's rage."
"So he also has his flaws."
"Who doesn't? We don't have to worry about Jonas. Now Teodoro, I'd like to lie down again. I am very tired!"
"Go then. Tomorrow morning early, after our morning meal, we will go to the port."
––––––––
Three days after Torres' departure, Jonas set off to Santiago. After four days traveling, he reached the city. On his way, he came across several pilgrims, considered to be sources of wisdom.
The only wisdom Jonas needed was to find Dorival as soon as possible. He couldn't wait to be with him again. During the trip, he went over his life plans with him. He was happy because the money left by Leonardo plus the amount the archbishop gave him for the properties would enable a good life for both of them.
He looked for Dorival in the inns closest to the city's entry points and from the description he gave the innkeepers he was able to find him. He was informed that the boy spent his afternoons on the Tambre river. He had asked for information about fishing points as soon as he arrived in the city.
"He loves to fish. There is a boy from Angola here, a free slave, who helps me with the heavy work. His name is Getulio. I asked Getulio to show him the parts of the river that had the most fish," said one of the innkeepers. "Now, every afternoon they go there and bring me a basket full of fresh fish. I even lent him a fishing rod," he added.
Jonas excused himself so he could leave his traveling bags in the boy's room and went out to meet him. He asked for instructions to the river and went by horse.
When he arrived at the site, he rode along the margin. At one point, he saw the lad's horses tied to a tree trunk. He knew they must be close. He dismounted and tied his horse along with the others and looked around but could not see anyone. He saw footprints heading inland where the vegetation was denser. He took a few steps in and noticed a bend in the river. He continued down the path.
There seemed to be a small waterfall ahead, the sound increased at every step he took. He then heard voices and knew he was on the right track.
He was finding it all very odd when suddenly he encountered Dorival naked on all fours being mounted by a black man, who was caressing his back while Dorival groaned and rocked back and forth.
The man pulled Dorival's head back by his hair. Dorival's back arched, one of the man's hands reached around his chest. Dorival turned his head and they kissed, while rocking back and forth.
Although the blood was rushing to his head and his heart was pumping, Jonas remained silent. He watched Dorival's enraptured expression as he kissed the other man with half-lidded eyes. Jonas picked up a rock and walked towards them. He smashed open the black man's skull, who stumbled and fell onto Dorival's back, rolling to the side and falling to the ground. Without understanding what had happened, Dorival looked to the side and saw his companion's head smashed in, blood all over and Jonas' hands reaching for his throat. There was no time even to scream. Jonas' strong, bloodied hands wrapped around his throat so tightly, he wasn't able to make a sound. His eyes bulged. He tried to free himself but Jonas was no match for the boy. After a few more seconds, Dorival's body went limp.
With the dead boy in his arms, Jonas sat up and pushed the body off himself. He raised his blood-soaked hands to his face and began to weep. Everything was over. The boy he loved so deeply was nothing more than just an errant child. The life he imagined was nothing but a dream, nothing more. There was nothing else for him to live for. He thought of his past life, his loves and those he lost. His platonic relationships. The boys he enjoyed spending time with, although they were there only for the money. He thought it had been different with Dorival. He really thought he had found someone who needed what he needed, not only in sex but also in love. He realized that the only person who really loved him his whole life was from the opposite sex - Dalila. Poor woman. He shared her love but could give her nothing more than that. He considered her and loved her like a sister, nothing more.
"My damn life!"
He stood up, still weeping, and picked up Dorival's trousers, which were hanging from a tree along with the rest of his clothing. The garment still smelled of the boy. He walked over to Dorival's body and kissed his lips. He then walked towards the river. He tied the trouser legs together and filled them with rocks. he wrapped the trousers around his neck and jumped into the river.
While he sank, he was dragged along by the current. The water filled his lungs. His head hit a rock at the bottom and he lost his bearings.
He looked up and saw a hazy sky with a few birds flying overhead. He drifted into a school of fish that darted away when he approached. The light from his eyes was fading but they were still filled with hate and remorse. His body sank slowly until he was enveloped in darkness. He gave one last cry, expelling the last bit of air from his lungs.
"Fool!"
The last bubbles of air floated to the surface and they were the last thing his eyes saw.
