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the forming of the troops； the sound of the ets； and the voices of mand that were shattering the dawn。 Even though after so many years of war they should have sounded familiar to him this time he felt the same weakness in his knees and the same tingling in his skin that he had felt in his youth in the presence of a naked woman。 He thought confusedly； finally captive in a trap of nostalgia； that perhaps if he had married her he would have been a man without war and without glory； a nameless artisan； a happy animal。 That tardy shudder which had not figured in his forethought made his breakfast bitter。 At seven in the morning； when Colonel Gerineldo Márquez came to fetch him； in the pany of a group of rebel officers； he found him more taciturn than ever； more pensive and solitary。 ？rsula tried to throw a new wrap over his shoulders。 “What will the government think；？she told him。 “They’ll figure that you’ve surrendered because you didn’t have anything left to buy a cloak with。？But he would not accept it。 When he was at the door； he let her put an old felt hat of Jos？Arcadio Buendía’s on his head。
“Aureliano；？？rsula said to him then； “Promise me that if you find that it’s a bad hour for you there that you’ll think of your mother。？
He gave her a distant smile； raising his hand with all his fingers extended； and without saying a word he left the house and faced the shouts； insults； and blasphemies that would follow him until he left the town。 ？rsula put the bar on the door； having decided not to take it down for the rest of her life。 “We’ll rot in here；？she thought。 “We’ll turn to ashes in this house without men； but we won’t give this miserable town the pleasure of seeing us weep。？She spent the whole morning looking for a memory of her son in the most hidden corners； but she could find none。
The ceremony took place fifteen miles from Macondo in the shade of a gigantic ceiba tree around which the town of Neerlandia would be founded later。 The delegates from the government and the party and the mission of the rebels who were laying down their arms were served by a noisy group of novices in white habits who looked like a flock of doves that had been frightened by the rain。 Colonel Aureliano Buendía arrived on a muddy mule。 He had not shaved； more tormented by the pain of the sores than by the great failure of his dreams； for he had reached the end of all hope； beyond glory and the nostalgia of glory。 In accordance with his arrangements there was no music； no fireworks； no pealing bells； no shouts of victory； or any other manifestation that might alter the mournful character of the armistice。 An itinerant photographer who took the only picture of him that could have been preserved was forced to smash his plates without developing them。
The ceremony lasted only the time necessary to sign the documents。 Around the rustic table placed in the center of a patched circus tent where the delegates sat were the last officers who were faithful to Colonel Aureliano Buendía。 Before taking the signatures； the personal delegate of the president of the republic tried to read the act of surrender aloud； but Colonel Aureliano Buendía was against it。 “Let’s not waste time on formalities；？he said and prepared to sign the papers without reading them。 One of his officers then broke the soporific silence of the tent。
“Colonel；？he said； “please do us the favor of not being the first to sign。？
Colonel Aureliano Buendía acceded。 When the documents went all around the table； in the midst of a silence that was so pure that one could have deciphered the signatures from the scratching of the pen on the paper； the first line was still blank。 Colonel Aureliano Buendía prepared to fill it。
“Colonel；？another of his officers said； “there’s still time for everything to e out right。？
Without changing his expression； Colonel Aureliano Buendía signed the first copy。 He had not finished signing the last one when a rebel colonel appeared in the doorway leading a mule carrying two chests。 In spite of his entire youth he had a dry look and a patient expression。 He was the treasurer of the revolution in the Macondo region。 He had made a difficult journey of six days； pulling along the mule； who was dying of hunger； in order to arrive at the armistice on time。 With an exasperating parsimony he took down the chests； opened them； and placed on the table； one by one； seventytwo gold bricks； Everyone had fotten about the existence of that fortune。 In the disorder of the past year； when the central mand fell apart and the revolution degenerated into a bloody rivalry of leaders； it was impossible to determine any responsibility。 The gold of the revolution； melted into blocks that were then covered with baked clay； was beyond all control。 Colonel Aureliano Buendía had the seventytwo gold bricks included in the inventory of surrender and closed the ceremony without allowing any speeches。 The filthy adolescent stood opposite him； looking into his eyes with his own calm； syrupcolored eyes。
“Something else？？Colonel Aureliano Buendía asked him。
The young colonel tightened his mouth。
“The receipt；？he said。
Colonel Aureliano Buendía wrote it out in his own hand。 Then he had a glass of lemonade and a piece of biscuit that the novices were passing around and retired to a field tent which had been prepared for him in case he wished to rest。 There he took off his shirt； sat on the edge of the cot； and at threefifteen in the afternoon took his pistol and shot himself in the iodine circle that his personal physician had painted on his chest。 At that moment in Macondo ？rsula took the cover off the pot of milk on the stove； wondering why it was taking so long to boil； and found it full of worms。
“They’ve killed Aureliano；？she exclaimed。
She looked toward the courtyard； obeying a habit of her solitude； and then she saw Jos？Arcadio Buendía； soaking wet and sad in the rain and much older than when he had died。 “They shot him in the back；？？rsula said more precisely； “and no one was charitable enough to close his eyes。？At dusk through her tears she saw the swift and luminous disks that crossed the sky like an exhalation and she thought that it was a signal of death。 She was still under the chestnut tree； sobbing at her husband’s knees； when they brought in Colonel Aureliano Buendía； wrapped in a blanket that was stiff with dry blood and with his eyes open in rage。
He was out of danger。 The bullet had followed such a neat path that the doctor was able to put a cord soaked in iodine in through the chest and withdraw it from the back。 “That was my masterpiece；？he said with satisfaction。 “It was the only point where a bullet could pass through without harming any vital an。？Colonel Aureliano Buendía saw himself surrounded by charitable novices who intoned desperate psalms for the repose of his soul and then he was sorry that he had not shot himself in the roof of the mouth as he had considered doing if only to mock the prediction of Pilar Ternera。
“If I still had the authority；？he told the doctor； “I’d have you shot out of hand。 Not for having saved my life but for having made a fool of me。？
The failure of his death brought back his lost prestige in a few hours。 The same people who invented the story that he had sold the war for a room with walls made of gold bricks defined the attempt at suicide as an act of honor and proclaimed him a martyr。 Then； when he rejected the Order of Merit awarded him by the president of the republic； even his most bitter enemies filed through the room asking him to withdraw recognition of the armistice and to start a new war。 The house was filled with gifts meant as amends。 Impressed finally by the massive support of his former rades in arms； Colonel Aureliano Buendía did not put aside the possibility of pleasing them。 On the contrary； at a certain moment he seemed so enthusiastic with the idea of a new war that Colonel Gerineldo Márquez thought that he was only waiting for a pretext to proclaim it。 The pretext was offered； in fact； when the president of the republic refused to award any military pensions to former batants； Liberal or Conservative； until each case was exam