The Lords of Time by Eva García Sáenz

Author:Eva García Sáenz [Sáenz, Eva Garcia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Published: 2021-07-06T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

—

I walked back to the village, knowing that Alvar was watching my every move from the library window.

I had another visit to make that day. I headed toward Fausti Mesanza’s villa and found her closing the gate to her garden.

“Am I in time for book club?” I asked.

“Yes. I was just leaving. Come with me, and I’ll introduce you to the others. The village bar used to be a doctor’s office, but we did some remodeling and started running it as a collective. We took turns every month. It was open on Saturday evenings and on Sundays after Mass. But we’re getting too old now, and some young people have taken over the lease. We still go there for a glass of vermouth and to play a few games of cards. When it’s cold, they light the stove, so it’s nice and cozy.”

We climbed the steep streets of Ugarte, a beautifully preserved village complete with a medieval drinking fountain next to the church. Although it had fewer than a hundred inhabitants today, it had remained populated for a thousand years. The bar was located next to the fronton court and the outdoor bowling alley.

Peering through the window, I could see a bar with a wooden counter, a well-worn pool table, and several teenagers playing foosball. The evening had grown chilly, and the warmth of the blazing fire was welcome. It enveloped us as soon as we stepped inside.

An elderly lady in a wheelchair observed us from the corner of the room near the stove. She scrutinized me, a sardonic smile on her face. I’d seen a similar expression on others who had lived a long time and were past caring what others thought. Her sunken eyes took in every detail as we went over to say hello.

“This is my mother-in-law, Benita,” said Fausti. “Best not to tell her anything since nothing escapes her. She’s sharp as a tack.”

I pulled over a chair and sat next to Benita. She sounded like the perfect accomplice.

“That’s Cecilia, the pharmacist,” Fausti informed me, filling me in as more neighbors entered the bar.

“Apothecary,” Benita corrected her. “She and Aurora, the woman who just walked in, hate each other. Aurora ran the dry-goods store, but she’s retired now and bored stiff.”

A young man, around twenty-five, came in carrying a bunch of cans.

“That’s Gonzalo, he runs the bar.”

The man smiled at us. His T-shirt had a picture of an animal with the body of a goat, the head of a lion, and the tail of a serpent, along with the words I’m a chimera. He came over to ask if we wanted anything to drink. Fausti asked for “the usual,” and I ordered a bottle of water.

“Txomin is a cabinetmaker. He grew tired of living in the city and set up his workshop here in the village. It’s worth a visit; he has some beautiful things,” Fausti said.

“I’ll stop by,” I said.

Within ten minutes, I knew the names of the twenty locals in the circle.

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