A Bell for Adano by John Hersey Read Free Book Online Page A

“Have you listened, crier?”
    Mercurio Salvatore said: “I have listened. I could detect only one lie yesterday, but it was a big one. Radio Roma said that Italian forces in the city of Vicinamare threw back three vicious Allied attacks. We all knew that Vicinamare was in the hands of the Americans late on the first day of the disembarkation.”
    Carmelina the wife of the lazy Fatta said: “It will be late on the fifth day before we get bread from this baker Zapulla.”
    Zapulla was impolite to Carmelina because of what she said. He came forward and threw a piece of wood-coke at her head and roared: “Silence, whore!”
    The woodcoke missed Carmelina’s head, but hit the stomach of the formidable Margherita. She advanced, shaking her large fists. Zapulla went back to his ovens, as if he had not noticed where his woodcoke went.
    At this angry moment, Gargano, Chief of the Carabinieri, came up to the line. This man was called by the people The Man With Two Hands, because of his continuous and dramatic gesturing. He was, he seemed to think, an actor, and he could not say two words without gesturing with both hands. He possessed and exercised all the essentially Italian gestures: the two forefingers laid side by side, the circle of thumb and forefinger, the hands up in stop position, the sign of the cuckold and of the genitals, the salute to the forehead with palm forward, the fingertips of the two hands placed tip to tip, the fingers linked, the hands flat and downward as if patting sand, the hands up heel to heel and pulled toward the chest, the attitude of prayer, the pointing forefinger of accusation, the V as if for victory or smoking cigarets, the forefinger on the chin, the rolling of the hands. All, he used them all.
    When he approached the line, everyone thought that he was coming to restore order. There was a question in some people’s minds whether he still had authority, but they did not feel that this was a good time to flout the question. It would be better to see first whether he made any arrests.
    He did not make any arrests. He merely went up to Carmelina, wife of the lazy Fatta, and squeezed between her and the door of Zapulla’s shop, and stood there. The people could see that he was merely taking his place at the head of the line to wait for bread.
    Carmelina, who was annoyed by having had woodcoke thrown at her, said truculently: “Mister Gargano, you were Chief of the Carabinieri under the old regime, and that entitled you to stand at the head of the line. I am not sure that you are still Chief of the Carabinieri.”
    Gargano said: “I am the Chief,” and he made a kind of Fascist salute with both hands.
    Carmelina said: “I doubt it. Where is the proof?” Gargano said: “See my uniform,” and he ran his two forefingers from his shoulders to his knees.
    Carmelina said: “That is no proof. The Americans do not care how we dress. I could dress as a rabbit and the Americans would not arrest me.”
    Gargano said: “Woman, stop your shouting, or I will arrest you,” and he gripped his own left wrist with his own right hand, signifying arrest.
    Carmelina said: “Where is your authority?” Margherita the formidable wife of Craxi said: “I believe that this man is still Chief, since the Mister Major is keeping many Fascist scoundrels in office until they prove themselves bad. But I do not believe that under American law he has the right to go to the head of the line. That is where I think you are right, Carmelina.” Gargano said: “I have always come to the head of the line. I shall continue to do so,” and he ran his forefinger along the length of the line until he came to the head, where he stood, then he pointed the finger at the ground. Maria Carolina, the wife of the noisy cartman Afronti, who had once been arrested by Gargano, shouted: “You have no right, Two-Hands. The Americans would not permit it.” This was the first time Gargano had ever been called Two-Hands to his face. He did