lonel Aureliano Buendía so that he could go on with the war。 But ？rsula did not bother to dig it up because it was rumored in those days that Colonel Aureliano Buendía had been killed in a landing near the provincial capital。 The official announcement—the fourth in less than two years—was considered true for almost six months because nothing further was heard of him。 Suddenly； when ？rsula and Amaranta had added new mourning to the past period； unexpected news arrived。 Colonel Aureliano Buendía was alive； but apparently he had stopped harassing the government of his country and had joined with the victorious federalism of other republics of the Caribbean。 He would show up under different names farther and farther away from his own country。 Later it would be learned that the idea that was working on him at the time was the unification of the federalist forms of Central America in order to wipe out conservative regimes from Alaska to Patagonia。 The first direct news that ？rsula received from him； several years after his departure； was a wrinkled and faded letter that had arrived； passing through various hands； from Santiago； Cuba。
“We’ve lost him forever；？？rsula exclaimed on reading it。 “If he follows this path he’ll spend Christmas at the ends of the earth。？
The person to whom she said it； who was the first to whom she showed the letter； was the Conservative general Jos？Raquel Moncada； mayor of Macondo since the end of the war。 “This Aureliano；？General Moncada mented； “what a pity that he’s not a Conservative。？He really admired him。 Like many Conservative civilians； Jos？Raquel Moncada had waged war in defense of his party and had earned the title of general on the field of battle； even though he was not a military man by profession。 On the contrary； like so many of his fellow party members； he was an antimilitarist。 He considered military men unprincipled loafers； ambitious plotters； experts in facing down civilians in order to prosper during times of disorder。 Intelligent； pleasant； ruddy…faced； a man who liked to eat and watch cockfights； he had been at one time the most feared adversary of Colonel Aureliano Buendía。 He succeeded in imposing his authority over the career officers in a wide sector along the coast。 One time when he was forced by strategic circumstances to abandon a stronghold to the forces of Colonel Aureliano Buendía； he left two letters for him。 In one of them quite long； he invited him to join in a campaign to make war more humane。 The other letter was for his wife； who lived in Liberal territory； and he left it with a plea to see that it reached its destination。 From then on； even in the bloodiest periods of the war； the two manders would arrange truces to exchange prisoners。 They were pauses with a certain festive atmosphere； which General Moncada took advantage of to teach Colonel Aureliano Buendía how to play chess。 They became great friends。 They even came to think about the possibility of coordinating the popular elements of both parties； doing away with the influence of the military men and professional politicians； and setting up a humanitarian regime that would take the best from each doctrine。 When the war was over； while Colonel Aureliano； Buendía was sneaking about through the narrow trails of permanent sub。 version； General Moncada was named magistrate of Macondo。 He wore civilian clothes； replaced the soldiers with unarmed policemen； enforced the amnesty laws； and helped a few families of Liberals who had been killed in the war。 He succeeded in having Macondo raised to the status of a municipality and he was therefore its first mayor； and he created an atmosphere of confidence that made people think of the war as an absurd nightmare of the past。 Father Nicanor； consumed by hepatic fever； was replaced by Father Coronel； whom they called “The Pup；？a veteran of the first federalist war。 Bruno Crespi； who was married to Amparo Mos。 cote； and whose shop of toys and musical instruments continued to prosper； built a theater which Spanish panies included in their Itineraries。 It was a vast open…air hall with wooden benches； a velvet curtain with Greek masks； and three box offices in the shape of lions？heads； through whose mouths the tickets were sold。 It was also about that time that the school was rebuilt。 It was put under the charge of Don Melchor Escalona； an old teacher brought from the swamp； who made his lazy students walk on their knees in the lime…coated courtyard and made the students who talked in class eat hot chili with the approval of their parents。 Aureliano Segundo and Jos？Arcadio Segundo； the willful twins of Santa Sofía de la Piedad； were the first to sit in the classroom； with their slates； their chalk； and their aluminum jugs with their names on them。 Remedios； who inherited her mother’s pure beauty； began to be known as Remedios the Beauty。 In spite of time； of the superimposed Periods of mourning； and her accumulated afflictions； ？rsula resisted growing old。 Aided by Santa Sofía de la Piedad； she gave a new drive to her pastry business and in a few years not only recovered the fortune that her son had spent in the war； but she once more stuffed with pure gold the gourds buried in the bedroom。 “As long as God gives me life；？she would say； “there will always be money in this madhouse。？That was how things were when Aureliano Jos？deserted the federal troops in Nicaragua； signed on as a crewman on a German ship； and appeared in the kitchen of the house； sturdy as a horse； as dark and long…haired as an Indian； and with a secret determination to marry Amaranta。
When Amaranta； saw him e in； even though he said nothing she knew immediately why he had e back。 At the table they did not dare look each other in the face。 But two weeks after his return； in the presence of ？rsula； he set his eyes on hers and said to her； “I always thought a lot about you。？Amaranta avoided him。 She guarded against chance meetings。 She tried not to bee separated from Remedios the Beauty。 She was ashamed of the blush that covered her cheeks on the day her nephew asked her how long she intended wearing the black bandage on her hand； for she interpreted it as an allusion to her virginity。 When he arrived； she barred the door of her bedroom； but she heard his peaceful snoring in the next room for so many nights that she forgot about the precaution。 Early one morning； almost two months after his return； she heard him e into the bedroom。 Then； instead of fleeing； instead of shouting as she had thought she would； she let herself be saturated with a soft feeling of relaxation。 She felt him slip in under the mosquito netting as he had done when he was a child； as he had always done； and she could not repress her cold sweat and the chattering of her teeth when she realized that he was pletely naked。 “Go away；？she whispered； suffocating with curiosity。 “Go away or I’ll scream。？But Aureliano Jos？knew then what he had to do； because he was no longer a child but a barracks animal。 Starting with that night the dull； inconsequential battles began again and would go on until dawn。 “I’m your aunt；？Amaranta murmured； spent。 “It’s almost as if I were your mother； not just because of my age but because the only thing I didn’t do for you was nurse you。？Aureliano would escape at dawn and e back early in the morning on the next day； each time more excited by the proof that she had not barred the door。 He had nit stopped desiring her for a single instant。 He found her in the dark bedrooms of captured towns； especially in the most abject ones； and he would make her materialize in the smell of dry blood on the bandages of the wounded； in the instantaneous terror of the danger of death； at all times and in all places。 He had fled from her in an attempt to wipe out her memory； not only through distance but by means of a muddled fury that his panions at arms took to be boldness； but the more her image wallowed in the dunghill of the war； the more the war resembled Amaranta。 That was how he suffered in exile； looking for a way of killing her with； his own death； until he heard some old man tell the tale of the man who had married his aunt； who was also his cousin； and whose son ended up being his own grandfather。
“Can a person marry his own aunt？？he asked； startled。
“He not only can do that； a soldier answered him。 “but we’re fighting this war against the priests so that a person can marry his own mother。？
Two weeks later he deserted。 He found Amaranta more withered than in his memory； more melancholy and shy； and now really turning the last corner of maturity； but more feverish than ever in the darkness of her bedroom and more challenging than ever in the aggressiveness of her resistance。 “You’re a brute；？Amaranta would tell him as she was harried by his hounds。 “You can’t do that to a poor aunt unless you have a special dispensation from the Pope。？Aureliano； Jos？promised to go to Rome； he promised to go across Europe on his knees to kiss the sandals of the Pontiff just so that she would lower her drawbridge。
“It’s not just that；？Amaranta retorted。 “Any children will be born with the tail of a pig。？
Aureliano Jos？was deaf to all arguments。
“I don’t care if they’re born as armadillos；？he begged。
Early one morning； vanquished by the unbearable pain of repressed virility； he went to Catarino’s。 He found a woman with flaccid breasts； affectionate and cheap； who calmed his stomach for some time。 He tried to apply the treatment of disdain to Amaranta。 He would see her on the porch working at the sewing machine； which she had learned to operate with admirable skill； and he would not even speak to her。 Amaranta felt freed of a reef； and she herself did not understand why she started thinking again at that time about Colonel Gerineldo Márquez； why she remembered with such nostalgia the afternoons of Chinese checkers； and why she even desired him as the man in her bedroom。 Aureliano； Jos？did not realize how much ground he had lost on； the night he could no longer bear the farce of indifference and went back to Amaranta’s room。 She rejected him with an inflexible and unmistakable determination； and she barred the door of her bedroom forever。
A few months after the return of Aurelia