nation； and she barred the door of her bedroom forever。
A few months after the return of Aureliano Jos？an exuberant woman perfumed with jasmine appeared at the house with a boy of five。 She stated that he was the son of Colonel Aureliano Buendía and that she had brought him to ？rsula to be baptized。 No one doubted the origins of that nameless child： he looked exactly like the colonel at the time he was taken to see ice for the first time。 The woman said that he had been born with his eyes open； looking at people with the judgment of an adult； and that she was frightened by his way of staring at things without blinking。 “He’s identical；？？rsula said。 “The only thing missing is for him to make chairs rock by simply looking at them。？They christened him Aureliano and with his mother’s last name； since the law did not permit a person to bear his father’s name until he had recognized him。 General Moncada was the godfather。 Although Amaranta insisted that he be left so that she could take over his upbringing； his mother was against it。 ？rsula at that time did not know about the custom of sending virgins to the bedrooms of soldiers in the same way that hens are turned loose with fine roosters； but in the course of that year she found out： nine more sons of Colonel Aureliano Buendía were brought to the house to be baptized。 The oldest； a strange dark boy with green eyes； who was not at all like his father’s family； was over ten years old。 They brought children of all ages； all colors； but all males and all with a look of solitude that left no doubt as to the relationship。 Only two stood out in the group。 One； large for his age； made smithereens out of the flowerpots and china because his hands seemed to have the property of breaking everything they touched。 The other was a blond boy with the same light eyes as his mother； whose hair had been left to grow long and curly like that of a woman。 He entered the house with a great deal of familiarity； as if he had been raised there； and he went directly to a chest in ？rsula’s bedroom and demanded； “I want the mechanical ballerina。？？rsula was startled。 She opened the chest； searched among the ancient and dusty articles left from the days of Melquíades； and wrapped in a pair of stockings she found the mechanical ballerina that Pietro Crespi had brought to the house once and that everyone had forgotten about。 In less than twelve years they baptized with the name Aureliano and the last name of the mother all the sons that the colonel had implanted up and down his theater of war： seventeen。 At first ？rsula would fill their pockets with money and Amaranta tried to have them stay。 But they finally limited themselves to giving them presents and serving as godmothers。 “We’ve done our duty by baptizing them；？？rsula would say； jotting down in a ledger the name and address of the mother and the place and date of birth of the child。 “Aureliano needs well…kept accounts so that he can decide things when he es back。？During lunch； menting with General Moncada about that disconcerting proliferation； she expressed the desire for Colonel Aureliano Buendía to e back someday and gather all of his sons together in the house。
“Don’t worry； dear friend；？General Moncada said enigmatically。 “He’ll e sooner than you suspect。？
What General Moncada knew and what he did not wish to reveal at lunch was that Colonel Aureliano Buendía was already on his way to head up the most prolonged； radical； and bloody rebellion of all those he had started up till then。
The situation again became as tense as it had been during the months that preceded the first war。 The cockfights； instituted by the mayor himself； were suspended。 Captain Aquiles Ricardo； the mander of the garrison； took over the exercise of municipal power。 The Liberals looked upon him as a provocateur。 “Something terrible is going to happen；？？rsula would say to Aureliano Jos？ “Don’t go out into the street after six o’clock。？The entreaties were useless。 Aureliano Jos？ just like Arcadio in other times； had ceased to belong to her。 It was as if his return home； the possibility of existing without concerning himself with everyday necessities； had awakened in him the lewd and lazy leanings of his uncle Jos？Arcadio。 His passion for Amaranta had been extinguished without leaving any scars。 He would drift around； playing pool； easing his solitude with occasional women； sacking the hiding places where ？rsula had forgotten her money。 He ended up ing home only to change his clothes。 “They’re all alike；？？rsula lamented。 “At first they behave very well； they’re obedient and prompt and they don’t seem capable of killing a fly； but as soon as their beards appear they go to ruin。？Unlike Arcadio； who had never known his real origins； he found out that he was the son of Pilar Ternera； who had hung up a hammock so that he could take his siesta in her house。 More than mother and son； they were acplices in solitude。 Pilar Ternera had lost the trail of all hope。 Her laugh had taken on the tones of an organ； her breasts had succumbed to the tedium of endless caressing； her stomach and her thighs had been the victims of her irrevocable fate as a shared woman； but her heart grew old without bitterness。 Fat； talkative； with the airs of a matron in disgrace； she renounced the sterile illusions of her cards and found peace and consolation in other people’s loves。 In the house where Aureliano Jos？took his siesta； the girls from the neighborhood would receive their casual lovers。 “Lend me your room； Pilar；？they would simply say when they were already inside。 “Of course；？Pilar would answer。 And if anyone was present she would explain：
“I’m happy knowing that people are happy in bed。？
She never charged for the service。 She never refused the favor； just as she never refused the countless men who sought her out； even in the twilight of her maturity； without giving her money or love and only occasionally pleasure。 Her five daughters； who inherited a burning seed； had been lost on the byways of life since adolescence。 Of the two sons she managed to raise； one died fighting in the forces of Colonel Aureliano Buendía and the other was wounded and captured at the age of fourteen when he tried to steal a crate of chickens in a town in the swamp。 In a certain way； Aureliano Jos？was the tall； dark man who had been promised her for half a century by the king of hearts； and like all men sent by the cards he reached her heart when he was already stamped with the mark of death。 She saw it in the cards。
“Don’t go out tonight；？she told him。 “Stay and sleep here because Carmelita Montiel is getting tired of asking me to put her in your room。？
Aureliano Jos？did not catch the deep feeling of begging that was in the offer。
“Tell her to wait for me at midnight？he said。 He went to the theater； where a Spanish pany was putting on The Dagger of the Fox； which was really Zorzilla’s play with the title changed by order of Captain Aquiles Ricardo； because the Liberals called the Conservatives Goths。 Only when he handed in his ticket at the door did Aureliano Jos？realize that Captain Aquiles Ricardo and two soldiers armed with rifles were searching the audience。
“Be careful； captain；？Aureliano Jos？warned him。 “The man hasn’t been born yet who can lay hands on me。？The captain tried to search him forcibly and Aureliano Jos？ who was unarmed； began to run。 The soldiers disobeyed the order to shoot。 “He’s a Buendía；？one of them explained。 Blind with rage； the captain then snatched away the rifle； stepped into the center of the street； and took aim。？
“Cowards！？he shouted。 “I only wish it was Colonel Aureliano Buendía。？
Carmelita Montiel； a twenty…year…old virgin； had just bathed in orange…blossom water and was strewing rosemary leaves on Pilar Ternera’s bed when the shot rang out。 Aureliano Jos？had been destined to find with her the happiness that Amaranta had denied him； to have seven children； and to die in her arms of old age； but the bullet that entered his back and shattered his chest had been directed by a wrong interpretation of the cards。 Captain Aquiles Ricardo； who was really the one destined to die that night； did indeed die； four hours before Aureliano Jos？ As won as the shot was heard he was brought down by two simultaneous bullets whose origin was never established and a shout of many voices shook the night。
“Long live the Liberal party！ Long live Colonel Aureliano Buendía！？
At twelve o’clock； when Aureliano； Jos？had bled to death and Carmelita Montiel found that the cards showing her future were blank； more than four hundred men had filed past the theater and discharged their revolvers into the abandoned body of Captain Aquiles Ricardo。 A patrol had to use a wheelbarrow to carry the body； which was heavy with lead and fell apart like a water…soaked loaf of bread。
Annoyed by the outrages of the regular army； General Jos？Raquel Moncada used his political influence； put on his uniform again； and assumed the civil and military leadership of Macondo。 He did not expect； however； that his conciliatory attitude would be able to prevent the inevitable。 The news in September was contradictory。 While the government announced that it was maintaining control throughout the country； the Liberals were receiving secret news of armed uprisings in the interior。 The regime would not admit a state of war until it was proclaimed in a decree that had followed a court…martial which had condemned Colonel Aureliano Buendía to death in absentia。 The first unit that captured him was ordered to carry the sentence out。 “This means he’s e back；？？rsula said joyfully to General Moncada。 But he himself knew nothing about it。
Actually； Colonel Aureliano Buendía had been in the country for more than a month。 He was preceded by conflicting rumors； supposed to be in the most distant places at the same time； and even General Moncada did not believe in his return until it was officially announced that he had seized two states on the coast。 “Congratulations； dear friend；？he told ？rsula； showing her the telegram。 “You’ll soon have him here。？？rsula was worried then for the first time。 “And what will you do？？she asked。 General Moncada had asked himself tha