ke；？she said without surprise。 “crazy from birth。？In time things became less disordered。 The one who came out of the game of confusion with the name of Aureliano Segundo grew to monumental size like his grandfathers； and the one who kept the name of Jos？Arcadio Segundo grew to be bony like the colonel； and the only thing they had in mon was the family’s solitary air。 Perhaps it was that crossing of stature； names； and character that made ？rsula suspect that they had been shuffled like a deck of cards since childhood。
The decisive difference was revealed in the midst of the war； when Jos？Arcadio Segundo asked Colonel Gerineldo Márquez to let him see an execution。 Against ？rsula’s better judgment his wishes were satisfied。 Aureliano Segundo； on the other hand； shuddered at the mere idea of witnessing an execution。 He preferred to stay home。 At the age of twelve he asked ？rsula what was in the locked room。 “Papers；？she answered。 “Melquíades？books and the strange things that he wrote in his last years。？Instead of calming him； the answer increased his curiosity。 He demanded so much； promised with such insistence that he would not mistreat the things； that ？rsula； gave him the keys。 No one had gone into the room again since they had taken Melquíades？body out and had put on the door a padlock whose parts had bee fused together with rust。 But when Aureliano Segundo opened the windows a familiar light entered that seemed accustomed to lighting the room every day and there was not the slightest trace of dust or cobwebs； with everything swept and clean； better swept and cleaner than on the day of the burial； and the ink had not dried up in the inkwell nor had oxidation diminished the shine of the metals nor had the embers gone out under the water pipe where Jos？Arcadio Buendía had vaporized mercury。 On the shelves were the books bound in a cardboard…like material； pale； like tanned human skin； and the manuscripts were intact。 In spite of the room’s having been shut up for many years； the air seemed fresher than in the rest of the house。 Everything was so recent that several weeks later； when ？rsula went into the room with a pail of water and a brush to wash the floor； there was nothing for her to do。 Aureliano Segundo was deep in the reading of a book。 Although it had no cover and the title did not appear anywhere； the boy enjoyed the story of a woman who sat at a table and ate nothing but kernels of rice； which she picked up with a pin； and the story of the fisherman who borrowed a weight for his net from a neighbor and when he gave him a fish in payment later it had a diamond in its stomach； and the one about the lamp that fulfilled wishes and about flying carpets。 Surprised； he asked ？rsula if all that was true and she answered him that it was； that many years ago the gypsies had brought magic lamps and flying mats to Macondo。
“What’s happening；？she sighed； “is that the world is slowly ing to an end and those things don’t e here any more。？
When he finished the book； in which many of the stories had no endings because there were pages missing； Aureliano Segundo set about deciphering the manuscripts。 It was impossible。 The letters looked like clothes hung out to dry on a line and they looked more like musical notation than writing。 One hot noontime； while he was poring over the； manuscripts； he sensed that he was not alone in the room。 Against the light from the window； sitting with his hands on his knees； was Melquíades。 He was under forty years of age。 He was wearing the same old…fashioned vest and the hat that looked like a raven’s wings； and across his pale temples there flowed the grease from his hair that had been melted by the heat； just as Aureliano and Jos？Arcadio had seen him when they were children。 Aureliano Segundo recognized him at once； because that hereditary memory had been transmitted from generation to generation and had e to him through the memory of his grandfather。
“Hello；？Aureliano Segundo said。
“Hello； young man；？said Melquíades。
From then on； for several years； they saw each other almost every afternoon。 Melquíades talked to him about the world； tried to infuse him with his old wisdom； but he refused to translate the manuscripts。 “No one must know their meaning until he has reached one hundred years of age；？he explained。 Aureliano kept those meetings secret forever。 On one occasion he felt that his private world had fallen apart because ？rsula came in when Melquíades was in the room。 But she did not see him。
“Who were you talking to？？she asked him。
“Nobody；？Aureliano Segundo said。
“That’s what your great…grandfather did；？？rsula； said。 “He used to talk to himself too。？
Jos？Arcadio Segundo； in the meantime； had satisfied his wish to see a shooting。 For the rest of his life he would remember the livid flash of the six simultaneous shots…and the echo of the discharge as it broke against the hills and the sad smile and perplexed eyes of the man being shot； who stood erect while his shirt became soaked with blood； and who was still smiling even when they untied him from the post and put him in a box filled with quicklime。 “He’s alive；？he thought。 “They’re going to bury him alive。？It made such an impression on him that from then on he detested military practices and war； not because of the executions but because of the horrifying custom of burying the victims alive。 No one knew then exactly when he began to ring the bells in the church tower and assist Father Antonio Isabel； the successor to “The Pup；？at mass； and take can of the fighting cocks in the courtyard of the parish house。 When Colonel Gerineldo Márquez found out he scolded him strongly for learning occupations repudiated by the Liberals。 “The fact is；？he answered； “I think I’ve turned out to be a Conservative。？He believed it as if it had been determined by fate。 Colonel Gerineldo Márquez； scandalized； told ？rsula about it。
“It’s better that way；？she approved。 “Let’s hope that he bees a priest so that God will finally e into this house。？
It was soon discovered that Father Antonio Isabel was preparing him for his first munion。 He was teaching him the catechism as he shaved the necks of his roosters。 He explained to him with simple examples； as he put the brooding hens into their nests； how it had occurred to God on the second day of creation that chickens would be formed inside of an egg。 From that time on the parish priest began to show the signs of senility that would lead him to say years later that the devil had probably won his rebellion against God； and that he was the one who sat on the heavenly throne； without revealing his true identity in order to trap the unwary。 Warmed up by the persistence of his mentor； in a few months Jos？Arcadio Segundo came to be as adept in theological tricks used to confuse the devil as he was skilled in the tricks of the cockpit。 Amaranta made him a linen suit with a collar and tie； bought him a pair of white shoes； and engraved his name in gilt letters on the ribbon of the candle。 Two nights before the first munion； Father Antonio Isabel closeted himself with him in the sacristy to hear his confession with the help of a dictionary of sins。 It was such a long list that the aged priest； used to going to bed at six o’clock； fell asleep in his chair before it was over。 The interrogation was a revelation for Jos？Arcadio Segundo。 It did not surprise him that the priest asked him if he had done bad things with women； and he honestly answered no； but he was upset with the question as to whether he had done them with animals。 The first Friday in May he received munion； tortured by curiosity。 Later on he asked Petronio； the sickly sexton who lived in the belfry and who； according to what they said； fed himself on bats； about it； and Petronio； answered him： “There are some corrupt Christians who do their business with female donkeys。？Jos？Arcadio Segundo still showed so much curiosity and asked so many questions that Petronio lost his patience。
“I go Tuesday nights；？he confessed。 “if you promise not to tell anyone I’ll take you next Tuesday。？
Indeed； on the following Tuesday Petronio came down out of the tower with a wooden stool which until then no one had known the use of； and he took Jos？Arcadio Segundo to a nearby pasture。 The boy became so taken with those nocturnal raids that it was a long time before he was seen at Catarino’s。 He became a cockfight man。 “Take those creatures somewhere else；？？rsula ordered him the first time she saw him e in with his fine fighting birds。 “Roosters have already brought too much bitterness to this house for you to bring us any more。？Jos？Arcadio Segundo took them away without any argument； but he continued breeding them at the house of Pilar Ternera； his grandmother； who gave him everything he needed in exchange for having him in her house。 He soon displayed in the cockpit the wisdom that Father Antonio Isabel had given him； and he made enough money not only to enrich his brood but also to look for a man’s satisfactions。 ？rsula pared him with his brother at that time and could not understand how the twins； who looked like the same person in childhood； had ended up so differently。 Her perplexity did not last very long； for quite soon Aureliano Segundo began to show signs of laziness and dissipation。 While he was shut up in Melquíades？room he was drawn into himself the way Colonel Aureliano Buendía had been in his youth。 But a short time after the Treaty of Neerlandia； a piece of chance took him out of his withdrawn self and made him face the reality of the world。 A young woman who was selling numbers for the raffle of an accordion greeted him with a great deal of familiarity。 Aureliano Segundo was not surprised； for he was frequently confused with his brother。 But he did not clear up the mistake； not even when the girl tried to soften his heart with sobs； and she ended taking him to her room。 She liked him so much from that first meeting that she fixed things so that he would win the accordion in the raffle。 At the end of two weeks Aureliano Segundo realized that the woman had been going to bed alternately with him and his brother； thinking that they were the same man； and instead of making things clear； he ar