On Sunday, 21 July, at 1700, the gunboat Yorktown dropped anchor in the Mexican port of Salina Cruz. Three men stood waiting at the dock: the British consul; Alicia’s father, Don Félix Rovira; and the German fellow, Gustav Schultz. Captain Perril ordered the admittance of Don Félix to the cabin where his daughter awaited him. That night he wrote in his diary that he saw them embrace with such emotion that, for the first time in many years, he could not hold back his tears. That they sat together, in silence, looking into each other’s eyes, very moved, and holding hands tightly. Perril also wrote that he left them alone in the cabin, and when he returned, half an hour later, they were still in the same position he had left them, unable to utter a word.
Epilogue
CLIPPERTON CEASED BEING under Mexican authority in 1931 due to a decision favorable to France by King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy. Aside from crabs, boobies, and a French flag, which flies like a faded bedsheet hung out to dry in the sun, the only things standing on the isle are the thirteen coconut palm trees planted by Gustav Schultz.
Acknowledgments
IN ORIZABA:
Alicia Arnaud (Mrs. Loyo)
IN COLIMA:
Carlos Ceballos
Genaro Hernández
IN MEXICO CITY:
Colonel N.N.
Rodrigo Moya
Carlos Payán
Paco Ignacio Taibo II
Roberto Bardini
IN BOGOTÁ:
Carmen Restrepo
Helena de Restrepo
Guillermo Angulo
Mireya Fonseca
Alvaro Tafur
Ramiro Castro
Gonzalo Mallarino
To Alex Knight, wherever he is.
To Chiqui, wherever he hides.
To the Teacher, in the desert.
To Eduardo Camacho, forever.
To Fernando Restrepo, from afar.
To Dolores M. Koch, for her impeccable translation.
About the Author
Nina Subin
LAURA RESTREPO is the bestselling author of six novels, including The Dark Bride, A Tale of the Dispossessed, and Delirio, which received Spain’s prestigious Alfaguara Prize in 2004. She lives in Colombia.
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