Penitente's methods of conducting business have never ceased to amaze me. Elusive, cautious and unpredictable: he always finds ways to be one step ahead of everybody, may it be a friend or a foe. He treats every matter, even the meager ones, with utmost care that he virtually never fails to cover every contingency in his affairs. Never have I met a man so sophisticated, so capable of creating the most elaborate and daring of schemes that he pulls them off without drawing the slightest attention of the government to himself. Practically speaking, he is a shadow behind the curtain, pulling the strings from behind the scenes.
To be honest, I find myself utterly fortunate to be on his good side.
One thing I found mind-boggling about him is that how in the world does he manage to maintain a loose alliance with the tulisanes of Luzon despite being under contract with the government - providing food for the prisoners in Bilibid and the soldiers in the capital city, which was all thanks to his granary business in Nueva Ecija serving as a front. Though under close scrutiny from authorities, not the slightest suspicion from the government was aroused in his seven years of being a covert arms dealer. Did he have a man inside the Malacañang? What sort of demon did he sell his soul to to pull off this kind of thing?
I reached for my pocket watch inside my coat to check the time. It's twenty-eight minutes past seven and he's still nowhere to be seen. The tavern where we're supposed to meet is starting to fill up with patrons and I'm afraid I'll have to leave if he doesn't appear until the last minute.
"I am very sorry for the delay, Doct-!"
With a sudden jolt, I immediately placed my hand on my holster beneath the coat, and turned to face the source of the voice.
"Mierda! Watch where you're pointing that thing!" warned the man.
"Goddamn it! Will you stop appearing out of nowhere, Penitente!" I reprimanded him.
"My apologies. I had to take a detour." he explained.
"Who's this?" I asked, acknowledging the presence of his companion wearing a camisa, with a salakot covering almost half of his face.
I tried to get a glimpse of his features. By the looks of it, he seems to be much older than I am. He had eyes as sharp as the Chinese, a thin and narrow face, thin lips, a small mustache and a brown complexion. He is much taller than I am, and he has the built of a farmer.
"Ahh, yes! Let me introduce you to my personal assistant. This is Perfecto Peralta, he is my....'attaché' - I'm not even sure if that is the right term. But enough of that. I suppose it would be better if we talk inside the tavern, eh?" Penitente invited.
"Attaché, huh? And why are we meeting in a tavern, anyway? It's a place where gossips come and go." I answered in a nuanced tone.
"Come on. You'll see." countered Penitente with a smile, who led me by the shoulder inside the tavern.
At the entrance, a man with a ragged coat sat near, as if guarding it. The man then said, "Good evening. The tavern is full right now and I'm afraid we cannot accomodate more patrons at this hour."
Then, Placido, smiling, replied to him. "Not even for a friend of the bartender?" he said as he produced an odd coin from his pocket and presented it to the guard.
"Oh. Well, in that case, this way please." replied the man, who, upon hearing Penitente's response, stood up and opened the door for us. Curious, I thought to myself.
"After you." invited Penitente as he showed me the door.
As was expected, the tavern is packed with all sorts of people. Ilustrados wearing their coats, smoking cigar in their tables. Women in their fine dresses, serving food and drink to guests. And on some occasions, I spy some dock workers trying their luck with the ladies.
However, as I looked around the place, I felt strange. Everything that's happening at the moment. It felt so...artificial.
"Welcome to The Zodiac Tavern." Penitente announced in Spanish.
"Zodiac Tavern? Such an odd name for a tavern built here in the Philippines." I remarked.
"That hurts my feelings. I was the one who gave it that name." Penitente answered in a sarcastically melodramatic way.
"The owner has terrible taste for nam-....w-wait, so you own this place?" I inquired.
"Yes. Something like that." he answered with a sly smile.
"Then how come the guard in front of the fucking door didn't recognize you?" I hissed, a little bit annoyed and confused.
Hearing this, Penitente smiled. "It's a long story. It's just my style." he said, tapping his left temple with his index finger. As we were walking past a group of patrons seated at their tables, dining and talking amongst themselves, I noticed someone at the far end of the tavern. Behind the polished countertop made of narra, I saw a very beautiful woman. Her face was like an angel, veiled by shoulder-level, jet-black hair. Her eyes sparkled like stars. Her nose straight and perfect, and her lips red and sensual. For a Filipina, she was rather fairer than most girls - almost Russian-like. She wore an elegant dress - a cream-colored top matched with a long red skirt - her perfect bodily proportions showing in her clothes.
"She's something, isn't she?" Penitente asked.
"Yes. She is. Whoever her sweetheart is must be a very fortunate man." I remarked.
"Aye. You want me to introduce you to her?" Penitente asked.
"Get the fuck out of town, man! We're here to talk business." I scoffed jokingly.
"Ehh. Shut up. Come with me." Penitente invited as he walked towards the bar, the man wearing the salakot following closely behind without saying a word.
By the time we arrived at the bar, Penitente immediately reached for a stool and sat facing the girl. I and the man in a salakot followed his example - him sitting next to me and I to Penitente.
The woman was then arranging some wine bottles in a shelf when Penitente produced a cigar from his coat pocket, tucked it between his lips and said in a muffled voice, "Cristina, can you light this for me please?"
"Gladly, Don Penitente." she answered sweetly as she reached for a box of matches just below the counter. Cristina gracefully struck the head of the match against the flint of the box and lit it with one stroke. As she tried to light the cigar, cupping her other hand around the small flame of the match, Penitente suddenly grabbed her free hand and gently massaged her forearm with his thumb. He then took the cigar from his mouth and on top of an ashtray with his free hand and let out a stream of smoke.
"Ahh. Hands as soft and smooth like this one are hard to find nowadays in this country." remarked Penitente, who seemed to revel in his ecstasy.
"Oh, stop it, Don Penitente. I can't work like this." she answered playfully.
"Later then, sweetheart?" he replied as he slowly released his hold of her. "Oh, uh, by the way Cristina,I'd like you to meet Doctor Basilio. He is one of my closest business partners so I want you to give him a warm welcome."
"Good evening, doctor. My name is Cristina Dela Cruz. I am the barkeep of this tavern. Let me know of you require anything." she greeted with a smile.
"A pleasure to meet you. I appreciate the gesture." I answered hastily, giving her only a quick glance before turning to Penitente. "I'm guessing she is not just a barkeep in this tavern."
"An interesting observation." Penitente responded with an amused tone.
I paused for a few moments before continuing the conversation. "I must say that your audacity is admirable, operating closely with the government while trading black market weapons behind their backs." I commented.
"You're right." he courageously declared. "For what would Spain's excuse of a government do against me? I have bested Simoun in every regard! I am securely entrenched in the criminal underworld as I have corrupted every level in their ranks, and for crying out loud, they cannot even rid themselves of their problems within, so why should I worry?"
"You're not worried that your 'assets' within the government will turn against you?" I asked.
"Of course not! I always keep my...shall we say..."deterrence"...in check just in case any of them gets any funny ideas, so none will ever dare. I keep copies of our correspondences to make sure no one gets off the hook. I make sure they all get the message: If I go down, then we'll all go down together. And that goes for you and Isagani as well." Placido sneered.
"Is that right? If I remember correctly, I am your top buyer, and giving threats like that isn't a smart move. You don't want me moving my business somewhere else." I warned him.
"You're not getting my point, are you?" replied Penitente. "This is a precaution. It's not like this is something new to you, now is it?"
"Come now, are we not supposed to be business partners? Do we not help each other greatly? Why would you even arrive to such a conclusion?" I argued.
"That's just how it works in this business. We cover our own asses. There is no room for honor in our line of work. It's just good business." Placido replied in a matter-of-fact tone, taking in a generous amount of air afterwards. He then turns his head towards Cristina, who was busy greeting and serving guests on the other end of the bar. "We'd slit our loved ones' throats if it meant gaining an advantage, Basilio. That's how far down we have gone, you and I, and you above all else knows that to be true. How many men, both innocent and guilty, have we antagonized in the name of power and money? How many friends have we lied to to get to where we are? Hundreds? Thousands? Tell me, have you not slandered and robbed your colleagues of their life's work - their research - in order to get close to the king? Have I not sent many of my fellow Filipinos to their early graves and destroyed numerous lives to gain the power I now enjoy? You know, years back, we were exposed to the philosophies of the likes of Voltaire - that society must be established with the foundations of reason and, above all, morality - and we, ignorant as we come, accept these philosophies with open arms. Were those on the 'moral high ground' made any difference in this country? I've been watching how this country change, and you know what I found? I found out that Niccolo Machiavelli made more sense."
"And on that we can agree. We think alike. Our goals are aligned. We both want one thing and we can help one another get it. We both need each other. You have the manpower and weapons, we have the network of intelligence and connections."
"You are smart as you are zealous, Basilio, and for that I greatly respect you. But I don't believe we think alike in any regard." Placido replied with a wry smile. "Unlike you, I don't see any reason to fight for people who have done nothing for me. I do not indulge in...Quixotism as much as you do, and for that I have decided to set these boundaries between us, despite us being...'fellow underlings' of Simoun. Unlike you, I have no love for this country, this...jungle disguised as a nation. Do you remember the time when you and Isagani were working hard on establishing an academy for Castillan and a great number of your Filipino colleagues didn't really actually gave a damn about the project, when in fact the project was FOR them? You see, I find it pointless to fight for people who do not have the will to win their own war themselves, so I'd rather look after my interests, thank you. I am more than willing to work with you, but not as an ally - just to be clear. I will provide the weapons that you need in exchange for your payment, and we go our separate paths. I want this to be a commensal relationship. This is nothing personal. I hope you understand that."
"I see." I sighed. "Then so be it."
"And that brings me to my agenda for today!" Placido butted in. "So, as you may well know, I am a very discreet man and I don't want word about my activities coming out, especially the government. Therefore, I have arrived to a proposal that I think will benefit you and I. My small network of spies have gotten word of a secret police force being set up by the Malacañan to find out who's responsible for arming tulisanes and the rebels in Mindanao. I want you to track down and provide me the names of its members. You do this, and I shall grant you access to my high-caliber arsenal, all available to you at three-quarts the cost."
"And why exactly would that entice me? I have enough money to buy weapons and ammunition to arm every able-bodied man from Nueva Ecija and Cavite and I still have enough to spare for my other undertakings." I asked, confused by this proposal.
"Well, you can't win a war with those pathetic guns, can you? Sooner or later, you'll need heavy weapons and artillery because you have formidable enemies. If you're thinking of getting high caliber weapons from other arms dealers, be my guest. Good luck winning a war with obsolete weapons. And also, need I remind you that if this threat isn't given attention immediately it will compromise you as well? Who do you think the government will go after next once it destroys me? Don't get me started with you bribing or fighting them off. Your small network of spies will not stand a chance. This current Captain-General is different." answered Placido in a subtly hostile way.
"Alright, you have made a point. But do you not have contacts in the Malacañan? Carambas, you even have a business partnership with the government! Why not use that to your advantage?!" I argued.
He then leans closer to me before answering. "My reach is far and wide, but I can't go very deep. This new Captain-General, this...Leonardo Montes is very cunning as he is discreet. There is not much information I can gather about him aside from his public affiliations...and this! I may be harboring one of the damned Captain General's spies without my knowledge! I may have connections in the inner echelons of the Malacañan, but as far as I can tell, they're just...transactional in nature now because of a change in leadership that occured just last year. However, you, on the other hand...I heard your friend Isagani has made an acquaintance of the Captain General way back before your trip to the Philippines, not to mention you have the favor of the King of Spain!" Placido reasoned. "That's a good start. You are in a good position to deal with these threats."
"You do make a point." I agreed.
"So are we agreed then?" he asked.
Reluctantly, I replied. "Fine. It's not like we have a choice. We'll get the leads."
"Splendid! Oh, and before I forget. I'd like to show you something." Placido continued as he clapped his hands two times in quick succession. "Gentlemen."
At this command, the entire tavern fell silent. Strange, I thought. Are these actors? Has this been a performance all along?
"What is this Placido? Explain yourself." I ordered him.
"These are my men. Once you have the names of the members of the secret police, point me in the right direction and I'll have them hunted down." Placido explained in a matter-of-fact tone.
"All right." I answered in a nonchalant way. "And thus our deal is concluded."
"Excellent." he exclaimed with delight. "Oh, and one more thing. Since we will be coordinating, I'll assign Peralta as your point of contact for this undertaking. He'll be your messenger if anything comes up. Also, if you need a word with the tulisanes, he'll be more than happy to help you."
"You know where the tulisanes are?" I asked Peralta. "Do you happen to know someone with the name Telesforo?"
"Si, señor. I fought alongside him during the time of the Captain-General Aquino." Peralta answered casually.
"Can you lead me to him?" I asked.
"Yes." he said.
"So?" Penitente asked.
I looked at Penitente and smiled. "The man knows Telesforo, and that's just what we needed. Care to lend Peralta as my cochero for the meantime?"
Placido smiled and replied. "We can arrange that."