Сто лет одиночества

           OrsulaIguaran,hiswife,whoreliedonthoseanimalstoincreasetheirpoordomesticholdings,wasunabletodissuadehim."Verysoonwellhavegoldenoughandmoretopavethefloorsofthehouse,"herhusbandreplied.Forseveralmonthsheworkedhardtodemonstratethetruthofhisidea.Heexploredeveryinchoftheregion,eventheriverbed,draggingthetwoironingotsalongandrecitingMelqufades’incantationaloud.Theonlythinghesucceededindoingwastounearthasuitoffifteenth-centuryarmorwhichhadallofitspiecessolderedtogetherwithrustandinsideofwhichtherewasthehollowresonanceofanenormousstone-filledgourd.WhenJoseArcadioBuendfaandthefourmenofhisexpeditionmanagedtotakethearmorapart,theyfoundinsideacalcifiedskeletonwithacopperlocketcontainingawoman’shairarounditsneck.InMarchthegypsiesreturned.Thistimetheybroughtatelescopeandamagnifyingglassthesizeofadrum,whichtheyexhibitedasthelatestdiscoveryoftheJewsofAmsterdam.Theyplacedagypsywomanatoneendofthevillageandsetupthetelescopeattheentrancetothetent.Forthepriceoffivereales,peoplecouldlookintothetelescopeandseethegypsywomananarm’slengthaway."Sciencehaseliminateddistance,"Melqufadesproclaimed."Inashorttime,manwillbeabletoseewhatishappeninginanyplaceintheworldwithoutleavinghisownhouse."Aburningnoondaysunbroughtoutastartlingdemonstrationwiththegiganticmagnifyingglass:theyputapileofdryhayinthemiddleofthestreetandsetitonfirebyconcentratingthesun’srays.JoseArcadioBuendfa,whohadstillnotbeenconsoledforthefailureofbigmagnets,conceivedtheideaofusingthatinventionasaweaponofwar.AgainMelqufadestriedtodissuadehim,buthefinallyacceptedthetwomagnetizedingotsandthreecolonialcoinsinexchangeforthemagnifyingglass.