Сто лет одиночества

           JoseArcadioBuendfa,impassive,didnotlethimselfbefrightenedbythedesperationofhiswife,who,inaseizureofrage,mashedtheastrolabeagainstthefloor.Hebuiltanotherone,hegatheredthemenofthevillageinhislittleroom,andhedemonstratedtothem,withtheoriesthatnoneofthemcouldunderstand,thepossibilityofreturningtowhereonehadsetoutbyconsistentlysailingeast.ThewholevillagewasconvincedthatJoseArcadioBuendfahadlosthisreason,whenMelqufadesreturnedtosetthingsstraight.Hegavepublicpraisetotheintelligenceofamanwhofrompureastronomicalspeculationhadevolvedatheorythathadalreadybeenprovedinpractice,althoughunknowninMacondountilthen,andasaproofofhisadmirationhemadehimagiftthatwastohaveaprofoundinfluenceonthefutureofthevillage:thelaboratoryofanalchemist.BythenMelqufadeshadagedwithsurprisingrapidity.OnhisfirsttripsheseemedtobethesameageasJoseArcadioBuendfa.Butwhilethelatterhadpreservedhisextraordinarystrength,whichpermittedhimtopulldownahorsebygrabbingitsears,thegypsyseemedtohavebeenworndowsebysometenaciousillness.Itwas,inreality,theresultofmultipleandrarediseasescontractedonhisinnumerabletripsaroundtheworld.AccordingtowhathehimselfsaidashespoketoJoseArcadioBuendfawhilehelpinghimsetupthelaboratory,deathfollowedhimeverywhere,sniffingatthecuffsofhispants,butneverdecidingtogivehimthefinalclutchofitsclaws.Hewasafugitivefromalltheplaguesandcatastrophesthathadeverlashedmankind.HehadsurvivedpellagrainPersia,scurvyintheMalayanarchipelago,leprosyinAlexandria,beriberiinJapan,bubonicplagueinMadagascar,anearthquakeinSicily,andadisastrousshipwreckintheStraitofMagel-lan.