“No, I forgot my card so I walked downstream and waded through the river. Its shallow right now.”
“Uh huh.” The tall old man rubbed his chin, thinking, then said, “Follow me.” They started down a long hall, and he stopped beside the butler and said, “You boys go ahead, I’ll be with you in a moment.”
Adan and Dario passed by the two and continued down the hall, going slow and stopping to look at all the western artwork hanging along the walls: Remington, Russel, Catlin, and others. Dario whispered, “You think these are real?”
Adan nodded, remaining silent as he thought of their worth.
Winston watched them until they were far enough away before telling his butler, “Call the Border Patrol, tell them there’s a couple of wetbacks at the house. Tell them to come quick.” The butler nodded and left as Winston masked his thoughts with a smile and walked to catch up with the two unsuspecting boys.
“Let’s look in here first, since you mentioned the red room.” He opened the door and ushered them inside, where there were several man-sized, clear Lucite display cases showing six-foot tall pieces of dark rock that had blood red crystals imbedded across the face. Recessed lighting angled to best display the items showed the crystals so well they seemed to emanate light from within. Both boys had their mouths open as they stepped closer, so close their faces glowed with the reflected light off the crystals.
“The walls are painted in what is called vermillion, made from powdered cinnabar. Because it is poisonous, I have the walls coated with a clear finish.
Adan said, “It’s like the reddest sky I’ve ever seen.”
“Yes. A deep, rich, blood red.” Hart nodded, pleased at the boy’s response because that was how he thought of the color. “Come now, I’ll show you more.”
They re-entered the hall and continued down to where it intersected another hall running perpendicular, and with both the left and right halls extending some distance. A door opened near them and two men came into view. They stopped momentarily, whispered to one another, then came over to join the boys and the patriarch.
“Hey dad, what you got here?”
“This is Dario and Adan. I’m letting them see some of the house.”
He looked at the man with him and said, “Saw them at the golf course the other day.” He reached his hand forward, “I’m Mike.” He inclined his head to the man with him, “This is Ellis.”
Adan and Dario introduced themselves, using only their first names. Winston pointed at Adan, “His last name is Villa.”
Mike’s eyes sharpened, “Villa, huh?”
Adan felt wary, like a mouse that’s been spotted in the open. He thought fast and lied, “Yes, my family was originally from San Juan Del Rio, in Durango, where the great revolutionary patriot Pancho Villa was born. My grandfather took his name in admiration, as did my father.”
“Do you know his real name?” Winston asked.
“I say it with pride, Doroteo Arango de Arámbula, from my homeland.”
Winston didn’t believe the little bastard about where he came from, but he didn’t let on. “Wonderful, let me show you the magic cool air you mentioned.”
Mike and Ellis watched them leave, then walked toward the front door, with Ellis turning once to watch the boys.
“Where to?” He asked Mike.
“Lajitas at the golf course, some of the golf wives and their home-from-college daughters should be getting through right now.” He grinned, “There’s some holes I haven’t played yet.”
Ellis nodded, “Always striving for perfection, aren’t you?”
They left by the front door and drove towards the town, golf bags showing in the rear of the SUV.
Winston led the two boys to the end of the hall where double doors ended it. He opened one side and motioned the boys through, then followed them. He didn’t like these little Mexican pests, but he was proud of how the house was cooled
Adan heard a faint humming beyond the second set of double doors, and as the older man opened them, it became louder, but not by much. They entered a large room with tubes six-feet in diameter showing behind a fenced darkness that was one portion of a wall. Winston said, “behind there is a cave where the cool wind comes from. It goes into the hill behind the house for a good distance, and branches into smaller tunnels that bring the air from inside the cave and out through here. We harness it and send it through the tubes to air conditioning ducts placed throughout the home. The air is a constant sixty degrees. If it is cold outside, the sixty-degree air feels quite warm, and of course on the hot days it cools the house.”
Dario said, “Have you ever gone through the cave to the other openings?”
“Only the primary cave, but not after it branches.”
Adan said, “This is wonderful.”
Winston thought so as well. “Have you seen enough?”