The Pearl - CHAPTER 6: DEATH AND RETURN

1. The Flight

• Kino and Juana make their way out of the village and turn to the north.
• Kino becomes aware of the animal instinct growing stronger in himself which makes him cautious, wary and dangerous.
• Away from the town, they take the road and walk all night, conscious of evil and danger.
• They stopped at a clearing concealed from the road.
• Kino and Juana take turns to sleep, always alert and on guard. Evil is near.
• On surveying the road, he sees travelers coming, two on horseback and one on foot.
• Kino knows the skill of these men.
• They are professional hitmen sent to track Kino like a hunted animal.
• He watches tensely as the hunters approach, examine the road and pass on.
• He knows they will return and search until they find the trail again.
• Kino is determined to flee to the mountain but he has to pass the desert.
• Kino tries to persuade Juana to hide with the baby and lead the trackers into the mountain.
• She refuses.
• They head for a cleft in the mountains.
• They find a small spring of fresh, clean cold water.
• He scans the distance and sees the trackers far away but not too far to catch up by evening.
• He finds a shallow cave to put Juana and Coyotito and blazes a false trail up the side of the mountain.
• He hopes to return to the lowlands after the trackers following the false trail had passed the cave.
  

2. Night Falls

• The trackers arrive at the stream at nightfall.
• They stop to rest and plan to stay till morning.
• Kino decides to attack the trackers. If killed, Juana will hide and escape to another town.
• Juana prays to ward off evil.
  

3. Kino launches his attack

• Kino crawls down the mountain.
• He is quiet and careful.
• Near the trackers, he attacks the first one.
• A cry is heard. One attacker shoots at it.
• Kino leaps and kills him.
• The third man tries to escape but is shot dead.
• Juana’s moaning screams are heard.

4. The Return To La Paz

• Kino and Juana return, heavy-hearted, to La Paz.
• Kino carries a rifle on his arms.
• Juana carries a bloody sack on her shoulders.
• Kino is stone faced, dangerous.
• No one dares to speak or touch them.
• Robot-like, they walk through town.
• The Song Of The Family is a battle-cry and he is immune and terrible.
• At the beach, Kino looks at the pearl and sees all the evil it brought.
• He hears the insane music of the pearl.
• Kino offers the pearl to Juana to throw into the sea.
• She asks him to do it.
• He hurls it with all his might.
• It sinks, covered by drifting and.
• The music of the pearl sinks and disappears.