Free Renaldo by James McCreath Page B

congratulate
    Lonfranco. They were silenced by the general’s booming voice.
    “Be still, you men! You there, the fighter. Come up here. I want to have a
    word with you.” Lonfranco was now filled with dread, fearing the same fate as
    Tucho. Slowly he made his way to the scaffold.
    “Hurry up, boy, I don’t bite. Not unless I’m hungry, and luckily for you,
    I’ve just had my lunch.”
    Finally, the worker stood only a few feet from the general, and he launched
    into a course of humble apologies.
    “Be quiet, young man! Is it your habit to always think with your fists, or
    do you have a brain in that handsome head of yours?”
    Lonfranco stood there dumbfounded, unable to answer.
    “That was a fine bit of work you just did there, trying to help your friend
    and all, but it would seem that you have left me without a line boss to finish
    my home. What do you expect me to do now?”
    Lonfranco found his tongue instantly.
    “The men will work better with that ogre gone, Señor General. We do
    not have to be beaten and insulted to work hard. It is for every one of us a
    great honor to work on the general’s residence, and we will prove to you that
    Tucho and his likes will not be missed. Besides, Señor General, those men were
    stealing supplies from you. Back in Livorno where I come from, I used to help
    the dock foremen count cargo containers as they came off the ships. When I
    started to work here, I noticed that every morning there was less material on the
    site than the evening before. So I started to count stacks of lumber and cement
    blocks. I am very good with numbers, Señor General. Tucho and his men were
    thieves, as well as tyrants. They will not be missed here, believe me.”
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    RENALDO
    “Well, Mister Shaunaker, what do you think? Should we give them a
    chance to see if they can do it their way?” the general queried. “It’s your neck
    on the line as well!”
    “The boy is a good worker to be sure, General, and the other men all like
    him,” Shaunaker confirmed. “Why don’t we let him be the line boss for a few
    days and see what happens. In any event, it will take me some time to round
    up another group of overseers.”
    “Very well. You have five days, young man. Let’s see if you and the others
    can pull things together and stay on schedule. I will be back for your report at
    that time, but from now on, my visits will be unannounced and spontaneous.
    Things seem to be much more revealing that way.”
    With that, he abruptly turned about-face and was gone. The men stood in
    silence, the image of the general in his crisp military uniform, polished knee-
    high boots, and ostrich-plumed kepi etched in their minds.
    Shaunaker addressed them all, indicating that he would go along with the
    plan only if he could see progress. The men were more than glad to be rid of
    Tucho and his gang, and a new spirit was born on the job site that afternoon.
    Lonfranco continued to do his share of the physical work, but he also
    encouraged and reassured the others in their toil. Not wanting to see the return
    of the likes of Tucho, each man seemed to find new enthusiasm and pride in
    his work. When General San Marco appeared on the site five days later, he was
    full of praise for Shaunaker and his ‘lads.’ He specifically asked about the young
    prize fighter whom he had promoted on his last visit.
    “The boy seems to have a handle on things,” the big Irishman assured
    the general. “The men are working harder than ever, probably out of fear of
    Tucho’s return. Nevertheless, all is running smoothly, so I see no need to make
    a change. By the way, the boy was right about the stealing. I was about to
    make a report to you myself when the topic came up unexpectedly that day. I
    have placed an armed night guard on the site. There will be no further theft,
    General.”
    “Good, I will save some money not having to pay the likes of that rabble
    to steal from me. Get the boy. I want to talk to