Summary

An infiltrator and saboteur, Salvatore Loreto, has been captured at a hospital. Lewis is sent to decide whether Loreto is in good enough health to be imprisoned. The ward is run by Sister M. of the 100th General in Algeria. Loreto is horribly wounded and incoherent. The man will die within a day or two. On the 12th, the section is ordered to move to Benevento to take over security there from a Canadian section who were leaving. They go to Benevento, an ancient city of 50,000 that had been destroyed for no reason. The poverty there is awful. The Canadians had a bad reputation; the sergeant major whipped many of the people.

Lewis writes about the town Marshal, Francesco Altamura, of the secret police. He is now at Lewis's disposal. That evening, Altamura takes Lewis to meet the town's important people. Lewis describes some...