Chapters 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 Summary

Badajoz is a massively fortified city astride the southern roadway leading from Portugal to Spain. The city is surrounded by massive walls, all of which bear artillery. The walls are reinforced by a ditch with ravelins and a glacis. The northern side of the city is protected by the River Guadiana and the Rivillas Stream. The city has a massive castle, or citadel, on the northern corner, and the southern walls sport eight huge bastions, each packed with artillery and loopholes. Six minor external fortresses are placed around the city at strategic points. The glacis to the west is heavily mined. The Rivillas Stream has been dammed so that it floods a huge expanse on the east of the city, forming a barrier. The city's center features a huge cathedral, and Teresa's family lives in a house next to the cathedral...