Summary

This chapter is again written in a series of columns. The Saturn columns are in third person: the other columns are in first person.

Saturn – From a vantage point above El Monte, Saturn watches as the people of the town go about their business. He then descends into the home of Federico and Little Merced: he sees the latter sleeping, and the former again combating sadness with fire and pain. He watches as Federico pulls out “two slabs of lead from the shell of a tortoise.”

Little Merced – Little Merced wakes up to find her bed and room littered with debris left behind by what she believes to have been Saturn passing through. She refers to being cut by Saturn later, blood on her shorts and sheets. When she tells Federico, he laughs, tells her not to worry, and calls Sandra.

Sandra – Sandra...