Chapter 2 Summary

Yvonne, the consul's estranged wife, returns to Quauhnahuac. On her journey through town, she reflects on the possible meanings of the town's name. One theory says it means cold mountain water, or where the eagle stops.

Yvonne finds the consul alone in a bar. She asks what he has done in the year since she left. Frequently, yelling in and around the bar interrupts their conversation. Inwardly, Yvonne despairs of Geoffrey's obvious alcoholism.

The consul, seemingly impervious to Yvonne's dismay, points out two women nearby, playing dominoes. He discusses the festival set to begin in the town that night. They walk back home through the town. A man they pass makes fun of the consul's bad Spanish.

They pass Laruelle 's house, and the consul points out that he still lives there, though the consul seems ignorant of any sort of past between...