The Fountains of Silence: A Novel

Daniel stops at Nick’s party, and he looks at some of the photographs hanging on the wall in Nick’s home. Ana is in one of them, with Nick. Nick repeats that he and Ana are “friends. Nothing more” (316), but Daniel is unconvinced.

At the hotel, Ana talks to Nick, who tells her that Daniel saw the photo and became very upset. Ana also tells Nick that she’s been getting notes again. Angry, Nick threatens to tell everyone the truth, that his “father, Shephard Van Dorn, the dashing foreign affairs officer, is a louse and a first-class creep” (318).

Before Ana worked at the hotel, she worked for the Van Dorns. Shep made a pass at Ana, and when she refused, he tried to claim that Ana and he had “an arrangement.” Nick indicates that Shep has done this before, and Ana explains to Nick, “I just want to tell Daniel that I used to work for your family. That you’re like a brother to me and you saved me from bad circumstances and got me the job at the Hilton” (319).

Daniel and Ana meet at the museum, and Ana tells him that she used to work for the Van Dorns. When she was in their employ, someone falsely accused her of something, and Nick helped her find a new job. Ana is more concerned about who took Daniel’s photos, and Daniel convinces her to have dinner with him in his hotel room, supposedly to figure out who might have taken his pictures.

Ana agrees and then leaves, telling Daniel to visit the museum. Sorollo is her favorite artist because, when she looks “at Sorollo’s pictures of the wind and the water” she feels “what it might be like—to be free” (323).

Rafa waits for Fuga at the graveyard, hoping to convince Fuga to let Daniel take pictures of the coffins. He believes this will “bring Fuga peace” and allow him to “focus on bullfighting” (323). Rafa spots Fuga and wishes for his calm. Fuga lives in el momento, the moment. For Fuga, the past is gone, and the future is a blank canvas.

Rafa tells Fuga he must focus on becoming a matador, so that once he has power and wealth he can help the children. He also convinces Fuga to allow Daniel to come take photographs, telling Fuga to “[l]et [Daniel] share these dangerous stories and the consequences. You stick to the bulls” (325). 

At the clinic, Puri helps a woman in labor and thinks about the possibility that she was adopted. After a couple of hours, Puri hears the newborn’s loud wail. The doctor has Puri sit with the woman, who is sedated, with instructions to come get him when she wakes. The father arrives, and Puri tells him that she will find the doctor.

When Puri returns from getting the doctor, the father is sobbing. He asks Puri how he will be able to tell his wife that their baby died. Puri is shocked; she knows the baby was born healthy. She tries to question the doctor, but he behaves as if Puri is hysterical about the death of the infant and sends her home. He tells her that the baby’s death was most likely due to the mother’s failure to take care of herself. He then directs Puri to pray “for this young mother. And speak of it to no one” (329).

Puri goes to the hotel to speak to Ana, but Carlitos tells her that Ana is busy. Rafa arrives and asks her if she still works at the Inclusa; Puri says they are busy, that there “are always people who don’t want their children.” Rafa disagrees, and says that everyone wants their children, but “sometimes life commands other things” (330). Puri recalls the letters she read at the Inclusa and knows that Rafa is wrong, but she says nothing.

Rafa asks Daniel to come to the cemetery to take photographs. Daniel agrees and gets permission from Rafa to come to the slaughterhouse, to take pictures there as well. When Rafa leaves, Puri talks to Daniel about asking questions and keeping secrets. He gives her some advice and promises to tell Ana that Puri wants to speak to her.

Lorenza interrupts their conversation, warning Puri she could get a yellow card for prostitution, a warning sent to the homes of young girls who are seen behaving immodestly with a man. Puri runs away, and Lorenza asks Daniel if he wants to take a picture of her. Daniel notices that her “uniform is a size too small. Purposely. Her bright red lips and black hair match the flag of the Falange” (334). He tells her he is out of film and returns to the hotel.

Daniel manages to avoid dinner with his parents, claiming to want to spend time with some friends of Nick’s. Ana tells her friends she is going to visit Puri and comes to Daniel’s room at 11 o’clock to have dinner with him. Ana is nervous about breaking the rules, but Daniel reassures her that “[n]o one will ever know” (336).

Ana tells Daniel how to order dinner for them without letting the staff know that she is there. She tries to get Daniel to understand how much the staff knows about guests, but he is just happy she is there. Despite her fear, Ana finally decides to stop worrying; she is with a handsome boy who likes her. For one night, she will let it all go: “Threats, yellow cards, war, fear, and silence fall like leaves from a tree abandoning its season […] One night. She will allow herself this one night” (341).

Daniel and Ana spend the whole night together. Ana leaves at 6:30 in the morning to go to work, and Daniel gives her a book he bought at the Sorollo Museum. He is too happy to sleep and makes plans for the future: He will attend university in Madrid and work with Miguel. He also plans to enter the photo competition and find out if Ben can get him a job in the Madrid Bureau of the Tribune. He also considers asking Mr. Van Dorn for a press job at the embassy.

Eventually, Daniel falls asleep and is awakened by his parents, who want him to join them for breakfast. Daniel is shocked to see that Laura Beth is with them.