The Old Man Who Read Love Stories

Antonio leads the search party to find out what happened to Alkaseltzer Miranda. The mayor joins the men armed with a Smith & Wesson and a blue oilskin that “emphasized his bulging contours” (87). The men laugh as sweat pours off of him. The going is rough due to thick mud. Because of his dress and boots, the mayor is slow and sweaty. When he loses one of his boots in the mud, he orders the men to retrieve it, but they decline because scorpions live in the mud. Not believing them, the mayor digs for his boots, but Antonio fishes a scorpion out of the mud to show the mayor. So, the mayor removes the other boot and walks barefoot like everyone else. The men tell the mayor to “use your ass when you climb” (91), calling him “excellency.” The forest darkens with thunderclouds, so they stop for the night.

The mayor wants to build a fire, but Antonio explains that it will keep them from seeing the cat. That night Antonio keeps watch first. While the others sleep, Antonio hears loud splashing and recalls how the Shuar warned him about the giant catfish in the rivers that could kill him with one swipe of their tail.