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Prologue

Zacarias

I dig a knee into my prisoner’s throat as the clock in the church tower starts to chirowls and thrashes about, but his efforts are futile I tighten the ropes binding his chest and arer

“You hear that?”

The h the still night air I wait for them to end, and then say, “It’s my birthday Today I’m forty years old”

“Happy fucking birthday,” chokesabout

“That is kind of you” I leap to ht over ht stroll, I whistle under e of Atienza are deserted at this hour Up ahead, a skinny cat slinks along the laneway, its tail caressing the ancient stone wall

“I find I’ him a friendly pat on the ru to be married Fifteen whole years as the Black Fox, but it’s ti up my cape”

“Felicidades,” ht?”

I ignore that “I never thought I’d be married, because of the…” I s and swerve the conversation in a different direction “I never thought I’d be married, but I saw her, and I knew”

People say this often, that they fell in love at first sight For me, it wasn’t quite like that I met Valeria Hernandez, and I was overwhel victi man’s folly I would marry Valeria and simply outsmart it

“Valeria is my destiny I feel that in my soul”

“Good for you,” snarls my prisoner

“But do I love her?” I muse aloud, as if my prisoner has asked me “Oh, not exactly What is love, when you respect each other? She likesfor me I will find a new hobby Golf, perhaps”

I griolf But it’s time for in

“As you’re hanging up your cape, Señor, ement?”