The Feast of the Goat

After the assassination, Imbert remains with his cousin Manuel a short time longer before deciding to hide out with Manuel’s sister-in-law, Gladys. She houses him in a small storage closet temporarily, then gives the maid the day off so that he can roam freely. When Gladys returns that evening, she informs him that Manuel has been arrested, so Imbert must leave lest the military and SIM agents find him.

Imbert finds a nearby friend who helps him review options; while discussing, he remembers another friend, Francisco, an ambassador of the Order of Malta whose wife is friends with Imbert’s wife. When Imbert calls, he pretends to be the ambassador’s wife, Guarina; Francisco realizes immediately that it is Imbert because Guarina is already at his house. He picks Imbert up at seven o’clock and takes him back to his house. On the way, he tells Imbert that he has a friend at the Italian consulate with whom Imbert can stay, but only on the condition that not even his wife knows where Imbert is.

Cavaglieri, Francisco’s contact at the Italian consulate, picks Imbert up a couple hours later. Cavaglieri and his wife live alone and have helped fugitives before: “During the six months and three days he lived with them, never, not once, did either one make him feel […] that his presence was in any way an inconvenience” (379).