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"Of course," María said. "Father, I know this is difficult. But it's important. Do you have any idea who might have done this?"

He shook his head. "Adolfo was going to the radio station last night," he sobbed. "That is all I know. I do not know what business he had there other than to deliver a tape recording. I came back this morning on my way to bless the waters. I wanted to see if he was all right. I found him like this."

"You saw no one coming or leaving?"

"No one."

María regarded him for a moment longer. Her brow was deeply knit, her eyes smouldering. "One question more. Father. Can you tell us where to find the Ramirez boatworks?"

"Ramirez," the priest said. He took a long tremulous breath. "Dolfo mentioned him. My brother said that Ramirez and his friends were responsible for killing an American."

"Yes," said María. She cocked a thumb over her shoulder. "They killed this woman's partner."

"Oh-I'm so sorry," Norberto said to Aideen. His eyes returned to María. "But Ramirez is dead. My brother-saw to that."

"I know," María said.

"What do you want with his people?"

"To talk to them," María said. "To see if they were involved in this." She nodded toward Adolfo. "To see if we can prevent more murders, stop the fighting from escalating."

"Do you think that's possible?"

"If we get to them in time," María said. "If we learn what they know about Amadori and his people. But please, Father. We must hurry. Do you know where the factory is?"

Norberto took another deep breath. "It's northeast along the shore. Let me come with you."

"No," said María.

"This is my parish-"

"That's right," she said, "and your parish desperately needs your help. I don't. If the people panic, if their fear frightens away tourists, think what will happen to the region."

Norberto bowed his forehead into his hand.

"This is a lot to ask of you now, I know," María said. "But you have to do this. I'm going to go to the factory to talk with the workers. If what I think is happening is happening, then I know who the enemy is. And maybe it's not too late to stop him."

Norberto looked up. He pointed behind him without turning. "Dolfo thought he knew who the enemy was. He paid for that belief with his life. Perhaps with his soul."

María locked her eyes on his and held them. "Thousands of others may join him if I don't hurry. I'll phone the local police from the car. They'll take care of your brother."

"I'll stay with him until then."

"Of course," María said, turning toward Aideen.

"And I will pray for you both."

"Thank you," María said. She stopped and turned back. "While you're at it. Father, pray for the one who needs it most. Pray for Spain."

Less than two minutes later they were back in the car and heading northeast across the river.

"Are you really just going to talk to the factory workers?" Aideen asked.

María nodded once. "Do me a favor?" she said. "Call Luis. Autodial star-seven. Ask him to locate General Rafael Amadori. Tell him why."

"No encryption?"

María shook her head. "If Amadori is listening somehow and comes after us, so much the better. It'll save us the trouble of finding him."

Aideen punched in the code. Luis's cellular beeped and he answered at once. Aideen passed along María's request and told him about Adolfo. Luis promised to get right on it and call them back. Aideen folded away the phone.

"Who is Amadori?" she asked.

"A scholar," she said. "He's a military general too, but I don't know much about his career. I only know him as a published author of articles about historic Spain."

"Obviously, they alarm you."

"Very much so," María said. She lit a cigarette. "What do you know about our national folk hero El Cid?"

"Only that he beat back the invading Moors and helped unify Spain around 1100. And there was a movie about him with Charlton Heston."

"There was also an epic poem and a play written by Corneille," María said. "I staged it once at my theater. Anyway," she went on, "you are partly right about El Cid. He was a knight-Rodrigo Diaz of Vivar. From