Do you get it? A structure, the connections, a narrative arc, but no main character, no hero advancing throughout.”“Interesting,” said Elisabeth wearily.He looked at his watch. “Why are we running late again? It was the same thing yesterday, what are they doing, why does it keep happening?”“Because stuff happens.”“Did you notice the man over there, he looks like a dog on its hind legs! But what causes those delays, why can’t they experiment just once, just like that, and try taking off on time?”She sighed. There were more than two hundred people in the departure lounge. Many of them were asleep, a few others were reading crudely printed newspapers. The portrait of some bearded politician grinned down off the wall under a gaudy flag. A kiosk offered magazines, detective novels, spiritual self-help books by Miguel Auristos Blanco, and cigarettes.“Do you think these airplanes are safe? I mean, they’re really ancient equipment sold on by the Europeans. With us, they’d never even be allowed to take off, it’s no secret, right?”“No.”“Excuse me?”“It’s no secret.”Leo massaged his forehead, cleared his throat, opened and shut his mouth, and blew his nose at considerable length, then looked at her with watering eyes.
