“And what does this card mean?”

“Depends on the interpretation.”

Juan slid the pencil into the pocket of his impeccable white shirt. He didn’t look sick, but she knew he was gravely ill. Why have they hidden him from me these past years? she wondered then. She found out soon enough, and it was brutal.

She still had that drawing, that moon, those dogs.

Gaspar, clean and sleepy looking, sat down in another of the hammock chairs. It wasn’t going to rain anymore, but night was falling damp and dark. Guillermito, the boy who worked in Tali’s house, turned on the patio and deck lights. Juan unbuttoned his shirt and shook it to dry his sweat a little. I’ll bring you the fan, offered Tali. No, don’t worry, he said.

“They must be looking for you.”

“They can’t find me. It’s harder to keep up the secret now, but I can still do it.”

“Betty isn’t coming this year, either?”

“Nothing has changed regarding her and her daughter. She can’t attend the Ceremonial until they decide what to do with the girl. Things are very convenient for her, for now. We’ll see what happens once they figure out what to do with her daughter, which will probably mean taking her away from Betty.”

“Che, you know they have new dogs there in Reyes. I’m terrified of them, they’re huge, they look like horses. There’s a black one that must be a meter and a half tall, named Nix.”

“A dog can’t be a meter and a half tall, don’t exaggerate.”

“What’s Nix?” Gaspar asked suddenly.

“Juancito, this child is dangerous, he hears everything.”

“Nyx is the name of the Greek goddess of night. She is the night.”

“Is that in my book?”

“I don’t think so, she’s a forgotten god. I told you about the forgotten gods. They had very few worshippers and they dwindled more over time, and finally people stopped telling stories about them.”

“That’s really sad.”

“It is sad, yes. But we do know some things about Nyx. She was married to Erebus, who is darkness, which is not the same thing as night. You can find darkness during the day, for example. And she had two sons, fraternal twins, Hypnos and Thanatos. Hypnos is sleep and Thanatos is death. They look alike, but obviously they’re not the same.

“And do they all live together?”

“We don’t know that, so imagine whatever you like.”

Juan looked at Tali and told her Gaspar was reading a book on legends. I promised him I’d show him the ceiba tree, for Anahí. In a low voice, Tali said, This one’s going to get pretty bored in school.

Guillermito came over to the table. I need you to go find a small mattress for Gaspar, Tali told him. Ask Karina, she’s got tons. A girl hardly older than Gaspar peered around the corner of the hallway. Her knees were muddy and her hair was in two messy braids.