As he played and played the piano, the dazzled musician began to notice that Santa was not mistaken. The other girls, and even Pepa, gave indications that they had grown tired of Santa's status as Elvira's pet. They wouldn't tolerate it any more. No longer content merely to list her defects and criticize them, they exaggerated her defects in spirited conversations dedicated, more or less, to eating Santa alive. It was the kind of unrest that undermines thrones of “queens.” A good thing, then, thought Hipólito, that he was there, ready to protect Santa against any secret threat by foiling the plans of malevolent plotters. Sitting quietly at the piano, feigning distraction, he cocked an ear and soon confirmed the seriousness of the conspiracy, which had spread to neighboring brothels no longer disposed to tolerate Santa's irritating and still-increasing hegemony among the clientele. The plan, as Hipólito was able to discern by assembling fragmentary evidence, was to circulate a rumor saying that Santa was sick, rotten, in fact, that she had bribed her way out of the hospital, that her innards stank like Brazilian swamp water, and who knows how many other infamous lies they would tell! They would say whatever it took to scare away the customers, the perennial procession that until now had never tired of tasting the dubious attractions of the arrogant village girl, whatever it took to bring her down a few notches and divert the stream of silver pesos that accumulated ceaselessly in her bed alone. Weren't the other girls worth something too? Of course they were! Worth as much or more!

Hipólito was alarmed, indeed, that he had failed to sniff out the conspiracy at the outset, and he swore to make up for it by giving Santa an exact and thorough report on the enemy forces that had revealed themselves to his intelligence.

What with the fruits of Hipólito's information gathering, on the one hand, and of Santa's dinner discussion with Rubio, the two allies had a lot to report the following evening. They chatted at the piano, in their old way, as he played her his “Welcome” and her other favorite tunes. And it was to the amorous strains of pieces composed in her honor, that Santa announced her big news:

“We're all set, Hipo. Rubio made me a great offer, and I accepted it. So unless some big problem comes up, let's see, today's Tuesday … day after tomorrow or Saturday at the latest, I'll be in my own place, with furniture and two servants, on Ayuntamiento Street. Do you know where that is?”

Hipólito knew the location of every street in Mexico City, and he reluctantly accepted this second abduction of Santa with the thought that, even if it lasted longer than her stay with el Jarameño, and he suspected that it would, she would be less at risk than if she were to remain at Elvira's house. The prospect tore at his insides, but yesterday's kiss, with its lingering aftertaste of unearthly wellbeing, a taste that he had savored ever since with solitary and silent enjoyment, kept him from opposing his idol's plans in any way.