Would he smile like that if he knew who I was, or if he knew that I was going to decline his business proposition? He was chewing on a cacao bean again. One could easily break a tooth biting on that. What a pity he’d never tried real chocolate.

“Thinking,” I said. “Look, there’s something I would like to talk to you about. But not here.”

I didn’t want either one of my sisters to hear our conversation.

“Sure.” He scratched his head, looking around. “I have to take care of some business now, but come to my house for lunch.”

I nodded. I was dreading my conversation with him, but I couldn’t hide forever. I had to give him an answer and see how he reacted. This way, I’d be able to tell the kind of person he was. You could better understand someone’s character in moments of anger or crisis. What were his limits? What would he be willing to do to get what he wanted?

* * *

A couple of hours later, I arrived at Martin’s house. Somehow, I’d tamed Pacha enough to bring me. A woman in her fifties with flushed cheeks and a nasal voice opened the door.

“About time!” Martin called from the parlor. “You almost made it to dinner! But don’t just stand there, hombre! Come on in. Have an aperitif.”

As I entered the house, I took in the aroma of something being fried in the kitchen. I glanced at the skylight ceiling, unable to resist its mesmerizing effect.

The maid excused herself and hurried back to the kitchen, where just the other day, Martin had cooked the line-caught bass for me.

“I didn’t know you had a maid,” I said.

“She only comes in the mornings, on weekdays. She has six children in Vinces.” He opened a bottle of aguardiente and served two shots. “Lunch will be ready in a few minutes. You’ll have to excuse Bachita, she’s running late.”

“I understand. This looks like a big house for just one person to do all the work.”

He laughed. “I’m sorry, my friend, but here in Ecuador we’re not used to palaces and rows of servants like in your country.”

I smiled. “I’m sorry to disappoint you, but not everybody in Spain has rows of servants or palaces. My wife and I lived in an apartment that was half the size of your house.”