A soldier who without qualms betrayed his comrades and yet was unable to withstand the wounds inflicted by destiny, reaches the end of his life. Confined to a bed, he faces an imminent and demeaning death; but the will that helped him carve his prominent place in society, refuses to give in. Using a brilliant narrative tone, which brings together past, present and future, the conscious, the subconscious, and objective narrative, Fuentes guides us through the very heart of the Mexican revolution, Mexicos political system and the idiosyncrasies of the ruling parties.