aveman withThe next morning Less is awakened at six, as planned, in-troduced to a cup of coffee, and led into a black van withsmoked windows; Arturo is there with two new friends, whoseem to speak no English. Less looks for the Head, to fore-stall disaster, but the Head is nowhere in sight. All of this isin the predawn darkness of Mexico City, with the sound ofawakening birds and pushcarts. Arturo has also hired anotherguide (presumably at the festival‘s expense): a short athleticgray hair and wire glasses. His name is Fernando,
and he turns out to be a history professor at the university.
He tries to engage Arthur in a discussion of the highlightsof Mexico City and whether Less is interested in seeingthem, perhaps after Teotihuacán (which has not yet been de-scribed). There are, for example, the twin houses of DiegoRivera and Frida Kahlo, surrounded by a fence of spinelesscactus. Arthur Less nods, saying this morning he feels like aspineless cactus. "Sorry?" the guide asks. Yes, Less says, yes,
he would like to see that.