by Brooks Williams
Guadalupe Roncal
A reporter covering the murders in Santa Teresa that Fate meets in the bar of the hotel where most of the other sportswriters are staying (Sonora Resort) (295-296). She says that investigating the murders is extremely dangerous. She fears for her life. Fate agrees to accompany her to visit the chief suspect in the murders. Rosa Amalfitano accompanies Guadalupe and Fate to the prison to meet the killer (344).
Rosa Amalfitano
Meets Fate at the Fernandez/Pickett fight (309). Fate rescues her from Charly Cruz’s house and brings her back to his hotel (323). Fate accompanies her to her house where he meets her father, Oscar Amalfitano (342-344). At the request of her father (343), Fate takes Rosa to the United States so that she can return to Spain (347).
Chucho Flores
A reporter covering the Fernandez/Pickett fight. He and Fate go to a bar after the press event at the Fernández event and meet Charly Cruz and Rosa Méndez (278-279).  Was Rosa Amalfitano’s boyfriend (329-337).
Charly Cruz
Friend of Chucho Flores. Owns three video stores (279).  Tells Fate the story of Robert Rodrigez’s first film (280-281).  Fate meets up with him again at the Fernández/Pickett fight and they (Chucho Flores, Charly Cruz, Rosa Amalfitano, Rosa Méndez, Juan Corona go back to Charly Cruz’s place where he shows Fate the Robert Rodriguez film (320).
Rosa Méndez
She has dated both Charly Cruz and Chucho Flores. Fate finds her passed out on a bed in Charly Cruz’s house (232). She appears to be Rosa Amalfitano’s only female friend. She tells Rosa Amalfitano about sleeping with policemen (“…like being fucked by a mountain in a cave inside the mountain itself…”) and sleeping with narcos (“…like being fucked by the desert air…”) (328-329).
Minor Characters
Kahlil
Member of the Mohammedan Brotherhood (292). Meets with Fate to discuss the Mohammedan Brotherhood.
Ibrahim
Member of the Mohammedan Brotherhood. Meets with Fate to show the charitable work of the Brotherhood (293).
Juan Corona
Meets Fate at the Fernández/Pickett fight (309). Appears to be dating Rosa Méndez. Gets punched out by Fate (324).
The Fourth Man
A mysterious individual that rode with Fate on the way to Charly Cruz’s house (319). He doesn’t speak. If I had to guess, I suspect he was part of some kind of plot of Charly Cruz’s to rob/kidnap/murder/etc. the group that Charly Cruz has invited to his house. That would explain the checking of the watch – waiting for accomplices maybe?
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Osama Bin Laden (1957 – ) – Leader of the terrorist organization al-Qaeda, best known for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian targets.
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Mohammed Atta (1968 – 2001) – Member of al-Qaeda who participated in the September 11 attacks on the United States.
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Denzel Washington (1954 – ) – African American Actor. Portrayed Malcolm X in 1992’s Malcolm X. Won an Academy Award for Best Actor in 2001 for Training Day.
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Barry Guardini – Fictional film director
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Professor J. Plateau – Professor at the University of Ghent (Belgium). A defense of his “general Theory of the Visual Appearances which arise from the Contemplation of Coloured Objects” can be found here
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Wolfgang Paalen (1905 – 1959) – Austrian-Mexican surrealist painter. Created a technique called fumage in which the smoke from a candle or lap is used to create patterns on a canvas. Paalen would them paint over these patterns using oils.
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David Lynch (1946 – ) – American filmmaker, known for his surreal films. Works of note include Blue Velvet, Lost Highway and Mullholland Drive.
Michael Jackson (1958 – 2009) – African-American singer and dancer. Known as the King of Pop.
