Section 9 Summary

The Six Days War is as brief as its name and Carla, who is working in Rome at the American Embassy, has been denied her request to return to Libya. It is now late summer and hopes of a return to Tripoli are fading. Nonetheless, Carla still gazes in the direction of Libya every day, as she walks to work.

Carla is employed as a translator, although her real skills are those for which embassies have always hired women, her ability to make important connections through social contacts and to glean information from unsuspecting men caught up in a charming smile.

One night, Carla attends an elegant event at a palazzo, where she mingles among important people and occasionally pauses to admire the grand art. As Carla moves through the room, her eyes land on a group of people surrounding a dignified British...