Chapter 6, Clearing the Past Summary

On the road to Machu Picchu, Father Sanchez and the narrator see a man and a woman pulled over on the side of the road. Father Sanchez recognizes the woman and stops. The woman is Julia, another manuscript pilgrim. While Father Sanchez speaks with Julia, the narrator is left alone with Julia's companion, Rolando. The narrator feels threatened and refuses to speak with the man except for simple responses to Rolando's questions. Finally, Julia and Rolando must leave.Julia assures the narrator they will meet again.

Back on their own journey, Father Sanchez wants to know if the narrator spoke to Rolando about Wil. When the narrator says he did not, Father Sanchez chastises him for a missed opportunity. Julia and Rolando seeWil at another village and are told he had become separated from the narrator. Father...