"Spirits are on the move in Pauline Melville's short-story collection. A South American president revisits the scenes of his ruthless rise to power - shortly after his own funeral. A transformed and sparkling City of London sets the scene for a company chairman's nemesis at the hands of his wife. In Andalucia, the spirit of the duende inspires an elderly widow to dance a death-defying flamenco.

We meet splendacious Mrs da Silva, sixty-five-year-old matriarch of Rebel War Band, as she boogies at Notting Hill Carnival. A steeplejack and his unemployed mate, denizen of Soho drinking clubs, meet up in search of a laugh. The ghost of Dante's Virgil, leading his pilgrim along perilous paths, is brought to mind as one friend guides another on her final journey. An Orinoco parrot has a shocking encounter with Descartes."--BOOK JACKET.