The novel takes place at the end of the second decade of the 20th century. in one of the Latin American countries.

In the evenings, under the canopy of the portal of the Lord, beggars and cripples flock from all over the city, accustomed to spending the night on its cold steps. This time they become eyewitnesses of how the dumb fool Pelele, in a fit of wild seizure, kills a passerby who harassed and mocked him. And the next morning they were all taken to the police station, where the circumstances of the night incident, which was an important political case, were being investigated, because the victim was Colonel Jose Parrales Sonriente. The detainees report the same details of the crime that they witnessed, but the military prosecutor does not want to hear from them, and the arrested are beaten and tortured, seeking to admit that the murder was committed by General Eusebio Canales and licensee Abel Carvajal. Only the legless blind man, Mosquito, persists, assuring that the poor are lying with fear and blame the innocent crime, for which Pelele is responsible. So he dies under torture, however, his testimony has no force - because Mosquito is blind. And Pelele, after his deed, fled, mad with fear, and now wanders about in the outskirts of garbage. When the news of the murder of the Colonel reaches the Senior President, he vomits and mosques, and goes to the close ones and to the petitioners who came to the reception. The head of state is sharp-tempered and quick to reprisal, everyone is afraid and trembling, fearing to fall under his hot hand, just a little - and they will beat him to death on his instructions. Only Miguel Cara de Angel, who is “beautiful and treacherous as Satan,” and enjoys the unlimited confidence of the President, is calm and calm. Sly favorite knows how to please with subtle flattery and provides a lot of useful services to his patron, who appreciates him for his mind and courage. So this time he has a delicate errand for his pet: there is an order to arrest Eusebio Canales, but it is not very convenient to send him to prison. We must warn the general and advise him to flee tonight, and help the old crook, without attracting the attention of the police. Reflecting on how to cope with the task, Cara de Angel sips beer in a seedy pub in front of the general's house. But then a girl comes out of the entrance, he jumps out into the street and, having caught up, hands her her business card and asks to tell the general to urgently contact him, because his life is in danger. The stranger is the daughter of Canales - Camila. Returning to the zucchini, Cara de сообщаетngel informs the landlady and her boyfriend Luis Vázquez that he intends to abduct the general’s daughter at night, as the old man hinders their love and even offers Vazquez, an agent of the secret police, to help him. Inspired by the prospect of making good money, Vazquez frivolously blurts out his friend Genaro Rodas and about the fool Pelele, who has been wanted by the police for three days, and about the story of the general’s daughter. Rodas is alarmed: Fedin’s wife said that Camila promised to be their son’s godmother. Horror grips him when Vazquez ruthlessly shoots Pelele who turned up on the road. After a conversation with the favorite of the President, General Canales is depressed and scared, although he despises himself for cowardice. To run means to admit guilt, and yet it is prudent to follow the advice. Returning, he dedicates his daughter to the developed plan. At two in the morning, several people hired by Cara de Angel climb onto the roof of the house. Hearing the noise, Camila will open the window, raise the alarm, thereby diverting the attention of the lords and gendarmes, and Canales, taking advantage of the bustle, will disappear. Waiting for the agreed hour in the courtyard opposite, Cara de Angel reflects on the fact that not generosity, but insidiousness was hidden in the offer of a high patron, the general should be killed when he leaves the house. It is hoped that the greed and self-interest of law enforcement officers, attracted by the opportunity to plunder a rich mansion, will prevail. It is infamous, of course, to take the daughter of the doomed to death, but Camila liked him very painfully. And to what he has come: he was the editor of a newspaper, a diplomat, a deputy, an alcald, and became the leader of a gang. Everything unfolds as planned. The general manages to escape without hindrance, and Karade Angel takes out the girl who has lost her feelings and temporarily hides her in the courtyard. When in the morning Fedina runs to find out what is with Camila, she finds an empty and plundered house. As an accomplice in the escape, she is being arrested, but she has nothing to tell to the constantly repeating question of where the general went. She only repeats that she learned about everything from her husband, whom Vasquez told about this. In the dungeon, her infant dies, and she loses her mind.

These April days, the country celebrates the anniversary of the rescue of the Senior President, whom Providence has saved from a terrorist bomb. During the ceremonial reception, an incomprehensible roar is heard, a panic is present for those present, but it turns out that it was a big drum that rolls down the steps of the main staircase. Cara de Angel goes to the house of the brother of the disgraced general, Juan Canales, with a proposal to shelter his niece, but he behaves like a despicable coward, renouncing his brother and condemning him, he refuses to take care of Camille, not wanting to defame his spotless reputation. Other relatives of the general do the same. At first, Camila did not believe that this could be, it seems to her that Cara de ельngel was lying impudently, especially after the hostess of the vegetable marrow admitted that she had been initiated into his plans. Soon, she personally becomes convinced that everyone has turned away from her, that the girl is seriously ill from everything experienced. The military prosecutor from the denunciations finds out about the meeting of Cara de еляngel with the general on the eve of his escape and hurries to inform the President of the betrayal of the favorite, but he shuts out the favorite. This police is no good, instead of killing Canales in an attempt to escape, she ran to rob his property. Rodas is arrested, and then Vasquez, to whom talkativeness is expensive. Cara de Angel is grieved by the rumors spreading around the city that he had taken the unfortunate girl at night, dragged him into a tavern and raped him. But he behaved with Camila in a knightly way and does not cease to be amazed at his own nobility. How many people he sent to death, and now he saves the life of the drunkard and fanfaron Major Farfan, who is being denounced. Meanwhile, General Canales, after many adventures, reaches the border. On many things his eyes opened, he faithfully served the regime, betraying ideals, native land, people. Now he is determined to fight for a just cause and win. Licensed Carvajal appears before a military tribunal. Fourteen witnesses confirm that they saw how he and General Canales killed the unfortunate Colonel Parrales. The defendant is sentenced to death. Camila at death, Cara de Angel does not leave the patient’s bed. That's how it happens: he abducted her in order to seize power, but suddenly love surged through, like an obsession. He insists that the priest marry him with a dying man. There is an order to appear in the suburban residence of the Senior President. He is drunk and rudely makes fun of the favorite. Cara de Angel is tempted to rush at the owner and crush the vile laugh in his throat, but remains the same obedient, intelligent dog, who is pleased with his portion of leftovers, pleased with the instinct that saved his life. By order of the Senior President, the newspapers publish a message about the marriage of his favorite, where he tops the list of best men, although in reality there was nothing like that. This announcement fell into the eyes of General Canales, could not stand his heart, and he died in a foreign land. “Camila recovered, but as if she died before she passed away. She treats everything around with indifference, and Cara de еляngel holds beside herself as something unique that belonged to her in this alien world. But youth takes its toll, love also comes to it. If they had not been connected by an accident, they would have been happy, the couple think. But clouds gather over them. Cara de Angel, it would seem, was still kindly received by the Senior President and even sent on an important mission to Washington. But he is being detained in the port, and Major Farfan commands the detention. Cara de Angel hopes that it will be possible to escape from the violence, that behavior, boorish tone, severity in dealing with the prisoner is only a maneuver, because Farfan owes him his life. But hopes do not come true, the major with a sadistic pleasure beats him with a whip half to death. In vain Camila is waiting for news from her husband. No one tells her what happened. She has a son, and she lives in complete solitude on the estate. In the underground solitary confinement, a prisoner is tormented, having lost track of days, months, and almost gone crazy. The head of the secret police writes a report to the Senior President that, in accordance with the instructions received, a neighbor has been jailed to cell prisoner number twenty-seven. Having learned from him that in revenge to her husband, who had left her to the mercy of fate, Camila became the lover of the Senior President, the prisoner died. And the portal where Parrales was killed is demolished, destroying to the ground.