Condor

The novel takes place in New York City and Cotopoxi, Ecuador. The story begins in Ecuador in the village of Cotopoxi next to the Rain Forest and not far from the mountain Cotopaxi where condors make their nest. At Jorge's insistence, Calos and Jorge go on a hunt for a condor. Jorge tells Calos that if they capture a condor then the power of the great bird will be their power. Calos, the pequeño (the small one), reluctantly goes with Jorge who is the more physically powerful and...
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The novel takes place in New York City and Cotopoxi, Ecuador. The story begins in Ecuador in the village of Cotopoxi next to the Rain Forest and not far from the mountain Cotopaxi where condors make their nest. At Jorge's insistence, Calos and Jorge go on a hunt for a condor. Jorge tells Calos that if they capture a condor then the power of the great bird will be their power. Calos, the pequeño (the small one), reluctantly goes with Jorge who is the more physically powerful and resolute of the two. Exhausted from their Cotopoxi mountain climb, the two fall asleep under a tree. When they awaken they discover the Condor and his mate have landed in the branches above their heads. Jorge quickly lets loose an arrow at one of the condors and kills the female. Enraged, the condor's mate dives at Calos and swoops him up. But Calos grabs a branch and thwarts the Condor from flying off with him. Jorge, in the meantime, fits another arrow to his bow and looses this at the Condor. He strikes him through the wing and into one eye. The Condor, in pain, releases Calos and flies off. Despite his suffering, the Condor circles on high and observes the two Cotopaxi Indians returning home. The Condor plans to revenge his dead mate.

Calos marries, and in fear of the Condor who stalks him, flees to New York with his new wife, Serena. There they open a restaurant, Serena's Comidas Cafe.

The Condor leaves Ecuador and flies over the Atlantic to New York searching for Calos. He finds Calos, attacks the pequeño, and kills him. Calos' spirit returns in the form of an apparition. The apparition of Calos now begins to spy upon and haunt the nurse Tela. Tela grows increasingly bothered by the specter. She tells Dr. Barotta, her lover, of the sudden appearance of Calos' apparition. In turn, Dr. Barotta experiences Calos' last moments and becomes obsessed by the fatal occurrence.

Tela persuades Serena, Dr. Barotta and Dr. Grigio to go to Ecuador to Cotopoxi and seek help from Jorge. Jorge has become the Wizened, the wise man of the Rain Forest, after being attacked by the Condor: However the Condor perishes in the attack. In Cotopoxi village, after listening to Tela's story and Dr, Barotta's complaint, Jorge uses his prowess to turn Calos spirit into the Condor.

Back in New York, Calos, now in the form of the Condor, follows Tela wherever she goes. He makes a nest on a building ledge across the street from Tela's apartment. Tela slowly, and surprisingly, grows fond of the Condor. On the open roof nest the Condor is struck by lightning. Tela finds the Condor unconscious and nurses the bird back to health. When Dr. Barotta comes to see Tela he is menaced by the Condor. Tela is forced to make a choice: She tells Barotta he must leave.

The Condor stays with Tela. And Dr. Barotta becomes increasingly upset with the situation. When Calos discovers he can change from the Condor to a spirit and back again, he accidentally injures himself. He is hospitalized at Mt. Gideon. There, Dr. Barotta and Dr. Grigio make plans to destroy him. In fear for his safety, Calos escapes from the hospital and makes his way back to Ecuador and the Rain Forest.

Serena closes the Cafe which had been losing customers and returns to Ecuador. Tela, heart sore, also returns to Cotopoxi Village. There they encounter Calos, but in another avian form.

Jorge makes one last effort for Calos.

The saga ends, where it began, in the Rain Forest.