"You go to the train station," Nova says. "They'll give you a creepy-ass file with an ID and bank card and shit. You'll get money in your account every month and it'll pay the bills."

He sees Alex's eyes slide away from him and Nova turns, following her gaze to an empty corner. Instinctively, he hooks his index finger into the beads of his prex and forces his eyes away from that corner. They land on the statuette on his windowsill, above the kitchen sink, instead. Sinmagos might see Jesus but Nova mouths a silent, unseen prayer to El Papá instead.