The Cemetery of Forgotten Books, #2
The Angel's Game
by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Contents
Act Two - Lux Aeterna — Chapter 19
Overview
David visits the ailing bookseller Sempere, whose frailty underscores rising stakes. Sempere presses David to help ensure his son’s future by finding him a worthy woman and extracting a solemn promise. The scene deepens their familial bond and burdens David with a new, personal obligation amid his mounting mysteries.
Summary
David Martín shares a quiet meal with the elder Sempere and notices the bookseller’s labored breathing and fatigue. When Sempere asks about David’s current commission, David gives only a vague answer, and Sempere praises the importance of keeping one’s mind and hands busy despite hardship.
The conversation shifts to Sempere’s tireless work and his worry about what will become of the bookshop and his son after he dies. David reassures him about the son’s character, but Sempere insists the young man lacks not malice but a transformative relationship. He urges that a “real woman” would help his son become the man he should be.
Surprising David, Sempere asks him to help find such a woman for his son and to ensure the shop’s future through the family line. Sempere extracts a promise—ideally leading to a grandson—revealing both his fear of death and hopes for legacy. Moved by Sempere’s frailty, David kisses his forehead and promises before leaving, accepting a personal obligation that deepens their bond.
Who Appears
- David MartínNovelist who visits the ailing Sempere; empathizes and promises to help secure a worthy partner for Sempere’s son.
- Señor SempereElderly bookseller, frail and short of breath; worries about his son’s future and extracts David’s promise to help.