Before his death, José Saramago left three chapters written from what would be his next novel, containing an outline of the plot, profiling the protagonists and, above all, posing new
questions in his constant commitment towards raising consciousness. Saramago writes the story of Artur Paz Semedo, a man fascinated by pieces of artillery and employed by an arms-producing
factory, who launches an investigation into his own company at the urging of his wife, an intelligent pacifist. The main character’s evolution of thought serves as a reflection about the
dirtiest side of international politics, a world of hidden interests that underlie the majority of the armed conflicts of the 20th century. Saramago’s text is complemented by a prologue by
Fernando Gómez Aguilera and a postface by Roberto Saviano.
