Mexico is in the midst of Revolution when the protagonist returns after studying in Paris to find his native town in Chihuahua occupied by Francisco...
Lopitos, who is horribly inefficient but quick-witted, is invited (because of the current ambassador's superstition about 13 sitting down to a meal)...
The family of a dying man celebrates his wake while the man is still alive, showing their darker, selfish ambitions and trying to take the best part...