A horse lay dying in the ring of a bullfight. In the first few months of a war in Spain, Angel was the chief matador for a bullfight. Moments earlier, the horse has his eyes bandaged. Picadors ride the horses. The horse is charged while the other brown horse is being mounted by a picador named Pascal.

After the charge on the white horse, the fight goes to another part of the ring. Death is coming for the horse now.

The stands are full of people who knew death is coming.

The matador gets the bull into the center of the ring. Everyone watches intently. Angel is very handsome. He walks quietly over to the fence of the ring while others continue fighting the bull. Chucho gives him some water and tells him that they (I think he is referring to the crowd?) are too quiet. Garcia, Angel's manager, is smoking a cigar leaning against a railing. Angel asks Chucho where he is. Angel says that this doesn't please his manager. Chucho affirms this. Chucho's only son had been killed in the bombardment of the city. Chucho tells Angel that he is doing good. Angel disagrees and says that neither he nor the crowd is feeling anything. If the crowd was please they would have called for him to place banderillas--and they have not. Chucho says this is just because it takes people a while to return to their normal lives after certain events.

Garcia approaches quietly. He says he has to tell something to Angel. Meanwhile, Chucho, the sword-handler, clumsily helps Angel prepare to go back into the fight. The moment is tense. Garcia tells Angel abruptly that his brother, Pedro, was killed. His brother was a lieutenant in the People's Republican Army. Garcia says Angel's brother was assassinated by his own men. Angel is confused. He does not understand what is happening. Garcia tells him that these people who adore him are the reason Pedro is dead. He tells him not to go to Mexico with him to make lots of money sarcastically. He tells him to risk his life entertaining these people who thank him by having his brother killed. Chucho cuts in and says that it can all be explained. Garcia sarcastically reiterates this. Chucho explains that Pedro sold out and did not want to go through with a plan. Pedro asked to be shot and killed as a man.

Angel returns to the fight. The banderillas had been placed. Everyone is watching Angel now. The crowd is silent and aware of death. The bullfight ensues. People shout "Ole!" Angel thinks that his brother cannot be dead. Angel tries to think that Garcia is lying and is just mad that he is fighting here for the money.

Angel was fighting instinctively as he is a great and honest bullfighter. All of a sudden he sees the bull and is brought back to reality. He is facing death closely now. At this moment he knows that his brother is truly dead. Upon this realization, Pedro drops to his knees and begins to fight quite dangerously. The crowd cries out in discouragement, that what Angel is doing is too dangerous. The bull clips Angel's shirt, but Angel is unharmed.

Angel continues to fight in this manner. Juan Nigeria, an audience man and avid fan, is watching. His wife and child had been killed in a bombing raid. This was his last time seeing a bullfight as he planned to die soon. Nigeria wonders while all people want death.

Angel continues to fight quite riskily. He fought and drew the bull from his knees three times, which is something no bullfighter does. He cries as this will be the time the bull kills him. However, when it grazes his chest no blood flows.

Angel goes in for an attack on the bull. The crowd cries out in encouragement. Angel kills the bull in an impressive and dangerous display. He appeared to have landed on the bull's horns during the attack, but was unharmed. The quiet crowd seems hopeful and happy. Someone leads Angel away. It is Chucho. Angel tells him that he cannot die. There is applause. Chucho tells Angel not to die. Angel tells him that he does not wish to die nor to go away. Chucho says that they will stay there.