- Jake receives a note from Mike saying that they were delayed in San Sebastian because Brett was feeling ill. They plan to rejoin Jake and Bill in Pamplona. Cohn also wires a snottily short message in Spanish (having apparently learned a very impressive two words) saying he’s coming, too.
- Jake and Bill plan to leave the same night, so they head out and have four bottles worth of celebratory wine with Harris. The men leave Harris somewhat sentimentally.
- They arrive at the Montoya Hotel in Pamplona. There is going to be a massive party and they are enthusiastic (because the level of debauchery has clearly been completely insufficient up until this point). Mike and Brett have arrived. Jake is passionately excited for the bull-fights, as are the owner (Montoya) and the other patrons of the hotel.
- We’re introduced to the concept of aficion—passion. Jake is a real aficionado, which means that he has a true understanding and love for bull-fighting. He and Montoya are on a level that the others don’t even come close to comprehending.
- Jake and Bill find Mike, Brett and Cohn at a café. Brett, Jake and Cohn walk down to the corrals to check out the bulls, which is apparently the cool thing to do.
- The bulls are unsurprisingly strong and dangerous. As they are let out into the corral from their cages they gore various steers in the corral. Brett watches intently. Jake’s worried she’s going to get grossed out, but she keeps her cool. Furthermore, she seems to share some of the innate understanding of the bulls and perhaps a hint of the aficion that fills Jake and Montoya. Cohn, if anyone, is the wimp.
- They head up to the café and meet Mike and Bill. Mike compares Cohn to a steer, accusing him of following Brett around all day and being a jerk (which, while undeniably mean, everyone agrees is accurate). Mike is drunk and Cohn is really angry. Bill takes Cohn away and Jake listens to Mike and Brett talk about Brett’s sex life. He’s disgusted.
- Jake finds dinner that night with the gang more pleasant, perhaps because Brett looks particularly beautiful. This seems to make Cohn feel better, too.