The Water Knife

Maria visits the Vet’s gated compound to talk to the Vet personally about the money that was taken from her. The Vet has “claimed an entire neighborhood, turning it into his own gated community” (127). Maria can hear the laughs of the hyenas that the Vet keeps as she approaches the compound. Maria hadn’t made enough money selling water after Cato took most of her money. She had thought briefly about running, but decided against it. Sarah refuses to go back to the compound after a traumatic experience at a previous all-night party there: The Vet had released the hyenas from their cages, and the animals hunted down a couple in front of Sarah.

Maria can see the Vet feeding the hyenas raw meat in their pens. Maria complains to Damien that Esteban had taken her money and that she was short for rent because of him. Damien isn’t surprised to hear this, and Maria realizes that Damien and Esteban had worked together to set her up to be short on rent. Maria decides to get the Vet personally involved. Maria tells the Vet that she had money for rent but that Damien had Esteban take it from her.