The Adventures of Augie March Chapter 16 Summary

  • They arrive at Thea's house. Or maybe it's her husband's house.
  • Augie figures he'll learn in due time.
  • They're served lunch and eat.
  • Augie is introduced to the manager of a luxury hotel that's next door.
  • Caligula begins his training hunting small lizards.
  • Jacinto, a boy, brings them a larger lizard to try.
  • It attacks the bird.
  • Thea yells at Caligula for his cowardice.
  • She's upset, believing fierce nature shouldn't protest at a little nip.
  • Later they lay together in bed. Augie wonders about their love and purpose.
  • They go to a local bar. A lot of the people there know Thea.
  • Most of the folks assume that Augie is the master of the bird. He explains the truth.
  • Wiley Moulton, a weird-story writer, asks about their plan with the bird.
  • He says maybe Iggy Blaikie can help write about the eagle if he cannot.
  • They rent horses from the uncle of a man named Talavera whom Augie doesn't like.
  • They try working with Caligula on a burro. The horse isn't keen about an eagle riding on him.
  • They settle on an old horse named Bizcocho.
  • They take him out.
  • Thea has Caligula chase down an iguana, but he gets bitten in the neck, and gives up.
  • Enraged, Thea throws rocks at him. Augie tries to calm her.
  • The bird flies away.
  • They find him later on the roof of their home.
  • Augie goes out with some meat. Caligula flies to him.
  • A week goes by. Only Augie pays attention to the eagle.
  • It rains heavily and Augie mostly reads.
  • Thea sends him out for photographic paper.
  • He passes beggars at the cathedral and leaves some change, continuing on his way.
  • Someone calls to him. It's Wiley Moulton. He invites him up.
  • Augie sits down at a table and is introduced to a man in his fifties named Oliver and a much younger woman named Stella. Augie thinks she's outstandingly beautiful.
  • Moulton calls Augie by the name of Bolingbroke, asks him if he minds.
  • They chat about Thea and about whether the eagle is a flop.
  • Oliver is the editor of a political magazine. He's not interested in a story about the bird.
  • Stella invites Augie to have a drink with them at the Carlos Quinto.
  • Augie gets back to the house determined to train Caligula.
  • Thea is gone. She's gone out to hunt snakes.
  • She returns later with two of them.
  • Augie convinces her to give Caligula another try.
  • They go out the next day.
  • As Augie is about to release the bird, the old horse Bizcocho slips on the slope and falls.
  • Augie falls himself and one of the horse's hoofs catches him square in the head.
  • Lights out!