"La Llama", the final book of the trilogy, begins with the declaration of the Second Republic and its early instabilities and quickly advances to the Civil War, paying special importance to the battle and siege of Madrid and the internal struggle of the republican government to win the war and contain the revolutionary efforts of anarchists and communists. As the war progresses, the mood of the citizens slowly declines as defeat becomes inevitable. Meanwhile, the author works as a censor and a broadcaster trying to keep morale high and avoiding news that may affect the republican cause. He resists interference by the bureaucracy and the prejudice that he and his lover Ilsa Pollak face for not being married. During the siege, the author also has met international supporters such as Ernest Hemingway. Finally, the author goes into exile with Pollak, first to France and finally the United Kingdom where he spends the rest of his life.