Roberto Mersa, an agent of the O.S.S, had helped the Italian partizans to liberate the village of Storza earlier that day. The partizans were celebrating. There were only three fascist officials left in town and all of them were down in the village square hanging from a scaffold. Roberto had accomplished his task. He had been sent to Italy to help Guido Gordoni and his partisans wipe out fascists, but as he sat in the tavern that night with Rosa, Guido's sister, he was thinking about his home in Vermont. He had earned a few days furlough before his next assignment. After a while, Guido comes into the tavern. Roberto says "Well, where have you been Guido?" Guido says "I have been looking for the fat fascist pig, Alberto Pelizo". Roberto says "Pelizo, the big shipyard owner? Why would he be in Storza?" Guido says "He's got a summer villa just above town. I thought he might be hiding out there. I took some of the boys up but the place was empty. I've got to find him tonight". Roberto says "Why tonight?" Guido says "Roberto, didn't you notice? There's still room for one more on the scaffold in the square".