The Falcon’s Journey

The bird passes through successive owners, disguises, and couriers before reaching Spade and revealing its counterfeit nature.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

The Historical Tribute

The Historical Tribute An imperial gift Casper Gutman claims that the Knights Hospitaller commissioned an ornate falcon as tribute for Charles V after receiving Malta. A legendary object The account makes the bird seem both historically singular and nearly priceless. Its supposed past supplies the lure around which present-day criminals organize their lives.

A Black Disguise

A Black Disguise History obscured Gutman says the bird was coated in black enamel during political turmoil and passed unnoticed among dealers and private owners. Value concealed The disguise explains why the object could be lost and resold without its supposed history being recognized. It also anticipates the novel’s eventual uncertainty over what the object truly is.

Kemidov’s Refusal

Kemidov’s Refusal A Russian owner Gutman says he traced the bird to General Kemidov, who treated it as an ordinary statuette and refused Gutman’s offer to buy it. Theft and retaliation Gutman’s agents take the object, setting Brigid O’Shaughnessy, Joel Cairo, and Floyd Thursby against one another in a struggle whose original owner remains distant.

Jacobi’s Parcel

Jacobi’s Parcel A concealed crossing Brigid entrusts the bird to Captain Jacobi aboard La Paloma, arranging for it to reach San Francisco separately from herself and Thursby. A fatal delivery Wounded, Jacobi carries the wrapped parcel to Spade’s office. His arrival briefly places the coveted object in Spade’s hands without making its ownership or authenticity any clearer.

The False Prize

The False Prize Inspection at last Casper Gutman cuts through the enamel and discovers lead beneath it instead of the valuable metal he expected. A collapsed legend The object’s counterfeit state does not erase the murders or betrayals committed to obtain it. Instead, it shows how an imagined value can command real violence.

Sixteenth-century origin, as Gutman recounts it

After the Carlist War, as Gutman recounts it

Before the San Francisco events

After the ship reaches San Francisco

Near the ending