Green Fire Page #5

As you wish.

You are educated man,

Senor Mitchell.

Engineer, work hard,

you will find the emeralds.

And when you do,

I will know about it.

And then I come back

for my share.

I'll be waiting for you.

Vamos.

I couldn't sleep either.

El Moro meant what he said

about coming back.

I know.

El Moro doesn't worry me

half as much as you do.

Me? How?

Donald tells me

you're going to Bogota.

Only for two weeks.

To see anybody in particular?

Of course.

A coffee broker.

Age 73.

Seventy-three.

Wonderful time of life.

Now don't tell me

you were jealous.

Homicidally.

The new Rian Mitchell.

It's an improvement over

the old one, don't you think?

Well, let me think

about that on the boat.

I'll miss you.

Two weeks isn't so long.

Fourteen days.

Only two Saturdays.

Now, are you gonna

keep clubbing me

over the head about that?

Saturday night girls

become a way of life

when you move around.

What is it?

Rian, I don't think

I've ever been in love before.

Not really in love.

I wouldn't want it to go wrong.

Why should it?

People want different things

from life.

Your way is to go

from mountain to mountain

because you feel you have to.

Well, mine

is to take roots here,

where I belong.

We're just too different.

You know, you're just like Vic.

You worry too much.

Good morning.

Yeah. Welcome home.

Anything on your mind?

Maybe.

Like what, for instance.

Cathy.

What about Cathy?

Look, Rian, I never said

anything about the others.

That's your business.

You know, Dolores, Connie,

that turkey up in Nome.

But this time, it's different.

Cathy's a nice girl.

I know that.

No lectures, chum, please.

Well, I just want you to know

that if anybody hurts her,

I might get the urge

to loosen his spine.

This sudden rash of chivalry,

is it on general principles

or do I detect a personal note?

Any law says

I can't like a girl?

No law at all.

Well, just remember what I said.

What's going on here, Roberto?

All right, keep it quiet.

Get me that light.

Now calmly, what's going on?

He tried to steal the reward.

He lies.

I found the stone.

Where? Where are they?

It came from there.

I saw it first.

Yeah?

Then you can have them.

They're worthless.

Now go on, get back to work.

And cut out this scrapping.

Go and fetch Senor Leonard.

Nice work.

It's a good sign.

It means they're here somewhere.

If only we could get lucky.

Cave-in!

Cave-in!

It's no use.

In a moment or two,

the whole thing comes down.

Rian!

Rian!

Rian!

Rian!

Rian!

Rian!

Vic!

Vic, get back.

The whole thing will go

in a minute.

Rian!

Vic.

Vic.

Get back, you fool.

You'll never make it.

Can you breathe at all?

Vic, you fool, get back, man.

Now.

When I lever,

push up as hard as you can.

All right.

Now.

Try it again.

Push up as hard as you can.

Now! Unh!

It's coming.

It's coming, Vic.

Come on.

Vic. Come on.

Straighten it up.

Unh!

Put your weight on it.

How's it feel?

It's all right.

I don't think anything's broken.

Yeah. Except one

slightly fractured mountain.

Hey, I could do with a drink.

Incidentally, Vic, thanks.

If you're gonna cry,

I'll wait outside.

Here.

We got no time to cry.

We got plans to make.

What's the rush? The boat

won't leave for a week.

Who's talking about leaving?

The mountain wants

to play rough,

we'll play rough.

Rip it apart.

We'll step-dig.

I'll tear

that whole mountain down.

Step-dig.

With what we've got left,

we couldn't cut butter.

Well, we'll find a way.

If you're thinking

about a mining syndicate,

they wouldn't touch

this operation

with a barge pole.

I know, I know, but, Vic,

we almost had our hands on them.

I can taste those emeralds.

Nothing's gonna

stop me now. Nothing.

Just, just give me time

to think.

Rian!

I heard the news, Rian.

Tough luck.

Well, that's how it goes.

You can't win them all.

What are your plans now?

Well, there's only one thing

left to do, step-dig.

I thought you said that was

an expensive operation.

Yes, well, I'm just

on my way to the village

to get a message off

to a mining syndicate.

Mind you,

they'll want everything

except our our teeth.

But when you're slicing up

a king's ransom,

there's enough for everyone.

Well, it's a pity in a way.

Might have been

a great chance for someone

with a taste for adventure.

A man who'd gamble

on the big payoff.

Ah, but they're

a vanishing race these days.

Well, I better be on my way.

Wait a minute, Rian.

Uh. Look, kid,

I'm in a bit of a hurry.

Will it keep till I get back

from the village?

Maybe there's no need

to go to the village.

I-- I don't get you.

If you didn't have

to go to the syndicate.

I mean, if you found someone

who'd take the gamble,

what kind of arrangement

would you be willing to make?

Well, Vic and I aren't greedy.

Anything within reason,

but what's the point.

Where do we find

this Mr. X?

You're looking at him.

You?

Why not?

You say

there are emeralds up there.

That's good enough for me.

Heh. Oh, I don't know.

Oh, naturally, we'd like

to have you in with us,

but, well, we'd probably need

more money

than you could lay

your hands on.

More than 5000?

I'm afraid so.

Mining equipment

runs pretty high these days,

but thanks all the same.

Would 10,000 do it?

Ten thousand?

Well, anyone who put

in that amount

would certainly

be entitled to his share.

Then it's a deal.

Wait a minute, wait a minute.

What's wrong?

We're forgetting

the most important thing of all.

Labor.

I couldn't begin to step-dig

without at least 200 men.

And I understand from you,

you've got them all tied up

for the harvest.

Well, we better forget

the whole thing.

I'll dump the labor problem

in the syndicate's lap.

Heh. Pity.

Thought we had a great idea

there for a second.

I'll get the men for you, Rian.

All of them.

That's a pretty drastic

decision, kid.

What'll Cathy say?

Frankly, she won't like it.

But the plantation's in my name.

I make the decisions.

Cathy knows how I feel.

I've tried it her way

for five years,

and the place

has broken our backs.

Of course, you could make it up

to her a 100 times over

when we make our strike.

It'd be hard

for a women to stay mad

when she's looking

at a handful of emeralds.

Well, don't you worry

about Cathy.

I can handle her.

All you've got to do

is say the word.

It's a deal.

I'll have the men up there

in the morning.

Good luck, partner.

So long, Rian.

What do you figure?

Well, I think we'd...

we'd better not continue

this cut any further.

All this is slide area here.

Reached our limit, huh?

Yeah.

But if we make

our cut over there,

and bring the water that way

through the sluice...

Oh, I don't know. I still

don't like the look of it.

Senores, someone's coming!

It's Cathy!

You two must be very proud

of yourselves.

Cathy, I know what you're

thinking, but let me explain.

I'm not blaming you, Don.

I'm sure they made it

sound very attractive.

This was my idea.

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