Green Fire Page #6

Cathy, we own a third

of the mine.

It's a chance of a lifetime.

What about the harvest?

Without the men,

it'll rot on the trees.

But, but why these men, Cathy?

Certainly you can get other men.

There are no others.

And even if there were,

how would you suggest

I pay them?

Wait a minute,

you mean that ten grand

emptied the kitty?

It was all we had.

Nice going, pal.

Oh, Don, it's not too late.

Bring the men back.

If you don't, it's the end

of everything we've worked for.

Cathy, I've always said

if there was a way out,

I'd grab it.

For the first time in my life,

I'm doing something I wanna do.

You said nothing would change

your course, didn't you?

I know, I know, I waited

until your back was turned.

I was ruthless.

I said I'd get what I wanted

the best way I could.

All that may be true,

but I was not just thinking

of myself.

This is for all of us.

Oh you don't expect me

to believe that.

Emeralds, Cathy.

Try and think what that means?

Once we lay our hands on them,

I'll get you 20 plantations.

Oh, that's very generous of you,

but there's only one I want.

Oh, Cathy, stop thinking

like a woman.

You're fighting

a losing battle down there.

Why try and hang on there

when the rainbow's up here?

You're right, Rian.

I was thinking like a woman.

I was thinking of my grandfather

and how he hacked a plantation

out of the wilderness.

And my father

who made it his life.

And all that's gone into it,

love and feeling and pride.

Things you wouldn't know about,

things you can't buy

with your emeralds.

You've got quite a sister.

I'm sorry, Rian.

I really seem

to have made a mess of things.

Heh, sure, kid,

it was all your fault.

You're gonna drink

all your meals from now on?

Been working on a speech

in your honor.

Tough job, I'm not much of a guy

with words.

About all set now.

Let's hear it.

Okay.

You stink.

The second time around, pal,

you stink.

Remember me?

Homely philosopher?

I'll tell you

what your trouble is,

you think you can do things

your way,

then put the pieces together

afterwards.

Well, you can't.

Are you finished?

Finished is right.

You're back to one partner, pal.

Whoa.

Easy, boy, easy.

Hi, heh.

I guess you wonder

what I'm doing here.

A little.

Uh, Cathy.

I don't know a coffee bean

from a vitamin pill.

But if I can help in any way--

You don't have to do this.

Maybe that's why I'm doing it.

What have you got to lose?

Only cost you room and board.

Okay, you're hired.

Oh, Vic, we're not beaten yet.

Tomorrow, Father Ripero's

going to get all the...

It's all right, keep going.

I heard every word.

Come on, I'll tell you

the rest over some coffee.

Knowland brand. Black.

Look, Cathy,

there's something else

I'd like to get off my chest

before I sober up.

It's about you, Cathy.

I, ugh...

well that is, I feel differently

than I ever thought

I could feel.

Well, that is, I...

Well, like I said to someone

earlier today,

who shall remain nameless, I...

I'm not much of a guy

with words.

Do you get what I mean, Cathy?

That's the way to make a speech,

no words at all.

I'll have that coffee now.

Senorita, senorita.

Not as many as I had hoped for.

Don't you worry, Cathy.

We'll make it.

I'm sorry, Catherine.

These are all

that could be spared.

But they say what 200 men

can do, they can do better.

Four hundred men.

The Padre's right--

Such faith has been known

to work miracles.

We're counting on that, Father,

but just for insurance,

give us a prayer with muscles.

Manuel, I think they ready.

Give a warning,

and let her go, huh?

Yes, patron.

Rian! I found them!

Rian, I got them! Rian!

Get back!

Rian.

Donald.

Rian.

Donald.

Ugh.

Looks like I'm stuck

in one place after all.

I found them, Rian.

I found an emerald.

It paid off.

Tell Cathy it paid off.

Amen.

Amen.

Grant, we beseech thee,

almighty God,

that the soul of thy servant,

Donald,

may receive everlasting rest.

To the Earth which he dug

and from which he came,

is he now returned.

Cathy, I...

It's all yours now, Rian.

Patron, patron, patron, patron!

What do you want?

Forgive me, patron.

Manuel, didn't I tell you

to get these two cots out

of here days ago?

Yes, but--

Well, get them out.

But, patron, I--

Go on, beat it.

But, patron...

What is it?

This.

Have I earned my bonus, patron?

Where did you find it?

Where Senor Knowland

was digging.

Come on.

It was the only one, patron.

Yeah.

Uh, tell the boys

to keep digging.

Cut away this whole section.

There's sure to be more

where this one came from.

And tell them there's a bonus

for the man who

finds the second pocket.

Senorita Knowland.

They're changing

her course again.

What do you mean again?

Well, the river used to flow

along the dry wash

at the foot of the mountain.

Well, what moved it

in your front yard?

A landslide upstream

in Grandfather's time.

There's another landslide now,

only this one's manmade.

Look at this.

It's shale from Carrere.

Fresh-cut timber from Carrere.

Keeps coming down that sluice,

piling up in the river,

the water has to cut around it.

Find a new direction like this.

And we're just coming

to the rainy season.

When that happens,

the whole plantation

will wind up in the Caribbean.

Well, can't we build

the levee higher?

It wouldn't hold.

There's only one thing to do.

We'll change the course

of the river,

send it back along the dry wash

where it used to go.

But that's impossible.

Not if we have a landslide

of our own.

What do you mean?

Blow up Carrere.

One good push

and that whole slide area

will be sitting down

in the river,

in the morning

this will be the dry wash.

It's up to you, Cathy.

We can make this hold

for the time being.

Let's get some coffee bags.

Get moving, Jose.

Catherine,

you cannot do this thing.

I'm sorry, Father.

But this is one fight

I can't win

by turning the other cheek.

If you destroy the mountain,

you will be destroying yourself

as well.

Uh, I'm sorry, Father.

Relax, Manuel.

It's only me.

Senor, Leonard.

You're coming back.

Yeah, heh.

Heh.

I think maybe it's El Moro.

Well, you can't be too careful.

Hey, what's that?

What?

Let me have your rifle, Manuel.

Your rifle.

Dynamite's still up

by the sluice?

Yes, senor.

All right.

Good morning.

I must speak to the guard.

They're letting anybody

in these days.

We've got business to discuss.

Argh, well,

I'm full up on coffee.

But go ahead.

Point one.

Your sluice changed the course

of the river.

Point two,

comes the rainy season,

the whole plantation will be

the biggest swimming pool

in Colombia.

Point three, I've decided

to do something about it.

Like what?

Like point four.

Dumping this whole chunk

of real estate

down in the river.

Hmm.

Ugh, fascinating idea.

Drop it in the suggestion box

on your way out.

The suggestion box is packed

with dynamite up

in the slide area.

Right now, Jose's waiting

on the top step.

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