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they are talking about.'
    Isabel blushed unhappily 'Si, it is so. I
    am much ashamed now, but before I used
    to laugh to myself because Miguel
    thought he had his friends to himself, and
    I could not share in the things they talked
    about.'
    Her eyes gleamed for a moment and
    Rachel thought that the sheltered
    daughter of the house had probably
    found her eavesdropping on purely
    masculine conversations more than
    enlightening at times.
    She said, 'So you listened and you heard
    Mark and Miguel talking. Is that it?'
    Isabel nodded. 'It was then I knew my
    father would be angry because Miguel
    had spoken to Marcos of forbidden
    things.'
    'What forbidden things?'
    Isabel looked down at her lap again.
    'Emeralds,' she said in a low voice.
    There was a long taut silence, then she
    went on. 'Our emerald mines here in
    Colombia, Senorita Raquel, are the most
    famous in the world. They make much
    money for our country. But not all the
    emeralds , that leave Columbia do so
    with the will of our government, you
    understand.'
    There was another pause and Rachel
    made
    herself
    say
    dry-mouthed,
    'Smuggling? You mean Miguel and Mark
    were talking about smuggling emeralds?'
    'Si, and from what Miguel is saying I
    know that he has done this thing, and that
    if my father ever finds out he will be
    angry, because it is so much against the
    law, and the law means everything to my
    father. He would think that Miguel had
    dishonoured him.'
    Rachel said in a hollow voice, 'Do you
    mean that Miguel was suggesting that
    Mark should become an emerald
    smuggler?'
    'No, not that. He seemed to be warning
    him. Many people die all the time
    because of emeralds. There is much
    danger. He says that he thinks your
    brother is a little mad. And then Senor
    Marcos says "You would not think I was
    so mad if I came back with the Flame of
    Diablo."'
    'What is the Flame of Diablo?'
    'It is a legend, Senorita Raquel, a story
    that I heard when I was a child, as did
    Miguel. It is said that somewhere in the
    hills to the north there is a mine where
    one can find emeralds worth many
    millions of pesos. But it is also said that
    no one has set eyes upon this mine since
    the days of El Dorado, the Golden One
    who used emeralds from the Diablo
    mine to ornament himself before he
    made the offering in the Sacred Lake.'
    'Then Diablo is a place?' Rachel
    queried.
    Isabel shuddered. 'It is truly named,' she
    said in a low voice, 'for it is a place of
    the devil. Many people seek the Diablo
    mine and the green flame which burns
    there, but they do not return. My father
    says the reason is simple. It is a
    dangerous place. Often there are
    landslides, and the rivers are deep with
    fierce currents and little fish that can eat
    a horse and rider before a man can utter
    a last prayer, and leave only the bones.
    And there is el tigre who kills, and many
    snakes. Also bandidos and other evil
    men,' she added, crossing herself.
    'Perhaps it is all so, but there are those
    who say the reason why the Flame of
    Diablo stays hidden is that it is guarded
    by the old gods who were worshipped
    before the conquistadores came to this
    place, and that all who seek the Flame
    are accursed.'
    In spite of herself, Rachel felt a long
    cold shiver run the length of her spine. It
    was all very well to tell herself robustly
    that only the very credulous would
    believe such a tale, but here in this alien
    land, in the very shadow of the pagan
    mountains, it was difficult to dismiss
    Isabel's recital as nonsense.
    'And you think Mark has gone to this
    dreadful place?' she asked, steadying her
    voice.
    Isabel's eyes met hers frankly. 'I did not,
    because Miguel talks much to your
    brother, telling him of the dangers. But
    now you come and tell us that he has not
    returned to Gran Bretana, and I worry,
    because he told Miguel that was what he
    planned to do. I think perhaps he only
    told Miguel this to put his mind at ease,
    so that he would not blame himself for
    having told him the legend. There