Chapter 16: Diamond

In the morning, Dan woke up to the sound of his younger sister playing with her friend, engrossed in a game.

It was a game played by girls with five stones the size of olives. Dan looked at the little hands as they tossed the stones in the air, skillfully catching one from the ground and returning it to the flying pile with agility and grace that impressed.

Then he sat up in his bed, as if recalling something of utmost importance.

He asked his sister to throw him one of the stones, and he scrutinized it closely. His heart skipped a beat, and he smiled a mysterious smile. Addressing the girls, he asked, "Where do you get these stones from?"

His sister replied, "From beneath the ice, near the mountain's summit."

The other girl added, "There are many there, some glimmering from the long slide under the weight of the ice."

Dan's intuition confirmed it; they were diamonds! The same precious stones that Father Reda had taught him to polish and cut. He asked them, "Can you show me where you find them?"

Taking out two pieces of colorful candy from his pocket, he waved them to the girls. "The one ahead will take this," he said, pointing to one, "and the follower will take this!"

They eagerly took the candies and ran ahead, with Dan following closely behind.

They ascended a narrow deserted path beside the cave, with a gushing stream of icy water flowing alongside. The August sun melted the last ice cover on the peak, and the path wound spirally upwards due to its steep slope.

The view from above was breathtaking, with mountain peaks emerging from the pristine white clouds like islands in the ocean. When the weather was clear, they could see the sea beneath the genuine sun as if it were a golden page.

The two girls stopped at the edge of the ice, flushed and gasping for breath. They pointed to the ground covered with those precious stones of various sizes and shapes.

Dan bent down and picked up some, examining them closely, especially the clear ones. His suspicion was confirmed, and his imagination wandered into the heart of the shining diamond. He only snapped out of it upon the protest of the girls, urging them to take their prizes.

His sister, sucking on her candy, asked, "What will you do with these stones?"

Deliberately showing indifference, he replied that they were suitable for bird hunting with slingshots and catapults. He selected the largest one, prepared it for polishing, and filled his pockets with them. He asked the girls to do the same.

The trio descended, rolling under the weight of their precious cargo. As they approached a large village on the other side of the summit, they heard a familiar sound, straining their ears to listen.

Then Dan cautioned the girls, "Quickly descend, put the stones in my bag, and don't tell anyone about this!" He approached cautiously to observe the village from above.