“Burch?”

“Si.”

Leo shrugged, “He’s of little consequence. Don’t worry, no one will find him.”

“Isn’t that murder?” Pedro was mildly interested now.

“Manslaughter maybe. They’d have to prove it, and after all who knows he’s there?”

“He might find the way out.” A third man, taller than the others, slighter of build and reasonably good looking in a rugged kind of way, came into the picture having listened to his colleagues without interruption, “and then again…” his words trailed away followed by a hint of laughter, “he may not.”

“It doesn’t matter if he does Pepe’, by that time the gems will be removed and we’ll be long gone. Burch cannot travel far without water, and those dry mines go for miles.”

“Help was on its way. I heard from Stuart earlier, there was a woman, a lawyer, she was on her way out here, but Stuart seems to have put her off. Let’s hope she keeps well away.”

“If not, you have my permission to see that she ends up in the same place as Burch.”

Pepe’’ shook his head, “Sorry, you know me, getting rid of the guy is one thing, but mishandling a lady is quite another. I’ll leave little Miss Chandler to you two.”

“That her name?”

“Se. And she once had some kind of relationship with Burch, although Stuart says she has recently married.”

“An old flame then.” Pedro grunted, “might be interesting for the two of them to be down there alone. They can draw comfort from one another, not to mention warmth.” He laughed sinisterly.

“I don’t know how you can be so cool about this. Surely there was some other way. You didn’t have to try and kill the guy.” The conversation grieved Pepe’’.

“Who’s talking about killing him?” Leo butted in. “There is a way out of there.”

“If he finds it, and if he can do so before he runs out of water. Don’t be an idiot man you know the way it is down there. Burch would die before he’d find the way out, and that’s the way of it.”

“Enough of this. Burch is the least of our worries now, as well as a woman that might never arrive. It is this that concerns us now.” Leo pointed back to the map, “There isn’t a lot of time and you know it, we have to get down there before the rains come.”

“And that’s another thing,” Pepe’’ was reluctant to dismiss Elliot Burch’s demise as easily as his colleagues had been, “What about Burch if the rains should flood the mine.”

Leo shrugged, and Pedro laughed as Leo told Pepe’’, “If that happens, at least he wouldn’t have to worry about where to find water.”

Nausea rose in the pit of Pepe’s belly, his two colleagues were talking about the life of an innocent man and Pepe’ couldn’t stomach their wickedness. “If you have finished with me, I’d like to get back to the mine.” He told the two men.

“Leo shrugged, “As you must. I think we have just about finished up here. Pedro?” He looked to the other guy and Pedro nodded. “Se Pepe’’ you can go. We’ll meet again on site, eh?”

Pepe’ nodded, and exited as quickly as possible, finding the atmosphere in the room distasteful.

When he had gone Leo turned to Pedro, “I think our friend might cause us some problems. See that he doesn’t.”

“And if he does?” Pedro asked, idly flicking out dirt from beneath his nails with a long slim knife. Without blinking Leo stared Pedro straight in the eye, “If he does, then he can keep Burch company.”

The banderantes had grown in numbers from frontier settlements in Sao’ Paulo. Many of them outlaws, these men of mixed Tupi Indian and European blood made good money by searching the backwoods for Indian slaves. Then in 1690 one such banderante by the name of Manuel de Borba Gato and himself an exiled murderer discovered gold in the soil of Rio das Velhas. That discovery led to fortune seekers arriving in Brazil from all over the world.
Smuggling became rife when the Portuguese monarch Dom Joao’ V issued a twenty-percent tax on all mined gold and the people resisted the royal tax. This in turn brought about the formation of the revolutionary Inconfidencia Mineira. Made up of intellectuals and led by a dentist or ‘tooth-puller’ as he was then known, by the name of Tiradentes, the Inconfidencia angered by the crown’s taxation and inspired by the French and American Revolution, attempted its own form of independent republic.
Resembling a bill of rights, they drew up a Declaracao which also included freedom of speech and religion, but in trying to inspire the people of Ouro Preto the plot was uncovered, the revolutionaries imprisoned and Tirandentes executed.

Losing himself in the history of yesteryear Devin found a convenient granite wall to sit upon for long moments to imagine what life must have been like back in 1788. His attention was caught by a sign that had upon it the same words featured upon the leaflet in his hand, and curious, Devin jumped off the wall, picked up his suitcase once more and followed the cobblestone street down to the main square.
Here he went up the steps into the Museu da Confidentencia a museum that held the bill of rights imprisoned inside a small black book, and also the barbaric tools of Tiradentes dentistry as well as a room of granite slabs fashioned like tombstones.

Back outside in the sunshine, the scent of Pap de Queijo a bread made more from cheese than flour reminded Devin that it had been a long time since he had last eaten. Looking around for somewhere to eat, another museum beckoned but it was a nearby church that won his favour and Devin decided to explore one more building before satisfying his stomach.
Pushing open the door Devin gasped at the sight that met his eyes. Huge ornate candlesticks made him think temporarily of life in the tunnels beneath New York City but there the similarity ended.
These candlesticks flanked tabernacles of silver and gold, and upon the walls and the ceiling stretched huge paintings depicting biblical scenes. The walls too were covered with gold painted grapevines backed by pale blue.
Awe-struck, Devin found words popping into his head, ‘Oh yes, Mr Burch, you certainly know how to pick ‘em.’ For Devin could see that Elliot Burch’s development at Ouro Preto would have become as much a gold mine for the modern day man as it had for its ancestry.
Back outside in the sunlight Devin’s stomach reminded him furiously that he needed food inside him and soon, and he followed the scent of the cheesy bread until it led him to a small bar littered with cane chairs along the edge of the cobblestone streets.
Ordering his meal and some beer to follow it down, Devin was stunned to see two familiar men enter the bar and could not believe his good fortune as he recognised them to be the two men he had seen on the plane. One glanced at him, mildly interested, but it was not unusual to meet people from the same flight converging upon Ouro Preto, so they paid him scant interest. Devin though strained his ears over the soft hum of ever-present music to listen to them talking.
Chewing slowly so as not to drown out the sound of their voices Devin tried to seem occupied with the leaflet in front of him so as not to draw undue attention to himself.
They were seated three tables to one side of him, and he could only catch odd words as the bar filled and unfilled with people enticed by the scent of the freshly baked Pap de Queijo went in and out of the bar. But the little he did catch was of profound interest.

“So what did De-Vereyard say when you called him?”

“He was mildly interested, you know Pepe’, once I told him I had put the woman off he lost interest."

“You don’t think Chandler will pose any problems?”

“Not now. She has her reputation to consider besides what could she do?”

He paused as he thought of something else. “And where would she begin? And why would she not believe the telegram I sent her?”

“Exactly, that’s what got me worried. Any normal person would have believed it. The bulletins believed it for God sake, so why not this woman? I’ll tell you shall I, that woman has a nose for trouble, not to mention a thing with old Burchy.”

“No, you’re wrong. Once maybe but not for several years now. Still though I know that they have kept in touch, but that’s just one of those business things.”

“Then why may I ask was she on her way out here?”

“Tying up lose ends maybe. Look I don’t know, and it’s all circumstantial anyway. If she comes she comes, if she doesn’t she doesn’t, either way Pedro will handle it, it’ll have nothing to do with us. Besides…”

A sudden bustle from a group of tourists trying to speak the lingo with the aid of a language book prevented Devin from hearing the last part of the conversation, but he felt he had heard enough.
Catherine’s thwarted attempt at preventing her from arriving in Brazil had been a blessing in disguise. Whatever the two men had said to her had obviously worked, and it would be both in her and Vincent’s interests if he, Devin, sent a further telegram of his arrival in Brazil and made Catherine believe that he could handle things alone. No one would suspect his involvement and as he followed the two men back out into the sunshine and set about following them once again, Devin was filled with optimism that his deception of being just another ordinary tourist would be a sufficient disguise.

“Just follow the bats.” Pepe’ told the air, “Use your brain man. Where do you think the bats feed? In the tunnels?” Pepe’ thought Mr Burch must be quite a stupid man if after three days down the mine- shaft he was still in the same place awaiting food and water to be dropped down to him. “What does he think I am? His jailer?” But no matter what Pepe’ thought about the entire situation his heart troubled him. The rains would soon arrive and then Mr Burch’s chances of survival would grow exceedingly thin. He’d have plenty of water true, but the weight of water would crumble the all ready unsteady mine and his escape route, that he seemed unaware of, would be blocked. And yet Pepe’ feared that to make Mr Burch aware of the way out would bring ostracism upon his head when Leo and Pedro were to discover what he had done.
Oh why oh why did the gems have to be discovered on the very same day that the contract for the sale had been signed? After exhausting the mine of its iron ore, why did it have to be that a random dig had revealed a quantity of topaz that was worth a fortune? Usually the amount of cuttable gemstone in any one area was very small. And this had been a mine for iron ore for God’s sake, why did topaz have to be discovered there?
For years they had mined that area, all that had come from it was iron ore and copper a few deposits of gold a little silver, but never any gems. So why on the very day that the contracts were exchanged had topaz been discovered inside it? Was it an omen perhaps? Leo and Pedro certainly believed it to be so. Pedro’s family had been against the sale of the mine from the start. Oh development of the town was tempting, so too was the idea of the resort that Elliot Burch had planned to build, but that shaft had been in the family for generations, and had they really exhausted its entire supply? Could it be that more materials could be waiting to be harvested further down? Surely if conditions were right then the supply should be endless? These were the arguments with which Pedro had been faced, but to which he had turned a deaf ear. Panning gold and mining iron ore was a thing of the past. Let the earth keep its resources, for a greater, faster fortune could be achieved through the development of a resort.
Pepe’ kicked at a stone as he ambled along. He’d seen gem stone mines, they could be as small as a normal sized living room. The conditions that allowed them to grow took time and those conditions could be very restricted, resulting in any area found presenting gemstone to be very small indeed.
No matter how rapidly demand for such stones developed, Pepe’ knew that the rate of developing gems was slow and fixed. It was not something to be hurried, but that too led to the fact that the demand for any discovery would be all the greater.
This mine, this one in question, where the topaz had been discovered had been under threat for years. A dwindling supply of iron ore and copper had produced only one thing, a family growing poorer day by day, an area that should have revealed unspoilt beauty lay open and gaping with the evidence of mining everywhere.
That was no life. A hoped for fortune that came only to the few, while the rest lived on dreams. Well dreams did not feed a belly, did not clothe a child, and did not build an empire, but a resort could. It would bring tourism and trade and it would bring jobs to the many, and just a few short weeks ago the occupants of Ouro Preto had rejoiced to find that a rich American had been interested in buying the land. And then suddenly three families, partners in the mining of iron ore were faced with the sickening reality that the mine beneath their recently sold land was suddenly worth a fortune in gemstones. And that there was only one quick and sure-fire way to harvest the topaz before Mr Burch learned of its discovery and reaped the benefits himself, and that was to disappear the man. Except Pepe’ couldn’t do it. Not that way. Perhaps if they had just shot the man. Perhaps if they just slit his throat one dark and stormy night, perhaps then he could have accepted it, but to push him down a mineshaft, well that was wrong. It meant a slow and tortuous death especially if the man had been injured as Pepe’ had once been.
Swaying slightly now, Pepe’ leaned against a granite wall to take deep breaths. Not a day went by that he did not remember the all-consuming darkness of being trapped in tunnels. He shivered. Not many years ago, he laughed who was he kidding? - Not many years ago huh - Pepe’ knew exactly how much time had lapsed since that dreadful time. He knew to the day - no to the hour and the shivering grew worse as Pepe’ put himself in Mr Burch’s present position.
Three years ago, three years, two months, nine days and seventeen hours ago Pepe’ had fallen into a mineshaft, that very same mine shaft. What irony huh? And for five days he had wandered in total all-consuming darkness with a broken foot seeking the way out. But it was his knowledge of the tunnels that had aided his escape from the living death. It was his knowledge from years of working the mine that had seen him safely through the labyrinth of tunnels, even though his throat cried out for water and the pain in his foot was excruciating. It had only been five days, but at the time it had seemed like five months. Dragging a broken limb over the craggy terrain, hands in front, walking through a darkness so thick that it blanketed his skin, and calling upon all his senses to lead him to freedom had almost sent him mad. And finally toward the end of that fifth day Pepe’ had found himself at his desired destination, having negotiated a labyrinth of tunnels by going ever forward and never turning away from the straight run.
There ahead of him he had seen a tiny pinprick of light, signifying life, and hope and freedom, and Pepe’ would never ever forget the feeling of joy that that sight had brought to him.
After five days he had reached his destination. He had arrived at the mine beneath Minas de Passagem knowing that here in the old mine he would find his freedom.
For this mine had become a tourist attraction. Once its resources of iron ore, gold, copper and silver had run dry, this mine had been turned into a silver resource of another kind. A money spinner, bringing visitors descending into its pit on a small cart until they reached a level deep underground where bright electric lights lit up the tunnels.
It was this light that Pepe’ had seen both in his minds eye on the five day journey and literally when he had turned the last corner and seen it far ahead of him. And he could still hear the pounding of his heart beat rushing in his ears on the day he had finally seen that tiny pin-prick of light so far ahead.
The light at the end of the tunnel that to Pepe’ would forever after represent his freedom.
Closing his eyes now as thoughts of those days trapped in the tunnels came back to haunt him, as it invariable did when he allowed himself to think about it deeply, Pepe’ felt his body sway and he fell to his knees on the dusty red clay road. For long moments he knelt there winded, eyes closed, mumbling a prayer of thanksgiving for his spared life, yet deep down inside did not believe that prayer to be heard in view of his allowing another to suffer the way that he had done. It was worse for Mr Burch for he did not know the tunnels.
He did not know that the coming and going of bats would signify a way of escape, and he did not know that he was not being kept a prisoner only fed until his release… He did not know that he was meant to die down there in that deep dark pit…and he did not know that people already believed him to be dead…dead in an aeroplane that had crashed into the sea not far off from New York City.
No one would come for him, for no one would expect that he had never left Brazil. People would search, oh yes they would search through a wreckage of a plane that had been auto piloted to drop five miles short of New York city, with the supposed passenger of Elliot Burch on board. They would conclude that the crash had killed him, and his body had sunk to the bottom of the ocean and no one would ever know the truth. But for Pepe’ and a handful of other people who did not care. But Pepe’ was not like them, for he had known how deep the pit was, and how it could send a man mad, and how he would not wish that kind of torture upon his worst enemy.
Grief stricken and still on his knees, Pepe’ groaned loudly, hands to his head wishing he were anywhere on earth at that moment except where he was. And suddenly he was aware that he was not alone as firm hands clutched to his side beneath his arm pits and dragged him to his feet, and a voice foreign yes but decipherable asked if he was all right.
Pepe’ opened his eyes, and blinked for several seconds as he brought himself back to reality and sharp focus of his situation. “I’m sorry, it is all right. For a moment there I don’t know what came over me.” He lied. How could he tell the man whose kindly face with obvious concern, looked down upon him now?

“Did you faint?”

“Faint? No, no I did not faint. Believe me it is all right. It was something, a memory that’s all. It over came me all of a sudden. Please don’t worry. I will be fine now.” But the stranger seemed unwilling to go.

Pepe’ felt firm hands upon his brow and then another grasping his wrist, “Don’t worry I am a doctor.” There was a short sharp laugh, “Well that’s not strictly true. I am a doctor’s son. But believe me I know a bit about first aid and health care, and your erratic heartbeat tells me that you should rest and take some water. Here, drink some of mine.” A bottle was thrust into Pepe’s hands, and he mumbled his thanks, but beckoning to the bag at his side showed that he had some of his own. “Do you live near here?” He was being questioned again. What was it with the fellow, why couldn’t he just leave him be?

“Yes, near by.”

“Where?” With a hand held to his brow the stranger scanned the area but could see nothing but the ugly sight of mining from times past.

“You can’t see it from here.” Pepe’ told him, “Look you have been very kind, but please be on your way. My wife will soon arrive and she will lead me home.” Pepe’ lied again, desperate to have the man leave. Mr Burch will be hungry and thirsty and it would be dark soon. Pepe’ did not want to stumble above the old mine, lest he fell into it again. The thought of that alone brought the memories rushing back.

“We’ll wait for her together shall we? You should not be alone.” Something inside Pepe’ snapped. Was it fear, anger, what? He just knew he had to get the supplies to Mr Burch before sun down and this stranger, intentions good he knew was getting in his way. He said the first thing that came into his head. “Please go, leave me. It is my girlfriend that is meeting me, my wife does not know, and if you should escort me to my house my wife will worry about me and escort me everywhere from this time on, and my life will not be my own anymore.”

The stranger listened and detecting the desperation in the man’s tone did not hesitate to believe his story. “Well just make sure that you rest, promise me that.”

“I promise.”

“Then I’ll go. So long.”

“Adios.”

Pepe’ watched the tall dark-haired stranger move away and when he was safely out of sight, Pepe’ scrambled to his feet and made his way hastily toward the mine-shaft that had become Elliot Burch’s tomb.