#23 Fernando

Fernado hid in the forest behind his parents home behind a hunter's blind at a salt lick where animal's used to come for their ration of salt and minerals- and then be shot by Fernando's father. It was deep in the forest.

He sat at his camp site rolling around in his hand three beautiful Cabochon emeralds that Gustavo had stolen when no one was looking and had given Fernando strict orders not to show them to anybody. Gustavo took the emeralds, petty thievery considering the bounty at stake,to avenge his father's name, to somehow recuperate the pound of flesh Benecio had cut from his easy going padre over the years with his razor sharp machete of abuse. His intention had been to give the stones as a gift to his father after they were finished mining and he knew he could trust Fernando more than himself not to flash them to a pretty woman or wager them in a card game.

From these stones Fernando suddenly knew he had to somehow create a plan that would trump what he had heard at Gringo Chili,but what that plan could be was beyond the comprehension of his already hard-pressed mind. He could not alone, trail behind Benecio and what sounded like a small army and yet, he could not wait too long in fear that Benecio would arrive first.Could he go back to Lago Agrio and just kill Benecio or had Benecio laid a trap for him already. Perhaps come to Francisco de Orellana. The only cheering news he had heard was on HCJV radio that authorities were thinking about blowing up the massive logjams on the Quijos and Coca rivers which would free the water to go down the Napo River but he knew even without the news report that it might be many weeks or months before the Napo was navigable because of submerged logs which would would break propellors,transmissions, and especially bash in the bows of wood boats like his.

Still seated, he clutched the stones tighly and began to rock forward and backward in anguish.Feeling the full weight of his responsibility made him cry out.What would Gustavo do ?