“Pitchblende,” El Diablo said, then he laughed as he saw the blank expression on Skye’s face. “You don’t know what it is, of course. Nor did I when I first heard about it, but it is uranimite, which makes uranium! The mineral the whole world is seeking, the mineral that is worth more than a hundred thousand gold mines put together!”

There was an excitement in his voice that was somehow catching.

“Can you be sure of this?” Skye asked.

“Alejo is sure of it. I only wish I was more experienced. I have worked in a mine, but that does not make one expert. If the uranimite is here, it has to be worked by the Mariposans for the good of the country. I am not going to let it be handed over to a Communist organisation, who I hear are planning to bring in their own labour and give Mariposa only the smallest participating share.”

“Why did Alejo agree to this?” Skye asked him.

“They made it very worth his while.”

“How did you find out?”

“Nothing is secret for very long in Mariposa. I have my people in the Palace.”

“And in the shops and on the roads!” Skye exclaimed. “Can you be certain that those in Jācara will support you?”

He shrugged his shoulders.

“That is one of the things that are worrying me. Let’s hope that it is worrying Alejo as well. He is not quite a fool when it comes to strategy.”

“How can you fight? Are you armed?”

“We have guns brought in from Brazil. They are coming to us all the time. But do you think I want to fight? I would give my life to prevent civil war in Mariposa, brother against brother, father against son!”

El Diablo spoke with a sudden sincerity that astonished Skye and then, with a quick change of mood, he walked across to the table.

“I am hungry. I have work to do this afternoon,” he said.

“Tell me more,” Skye pleaded.

There is no more to tell and now that you know so much you will not be allowed to escape from here alive until Alejo has shown his hand.”

“Perhaps that is why you told me!”

The expression on his face was inscrutable and for a moment she was afraid that he knew of her attempt to bribe the Indian. She felt suddenly frightened, but when he started to eat his luncheon quite calmly she was sure it was only coincidence that made him speak of such things at this particular moment.

They ate quickly and when they had finished they went down to where the horses were waiting.