The untouched sky lied in front of them. A pure, shadowless air surrounded the upland. Not a single cloud was in sight yet. A yellow grass covered the plane. Far, not too far indeed, a sharper slope went down, where the river flew. Beyond, like a folded cloth, a higher mountain, where only eagles and llamas dare to go.
Under a pitiless sun, the bold shape of the Cordillera leaned for miles and miles.
Simon Dayner wiped the sweat from his brow with his forearm. From the place he was he couldn’t locate the end of the track. Nonetheless, he moved forward, hoping to see his two friends at every turn.
Unfortunately, it was not the case.
Simon wiped his forehead. It was hot. Hot as in the Sahara desert. As a matter of fact, the water was gone since a while.
Not for the first time, Simon start to think, that it hadn’t been a great idea after all.
one week earlier
1
Parco Nacional de Iguazu, Argentina - The view from above was astonishing. Nothing that they could ever had been prepared for. The incredible amount of water that fell from the craig rumbled in a thunderstorm into an inferno of water. A cloud of overwhelming white, striped by an improbable rainbow, raised from the Garganta del Diablo. The Devil’s Throat.
The jungle was all around.
“Where’s Sam?” Emy asked.
Simon shrugged and moved forward. “Who cares?”
And he was right.
There was no place like that in the world. He had no time to waste with freaky friends and stupid answers.
Since they left Rio, time had flown. Emy's dad had booked the flight, then they took their chance to go to south. Besided they had a very long journey this time, leaving Europe one month earlier, and spending time from the pool to the playground.
A very unsual summer for the kids, started when Emy's dad had joined the fleet of cruising ships as the captain of the one entitled for a round-the-world journey. Simon had joined Emy when she had asked him to come along. Yet, many things had happened.
He was very fond of his friends, but last stop in Egypt had left too many unanswered questions.
Where they still friends? did Emy liked him. At least as... well, say at least as he guess he liked her.
Which was completely nonsense.
Girls are good for fake tea parties, and for treat you bad, Simon thought. And he guessed he meant it. Besides, you don't really like her.
He took a handkerchief from his shorts and wiped the sweet that damped his neck.
"Simon, wait!" Emy said. "I can't stand your pace!"
"Your problem, girl."
The jungle was all around. And it was fantastic.
