As John stared in amazement, something very strange began happening around him. The sky seemed to become dark for an instant and the wind started blowing. There seemed to be trumpets playing far away. For a time there was darkness and the birds' songs stopped. There seemed to be the sound of thunder.

That was all. Then the dawn continued as before and the sun rose. The leaves laughed in the sun and their laughter moved the trees. God had refused to accept the bribe.

For another moment John watched the beauty of the day. Then he turned and saw the airplanes land near the castle.

John ran down the side of the mountain where the two girls were awake. They were waiting for him. Kismine jumped to her feet. John knew there was no time for words. They must get off the mountain immediately. He took the hand of each girl and they silently moved through the trees in the morning light.

When they had gone about half a mile At a certain point they turned around and saw the mountain they had just left. Against the clear sky they saw a white-haired man slowly coming down the mountain. Two enormous slaves followed him. They were carrying the diamond between them, which shone in the sun.

Then two other figures joined them, Mrs Washington and her son, Percy. The pilots with their guns had gone from their airplanes to the front of the castle.

Braddock Washington and his group stopped by a rock. The slaves pulled up a trapdoor in the side of the mountain. They all disappeared into the trapdoor - the white-haired man first, then his wife and son, and finally the two slaves.

Kismine pulled John's arm.

"Where are they going? What are they going to do?" she cried wildly.

"It must be some way of escape."

A little scream from the two girls interrupted his sentence.

"Don't you see?" cried Kismine. "The mountain is going to explode. They are going to destroy it."

Before she finished speaking, the color of the mountain became a bright yellow. At the same time the castle exploded and there was a great fire, and then nothing but smoke. The pilots and the five people who had gone inside the mountain were certainly dead. Everything was destroyed and there was silence everywhere. John and the two girls were alone in the valley.

At sunset they reached the high cliff which had marked the boundaries of the Washingtons' land. They looked back at the beautiful valley, which was now peaceful again. They sat down to finish the food Jasmine had brought with her in a basket.