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Authors: Paulo Coelho

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A few decades ago, in a world that seemed about to return to more practical things and
greater social equality, diamonds began to disap- pear from the market. Then the largest
mining company in the world, with its headquarters in South Africa, decided to commission
one of the best advertising agencies in the world. Superclass met with Superclass,
research was carried out, and the result was a three-word phrase:

Diamonds are forever.

Problem solved. Jewelers took up the slogan, and the industry began to flourish again. If
diamonds are forever, what better way to express ones love, which, in theory at least,
should also be eternal? What better way of distinguishing the Superclass from the other
bil- lions of inhabitants who make up the bottom half of the pyramid? The demand for the
stones increased and prices started to rise. In a matter of a few years, that same South
African company, which had, up until then, set the rules for the international market,
found itself surrounded by corpses.

Igor knows what hes talking about. When he helped form an army to get involved in a tribal
conflict in Africa, it had proved an extremely difficult task. Not that he regrets it
because, although few people knew about the project, he managed to save many lives. He had
mentioned it once in passing to Ewa over some now-forgotten supper, but had de- cided to
say no more. When he performed a charitable act, he preferred his right hand not to know
what his left hand was doing. Diamonds had helped him save many lives, although that fact
will never appear in his biography.

The policeman who takes no notice when a criminal confesses to a crime, but praises the
jewel on the finger of a woman carrying bags packed with toilet paper and cleaning materials, is simply not fit for the job. He doesnt
know that this pointless industry creates about fifty billion dollars a year, employs a
vast army of miners, transporters, private security companies, diamond factories,
insurance companies, wholesalers, and luxury boutiques. He doesnt realize that it begins
in the mud and has to cross whole rivers of blood before it reaches a shop window.

The mud is where the miner spends his life looking for the stone that will eventually
bring him the fortune he so desires. He finds sev- eral and sells each stone for an
average of twenty dollars, a stone that will end up costing the consumer ten thousand
dollars. But hes happy enough because, where he lives, people earn less than fifty dollars
a year, and five stones are enough for him to enjoy a short but happy life, working as he
does in the worst possible conditions.

The stones are bought by
unidentified buyers and immedi- ately passed on to irregular armies in Liberia, in the
Congo, and in Angola. In those countries, a man, surrounded by guards armed to the teeth,
is designated to go to an airstrip where planes can land illegally. A plane duly lands, a
man in a suit gets out, usually accompanied by another man in shirtsleeves, carrying a
small suitcase. There is a per- functory exchange of greetings. The man with the
bodyguards hands over a few small packages; perhaps for superstitious reasons, the pack-
ages are always made from old tights.

The man in shirtsleeves takes a special jewelers eyeglass from his pocket, puts it to his
left eye, and begins to check each piece, one by one. After about an hour and a half, he
has a good idea of what hes dealing with; he then takes a small precision electronic
weighing bal- ance from his case and empties the contents of the packages onto the scale.
He makes a few calculations on a sheet of paper. The material is placed in the suitcase
along with the balance; the man in the suit signals to the armed guards, and five or six
of them board the plane. They start to unload large crates, which they pile up beside the
airstrip until the plane leaves again. The whole operation takes most of the day. The large crates are opened. They contain precision rifles, anti- personnel mines, and
bullets that explode on impact, releasing dozens of small, deadly metal balls. The arms
are handed out to mercenaries and soldiers, and soon the country finds itself facing
another ruthless coup dŽtat. Whole tribes are murdered, childrens legs or arms are blown
off by cluster bombs, women are raped. Meanwhile, a long way awayusually in Antwerp or in
Amsterdamearnest men are work- ing with love and dedication, painstakingly cutting the
stones, exhila- rated by their own skill, hypnotized by the flashes of light that begin to
emerge from each new facet of that piece of coal whose structure was transformed by time.
Diamond cutting diamond.

On the one hand, women screaming in despair beneath a smoke- shrouded sky. On the other,
beautiful old buildings seen through the windows of well-lit rooms.

In 2002, the United Nations adopted a resolution, the Kimberley Process, that tried to
trace the origin of diamonds and forbade jewelers from buying any that came from war
zones. For some time, the re- spectable European diamond cutters went back to buying
stones from the South African monopoly. However, ways were found of making a diamond
official, and the resolution became a mere sham that al- lowed politicians to claim that
they were doing something to put an end to blood diamonds, as these became known.

Five years ago, Igor had swapped diamonds for arms and created a small group intended to
put an end to a bloody conflict in the north of Liberia, and he had succeededonly the
murderers were killed. Peace returned to the small villages, and the diamonds were sold to
jewelers in America, with no awkward questions asked.

When society doesnt act to stop crime, men have the right to do whatever they think
correct.

Something similar had happened a
few minutes ago on that beach. As soon as both murders were discovered, someone would turn
to the public and say what they always said:

Were doing our best to identify the murderer.

So be it. Once again, ever-generous destiny had shown the way ahead. Sacrifice wasnt
enough. Besides, when he thought about it, Ewa would have found his absence unbearable,
with no one to talk to during the long nights and endless days while she awaited his
release. She would weep whenever she thought of him in his cold cell, staring at the blank
prison walls. And when the time finally came for them to go and live in the house on the
shores of Lake Baikal, they might be too old to experience all the adventures they had
planned together.

The policeman comes out of the snack bar and joins him on the pavement.

Are you still here, sir? Are you lost? Do you need help? No, thank you. Like I said, go
and have a rest. The sun can be very dangerous at this time of day. He goes back to the hotel and takes a shower. He asks the recep-

tionist to wake him at four, that way he should be rested enough to recover the necessary
clarity of mind not to go doing any more such foolish things. He had very nearly ruined
his whole plan.

He phones the concierge and reserves a table on the hotel terrace for when he wakes up;
hed like to drink some tea there undisturbed. Then he lies down, staring up at the ceiling
and waiting for sleep to come.

What does it matter where diamonds are from, as long as they shine?

In this world, only love deserves absolutely everything. Nothing else makes sense.

As he has many times before in his life, Igor feels a sense of total freedom. The
confusion in his head is slowly disappearing and lucidity is returning.

He had placed his fate in Jesus hands, and Jesus had decided that he should continue with
his mission.

He falls asleep without any feeling of guilt whatsoever.

The Winnder Stands Alone
1:55
PM

Gabriela decides to walk very slowly to the place where she is to pick up the boat. She
needs to put her thoughts in order, she needs to calm down. She is at a point where not
only her most secret dreams might become reality, but also her worst nightmares.

Her phone rings. Its a text message from her agent.

congratulations. accept whatever they offer. xxx She watches the crowds of people who seem to be wandering aim- lessly up and down the
Boulevard. She, on the other hand, has a goal! She isnt just another of the opportunists
who come to Cannes and dont know quite where to start. She has a solid CV, some
respectable profes- sional baggage, shes never tried to get ahead in life merely by using
her physical attributes, and she has real talent! Thats why shes been chosen to meet this
famous director, without any help from anyone, without having to dress in a provocative
manner, without even having time to rehearse her role. He would, of course, take all these
things into consideration.

She stops for a snackshe hasnt eaten anything all dayand as soon as she takes her first
sip of coffee, her thoughts seem to come back down to earth.

Why had she been chosen? What exactly would her role in the film be? And what if, when
Gibson saw the video of the audition, he decided she wasnt the person he was looking for? Calm down. She has nothing to lose, she tells
herself, but another voice insists: This is your one and only chance. Theres no such thing
as a one and only chance; life always gives you another chance, but the voice says again: Maybe, but how long before another chance
comes along? You know how old you are, dont you? Of course she does. Shes twenty-five, in a world in which
actresses, even the most committed, etc. etc. She doesnt need to go over all that again. She pays for
the sandwich and the coffee and makes her way over to the quay, this time trying to control her
optimism, telling herself not to refer to other people as opportunists, mentally reciting
the rules of positive thinking that she can remember, anything to avoid dwelling on that
all too imminent meeting.

If you believe in victory, then victory will believe in you.

Risk everything in the name of chance and keep well away from everything that offers you a
world of comfort.

Talent is a universal gift, but it takes a lot of courage to use it. Dont be afraid to be
the best.

It isnt enough to focus on what great teachers have said, she needs help from the heavens.
She starts to pray, as she always does when shes anxious. She feels the need to make a
promise and decides that, if she does get the role, she will walk all the way from Cannes
to the Vatican. If the film gets made. If its a worldwide success.

No, it would be enough just to get a part in a film with Gibson be- cause that would
attract the attention of other directors and producers. Then she will make the promised
pilgrimage.

She reaches the appointed place, looks at the sea and again at the message she received
from her agent; if her agent already knows about it, that must mean the director is serious. But what did accept what- ever they offer
mean? That she should sleep with the director or with the starring actor?

Shes never done that before, but shes prepared to do anything now. Besides, who hasnt
dreamed of sleeping with a movie star?

She looks at the sea again. She could have gone back to the apart- ment and changed her
clothes, but shes superstitious. If a pair of jeans and a white T-shirt were enough to get
her this far, she should at least wait until the end of the day to change her clothes. She
loosens her belt and sits in the lotus position and starts to do some yoga breathing. She
breathes slowly, and body, heart, and thoughts all settle into place.

She sees the launch approaching. A man jumps out and says: Gabriela Sherry? She nods, and
the man asks her to go with him. They get into the launch and set off across a sea crowded with yachts of all types and sizes. The man doesnt
say another word, as if he were far away, per- haps dreaming about what might be going on
in the cabins of those small boats or how good it would be to own one. Gabriela hesitates:
her head is full of questions and doubts, and a sympathetic word can often make a stranger
into an ally who might help with valuable tips on how to behave. But she doesnt know who
he is. He might have influence with Gibson or be merely a no-account assistant who gets
landed with jobs like picking up unknown actresses and taking them to his boss.

Best to say nothing.

Five minutes later, they draw up alongside a huge white boat. The name on the prow is
Santiago. A sailor climbs down a ladder and helps her aboard. She passes through the
spacious central reception room in which preparations are under way for what looks like a
big party later that night. She walks toward the stern of the ship, where there is a small
swimming pool, two tables shaded by parasols, and a few sun loungers. Enjoying the
afternoon sun are Gibson and the Star!

I wouldnt mind sleeping with either of them, she thinks, smiling to herself. She feels
more confident, although her heart is beating faster than usual.

The Star looks her up and down and gives her a friendly, reassur-

ing smile. Gibson gives her a firm handshake, gets up, takes one of the chairs from the
nearest table, and tells her to sit down.

Then he phones someone and asks for the number of a hotel room. He repeats it out loud,
looking at her.

It was just as she imagineda hotel room. He switches off his phone. When you leave here,
go straight to this suite at the Hilton. Thats where Hamid Husseins clothes are on display. Youve been invited to tonights party in Cap
dAntibes.

It wasnt at all as she imagined. The part was hers. And she would be going to a party in
Cap dAntibes, a party in Cap dAntibes!

He turns to the Star. What do you think? I think we should hear what she has to say.
Gibson nods and makes a gesture meaning Tell us a little about yourself. Gabriela starts with the drama course she took and the ad- vertisements shes
appeared in. She notices that the two men are no longer listening. They must have heard
the same story thousands of times. And yet she cant stop, shes talking faster and faster,
feeling that she has nothing more to say and that this chance of a lifetime de- pends on
finding just the right word, which she is patently failing to do. She takes a deep breath
and tries to appear at ease; she wants to seem witty and so she makes a joke, but shes
incapable of departing from the script her agent taught her to follow in such interviews.

After two minutes, Gibson interrupts her.

Thats great, but we know all that from your CV. Why dont you talk about you?

Some inner barrier suddenly crumbles. Instead of panicking, her voice grows calmer and
steadier.

Im just one of millions of people in the world who have always dreamed of being on a yacht
like this, looking at the sea, and talking about the possibility of working with at least
one of you gentlemen. And you both know that. I doubt theres anything else I might say
that will change anything very much. Am I single? Yes. But as is the case with all single
women, theres a man back home whos madly in love with me and is waiting for me in Chicago right now, hoping that things here will all go
horribly wrong.

Both men laugh, and she relaxes a little more.

I want to get as far as I can, although I know Im almost at the limit of whats possible,
given that in the world of movies, my age is already against me. I know there are lots of
people out there with as much or more talent than me, but I was chosenwhy I dont knowand
Ive decided to run with it. This might be my last chance, and perhaps the fact that Im
saying this now will decrease my value, but I have no choice. All my life, Ive imagined a
moment like this: doing an audi- tion, getting chosen, and being able to work with real
professionals. Its finally happened. If it goes no further than this meeting and I return
home empty-handed, at least I know I got here because of two quali- ties: integrity and
perseverance.

Im my own best friend and my own worst enemy. Before coming here, I was thinking that I
didnt deserve it, that I wouldnt be able to meet your expectations, and that you had
probably chosen the wrong candidate. At the same time, my heart was telling me that I was
being rewarded because I hadnt given up and had fought to the end.

She looks away and suddenly feels an intense desire to cry, but con- trols herself because
that might be seen as emotional blackmail. The Stars mellow voice breaks the silence.

There are honest people in the movie world, people who value pro- fessionalism, just as
there are in any industry. Thats why Ive got where I am today, and the same with our
director here. Ive been through ex- actly what youre going through now. We know how you
feel.

Her whole life passes before her eyes. All the years of seeking with- out finding, of
knocking on doors that wouldnt open, of asking and never getting an answer and being met
with blank indifference, as if she didnt exist. All the nos she had heard when no one even
seemed to notice she was alive and at least deserved a response.

I mustnt cry.

She thinks about all the people who have told her over the years that shes chasing an
impossible dream and who, if this turned out right, would be sure to say: I always knew
you had talent! Her lips start to tremble. Its as if all these thoughts were suddenly flowing out of her heart.
Shes glad to have had the guts to show that shes human and frail and that being chosen has
made a huge difference to her soul. If Gibson were now to change his mind about her, she
could take the launch back to shore with no regrets. At the moment of battle, she had
shown real courage.

She depends on other people. Its taken her a long time to learn this lesson, but shes
finally accepted that its true. She knows people who are proud of their emotional
independence, although the truth is theyre as fragile as she is and weep in private and
never ask for help. They be- lieve in the unwritten rule that says, The world is for the
strong and Only the fittest survive. If that were true, human beings would never have
survived because, as a species, we require care and protection for several years. Her
father once told her that we only acquire some abil- ity to survive alone by the age of
nine, whereas a giraffe takes a mere five hours and a bee achieves independence in less
than five minutes.

What are you thinking? asks the Star.

That I dont need to pretend Im strong, which is an enormous relief. I used to have a lot
of problems with relationships because I thought I knew better than anyone else how to get
where I wanted. All my boyfriends hated me for this, and I couldnt understand why. Once,
though, when I was on tour with a play, I came down with the most terrible flu and couldnt
leave my room, even though I was terrified that someone else would take my part. I couldnt
eat, I was delirious with fever, and eventually they called a doctor, who ordered me home.
I thought I had lost both my job and the respect of my colleagues. But that wasnt the case
at all: they showered me with flowers and phone calls. They all wanted to know how I was.
Suddenly, I realized that the people I believed to be my rivals, competing for the same
place in the spotlight, were really concerned about me. One of the other actresses sent me
a card on which shed written the words of a doctor who went abroad to work in some far-off
country. He wrote:

Weve all heard about an illness in Central Africa called sleeping sickness. What we
should also know is that a similar disease exists that attacks the soul. Its very
dangerous because the early stages often go unnoticed. At the first sign of indifference or lack of enthusiasm, take note! The only
preventive against this disease is the realization that the soul suffers, suffers greatly,
when we force it to live superficially. The soul loves all things beautiful and deep.

Wo r d s . Th e S t a r t h i n k s o f
his favorite line from a poem, one that he learned when still at school, and which
frightens him more and more as time passes: You would have to give up all else, I alone
would expect to be your sole and exclusive standard. Choosing is perhaps the most
difficult thing any human being has to do. As the actress tells her story, he sees his own
experiences being reflected back at him.

He remembers his first big chance, which he won thanks to his talent as a theater actor.
He remembers how his life changed from one minute to the next, and the fame that overtook
him so fast that he didnt really have time to adapt and ended up accepting invitations to
places he shouldnt have gone to and rejecting meetings with people who would have helped
him go much further in his career. Then there was the money he earned, which wasnt
actually that much, but which gave him a sense that he could do anything; there were the
expensive presents, the forays into an unfamiliar world, the private planes, the five-star
restaurants, and the hotel suites that resembled the palatial rooms of kings and queens as
imagined by a child. There were the first reviews, full of respect and praise and words
that touched his heart and soul; there were the letters that flooded in from around the
world and which he used to answer individually, even arranging to meet some of the women
who sent him their photos, until he realized that he simply couldnt keep up that pace, and
his agent terrified him by warning him that he could easily become the victim of some
entrapment. Never- theless, even now he still gets a special pleasure out of meeting the
fans who have followed every step of his career, who create Web pages devoted to his work,
distribute little magazines describing everything thats going on in his lifethe positive
things, that isand defend him against any attacks in the press, when some performance of
his doesnt receive the praise it deserves.

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